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The Casual Tourist Guide to North London

The Casual Tourist Guide to North London

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North London has quite a diverse mix of neighbourhoods, from the super posh Hampstead, with its stunning multi-million-pound homes and historic museums, to buzzy Kings Cross with top-notch boutique shops and independent restaurants, to the judgement-free Camden, known for its quirky, music-influenced vibes and great pub scene. 

This guide covers Hampstead, Camden, Kings Cross and Islington, an eclectic mix of areas with their own history and stories that have shaped what you'll see today. Explore north London with this guide and you'll hit up some famous pubs, visit unique and interesting museums, spend time at one of the city's most incredible and historic parks, try some fine wine at Idris Elba's wine bar, and much more.

*Note that The Casual Tourist Guide to North London has some overlap with Day 5 of our itineraries.

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👀 So... you're the type of tourist who...

... doesn't want to cram fifty sights and activities into a day.
... doesn't need to see every tourist site.
... doesn't want to stand in a line for an hour just to sit in a pod with thirty other people for thirty minutes.

Or maybe you even live in London and you just want to experience as much of it as possible in the evenings and on the weekends.

You're my favourite type of tourist... a casual tourist.

We've made these guides for YOU.

Get to know the underbelly of London with a detailed list of a Londoner's best recommendations for what to do, see, eat and drink.

What's in the Casual Tourist Guides?

A curated list of:

❤️ Sights and Points of Interest that one of those vanilla guidebooks would never tell you about

❤️ Fun activities and tours to help you experience the alternative side of the area

❤️ Local cafes to park up and enjoy a coffee in

❤️ Pubs to visit that will be filled with Londoners enjoying a pint and a roast

❤️ Unique markets and can't-miss restaurants

❤️ Sexy bars for sipping elaborate cocktails in

❤️ Shops selling interesting and eco-friendly treats to take home

Each guide has:

❤️ Approximately 50 recommendations

❤️ Insider tips, opening hours, price range, Google Maps link, dietary restriction info and wheelchair accessibility status

❤️ Printable checklist of all of the recommendations in the guide. Keep track of which ones you've experienced so far.

❤️ Digital Map to help you visualise where each recommendation is in relation to the others, and to help you navigate when you're on the ground in London. We also show you where to find public toilets in the area.

 *You'll receive this guide immediately upon purchase via digital download.

"So much fantastic information!!"

"I typically do all of the planning myself when travelling, but I am so happy that I bought these casual tourist guides. Without a doubt, I would have missed out on most of these suggestions and the digital map is an invaluable tool."

Charlene, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A breakdown of The Casual Tourist Guide to North London...

  • Sights and Points of Interest

  • Activities and Tours

  • Cafes and Sweet Treats

  • Shopping

  • Street Food and Restaurants

  • Pubs and Bars

  • Dietary Requirements

    We include icons indicating restaurants that are veggie-friendly, vegan-friendly and GF friendly.

  • Wheelchair Accessibility Info

    Our guides have indicators telling you whether or not each recommendation is wheelchair accessible and there are plenty of options for those who need to avoid stairs.

  • Printable Checklist & Digital Map

    Use the checklist to keep track of the places you don't want to miss. Print or save it to your phone. The Digital Map has all of the recommendations pinned, plus public toilets.

About the Digital Map:

❤️ Integrated with Google Maps

The Digital Map integrates with Google Maps and you can easily get walking, taxi and public transport directions to any of our recommendations.

❤️ All the recommendation pinned

The map includes all recommendations mentioned in the guide, so you can easily visualise where each recommendation is in relation to the others, and to help you navigate when you're on the ground in London

❤️ Public Toilets

I’ve even added pins to show you where public toilets are, so you’ll never be stuck without one (I’m a self-proclaimed professional toilet finder!)

Buy this Casual Tourist Guide

NEW! THREE Notion Templates

Copy the main Notion template to your own Notion account to help you organise your must-do's and keep track of what you have already done and what needs to be booked or reserved in advance.

The templates include:

❤️ 1. My Must-Do's database

Includes all the recommendations mentioned in the guide. Label each place with must-visit, might visit, want to skip or already visited, and they will be filtered

❤️ 2. To Do Checklist

Automatically populated base on the places that you selected as must-visit or might visit. Use it when you are on the ground in London to keep track of what you've hit and what you still have yet to explore.

❤️ 3. Bookings and Tickets Tracker

Keep track of which of your must-do's need to be booked or reserved in advance. Includes the direct link to book tickets or make reservations.

New to Notion? Don't worry, we give you a video tutorial on how to use this tool with our templates.

"More ground level detail"

"It is always a pleasure to pick up these travel guides. The guides are written in such a friendly manner you feel so much appreciated."

Ian, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Get to know the areas featured...

King's Cross

After the world wars, King's Cross started to decline for a few reasons, leaving buildings and areas disused and neglected. But in the 90s, it became a popular nightlife and raving destination. Despite having a rough-and-tumble reputation, a creative hub began to blossom in the area. In the early 2000s, millions of pounds went into regenerating the area, building out St. Pancras station, restoring The Midlands Hotel into the stunning St. Pancras Renaissance, etc.

