Region: Shoreditch & Brick Lane, East London — City of London & Tower Hamlets
Places To Stay: Base yourself around Liverpool Street for easy Tube, mainline trains and Spitalfields Market on your doorstep, or stay in the heart of things in Shoreditch if you want to roll out of the hotel and straight into the street art. Looking for more London walks? Head to my ‘Tube Trekking Guides‘ page to see all regions and routes.
Below are a few ideas for day tours and experiences in London, including more time in the East End if you want to turn this into a full city break. GetYourGuide makes it easy to book + see more here.
For a bigger selection of Central London accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of hotels, apartments and quirky stays to browse in Shoreditch, Brick Lane and beyond.
This Tube Trekking loop from Liverpool Street Station is a relaxed, self-guided wander through some of the best street art in Shoreditch and Brick Lane. Instead of hills and trig points, you’ve got murals, paste-ups, graffiti battles and ever-changing walls – from the legal free-for-all under the railway by Pedley Street to the bold letter murals on Ebor Street and character-packed corners of Hanbury Street. It’s flat, easy underfoot and absolutely crammed with colour, making it a brilliant urban “walk” when you want a hit of creativity without leaving London.
Getting There: Directions, GPX and Map
- Start/Finish: Liverpool Street Station (National Rail, Elizabeth line, Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines) — a perfect hub for a Shoreditch wander.
- Transport: This is pure public transport territory. Hop off at Liverpool Street, follow the route on foot and jump straight back on the Tube or train when you’re done.
- GPX: Download the GPX file here.
- Route Finder: Follow this route on my Outdooractive profile.
Travel Data: I use eSIMs to stay connected – handy if you’re visiting London from overseas and want maps and Tube apps without roaming faff. Sim Local has been solid in Europe and the UK with good prices and coverage.
Walk Profile
- Distance: ~4 km (2.5 miles) circular from Liverpool Street Station.
- Duration: 1.5–3 hours depending how long you stop to photograph and stare at walls.
- Ascent/Descent: Basically flat – a few gentle ramps and kerbs, but it’s London pavement all the way.
- Highest Point: Somewhere around Shoreditch High Street – but this one’s more about eye level than altitude.
- Difficulty: Easy – city pavements, lots of options to cut it short or bail out to the Tube.
- Terrain: Urban pavements, cobbles, side streets and a bit of park path around Allen Gardens.
Route Overview (Clockwise from Liverpool Street Station)
| Section | From → To | Street(s) | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool Street Station → Spitalfields | Bishopsgate / Brushfield Street / Commercial Street | 0.5–1 km | Easy warm-up through office-land into the buzz of Old Spitalfields Market. |
| 2 | Spitalfields → First murals on Hanbury Street | Commercial Street → Hanbury Street | 0.5 km | Turn into Hanbury to hit your first serious street art walls and alleyways. |
| 3 | Hanbury Street → Brick Lane | Hanbury Street → Brick Lane | 0.3–0.5 km | Follow Hanbury past big murals, cranes and paste-ups before dropping onto Brick Lane. |
| 4 | Brick Lane → Sclater Street | Brick Lane → Sclater Street | 0.3 km | Walk north along Brick Lane’s curry houses, markets and shutters, then turn into Sclater. |
| 5 | Sclater Street → Pedley Street / Code Street | Sclater Street → Pedley Street → Code Street / Allen Gardens | 0.5–0.8 km | Shutters and characters on Sclater, then into the legal graffiti playground under the railway. |
| 6 | Code Street → Buxton Street | Code Street → Allen Gardens → Brick Lane → Buxton Street | 0.6–0.8 km | Loop round Allen Gardens, then back to Brick Lane and along Buxton’s long mural wall. |
| 7 | Buxton Street → Dray Walk & Ely’s Yard | Buxton Street → Brick Lane → Dray Walk / Ely’s Yard | 0.5 km | Back into the Truman Brewery maze with more curated pieces and the Ray-Ban wall. |
| 8 | Ely’s Yard → Ebor Street | Dray Walk → Brick Lane → Ebor Street | 0.5 km | Cut back to Brick Lane then peel off into Ebor’s bold text and portrait walls. |
| 9 | Ebor Street → Chance Street | Ebor Street → Redchurch Street → Chance Street | 0.3–0.5 km | A short hop into one of Shoreditch’s most photographed street art hotspots. |
| 10 | Chance Street → Whitby Street | Chance Street → Redchurch Street → Whitby Street | 0.3 km | More big murals and portraits as you loop into Whitby’s quieter side street. |
| 11 | Whitby Street → Fashion Street | Whitby Street → Redchurch Street → Commercial Street → Fashion Street | 0.6–0.8 km | Work your way back towards the City, with a final cluster of pieces on Fashion Street. |
| 12 | Fashion Street → Liverpool Street Station | Fashion Street → Commercial Street → Brushfield Street → Bishopsgate | 0.8–1 km | Easy finish back through Spitalfields and straight into Liverpool Street Station. |
Flying into London? Quick Skyscanner Checker
If you’re flying into London, you can use Skyscanner to find flights, then jump on the Tube or Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street to start this walk.
