London has plenty of iconic, famous spots, but few neighbourhoods hit you in the face the moment you step out of the Tube quite like Camden Town. Colourful façades with giant 3D models of boots and dragons, the smell of dozens of different world cuisines mingling in the air, and the ever-present alternative energy make it a place you simply can’t skip on a visit to the British capital. When Lukáš and I were cycling through London after a year in Canada, saving every last penny, Camden Market in London completely won us over, because entry to the market is entirely free and you soak up the incredible atmosphere without spending much at all.
I also have to mention one absolutely crucial thing right off the bat, something that totally blew us away. Camden Market is an absolute paradise for vegetarians and vegans, since nearly half of all the food stalls offer a fantastic meat-free alternative. In this detailed guide I’ll show you how to find your way around the huge maze of winding lanes and vaulted tunnels, where to snag the best pieces for your wardrobe, and how to cleverly dodge the worst weekend crowds.
Be prepared: this part of London is loud, sometimes a little chaotic, but above all incredibly lively and packed with great food. I’ll walk you through the history of the local horse stables, show you the music clubs where Madonna’s stellar career began, and tell you where to go for the best liquid-nitrogen ice cream.
A summary for those who don’t have time to read the whole article
- Entry to the market is free and it’s open every day, including holidays, from 10:00 to 19:00.
- The best time to visit in peace is a weekday morning; on weekends over a hundred thousand people stream through.
- The Sunday restriction at Camden Town Tube station, when you could only exit, was scrapped in 2019 — the station now runs normally.
- The market splits into three main areas, and the famous green containers on Buck Street are no longer part of it.
- Try the vegan Mexican food at Club Mexicana or the famous liquid-nitrogen ice cream at Chin Chin Labs.
- The area is absolutely ideal for shopping for vintage fashion, vinyl records, and quirky gifts.
- To escape the crowds, head off on a stroll along the picturesque Regent’s Canal or up the nearby viewpoint of Primrose Hill.
How many parts does Camden Market actually have and how to navigate them
Plenty of guides talk about this neighbourhood as one big market, but it’s really a tangle of several different markets, each with a completely distinct atmosphere. The historic heart is the original Camden Lock Market, which spreads out right beside the canal and leans more towards crafts and great food. Walk a little further and you’ll hit the sprawling Stables Market, which once served as a huge horse hospital and today hides the best vintage-fashion shops inside vaulted brick tunnels.
The newest addition to this family is the modern Hawley Wharf complex, which opened in 2021 and offers covered food halls with seating. Here you can shelter from the typical British rain and enjoy a culinary experience with a view over the water. All three of these parts together make up the true, official Camden Market, which today crams in over a thousand different stalls and shops.
People often ask about the so-called Buck Street Market, which was known for its bright green shipping containers. This needs a big heads-up, because the container section has not been part of the market since summer 2024. The whole space was taken over by the BOXPARK concept, which built its own modern food zone here with shops and a great rooftop bar — so even though it’s right next door, it’s now an entirely different company.
Camden’s fascinating musical history
Music belongs to this neighbourhood just as inseparably as the food stalls and the ever-present street performers. The local clubs remember the biggest legends of the music industry and still hold onto their unmistakable gritty atmosphere. An absolute icon is the circular Roundhouse building from 1847, which originally served as a huge turntable for steam locomotives but transformed in the 1960s into a legendary venue where Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd played. It was here that The Doors performed their only ever British concert, making the place an absolute pilgrimage shrine for rock fans.
Another incredible spot is the KOKO club, which previously ran under the names Camden Palace or Music Machine in an old theatre building from 1900. You might be surprised that Madonna played her first British concert in these very rooms back in 1983, and beyond her, the likes of The Clash and Prince performed here too. The building recently went through a tough time when a major fire destroyed its roof in 2020, but after a huge renovation it reopened to the public in full glory in 2022.
We can’t leave out the unassuming Electric Ballroom either, which has been running on the high street since the 1930s. This club witnessed wild performances by Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and even hosted secret intimate concerts by stars like U2 and Paul McCartney. On weekends the inside of the club also turns into a market full of vinyl records and vintage clothing, so you can pop in during the day too.
The last big name is the Dublin Castle pub, which from the outside looks like an ordinary London pub but hides a huge history. This is where the famous band Madness got their start, where the Arctic Monkeys and The Killers played, and where singer Amy Winehouse was a regular. According to the local bartenders, she’d even occasionally jump over the bar out of nowhere and start pulling pints for surprised customers.
