We recently met up with fellow travel bloggers iZogAdventure for a day out in London and to shoot a video interview for their awesome YouTube channel. Given that they commute into the city on a regular basis, we wanted to swerve to central London. We decided on walking Regents Canal from Camden Town to Little Venice. This is about a 2.5 mile (or 4km) walk, that takes around 45 minutes. Walking Regents Canal takes in a different side of London than many international tourists will see. It is far off the well-trodden route between Buckingham Palace and the West End.
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Introducing Zoggy and ZogBecca of iZogAdventure!
Darren (aka Zoggy) and Rebecca (ZogBecca) are a vlogging and more recently blogging couple, based in the UK. They spend pretty much every weekend roaming around the UK, taking in different sites of interest and vlogging about their adventures on their YouTube channel. Occasionally they go further afield. Earlier in 2017, they made it out to Basel to visit us for a weekend and made a short series of vlogs about it. We recently featured them in our post about 15 Travel Bloggers we love.
When we announced that we planned to start our adventure in full-time travel, Darren had suggested we meet up to shoot an interview about our plans. Of course, we jumped at the chance. Hence this was a day out with a dual purpose. Walking Regents Canal, and find a nice spot where we could shoot the interview.
Are you interested in seeing some other awesome cities than London? Then check out this post about Cities in England that are not London.
Camden Town – hipster paradise in North London
We met up with the Zogs at a spot close to Camden Town tube. For anyone who may not know, Camden Town is located about 2 miles north of Central London. It is easily reached via the Northern Line of the London Underground. Camden is buzzing at weekends due to the extensive and ever-popular tourist markets which started in the 1970s. They have expanded several times since then.
The iconic Camden Lock sign on the railway bridge
Street food stalls at Camden Lock Market
The famous Camden High Street
I first discovered Camden markets as a student and fell in love with the place due to its lively vibe and alternative culture. Although it is far more touristy now than when I used to stomp the streets in my Doc Martens, it still retains a hipster edge over Central London. The markets are a shopping mecca, selling apparel, jewellery, books, vinyl and CD’s, second-hand gear, mobile phone covers and so much more. You can also get street food of pretty much any description here. There is also loads of street art around the area and above the shops, so Tom and Rebecca were both in photo heaven.
Do you want to experience more of the amazing charm of the Camden markets?
Then check out this cool Camden Eclectic Culture and Markets Tour.
What a yummy head!
Street art – “courage has no gender”
Walking Regents Canal
After we had wandered around the markets for a while mostly taking pictures, we started walking the Regents Canal. The towpath runs past Camden Lock and is well used by cyclists and joggers. Regents Canal links the Grand Union Canal at Paddington Basin, with the River Thames at Limehouse. If you are interested in the geography of the canal network, MappingLondon has a great Underground-style map that shows all of the London Waterways. This appeals to my map-geek sensibilities!
Camden to London Zoo
Walking Regents Canal as we did takes in only a small section of the extensive waterways of London and is still one of the underrated things to do in London. Darren, Rebecca and I are all fairly familiar with the city. However, none of us had done this particular walk in London before. We were all very surprised by the different side of London that walking Regents Canal reveals. The walk is all towpath and takes in London Zoo along the way. As we passed the Zoo we could see part of one of the aviaries. The wild birds outside were chirruping away to the Zoo birds inside.
Arr, there be pirates in London!
Amy is one of Camden’s most famous former residents
Does this look like it’s in the middle of London?
This Asian looking boat is actually a Chinese restaurant called Feng Shang Princess
Lisson Grove
We passed several people on boat tours and some on kayaks. However, as we walked past Lisson Grove, we saw what seemed like hundreds of houseboats. Most of them are on permanent moorings, and the towpath is literally used as their front gardens. Many were decorated with plants, garden furniture, fairy lights, pompoms and one even had a tiny “library”- a row of books and an invitation to enjoy. The whole area is utterly charming.
You like walking tours but you prefer them a bit geekier?
Then check out this awesome 3-hour Harry Potter Walking Tour of London!
