Portobello Road Market, which unfolds in the homonymous London road, is famous for being the world’s largest antiques street market. In it, over 1,000 dealers sell all kinds of antiques and collectables. Expect to find hundreds of stamps, books, furniture pieces, jewellery, watches, and bric-a-brac of all sorts. However, the market also has sections dedicated to fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly-made food, clothing, and accessories (especially vintage).

The history of the market begins like that of many other markets in London. In the 19th century, it used to be a fresh-food market, slowly transitioning into an antique market with the arrival of new dealers in the 1940s and 1950s. As these stalls multiplied and grew in size, they became more popular and ultimately cemented themselves as the marketplace’s main appeal and selling point.

Portobello Road Market’s popularity grew even more with the 1999 film Notting Hill, which mostly took place on the street. The market has thus become famous as an iconic attraction in the city and a must-see for visitors.

You might have even heard of people comparing Portobello Road Market to the Camden Lock. In our opinion, they are both unmissable, as they are very different kinds of markets. Portobello perhaps a more traditional antique market, with its street stalls and all kinds of vendors. On the other hand, the Camden Lock mostly consists of covered structures, but with a unique personality.

Location

Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London W10 5TY.

Portobello Road Market is located, as you might have guessed, on Portobello Road, in the Notting Hill area of London, northwest of the city centre The road is almost always packed with stalls from where Portobello Road meets Elgin Crescent all the way up to Golborne Road.

Close to the northern edge of the market, you can find the Museum of Brands, while southeast of it are the Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace.

Portobello Road Market schedule

Portobello Road Market is open from Monday to Saturday, with the last two days being the busiest and with the largest number of stalls. On these two days, the areas and streets adjacent to Portobello Road usually host additional stalls, so we would say Friday and Saturday are the best days to visit Portobello Road Market.

Portobello Road stalls are normally closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays, but you might still find local shops and vintage stores open for business.

Transport

If you are taking the Tube, you can choose to start from the northern edge of the market or the southern one. At the southern end is Notting Hill Gate station (Transport Zone 1), serviced by lines Central, Circle, and District. At the northern edge, you’ll find Ladbroke Grove (Transport Zone 2), serviced by lines Hammersmith & City and Circle.

As for buses, you have quite a few options. Lines 23, 52, and 452 can all drop you off on Kensington Park Road, parallel to Portobello Road, so they are probably the best options. Alternatively, you can get off near Notting Hill Gate with lines 27, 28, and 328. Finally, if you prefer, you can use lines 7 and 70 to get off along Westbourne Park Road, near the northern end of the market.

You can find a summary of the public transport options in the table below.

If you want, you can reach the Portobello Road Market by taxi, but we don’t recommend it, as it would be expensive and possibly quite time-consuming.

Nearby sights

Museum of Brands - 350 m (0.2 miles) east, 4-minute walk.

Kensington Gardens - 1 km (0.6 miles) southeast, 12-minute walk.

Kensington Palace - 1.6 km (1 mile) southeast, 20-minute walk.