Marylebone, Mayfair and Belgravia

Route Description for Marylebone, Mayfair and Belgravia

This is a great walk in London. While the distance is short, there is so much to see it’s best to leave a day for this trip if you want to explore the shopping, restaurants, and museums along the way.

Exit out of the Baker Street Tube Street Station, taking the Baker Street exit. It is often confusing to find the right exit, so when you get out, look for the Sherlock Holmes Statue just outside of the station as a good starting point.

Cross the busy Marylebone Road, then turn left and continue on Marylebone Road. Follow Marylebone Road for 450 m, passing the University of Westminster on your right, and Madame Tussauds across the street on your left, before turning right onto Marylebone High Street.

Marylebone High Street resembles a village within the city; there are many great places to eat and drink. There is everything from great pubs, superb restaurants, and cheery little cafes here. You will also find the wonderful Daunt Books, one of the best bookshops in London.

Continue on Marylebone High Street for 550 m and take a left at Marylebone Lane. Marylebone High Street will become Thayer Street just before Marylebone Lane begins. Walk down Marylebone Lane for 170m. Along Marylebone Lane, you will find Le Relais de Venise, a very popular and trendy French restaurant. If you plan on visiting, be warned, there is almost always a line outside. Alternatively, if you are looking for a pint at a pub, try the Golden Eagle on the corner of Bulstrode St and Marylebone Lane. Once you have walked 170 m, turn right onto Hinde Street.

Continue on Hinde Street for 100 m as it brings you out to Manchester Square. Turn right to follow Manchester Square to The Wallace Collection, a hidden gem of a museum. Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, The Wallace Collection is usually not too busy. Thankfully, admission is free, too! It houses a variety of items and paintings built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by both the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace.

After visiting The Wallace Collection, keep following around Manchester Square until you reach Duke Street. Head down Duke Street for approximately 75 m before turning left onto Wigmore Street. Continue down Wigmore Street for 120 m before taking a right at St Christopher's Place, a wonderful hidden gem of shops and restaurants. Along St Christopher's Place is Carluccio's; this is an Italian café that is a great place to grab a coffee and cookie to keep you powered during your walk.

Keep going through St. Christopher’s place and when you come to Oxford Street turn right. As you walk along Oxford Street, you will soon find Selfridges, one of the world's most famous luxury stores. It is definitely worth a visit but prepare yourself as it can get a bit crazy in there if there is a sale going on. After 270 m on Oxford Street, turn left onto North Audley Street.

You are now entering Mayfair, a very rich part of London. Unfortunately, today this area is rather quiet as many of the houses here have been bought as investments as opposed to actual living quarters. North and South Audley Street, however, do have some wonderful shops and very exclusive restaurants.

Among the restaurants on North Audley Street is Roka Mayfair, an excellent Japanese restaurant with charcoal-grilled dining. For more of an informal setting, try The Mayfair Chippy. It is a simple café with outdoor tables that serves classic comfort foods and different puddings.

Continue going south on North Audley Street for 230 m until you reach Grosvenor Square. This is a beautiful park that will be of special of interest to Americans in particular. There is a Dwight D. Eisenhower statue and a statue of former President Ronald Reagan on your left as you walk along the square. You can also find the former site of the United States Embassy on Grosvenor Square.

Continue straight from Grosvenor Square onto South Audley Street. Follow South Audley Street for 260 m before turning left at South Street. Walk down South Street for 140 m then turn right onto Chesterfield Hill. Continue down Chesterfield Hill for 60 m before turning left at Hill Street. Just a little past Chesterfield Hill, along South Street, is The Punchbowl (off of Farm Street), a great British pub.

Follow Hill Street for 200 m where it then joins Berkeley Square. Berkeley Square is a great spot to take a break and rest. Alternatively, turn right and continue down Berkeley Square for another 200 m. Berkeley Square then becomes Fitzmaurice Place and the road veers right and becomes Curzon Street.

Continue on Curzon Street for 550 m before turning right onto Park Lane. Walk down Park Lane for about 90 m before turning left at a crosswalk to cross over Park Lane and enter Hyde Park. Once in Hyde Park you will pass the 7/7 Memorial – this site is dedicated to the 55 victims who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks in London’s underground in July 2005.

Walk straight from the 7/7 Memorial to the path in front of you. Follow the path straight for 250 m, and when you come to a paved road then turn left and follow the next path south for 120 m. In 220 m come to a large sandy path and turn right; follow this for 150 m before turning left to follow the path out of Hyde Park and over S Carriage Drive, through Albert Gate before turning right onto Knightsbridge.

Knightsbridge is a very exclusive area. As you are walking, you will pass Harvey Nichols, a luxury department store. There is a great restaurant on the fifth floor. Be sure to look across at One Hyde Park, a controversial but beautiful residential and retail development complex.

Just past Knightsbridge Station, keep left onto Brompton Road. Along Brompton Road is the famous shop Harrods. Inside Harrods there is an incredible food hall that is definitely worth a visit if you have not already tasted all that London has to offer.

From Harrods continue on Brompton Road, as it turns into Thurloe Place (Brompton Road actually continues to the left). You will also find the Victoria and Albert Museum (on your right just after the road becomes Thurloe Place). The V&A is a wonderful museum that is usually quieter than other museums with a similar reputation. The museum itself is free to visit and is open daily from 10:00 AM-5:45 PM.

The road then changes to Cromwell Road past the Victoria and Albert Museum, and next door is the stunning Natural History Museum, another incredible and highly educational museum. Admission to the Natural History Museum is also free and it is open daily from 10:00 AM until 5:50 PM.

Turn left just after the Natural History Museum onto Queensberry Place. Continue on Queensberry Place for 160 m before turning left at Harrington Road. Follow Harrington Road for 190 m and end your walk at South Kensington Station for an easy way to continue onto your next destination.

Insider Hints for Marylebone, Mayfair and Belgravia

• You can add Madame Tussauds at the start of this walk if you want. It’s definitely not worth a line-up to get in, but is a fun option for a rainy day.
• If you plan on going to the Natural History Museum, it’s best to go early or late in the day. If you want to go early, then reverse the route.
• We love taking a picnic into Hyde Park, there is a Tesco express on Curzon Street.