Short read: This is reconnaissance on the razzle – the search-party that syncopates.
Short listen: Meet your guide, let him tell you a little bit about this tour – about Notting Hill and Portobello Road! It’s Tom’s podcast about the walk. It’s a good listen. Tom’s a barrister (a “recovering lawyer”) and ace Blue Badge guide. He’s fun, witty, engaging, friendly, whip-smart, charming – what’s not to like.
Long read: Because Notting Hill on a Saturday morning – market morning! – is curious and colourful, offbeat and yeasty. Here you walk with a ticket of freedom – a pass to scintillating escarpments. Just consider what’s squeezed out onto the palette this hillside: swells and scruffs; market stalls and scandal; Jimi Hendrix and Carnival; Cut-Throat Alley and Victorian Gothic; Madonna and Hugh Grant (let alone Julia Roberts and that bookshop); cottages, potteries and piggeries; colour washed mews and cab shelters and a racecourse and the gout route to Bath and butchers in straw hats and an invisible boundary between the present and the past… Magic!Guided by Tom, Brian or Richard III. N.B. the Notting Hill & Portobello Market Walk ends in Portobello Market, very near Notting Hill Gate Tube Stop.
Hugh Grant read: “…the world I live in. Which is here – Notting Hill – not a bad place to be. There’s the market on weekdays, selling every fruit and vegetable known to man. The tattoo parlour – with a guy outside who got drunk and now can’t remember why he chose ‘I love Ken.’ The radical hair-dressers where everyone comes out looking like the Cookie Monster, whether they like it or not. Then suddenly it’s the weekend, and from break of day, hundreds of stalls appear out of nowhere, filling Portobello Road right up to Notting Hill Gate and thousands of people buy millions of antiques, some genuine and some not so genuine. So this is where I spend my days and years – in this small village in the middle of a city…”
NOTTING HILL & PORTOBELLO MARKET – THE PRACTICALS
The Notting Hill & Portobello Market walk takes place every Saturday at 10.45 am. Meet Tom MBE, Brian or Richard III just outside the exit of Holland Park Tube.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
Don’t just take it from us…
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Notting Hill & Portobello Market it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Notting Hill & Portobello Market walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
A private London Walk makes a fab gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
It was so interesting to see more of Notting Hill than the Portobello Road Market on a Saturday. What a lovely small, but bustling, neighborhood ! We had a great time with Clare who did a super job of explaining how the neighborhood has evolved over the years. Take a break from the heart of London and do a walking tour of Notting Hill !
Rated 5 out of 5
Adrian –
An entertaining and interesting walk around such a fabulous area. Tom kept us engaged throughout – he’s a great raconteur. Thanks Tom – I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours which flew by
Rated 5 out of 5
Niamh O Sullivan –
We had the pleasure of joining the London Walking Tour of Notting Hill and Portobello Market with Richard III as our guide, and it was an absolute highlight of our trip. Richard was fun, witty, and incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating stories and history in a way that kept the whole group engaged from start to finish.
The tour was leisurely paced, making it easy to enjoy the charming streets, colorful houses, and lively atmosphere of the market without ever feeling rushed. We learned so much—not just about the area’s history, but also about the culture and character that make Notting Hill so unique.
Richard’s humor and warmth made the experience even more enjoyable. It felt more like strolling with a very entertaining friend than a traditional tour.
This is a must-do when visiting London. If you want a tour that’s both informative and fun, look no further. Highly recommended!
Rated 5 out of 5
Ingrid Dahlén –
We went on the Notting Hill walk with Richard the III on September 13th and it was a wonderful walk with many anecdotes and lots of knowledge. This walk really exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended.
Rated 5 out of 5
Linda –
A memorable walk with Richard III through Holland Park, Notting Hill and Portobello Market, which I hadn’t been to for decades! Richard’s knowledge and insights – historical, contemporary, and cultural (especially in relation to the film Notting Hill) – brought the area to life! Amazing!