More recently, areas like Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard have turned less-than-desirable plots into community spaces with shops, restaurants, markets and bars. As a result, King's Cross is now a buzzy area at all times of day and night with lots to do.

Islington

Islington is very close to King's Cross and I’ve only included a handful of spots that I just couldn’t leave out of this guide, despite them being a bit out of the range I had originally planned for it.

Islington is a stunning area, with many residential roads lined with white Victorian row houses, giving off quite a lovely neighbourhood feel. It has a nice food and drink scene, plus the Regent’s Canal runs through it, so if you plan to walk or cycle some of the canal, you might find yourself in Islington.

Camden

For a long time, Camden (often called Camden Town) has been one of the top areas for music and culture in the city, but like many areas in London, it got its start in 1837 when the train line was extended there, and this helped to solidify Camden Town's place in the industrial revolution. It quickly became a popular area for those needing cheap accommodation. It was known as a care-free, judgement-free, booze-fuelled area for a very long time (and still retains that reputation)!

The 1960s is when the biggest shift for Camden Town began, which some would call a cultural revolution. New music genres like rock and psychedelic came to the forefront of the British music scene and the Roundhouse played host to much of this revolution. Some of the UK's most famous bands and music artists, like Oasis, Blur, Pink Floyd and Amy Winehouse, got their start in Camden Town, and it's the birthplace of the punk genre.

The very famous Camden Market opened in the 70s, but unfortunately, has become heavily commercialised and stalls now are mostly selling, for lack of a better word, junk. I'll be sending you to some cool places in the area that you'll like better anyway...

Hampstead

The "birth" of Hampstead was back in 1700 when it was discovered that its springs had healing properties, and so Hampstead became a spa town. With it, many grand houses were built to accommodate an increasing population. When what's now the Overground line was connected with Hampstead in the 1860s, it flourished even more. At that point, the area already had many wealthy residents, many of which were famous writers, artists, musicians, actors and more.

These days, many of those (absolutely stunning!) original houses from the 18th and 19th centuries still remain in Hampstead, helping to preserve its village-like feel, and it has some of the most expensive houses in the city. In fact, Hampstead has more millionaires than any other area of the entire United Kingdom, many of whom are celebrities and other current cultural icons. Hampstead's also famous for its huge green space, Hampstead Heath.

Have a look at the other Casual Tourist Guides

The Casual Tourist Guides are for anyone wanting to explore London with a Londoner's recommendation. You won't find things like the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey in here, but rather, local cafes, interesting activities and tours, independent restaurants, sexy cocktail bars, and more.
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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to receive my guides?

You'll receive these guides immediately upon purchase via digital download.

How do I save the guides to my phone/laptop?

To most easily access your Love and London guides and to make sure you can always reference them into the future, you’ll need to download your files to one or more of your devices. It’s fairly straightforward but if you are not sure how to do that then follow these steps.

Get in touch with us if you need us to reset your download attempts as each guide can be downloaded five times by default.

How are these guides different from your itineraries?

The itineraries include lots of the major attractions and also give you a designated route to follow which include both attractions and more local bits.

By contrast, The Casual Tourist Guides are strictly hidden gems. Underrated museums, gin-making experiences, locally-loved restaurants, interesting historic elements that people often miss, cool underground cocktail bars. Think super cool and local, to the point that we have even had lots of Londoners buy these guides to help them better explore their own city.

The Digital Maps for the Casual Tourist Guides don’t include a plan for how to hit up everything in the guide like the itineraries have, they are just general pins to show you where the recommendations are in relation to each other and to easily get transport directions to them.

I have one of your itineraries, are the Casual Tourist Guides similar?

Yes, there is some overlap depending on the itinerary.

For the 3-Day Itinerary, The Casual Tourist Guide to Central and East London overlap with days 2 and 3, and South London slightly overlaps with day 1. The best additions to this itinerary are West London and North London, both of which cover different areas.

For the 4-Day Itinerary, The Casual Tourist Guide to Central, East, and West London overlaps with days 2, 3, and 4. South London slightly overlaps with day 1. The best additions to this itinerary are North London, which covers different areas, and South London, if you want to explore Peckham and Brixton. However, note that the Bermondsey area will overlap.

For the 5-Day Itinerary, there is almost complete overlap. If you want to explore Peckham and Brixton, you can add the Casual Tourist Guide to South London. However, note that Bermondsey will feature in both guides.

For the 6-Day Itinerary, all of the Casual Tourist Guides overlap with it.

How do I choose which Casual Tourist Guide to purchase?

Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! You can use this map to understand the London areas before or after you book your stay. Then, once you have decided on which area to book your hotel room in, or if you’d like to explore a particular area more in-depth, you can decide on which Casual Tourist Guide you’d like to purchase.

Which phones does the Digital Map work on?

