Four London walks: Mayfair, the parks, Chelsea and the City
These four central London routes each take about one to two hours at an easy pace. You can walk them without using the Tube, though stations along the way offer an exit if you want to head back using contactless payment.
Mayfair, St James's and Theatreland
Begin in Grosvenor Square, then follow South Audley Street through Mount Street Gardens to Mount Street. Continue east through Berkeley Square and Bruton Street to New Bond Street, then down to Piccadilly. Burlington Arcade has connected Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens since 1819, with top-hatted beadles enforcing its ban on whistling, singing and running. Cross to Jermyn Street’s shirtmakers, then follow St James’s Street to St James’s Palace and St James’s Park.
A weekday morning suits browsing: many smaller shops close on Sunday, when Mayfair is emptier. Arcades and shop entrances provide occasional shelter in wet or windy weather.
For theatres, start at Leicester Square, go north on Wardour Street and turn left along Shaftesbury Avenue towards Piccadilly Circus. Pass the Gielgud, Apollo and Lyric, then return east to Cambridge Circus and the Palace Theatre. Cross Charing Cross Road to West Street: St Martin’s Theatre has staged The Mousetrap since 1974, beside its original home at the Ambassadors.
St Martin’s Lane adds the Noël Coward, Duke of York’s and Coliseum, home to English National Opera. Finish in Cecil Court, with antiquarian books and print dealers; Mozart lodged there in 1764. The passage returns to Charing Cross Road near Leicester Square. Around 6.30pm on a performance night, audiences begin filling the streets.
The Thames and the City
From Pimlico Gardens, head east along Millbank to Tate Britain, about ten minutes away, for its free collection including Turner. Continue to Victoria Tower Gardens beside the Houses of Parliament and cross Westminster Bridge for Big Ben. Return along the south bank past Lambeth Palace and cross at Lambeth or Vauxhall Bridge. This route is more exposed than the others; wet Millbank paving needs shoes with grip.
Explore City architecture at the weekend, beginning with Horace Jones’s 1881 Leadenhall Market on Gracechurch Street, used for Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter film. Lloyd’s of London stands at the Lime Street end. Follow Cornhill west to the Royal Exchange and Bank of England, then King William Street and Cannon Street to number 111. London Stone is displayed behind glass there; the story of Romans measuring distances from it lacks archaeological evidence.
The trade-off for quieter City streets is closed shops. Much of Leadenhall trades on weekdays, roughly 10am–6pm, rather than Saturday or Sunday. A weekday lunchtime shows the market in use. Cobbles can be uneven underfoot.