Notting Hill, London Weekend Itinerary
If you’re in the market for an easygoing weekend trip to London, this Notting Hill weekend itinerary is the one for you!
Notting Hill is easily one of London’s most iconic neighborhoods, and it’s one of my favorite areas to spend a relaxing weekend exploring, eating, and window shopping. The colorful buildings, the quirky antiques on nearly every street, the bustling booths along Portobello Road, the incredible restaurants and freshly baked pastries — it’s a dream of a neighborhood that’s become notorious for its aesthetic charm as much as its rising costs and tourist crowds. While you might not find many budget boutiques or super cheap food options here, Notting Hill has no shortage of beautiful streets, quaint pubs & restaurants, and high quality food!
Check out my other England food and travel guides, and bookmark this itinerary for your next London trip to explore Notting Hill one bakery and vintage shop at a time.
Logistics/Specifics
A few things to note before/during your trip planning:
Getting to London: If you’re flying into London, you’ll likely fly into one of three major airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, or Luton. London Stansted and London City are also common airports, and they all have transportation into the center of London — your travel time to Notting Hill will just depend which airport you’re coming from, as there isn’t a direct line to this specific neighborhood. I personally flew into London Gatwick and took the Southwestern line into Victoria Station, then transferred to the tube (same station) and took a Circle Line train to Notting Hill Gate.
Public Transportation in London: I didn’t use public transport much during the rest of my weekend since I stayed in the Notting Hill area and just walked everywhere. However, if you want to venture out a bit during your trip, the tube (underground trains) and the buses are super easy to navigate and are pretty much always available!
Where to Stay: Obviously if you’re looking at a Notting Hill itinerary, you’re planning to stay in Notting Hill! I can personally recommend the Ruby Zoe Hotel which is right down the street from the Notting Hill Gate tube station. However, there are no shortages of other hotels and hostels in Notting Hill to choose from!
Notting Hill Long Weekend Itinerary — Quick Overview:
Day 1:
- Fly to London
- Train into city
- Bakery stop
- Museum or gallery
- Hotel check in
- Explore Notting Hill
- Restaurant hopping for dinner
Day 2:
- Bakery hop for breakfast
- Portobello Road Market
- Photo walk in Notting Hill
- Restaurant hop for lunch
- Relax (optional shopping)
- Nice sit-down dinner
Day 3:
- Sit down brunch (or more bakeries)
- Last minute wander around Notting Hill
- Check out
Day 1: Friday
Arriving to London
I was flying in from the US, so I took an overnight flight and arrived in London around 9-10AM. As I mentioned above, I took the Southwestern line from the airport into Victoria Station, then took the tube to Notting Hill Gate and dropped off my bags at the hotel to be stored until check-in. If you arrive in London close enough to check-in, you won’t need to worry about storing your bags, but if you get into the city with hours to spare, your hotel will be able to store your bags while you explore a bit!
Stop at a Bakery or Pub
Depending on how early you arrive, you might have time for a quick bakery stop or even an hour or two to grab a drink before heading to a museum. You could also skip the museum altogether if you had a long travel morning and want to just sit and relax for a while with a pint and some bar snacks (though I do recommend a museum visit!). One of my favorite spots in Notting Hill to grab a drink is The Pelican, especially on a warm day so you can enjoy their outdoor seating.
Visit a Museum
While not technically in Notting Hill, but extremely close by, the Design Museum is an incredible spot to explore while you wait for your hotel check-in! It was barely a 20 minute walk from my hotel, and the Wes Anderson archives happened to be on display during my trip, so it was a bit of a bucket list visit for me. If you want to stick strictly within the Notting Hill perimeter, there are plenty of museums and galleries to visit, from the Cosmic House and the Museum of Brands to the Select Gallery, Vessel Gallery, and more!
Hotel Check In & Explore Notting Hill
After you’ve grabbed a drink and explored a museum for a bit, head to your hotel to officially check in. Use this time to freshen up if needed before heading out to explore the streets of Notting Hill! This is really the perfect neighborhood to just wander around without a plan. There’s so much to see just getting lost down different streets, and an aimless wander is the best way to scope out different restaurants, photo spots, shops, bakeries, and anything else that catches your eye!