Someone created a little paradise here with a table, two chairs and a cute little bookshelf
Looks like out of an old pirate story
Little Venice and our video interview with iZogAdventure
Little Venice was the end of our walk along Regents Canal. We stopped at the pool formed by the confluence of the three canals – Regents Canal, the Grand Union Canal and Paddington Basin. If you want more and closer information about the exact route, then check out the page of the Canal and River Trust. There you’ll also find a map.
The Regents Canal as seen from Warwick Avenue
The lagoon at Little Venice
After a short stop at a cafe for some drinks, we went and found a spot in Rembrandt Gardens and shot the video! You can check it out below.
Many thanks to Valentina and Antonio of Travelling Bellies and Chad and Stef of Touring Tastebuds for their input to the questions. And of course, huge thanks to Darren and Rebecca for taking time out of their busy weekends to interview us! We had a fantastic day out walking Regents Canal, and really enjoyed the experience of being interviewed on camera. If you want a tranquil walk in London outside the city, then we can seriously recommend a walk along the Regents Canal. To find a perfect base for this activity, check out this great accommodation guide for London. If you are more interested in the culinary side of London, then check out our post about the best London food tours!
29 comments
[…] if you want to see some photos of other “Venices” then check out our post about Walking Regents Canal (to Little Venice of London), or our Venice photo gallery, which is the real Italian […]
Camden town is i deed the hipsters paradise. On my most recent visit to london, i walked by Regent Canal and was absolutely delighted with the discovery of this area. Looking forward to my next visit to London and see more of the hidden jewels the city has to offer.
Hi James, thank you for visiting our page. The awesome thing about London is, that you can always discover something new. I was quite surprised about the beauty of the Regents Canal.
Have a fantastic day
The Regents Canal is so scenic. It looks especially beautiful in fall! Thank you for highlighting all the beautiful spots along the way!
Hi Cat, thank you for your comment. Autumn is a great season to discover this part of London, especially on a sunny day 🙂 You’re welcome 🙂
Have a fantastic day
This is such a beautiful place to walk! In June we caught the boat along the canal from Little Venice to Camden Lock and just lloved it. We saw monkeys hanging out at the zoo right on the water and I too loved all the little decks at the back of properties. I think I saw the one you’ve photographed too. Camden Lock – just loved it too and spent a while eating food and drinking pints on the water’s edge. Not long after we were there, they had a big fire !
Hi Kerri, thank you very much for reading our post. We’d really love to take that boat ride as well! I’d love to see the monkeys as well 😀 I’m an Ale lover, so Camden Lock really is a cool place to try some new ones. They had a big fire? I didn’t know about that 😮
Have a fantastic day
I love that for a city which is as famous and well known as London, there are still parts like Regents Canal that are off the typical tourist trail from what your everyday tourist travels to see. I loved Camden markets on my last trip to London – totally got lost in the edgy hipster vibe. And as you said ,awesome photo opportunities! I don’t remember walking Regents Canal though, but it sounds like a fun way to get acquainted with London’s waterways. I had no idea that there were houseboats along the waterways, and Little Venice doesn’t look like anything I would have expected from London. Love it!
Hi Meg, it is truly amazing that you can probably visit London a hundred times and still see something new every time. I knew about Camden Market before, but then Sarah took me along the Regents Canal and I was once more blown away 😀 We also found out that there are a lot more of those river streets within London and that there are even London tours you can do to discover this wonderful city via the canals. While I’m probably never going to be a Hipster (my brother covers this already), I loved the vibe at Camden Market. I’m glad we could show you a bit an other city of such a famous city 🙂 Thank you very much for reading our article.
Have a fantastic day
I love those lovely street markets! Reminds me of the ones in Asia. The street are are also cool although it’s too bad some had been tagged. You’re right that the route you took was out of the usual London scenery. I wouldn’t have been able to say it’s in London. Even the lagoon looks so peaceful!
Hi Aleah, now that you mention it, I can see the similarities 🙂 You’re right about the tags, but unfortunately they are a part of the street scene … The lagoon ways actually my favourite part. Thank you for your comment.
