With over 100 shops and 60 restaurants, Carnaby Street really is the beating heart of London’s West End.
Home to an iconic history and regarded as the birthplace of the swinging sixties in London, Carnaby Street was a regular haunt of musical legends including The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Kinks and has kept its quirky feel and cool, creative vibe to this day.
Made up of 14 streets with colourful shop fronts, visitors flock to this area to browse a wide range of independent stores looking for something a little different to take home as a souvenir of their visit to the UK’s vibrant capital city.
Here’s our guide to making the most of your visit to the famous Carnaby Street.
How to get there
Staying at one of our hotels near Carnaby Street makes perfect sense if you want to be surrounded by the iconic heritage and creative atmosphere of the area but still want to access other neighbourhoods in the city with ease.
Exploring the area on foot is the best way to take in the sights and sounds of Carnaby Street, especially as most of the streets were pedestrianised back in the 1970s.
Where to stay
If you just want to visit Carnaby Street for a few hours and would rather be located nearer to some of London’s other fantastic attractions, we have several 5-star hotels London that can give you quick and easy access to the area and are ideally located for major transport routes throughout the city.
The best thing about London transport is the reliability and large network provided by the Tube system. This means that whichever of our hotels you choose to stay in, you’re never too far away from the places and landmarks you want to visit.
When to visit
As you’d expect, Carnaby Street has real appeal for visitors travelling to London from all over the world, so there’s always a high energy feel to its streets.
Weekends tend to be the busiest times for a visit, so if you’d rather experience Carnaby Street and all it has to offer when it’s a little quieter, then we’d recommend staying at one of our 5-star hotels London mid-week and taking the Tube to the area then.
Carnaby Street also hosts a varied calendar of events and festivals throughout the year, with one of the most notable being the Eat Street Food Festival that comes to town every August, so it’s a must-visit area of London for the foodie in your family.
Where to eat
If you’re staying at one of our hotels near Carnaby Street and skipped breakfast in favour of a lie in, then there are some amazing independent restaurants and street food vendors lining the streets in and around this area.
From traditional classics such and pie and peas to some exotic flavours including Vietnamese, Lebanese and Japanese cuisines, there’s something to tickle the taste buds of even the most discerning diner in Carnaby Street.