Restaurant Hop for Dinner
My favorite way to enjoy as much food as possible in a new neighborhood is getting small plates at multiple different restaurants. After your wander, visit some spots that caught your eye and get a few dishes at each one! My personal favorites were Sova and Dishoom Permit Room, both pictured below. However, there’s certainly no shortage of great options in the neighborhood to choose from.
Day 2: Saturday
Bakery Hop for Breakfast
On Saturday, wake up bright and early to try out a bakery or two for breakfast! Again, I love getting a couple things from different spots so I can try as many new places as possible. It’s an awesome way to really get a taste of the local food scene when you’re exploring a new neighborhood! Some good options for bakeries are Gail’s (a London classic) and Notting Hill Bakery. You can sit-in while you enjoy your pastries or take them to go and scope out more of the neighborhood.
Explore Portobello Road Market
I definitely suggest getting breakfast bright and early so you can get to Portobello Road Market as early as possible! It gets packed super quickly, so an early morning visit will help avoid the crowds as much as possible. There’s so much to see at this market, from quirky trinkets to lovely handmade art, fresh produce, jewelry, vintage clothing, secondhand books, and lots more. You can easily spend a couple of hours just wandering down the street looking at the different booths. Grab a snack if you get hungry and shop to your heart’s desire!
Photo Walk in Notting Hill
Once you’re done with the market crowds, step off down some side streets to find some great photo spots. Notting Hill is known for its gorgeous, colorful buildings, and there are plenty to see all around the neighborhood! Some iconic streets are St. Luke’s Mews, Westbourne Park Road, Lancaster Road, and Kensington Park Gardens. You’ll find plenty more lovely streets and buildings just wandering through the area, too.
Restaurant Hop for Lunch
If it isn’t clear already, I’m suggesting another restaurant hop! Lunch is an especially great meal for this type of dining. You can either visit two restaurants in a row, or visit one, then shop for a bit, then visit another. You can really make a great afternoon of it! I loved Ria’s for their pizza and roast potatoes, and if I hadn’t been too full, I would have visited Empire Empire afterward. Again, there are many great options in the neighborhood, so note which ones you want to visit while exploring!
Relax at the Hotel (Or Shop)
If you need some relaxation time after lunch, this is your opportunity to head back to the hotel before dinner. If you want to keep the day going strong, stay out on the town and keep shopping around! I loved popping into the cute bookstores, fun boutiques, and vintage shops down nearly every street in Notting Hill. Some of my favorites were Daunt Books, Chloe Alberry, and Books for Cooks.
Have a Nice Sit-Down Dinner
Notting Hill has incredible options for nicer meals, so I absolutely suggest having dinner at one of their renowned restaurants! I personally chose Dove and was not disappointed in the slightest. Their iconic burger was absolutely worth the hype, and their fries were incredible. They even gave me some free ice cream as a little birthday treat! If you have your eye on their burger (like literally everyone else in the city), be sure to make a reservation for the start of either their lunch or dinner service and order it right away. They only serve ten per service and they sell out almost immediately!
Day 3: Sunday
Sit-Down Brunch or Bakery Hop for Breakfast
Your Sunday morning can go one of two ways: either plan a cozy sit-down brunch, or sleep in a bit and have a quick bakery visit! I opted for another bakery hop and tried out Chai Guys and Buns from Home — both great little bakeries in the neighborhood. If I’d gone out for brunch, some spots on my list were Farm Girl and Sunday in Brooklyn! Whatever you choose, enjoy a slower morning and soak up your last few hours in Notting Hill.
Final Wander Around Notting Hill
In the spirit of soaking up those last few hours, after breakfast, have one last final wander around the neighborhood. Stop into any stores you might have missed, walk down your favorite streets one last time, and make note of more places you might want to visit again — there’s plenty more to see and do around Notting Hill than can fit into just one weekend!
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