Rated 5 out of 5
Joanna –
Richard III was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. He took pleasure in sharing the history of Notting Hill, and sharing his particular favorites. Very enjoyable and informative.
Rated 5 out of 5
Carolyn Johnson –
Richard the III was delightful. Great walk. Learned a lot and saw a variety of interesting places and spaces in Notting Hill and Holland Park. Lots of great places to eat before or after the tour. Richard was funny in an understated British way.
Rated 4 out of 5
Chris –
Enjoyed Richard 111 very informative and funny with a lot of humour and knowledge
Rated 5 out of 5
Lisa Rathke –
Another wonderful and really insightful tour with Claire around Notting Hill & Portobello Road. Her explanations are clear and concise and she has a wonderful knack of keeping the whole group engrossed throughout the entire tour with her wonderful accounts of the famous (and infamous) residents (past and present) and history of the area. To top it all, the tour ends slap bang in the centre of the market. Fantastic, a must do when you are in London!
Rated 5 out of 5
Julie –
Fantastic and informative walk with Richard the 111, we really enjoyed the area of Notting Hill and surrounding area, thank you for brightening up a drizzly day Richard – highly recommend 😀
Mary & Rob –
It was so interesting to see more of Notting Hill than the Portobello Road Market on a Saturday. What a lovely small, but bustling, neighborhood ! We had a great time with Clare who did a super job of explaining how the neighborhood has evolved over the years. Take a break from the heart of London and do a walking tour of Notting Hill !
Adrian –
An entertaining and interesting walk around such a fabulous area. Tom kept us engaged throughout – he’s a great raconteur. Thanks Tom – I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours which flew by
Niamh O Sullivan –
We had the pleasure of joining the London Walking Tour of Notting Hill and Portobello Market with Richard III as our guide, and it was an absolute highlight of our trip. Richard was fun, witty, and incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating stories and history in a way that kept the whole group engaged from start to finish.
The tour was leisurely paced, making it easy to enjoy the charming streets, colorful houses, and lively atmosphere of the market without ever feeling rushed. We learned so much—not just about the area’s history, but also about the culture and character that make Notting Hill so unique.
Richard’s humor and warmth made the experience even more enjoyable. It felt more like strolling with a very entertaining friend than a traditional tour.
This is a must-do when visiting London. If you want a tour that’s both informative and fun, look no further. Highly recommended!
Ingrid Dahlén –
We went on the Notting Hill walk with Richard the III on September 13th and it was a wonderful walk with many anecdotes and lots of knowledge. This walk really exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended.
Linda –
A memorable walk with Richard III through Holland Park, Notting Hill and Portobello Market, which I hadn’t been to for decades! Richard’s knowledge and insights – historical, contemporary, and cultural (especially in relation to the film Notting Hill) – brought the area to life! Amazing!
Joanna –
Richard III was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. He took pleasure in sharing the history of Notting Hill, and sharing his particular favorites. Very enjoyable and informative.
Carolyn Johnson –
Richard the III was delightful. Great walk. Learned a lot and saw a variety of interesting places and spaces in Notting Hill and Holland Park. Lots of great places to eat before or after the tour. Richard was funny in an understated British way.
Chris –
Enjoyed Richard 111 very informative and funny with a lot of humour and knowledge
Lisa Rathke –
Another wonderful and really insightful tour with Claire around Notting Hill & Portobello Road. Her explanations are clear and concise and she has a wonderful knack of keeping the whole group engrossed throughout the entire tour with her wonderful accounts of the famous (and infamous) residents (past and present) and history of the area. To top it all, the tour ends slap bang in the centre of the market. Fantastic, a must do when you are in London!
Julie –
Fantastic and informative walk with Richard the 111, we really enjoyed the area of Notting Hill and surrounding area, thank you for brightening up a drizzly day Richard – highly recommend 😀