Have a fantastic day
I have been to Camden, but didn’t know about Regents Canal! Love Lisson Grove, it looks beautiful, I will have to check it out next time I am in London.
Hi Lucy, thank you for your comment. Regents Canal is such a peaceful oasis in the midst of the busy city of London. It’s definitely worth exploring when you want some peaceful hours 🙂 I loved the Lisson Grove place as well, such a creative and cute idea <3
Have a fantastic day
We visited London back in 2012 and missed most of these spots. I’ve never even heard of Regents Canal. I love the street art in Camden Town – I can see why its a hipster hotspot. Cool interview.
Hi Rhonda, we’re happy you liked the interview. Thank you very much for watching it 😀 I never heard of Regents Canal before either, but Sarah knows London quite good. It’s definitely worth exploring.
Have a fantastic day
I’ve been to the Camden Market, but haven’t walked the Regents Canal. It looks very picturesque, so I’ll have to keep this area in mind for next time I’m in London. I saw Poppies in one of your photos, and I definitely had the best fish and chips I’ve ever had at Poppies. Also wondering about that cute pagoda – you said it’s a Chinese restaurant. Do you know if it’s any good?
Hi Jennifer, thank you for reading our post. We unfortunately never were in Poppies, but I DO love Fish and Chips <3 I have honestly no Idea how good the restaurant is, but on Google it got a rating of 4/5 stars 🙂
Have a fantastic day
I love Camden Town. When I first visited in the 1990s it was like a revelation to me. Have recently taken my kids there to see all the street art and Cyberdog and the Lock Markets… they loved it! I also learned that you can take a narrowboat from Camden to Little Venice and/or London Zoo. Now, looking at your photos I am definitely intrigued – so pretty! Next time I take the kids I will get the to Little Venice and show them a very different side of their beloved London. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Silke
We bet your kids loved this part of London 😀 There is so much to see! Whenever I go there, my inner child awakes as well. The Street Art scene is really big in Camden Town. We’d love to take the narrow boat one day <3 Thank you for your comment and I hope one day you'll make it to Little Venice with your kids 😀
Have a fantastic day
I have visited London so many times, but it seems I missed this part of London altogether. Regent Canal looks absolutely stunning. Is is so all around the year or it is the summer magic of London?
Hi Anuradha, thank you for your comment. Camden Lock/Market is not very famous outside of the UK, but definitely worth a visit. If you want to walk the canal we recommend to do that in spring, summer or autumn, because the trees look a lot prettier than in winter 🙂 Camden Market though can be visited all year round.
Have a fantastic day
I have similar memories of Camden, down to the Doc Martens! I love learning about little pockets to explore and London is a regular destination so we will definitely put this on our list for a future visit! And loved the video, you guys are naturals 😉
Why thank you! Our fifteen minutes of fame, lol. Definitely make your way over to the canal if you are in London and around that way, its so peaceful and some great photo opportunities. Makes me laugh now that DM’s are now back in fashion with the goth kids – takes me back a few years!
Oh wow, we had no idea about Camden being a hipster central. Last time we were in London last year we ended up spending most of our time out in Brixton.
If you liked Brixton then you will LOVE Camden! It is where Amy Winehouse used to hang out – her old local pub is a kind of shrine to her. The markets are really cool too. If you end up in London again, check it out! 🙂 Thanks for reading too
Well guys you have a day out planned for us when we get back home! Love it, Camden is a fav of mine anyway :0) Also love this interview & all of your gadget tips, we are really excited to follow you on your adventures through Asia!
You should definitely do this walk if you are around the area Kelly, it is a great break from the bustle of central London which can be totally overwhelming at times. Also a good excuse to drop by Camden market! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Takes me back to my life in London, I loved heading to Regents Canal, Little Venice and Camden market. Sounds like you all had a great time together, the interview was great to hear about your best travel items and where you are heading on your travels. Look forward to following your journey!
Thanks for reading Vanessa! We had such a blast doing that interview with Darren and Rebecca. Yapp, Camden was always one of my favourite spots but never knew about that walk, really glad we did it!