Camden Town

Famous for its eccentric vibe and alternative style, Camden Town is home to one of London’s most well-known markets, the Camden Lock, and dozens of unconventional stores and food venues.

Camden Town is a district in the northwestern part of the city and one of the major attractions in terms of London’s neighbourhoods. The area is known being a centre of counter-culture and for its thriving alternative scene.

There are no major monuments or museums in the area. Rather, the main attraction in Camden is the neighbourhood itself, with its unconventional shops and their outlandish storefronts, the varied street food stalls, and the many music venues. Towards the northern end of the area, you’ll find the famous Camden Market.

The Market, also known as Camden Lock, is a large complex made up of fixed shops and stalls. The Camden Lock was developed originally in the 1970s as a market for crafts, handmade objects, and antiques.

Today, however, you can expect to find pretty much everything in Camden Market. Most famously, there are several unique clothing stores (including second-hand, gothic, punk, and avant-garde garments), tattoo and piercing parlours, as well as all kinds of bric-a-brac and curiosities stores.

Streets of Camden Town
The streets of Camden are always colourful and bustling with people..

When you come to visit, you cannot miss out on the food either. Camden Market is well-known for its incredibly diverse street food stalls. Dozens of colourful booths stand next to one another, inviting visitors with delicious aromas and anything from bite-sized dishes to full-fledged meals.

Among the numerous cuisines available, you’ll see Indian, Japanese, Nigerian, Italian, Venezuelan, Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese, Hawaiian, Argentinian, Pakistani, American, and many more.

The area is also a great place to be at night, especially for music lovers. Various bars, clubs, and venues in Camden offer weekly live music events. And of course, there are cocktail bars, pubs, and breweries aplenty all around Camden.

Location

Camden Town, northeast of Regent’s Park, north of London’s city centre.

Schedule

The Market is made up of many independent businesses, so individual times may vary. In any case, the general opening times for the Camden Market are the following.

Day
Mon-Sun
Day Opening time Closing time
Mon-Sun 10:00 am 10:00 pm

As for the food stalls, those generally open during these times.

Day
Mon-Sun
Day Opening time Closing time
Mon-Sun 11:30 am 9:00 pm

In the case of retail stores, you’ll find that most of them follow this timetable.

Day
Mon-Wed
Thurs & Sun
Fri-Sat
Day Opening time Closing time
Mon-Wed 12:00 am 6:00 pm
Thurs & Sun 11:00 am 6:00 pm
Fri-Sat 11:00 am 7:00 pm

Transport

There a few different ways you can reach Camden Town. The most popular is to go by Tube, since there are three stops in the neighbourhood. The stop Camden Town (Northern line) is right in the middle of Camden High Street, so it is the one we usually go for. On the same line, you can also get off at Chalk Farm. This way, you’ll find yourself right behind the Camden Market. If instead, you’re using the London Overground, you should get off at Camden Road.

All the bus lines we recommend stop either along Camden High Street or just by it. They are lines 24, 27, 29, 31, 88, 168, 253, and line 274. Here you can see a summary of the transport options.

Method
Lines
Stops
Method Underground Bus
Lines Northern line, London Overground 24, 27, 29, 31, 88, 168, 253, 274
Stops Camden Town, Camden Road -

Of course, you can take a cab, but if you’re coming from the city centre it’s much easier, faster, and cheaper to just catch the Tube.

Nearby sights

Camden Market - in Camden.

Regent’s Park - 650 m (0.4 miles) southwest, 9-minute walk

Primrose Hill - 1 km (0.6 miles) west, 13-minute walk.

London Zoo - 1.5 km (0.9 miles) southwest, 19-minute walk.

Madame Tussauds London - 2.4 km (1.5 miles) southwest, 30-minute walk.

British Museum - 2.6 km (1.6 miles) southeast, 33-minute walk.

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Introduction
Camden Town