One of the UK capital’s oldest residential districts, North London is a mix of leafy suburban areas and neighbourhoods dotted with more urban features and attractions.
Colourful wares on display at Camden Market (Photo: Geoff Henson via Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0)
In a metropolis the size of London, where the majority of the population lives in its outer reaches, it’s common for locals to identify strongly with the part of the city in which they reside. Extending from the fringes of the city’s central financial district to Greater London’s boundary with rural Hertfordshire, North London and its inhabitants are no exception, boasting its own highly distinct character. We’ve picked out some of the most unique things to see and do here below.
Camden Market
There’s nowhere in London quite like Camden Market. At once a popular hang-out spot for local youngsters and a thriving bazaar selling a range of eclectic goods, the canalside market is one of the capital’s most colourful and vibrant tourist attractions. Spread across two main areas – Camden Lock Market and Stables Market – it combines all the traditional sights and sounds of bustling marketplace activity with a bohemian atmosphere and delightful views of the canal below. As for the wares on sale, it makes for the perfect place to find a bargain gift or souvenir, with everything from vintage designs, apparel, bags, jewellery, arts and crafts, candles, incense and decorative titbits all on offer. Meanwhile, a variety of street food vendors are on hand to keep energy levels up amid the hustle and bustle.
Mon-Sun 10am-6pm
You can visit the market during a Camden Town guided walking tour, bookable at GetYourGuide
Catch a football match
London is unique around the world for the number of football clubs based in the city and among the most prestigious is Arsenal. While attending matches at the team’s Emirates Stadium can be decidedly tricky due to extremely high demand, it is possible to land yourself a ticket if you know where to look. Alternatively, the club run stadium tours on a daily basis which allow you to walk pitch-side and venture into its inner sanctums, including the changing rooms and press zone, as well as look around the official club museum located directly next door. For an extra special experience, book a Legends Tour hosted by a former player of the club.
Hornsey Road
You can book an Emirates Stadium and museum tour at GetYourGuide
A statue of an Arsenal Football Club legend outside Emirates Stadium (Photo: Daniel via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Another major English football club based in North London is Tottenham, who since 2019 have played their matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Widely considered one of the finest and most state-of-the-art sports arenas in the world, matches are keenly attended – despite the club’s lack of success – meaning tickets are in short supply. There are, however, several reputable ticket resale websites where you can sometimes get lucky, albeit for above face value rates. Additionally, the club offer a truly unique experience that doesn’t involve live football whatsoever: the adrenaline-fuelling Dare Skywalk during which thrill-seekers test their nerves by abseiling 42 metres down from the top of the stadium.
782 High Road
Head to the Heath
With its sprawling woodlands, hills and meadows, it takes a suspension of belief to consider that Hampstead Heath is just a few miles from the city centre. Spanning some 320 hectares and home to an abundance of wildlife including birds, butterflies, grass snakes and bats, the ancient parkland, which runs from leafy Hampstead to equally leafy Highgate, is one of the capital’s highest elevation points, with the top of Parliament Hill a particular favourite viewing point for vistas across the city. Kenwood House, a grand 18th-century home with pristinely landscaped gardens, an impressive art collection and a charming tea room is another highlight. Meanwhile, three swimmable ponds attract a loyal and intrepid band of wild swimmers throughout the year.
Explore a star-studded cemetery
There are only a handful of cemeteries around the world that are considered a tourist attraction, and one of them can be found in the well-to-do neighbourhood of Highgate. One of England’s first private burial grounds, Highgate Cemetery came about following the capital’s population explosion of the early 19th century, which meant that most churchyards were full. In response, several entrepreneurial businessmen set about building cemeteries for the wealthy and distinguished, one of which came to fruition in Highgate. Today the cemetery attracts huge numbers of visitors each year who come to see its notable features including a cluster of mausoleums known as the Circle of Lebanon and, perhaps most famously, the tomb of German philosopher Karl Marx.
Swain’s Lane
The Tomb of Karl Marx at Highgate Cemetery (Photo: Mike Knell via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Visit a museum
The final home of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and his daughter Anna Freud, the Freud Museum can be found on a residential street in the well-heeled district of Belsize Park. Visitors can learn about his life and practices, and see many of the original household items from his time living here, including his famous psychoanalytic couch and a desk where he placed his favourite antiquities. Other exhibit highlights include a portrait of Freud by the iconic surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and a tranquil garden where Freud would spend some of his leisure time.
20 Maresfield Gardens / Weds-Sun 10.30am-5pm Closed Mon-Tues
You can buy an entry ticket to the Freud Museum at GetYourGuide
Military history enthusiasts visiting North London are in for a treat thanks to the presence of the Royal Air Force Museum. Located in the suburban district of Hendon, the museum is home to what is widely considered one of the UK’s finest exhibitions on the history of aircraft and aviation. Visitors can explore more than 100 years of RAF history through a collection of hands-on exhibits, simulator rides and even a 4D theatre. Among the most notable exhibits are an original Lancaster Bomber and a selection of German fighter jets used by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War.