It’s integrated with the Google Maps app, so it’s available for all phones that use iOS or Android operating systems.

Here's how to access and use our digital maps.

Do I need data on my phone to be able to use the Digital Map on the go in London?

It absolutely works best when you have it. It will also allow you to get walking directions when needed, or transport directions when you’re planning to head back to your hotel once the day is done. Here’s an article where we explain how to use your phone in the UK.

Is this suitable for families with children?

The cool thing about London is that many things during the daytime, work for families with kids, if your children are fairly well-behaved. That being said, we’ve not specifically made these guides with kids under 16 in mind.

I have really specific things I want to see, will this work for me?

With the guides we simply provide you with a list of the best local places to explore, eat, drink etc. You then decide which options sounds the best to you!

I have a physical disability. Will I be able to do everything in the guides?

Our guides have indicators telling you whether or not each recommendation is wheelchair accessible and there are plenty of options for those who need to avoid stairs. But if you have any questions or worries please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@loveandlondon.com.

I have a dietary requirement, do your food suggestions suit that?

London’s food spots are generally pretty good at accommodating this, and we’ve included a variety of options that should suit just about everyone. But even still in the guides we include icons indicating restaurants that are veggie-friendly, vegan-friendly and GF friendly.

That being said, you should always check the menu online yourself, and you can also phone up a restaurant before you go to ask what they can do for any requirements, as they might have a hidden menu you can choose from, or they can create something special for you if you give enough notice.

Jess is vegetarian, so if you are too, you’ll find plenty of food options in the itinerary. She also eats vegan very often and has close friends who need gluten-free so she knows how it goes :)

How far in advance should I buy this for my trip?

Buy it at least a week in advance, if you can. We recommend reading over the guide before you arrive to London, so you can familiarise yourself with our recommendations, and some attractions and restaurants require advance booking.

I’m on a serious budget. Will this work for me?

Our recommendations cover all price ranges and we give lots of free options too.

How are these guides different from what’s online?

Well, we’ve never seen any guides that include such a comprehensive digital map for your phone, which allows you to get real-time transportation and walking directions. Also, many “guides” you can find online are created by people who’ve only visited London, not LIVED here. They aren’t able to provide alternative food options for diet restrictions, where to find public toilets, or more crucially, tips that only someone who has lived here for years would know.

Also, why spend hours gathering info of things you think might be interesting to do, and trying to map everything out, when we’ve already done that for you?

Why do you charge money for this?

There are a couple of reasons. It took weeks to create the guides, starting with multiple days of on-the-ground testing, to writing the 50 or so recommendations for each guide and creating the map. If we didn’t charge for the guides, we simply couldn’t provide it to our community as it takes up so much time to create. Plus, as we're a business, there is a ton of overhead costs that we cover with the sale of our guides.

Jess also spends anywhere from £25-200 per week trying out new things around London, some of which is included in the guide, some of which is not worthy. Of course, all of those meals, drinks, and tickets cost a lot of money. But by Jess testing them out and only telling you about the best, you won’t have to waste your time and money too, because only the best of the best goes in our guides.

If we save you from one not-so-good moderately-priced meal, you’ve already paid yourself back for your purchase, never mind the hours and hours of research and planning you won’t have to do yourself.

Customer Reviews

Based on 80 reviews
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Daniel Capote
Neat and straight to the point

I'll be visiting London for the first time in November 2023 and I have one free day before my tour begins and one free day after my tour ends so this guide helps me make the most of my time. It helps me plan what to do around the area my hotel is located.

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Lindsay
Great reference for travel advisors!

I am a US-based travel advisor specializing in Northern Europe, and this has been a valuable addition to my London arsenal. I'm using it myself when I travel there in a few months - I've been to London half a dozen times, but many of these hidden gems were news to me!

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Cindy Williams
Get this guide!

I only needed 2 or 3 of these guides but I bought the bundle to support Jess and her team because I have watched her videos for a while and love them. It’s obvious they put a lot of work into these guides because there is a ton of information in them. I highly recommend the guides if you are traveling to London!

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Greg Koontz
The Casual Tourist Guide to London (5-Guide Bundle)

Since my wife and I have only 3 days there, I bought the bundle and only looked at West and Central. We will be back next year and I will indeed look into the balance of the package. I found the tips on where to go, where to eat and what to skip very helpful in planning our trip. I was already staying in West London, so it became very easy to incorporate her videos and her guide into our trip. Excellent value as I have already saved money before leaving home. I leave tomorrow and will confirm with a review on when I get back how good I think this guide/investment was.

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Heidi MI Summers
This guide is so worth it!

I purchased the West London guide, and it is fantastic. It has maps it has recommendations, checklist, and most of all I love all the pictures so we can really see what we might want to do in the short time that we’re there. It is organized in every way possible, I’m sure to suit everyone’s needs. Really love this, can’t wait to share it with my daughter so we can decide what we want to do in Notting Hill! Videos have been super helpful as well!