Regent’s Canal Walk: Little Venice to Limehouse Basin

Starting in Little Venice and finishing at Limehouse Basin on the River Thames, the 9-mile Regent’s Canal Walk is a simply beautiful way to explore London.

Many people seem to think that the only waterway in London is the Thames, but there’s actually a network of canals across the city. The Regent’s Canal is great for walking, offering scenic views of colourful canal boats and many opportunities for pitstops at parks, cafes, pubs and more!

You’ll stroll past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as Regent’s Park, London Zoo, Camden Market, King’s Cross and Victoria Park, all while skipping the congestion and crowds you might associate with a busy capital.

Apart from a short detour at Islington, you can follow the Regent’s Canal Towpath the whole way from Little Venice to Limehouse Basin, making it an easy-going trail for a sunny day.

Forget the tube, this is by far the best way to travel across London!

What is the Regent’s Canal?

The Regent’s Canal is a man-made waterway in London that runs from Little Venice in the west to Limehouse Basin in the east. It was built in the early 19th century to connect the Grand Union Canal to the River Thames, and it was a busy commercial waterway in its heyday.

Today, Regent’s Canal is mostly used for recreation. Londoners like to go boating on the canal and use its towpath for jogging and walking. It’s a great way to see a different side of London, and a peaceful escape from the city’s busy streets.

Regent’s Canal Walk: Map and logistics

Start: The Regent’s Canal at Little Venice.

Finish: The Regent’s Canal towpath finishes at Limehouse Basin, from where you can take the DLR.

How to get there: Take the tube to Warwick Avenue, which is on the Bakerloo line. Take the Clifton Villas exit, enter Warwick Place and turn left onto Blomfield Road. On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find steps to get down to the canal at Little Venice.

Distance: 9 miles.

Time: 3-4 hours, depending on how many stops you make at pubs, cafes and markets on route.

Difficulty: Easy; simple to navigate, smooth terrain and flat topography.

The Regent’s Canal Walk

The towpath along Regent’s Canal provides a flat, scenic walkway through the city. You’ll encounter plenty of London attractions on your way, including Regent’s Park, Camden Market, Islington High Street and more. Keep reading for a stage-by-stage overview of what you can expect to see on the Regent’s Canal walk.

Little Venice

The walk begins in Little Venice, which is the point where the Regent’s Canal and the Grand Union Canal meet. It’s easy to see why it’s been named after the Italian city, as it’s home to an expansive network of waterways and legions of colourful boats.

From the Warwick Avenue tube station, take the Clifton Villas exit, enter Warwick Place and turn left onto Blomfield Road. On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find steps to get down to the canal at Little Venice. Once on the towpath, navigation is easy.

Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park is one of London’s most popular open spaces, covering 410 acres! Your walk will take you near the north of the park, and there will be a few opportunities where you can exit the Regent’s Canal Walk and enter Regent’s Park itself. The south-eastern end of Regent’s Park is by far my favourite, as there is a scenic lake, lots of birdlife and some gorgeous landscaped gardens to explore.

Primrose Hill (optional detour)

On a warm day, Primrose Hill is full of Londoners enjoying the sunshine. So if it’s nice, why not take a detour up the hill to sit and enjoy the view for a while? There will be a point on your walk where you can exit the towpath and head to Primrose Hill. Just look out for the signpost.

Primrose Hill found eternal fame when it was featured in the classic 101 Dalmatians movie. Pongo and Perdita lived in Regent Park’s Outer Circle and often walked on the hill. By walking to the top, you can enjoy great views over London — you’ll be able to see landmarks such as the London Eye, the Shard and the BT Tower.

Camden Market

About an hour from the start of your walk, you’ll find yourself in Camden. You’ll be forced to leave the towpath briefly, and must walk through a small part of Camden Market to get back onto it.

Camden Market has a great choice of street food and pubs, so why not pick up a quick bite or a cold drink? When you’re finished at the market, you can get back onto the canal towpath and continue on your way.

King’s Cross

With a full belly and quenched thirst, rejoin the canal at Camden Market and continue on towards King’s Cross. As you arrive at King’s Cross, you’ll walk by the big green steps that lead up to Granary Square. You can take a detour to head up the steps and explore the square if you like, as it’s full of fountains and restaurants. Back on the towpath, you might just spot a floating bookstore — Word on the Water.

Islington High Street

You won’t need a map for most of the Regent’s Canal Walk as you’ll be following a towpath. But there is a section where the canal disappears into the Islington Tunnel. The towpath doesn’t go through here, so you must circumnavigate your way through Islington before re-joining the canal towpath.

In some ways, this is a pleasant respite, as Islington High Street is full of modern cafes where you could have a well-deserved tea break. You may need to refer to the map to navigate your way back to the canal. There is a trail of way markers on the pavement, but these aren’t always easy to spot.

Victoria Park

If you’ve made it this far, you’re now just 2 miles from the end of the Regent’s Canal Walk. Spanning 218 acres with fountains, cafes and lakes, Victoria Park — or Vicky Park to the locals — is the king of east London’s outdoor spaces. Why not head into the park to relax on the grass with a drink? There’s also a gorgeous Old English Garden to explore.

Limehouse Basin

The final stretch from Victoria Park to Limehouse Basin is quite residential with lots of flats and buildings overlooking the canal, but this does signify that you’re nearly at the end of your walk. The walk officially ends at Limehouse Basin, where the Regent’s Canal joins the River Thames.

And there we have it — everything you need to know in order to set off on the Regent’s Canal Walk from Little Venice to Limehouse Basin.

More London walks 🌳🦆

• Check out my Hiking Hub for all my hiking routes and guides
• See all my London walks here
• Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill circular walk
• The Epping Forest Oak Trail
• The London LOOP
• The Chess Valley Walk

Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support — Lauren.

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