Grahame Park Way / Mon-Sun 10am-5pm
An aircraft on show at the Royal Air Force Museum (Photo: Michael Gaylard via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
It may not be the most appetising of subject matter, but, in terms of London’s evolution, the Victorian beam pumping engine designed by civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette during the mid-19th century was critical, leading to the creation of England’s modern sewage system, helping end the scourge of Cholera epidemics and cleaning up the River Thames in the process. His vital achievements are honoured and celebrated at the Markfield Beam Engine & Museum, located in the remains of the Tottenham Sewage Works which now forms part of Markfield Park in the town of Tottenham. The focal point of the museum is that very pumping engine installed in 1886, along with the original pump houses and remnants of the concrete walls of the site’s original settlement tanks and filter beds.
Markfield Road / Mon-Sun 11am-5pm
Come and admire a majestic Hindu temple
On the face of it, it’s hard to imagine a more unlikely setting for an exquisite temple than the inconspicuous northwest London suburb of Neasden. But like so many of London’s outer towns, a large ethnic – and in particular Hindu – community has created a vibrant melting pot, seen in its food, its shops and, in the case of Neasden Temple, its places of religious worship. The temple – whose official name is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – is quite simply a masterpiece of design and workmanship, boasting 5,000 tonnes of limestone and marble, hand-carved in India before being assembled in this unremarkable corner of the capital in 1995. Today the temple attracts almost half a million visitors each year who come to marvel at its intricate carvings, observe traditional Hindu prayer ceremonies, and learn more about the world’s oldest remaining faith at the cultural centre next door.
Pramukh Swami Road / Mon-Sun 9am-6pm
The visually arresting Neasden Temple (Photo: Loz Pycock via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Let the kids loose at a subterranean theme park
An indoor rollercoaster sounds as safety-conscious as the proverbial bull in a china shop, but at the Sci-Fi-themed Bablyon Park in the heart of Camden Town, it just about seems to pass without incident. Opened in 2022, the three-storey underground theme park is one of the more recent additions to North London’s entertainment landscape, but has quickly gained in popularity with everyone from toddlers through to teenagers – and even some young-at-heart adults – thanks to its dazzling array of activities, rides and games. As well as a rollercoaster zig-zagging through the air just inches from heads, there are also other time-honoured theme park favourites including bumper cars, carousels and air hockey.
8 Castlehaven Road / Mon-Fri 12pm-8pm Sat 10am-10pm Sun 10am-9pm
Catch top acts at an acclaimed music festival
What began mainly as a rock and pop festival has now blossomed into a multi-genre musical celebration that takes place each summer in the green expanse of Finsbury Park. Owned and managed by American entertainment giants Live Nation, Wireless Festival is famed for its star-studded headline acts, from Daft Punk to Justin Timberlake, JAY Z to Kanye, and Nicki Minaj to 21 Savage. As well as world-class artists, the event also places a strong focus on providing a platform for the freshest new talent seeking to make a name for themselves.
Finsbury Park / July each year
A live stage performance at Wireless Festival against a backdrop of pyrotechnics (Photo: Wireless Festival)
Spot celebs in an exclusive hilltop village
Celebrities have got to live somewhere, and for a sizeable number their choice of residence is one of the grand Victorian terraces or pastel-coloured Regency townhouses dotted throughout the achingly pretty village of Primrose Hill. But while the gorgeous village, which is situated close to London Zoo, may boast levels of star-spotting potential comparable to a stroll along Hollywood Boulevard, there’s plenty to entice visitors beyond its assortment of A-listers, including upmarket delis, chic eateries, quaint tea rooms, boutique fashion stores and picture-postcard views over the city from its namesake hilltop park.
Take a canal boat ride
The picturesque stretch of Regent’s Canal that runs from Little Venice near Paddington all the way through to the River Thames in Docklands can be navigated on a number of organised boat rides. Named after the Prince Regent, later George IV, part of the route takes you through the heart of North London, past famous landmarks and attractions including London Zoo, Camden Lock and the perpetual buzz of Camden Market. During the trip, you’ll get to hear live commentary from an expert guide who will regale you with stories and facts about the canal’s history from 1800 to the current day.
You can book a canal ride at GetYourGuide
faboats line the Regent’s Canal(Photo: Geoff Henson via Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0)
Take in some live entertainment
Set amid parkland on the top of a hill in the quaint village of Muswell Hill, Alexandra Palace is a famous Victorian-era entertainment venue that plays host to a packed programme of concerts, exhibitions and sports events, as well as circuses, funfairs and food festivals, throughout the year. Nicknamed ‘Ally Pally’, the palace’s surroundings also offer ample opportunities for recreation, with its boating lake, pitch and putt golf course and picnic spots, all set against breath-taking panoramic views of the London skyline.
Alexandra Palace Way