When to head to Camden Town
The opening hours of the whole complex are incredibly friendly, because the market is open daily, including all holidays, from 10:00 to 19:00. The modern food halls in the Hawley Wharf section are even open until 23:00, so you can happily come over for a late dinner and an evening drink. Just bear in mind that the individual stallholders are independent and set their own hours. If you arrive right at 10 a.m., half the stalls will still be rolling up their shutters, and full life only starts to pulse around 11 o’clock.
The day you choose to come will dramatically shape your overall experience of the place. If you love the true London buzz, live music, and don’t mind squeezing through crowds, come on a weekend, ideally on a Sunday. But I have to honestly warn you that on weekends over a hundred thousand people pass through the market in a day, so you’ll be shuffling slowly through the lanes in a river of humanity and queuing a fair while for your favourite food.
For those of you who want to browse the goods at your leisure and chat with the stallholders, I recommend a weekday visit. Tuesday to Thursday mornings tend to be the quietest, when you have the market essentially to yourself and can comfortably photograph all the hidden corners. As for the weather, most stalls in the Stables and Hawley Wharf are under a roof or in underground tunnels, so the odd London downpour needn’t bother you at all.
Where to stay in London near the market
If you want to soak up the neighbourhood’s alternative atmosphere first thing in the morning and have all those great food stalls literally under your window, it makes huge sense to stay right in this area. You’ll save loads of time on commuting and can enjoy evening strolls along the canal once most tourists have headed back to the centre. Here are a few specific, tried-and-tested tips on where to rest your head.
- Holiday Inn London – Camden Lock: An absolute classic for those who want to stay in the very heart of the action. The hotel sits right by the canal, just four minutes’ walk from the Tube, and lots of rooms offer a lovely view over the water.
- STAY Camden: If you’re travelling as a family or planning to spend several days here, these modern apartments with their own fully equipped kitchenette are the ideal choice. They’re five minutes from the Tube and offer great comfort and space.
- The Hurdwick: A small, likeable boutique hotel that will please budget-conscious travellers. It’s on a quieter street on the border of Camden and Euston, so you’re close to the markets but can still sleep peacefully at night.
- The Standard London: A gorgeous, architecturally stunning design hotel by the neighbouring King’s Cross station. You can reach the market on a beautiful 25-minute walk straight along the canal, or take the Tube one stop.
- The Megaro: An eccentric boutique hotel with a very bold, colourful design opposite St Pancras station, where the Eurostar trains arrive. A great strategic location, from which Camden is just a few minutes away by Tube.
12 things to see and eat in Camden Market
Now let’s take a detailed look at the best this fascinating neighbourhood has to offer. I’ve picked out a mix of historical highlights, great food, and unusual experiences that will make your trip unforgettable.
1. Stables Market and the vaulted horse tunnels
In my opinion this part of the market is visually the most interesting of all, and it breathes with the incredible history of industrial London. The whole Stables Market complex functioned in the nineteenth century as a huge horse hospital and stables for the Pickfords company. Hundreds of horses rested here after their hard work hauling heavy barges along the canal and serving the nearby railway depot.
Today, in these gorgeous Victorian vaulted tunnels, you’ll find the best shops for vintage fashion, antiques, and leather goods. The atmosphere of the old days is recalled by huge life-size bronze horse statues scattered across the whole complex, which double perfectly as landmarks to help you find your way.
💡 Tip: Try getting lost in the narrow lanes called Horse Tunnel Market underground. That’s exactly where you’ll come across the most interesting sellers of military coats, old maps, and handmade jewellery you won’t find anywhere else.
2. Following in Amy Winehouse’s footsteps and her bronze statue
Singer Amy Winehouse and Camden Town belong together absolutely inseparably, because this is exactly where she lived, created, and spent most of her free time. Her legacy is still alive in the neighbourhood and plenty of local traders remember her fondly. In the heart of the Stables Market you’ll find her beautiful life-size bronze statue, created by sculptor Scott Eaton.
The statue was unveiled on 14 September 2014, exactly on the day the singer would have celebrated her 31st birthday. The spot instantly became a place of pilgrimage for fans from all over the world, who bring fresh flowers here every day and leave little notes. The statue wears the singer’s trademark red rose in her hair, and its placement was no accident — it stands near the music clubs where Amy spent her evenings.
💡 Tip: If you want to follow her trail even further, pop over to the nearby Dublin Castle pub on Parkway, where she went so often that she’d sometimes help serve customers behind the bar herself.