Walk Description
This has to be one of the easiest “big impact” walks you can do in London. You step out of Liverpool Street Station, dodge a few suits on Bishopsgate, and within a few minutes you’re in Spitalfields Market with indie stalls, food smells and the City melting into Shoreditch. It feels like you’ve crossed an invisible line from finance to creativity – and that’s exactly what this Tube Trekking route is all about.
From Spitalfields you wander up to Hanbury Street, where the walk really starts to kick off. Here you get a proper taste of East End street art: huge walls covered in portraits, surreal creatures, bold lettering and the odd political shout. Even if you’ve not got a clue who painted what, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer scale of some of these pieces. Things change quickly – what you see on my photos might already be gone – but that’s half the fun.
Drop down onto Brick Lane and you hit the main artery of the area. Curry houses, bagel shops, markets, music, people from absolutely everywhere – it’s full-on in the best way. On this route Brick Lane is the spine you keep returning to, with each side street offering up a different flavour of art. On Sclater Street you get colourful characters and painted shutters. Some days it’s quiet, other days there’ll be a full market going on – either way, there’s plenty to look at.
The walk then swings past the railway into Pedley Street and Code Street, home to some of the best-known legal walls in London. This is where graffiti writers and muralists can experiment, layer over each other’s work and go big without sneaking around. It’s a riot of colour under the arches – chrome pieces, characters, abstract fills, you name it. If you time it right, you might literally see someone up a ladder adding something new while you walk past.
From here you loop round Allen Gardens and back towards Buxton Street, where there’s another long stretch of wall that’s often covered in large-scale pieces. This bit feels slightly less hectic than Brick Lane but still very much part of the same conversation. You’re never far from the sound of trains, traffic and people, but every brick seems to be painted, stickered or scribbled on by someone with something to say.
The route then takes you into the old Truman Brewery area via Dray Walk and Ely’s Yard. This bit has a slightly more curated feel – big brand murals, pop-up events, food trucks, container bars. The famous yellow Ray-Ban wall lives around here, and there’s usually some kind of installation or sculpture knocking about. It’s a great spot for a coffee or something stronger before you carry on.
Heading north, you sneak over to Ebor Street, home to big blocky text murals and portraits that make brilliant backdrops for photos. Then it’s a short hop to Chance Street, which is often busy with photographers and content creators trying to grab their own angle on the latest piece. Big walls, bold colours and lots of detail if you take the time to stand and really look at them.
The loop then winds through Whitby Street and down towards Fashion Street, where you get a final cluster of murals and smaller pieces as Shoreditch starts giving way back to the City. It’s a nice way to “cool down” from the sensory overload of Brick Lane and the railway arches. Before you know it, you’re back in Spitalfields and rolling into Liverpool Street Station, ready to jump on a train home with a camera full of colour.
For me, this is what Tube Trekking is all about: you step off at a familiar London station, wander a few streets beyond where you’d normally go, and suddenly you’re in a completely different world. No passport, no car, just a bit of curiosity and a willingness to explore.
Places to Stay near Shoreditch & Brick Lane
For a wider choice of accommodation around Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Liverpool Street, Booking.com has a huge variety to browse through, from boutique hotels and serviced apartments to bigger chain places if you just want an easy base.
Recommended Stays
Stay near Liverpool Street – Malmaison Hotel
Perfect if you want to step off the train, drop your bag, and be on the Tube Trekking route within minutes.
Stay in Shoreditch – Hub London
Ideal if you want the street art, bars and cafés right outside your door – wake up, grab a coffee and you’re straight into the loop.
AllTrails: It’s not just for mountains – you can also find and record city walks and urban loops. AllTrails ‘Plus’ 30% OFF – Read my ‘Full Review‘ for more details.
Practicalities
- Season: All year – this is London, so expect everything from blue skies to sideways rain. Winter and autumn can actually suit the mood of the area really well.
- Footwear: Comfy trainers or light walking shoes. It’s all pavements, but you’ll be on your feet for a couple of hours and probably stopping / starting a lot for photos.
- Water & food: You’re never far from a café, bakery, bagel shop or bar. That said, it’s still worth carrying some water, especially on hot days or if you get lost in your camera roll.
- Toilets: Plenty around Spitalfields Market, Liverpool Street Station and cafés on Brick Lane – just be prepared to buy a coffee if you’re nipping in.
- Dogs: On lead is best – busy streets, traffic and crowds at weekends, plus markets that can get hectic.
- Good for: Street art, photography, people-watching, London first-timers, solo wanders and anyone who likes the idea of a “hike” without leaving Zone 1/2.
Shoreditch Street Art Loop FAQs
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Walk this route yourself in 3D!
The video is a 3D walkthrough of this Tube Trekking route; it’ll give you a great idea of what to expect before you set foot on the streets.
I’ve created 3D-style videos of my walks and shared them with the Outdooractive and Welsh Man Walking communities.
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