3. The original Camden Lock Market and the hand-operated lock
When people say Camden Market, plenty of them mean exactly this historic part, which actually kicked the whole thing off back in the 1970s. The market officially came about in March 1974 in the yard of the former T. E. Dingwall company and originally counted just sixteen stalls selling crafts and antiques on weekends only. Today it’s the pulsing heart of the whole area, full of vibrant stalls with ceramics, paintings, and hand-sewn clothing.
Right next to the market is the famous double lock, Hampstead Road Locks, on the Regent’s Canal waterway. It’s fascinating to see that this historic lock is still fully functional and operated purely by hand. You can often stand here with a coffee in hand and watch the narrow tour boats slowly rise or drop in the filling chamber, while skilful crew members scurry around them.
💡 Tip: In the middle of the Lock Market courtyard you’ll find plenty of stalls selling classic British souvenirs, but I recommend exploring the interior buildings too, where local artists and independent designers with far more original goods are based.
4. Hawley Wharf for an evening out
The newest addition to the family of local markets, Hawley Wharf, opened fairly recently in 2021 and brought a whole new, more modern concept to the neighbourhood. The architects brilliantly connected the historic brick viaducts with modern glass buildings right on the canal bank. A huge advantage of this place is its extensive covered food halls with comfortable seating, which you’ll appreciate above all when a typical island downpour catches you out.
While the outdoor stalls in the Stables mostly close around 7 p.m., the culinary heaven at Hawley Wharf runs every day until 23:00. You can enjoy a leisurely late dinner with a view of the illuminated canal, drop into the local underground Curzon cinema, or have a great drink in one of the bars.
💡 Tip: This part is still a little less known than the old markets, so even during busy weekends you’ll much more easily find a free table and avoid the worst jostling in the narrow lanes.
5. A vegetarian and vegan street food safari
Now we get to the absolute best of what awaits you here. From a culinary point of view it’s an incredible feast, and especially if you don’t eat meat, you’ll feel like you’re in seventh heaven. It’s estimated that roughly 40% of all stalls at the market offer a full vegan or vegetarian menu, which makes this one of the best plant-based spots in all of Europe.
Definitely try the Club Mexicana stall, which makes absolutely divine vegan tacos with pulled jackfruit, or their legendary “tofish” tacos with tofu fried in crispy beer batter. Prices for a portion of street food here usually run between £8 and £14, which by London standards is still a very fair price for a hot meal. Another huge hit is Young Vegans with their traditional British pies filled with seitan and their creamy mac and cheese.
💡 Tip: If you fancy classic American indulgence, stop by the fully vegan Rudy’s Vegan Diner right in the heart of the Stables Market, or try a perfect Ethiopian injera flatbread with lentil stew from the local African vendors.
6. Liquid-nitrogen ice cream at Chin Chin Labs
This is an experience that will thrill absolutely everyone, no matter their age. The Chin Chin Labs “laboratory”, based right in the Camden Lock Market, doesn’t make ordinary ice cream — it prepares it right before your eyes using scientific methods. The whole mixing process happens with the help of liquid nitrogen, so thick white mist keeps billowing off the counter and you feel more like you’re in a chemistry class than an ice cream parlour.
Thanks to the flash-freezing with nitrogen, the ice cream doesn’t have time to form ice crystals, so the resulting texture is incredibly smooth and creamy. You can choose from classic flavours like burnt caramel or Madagascar vanilla, but they often have crazy seasonal experiments on offer too. And what’s more, their famous marshmallow cream, which they can top your ice cream with, is purely vegetarian without the usual gelatine.
💡 Tip: In the winter months they make what’s probably the best hot chocolate in all of London, topped off with a giant toasted marshmallow. There’s usually a queue, but the show is worth the wait.
7. A cruise along Regent’s Canal to Little Venice
If you’ve had enough of the market’s noise, there’s a great way to escape to peace and greenery. Right by the lock at Camden Lock, the long narrowboats of the London Waterbus Company moor and take you on an incredibly picturesque canal cruise. The whole trip to Little Venice takes around 45 minutes and passes through the peaceful Regent’s Park along the way.
The biggest draw of this route is the fact that the boat passes straight through the middle of London Zoo, so from the deck you can see the huge bird aviaries and some of the animal enclosures completely for free. Standard tickets can be bought right at the pier from the Waterbus company and are usually the best value, but if you want to combine the cruise with other tours or a guide, it’s worth checking the GetYourGuide booking portal, where you’ll find various combined packages in advance.
💡 Tip: The boats run all year round, with a slightly reduced timetable in the winter season only. The inside of the boats is heated, so you needn’t worry about freezing during an autumn cruise.
💡 Tip: Don’t fancy sorting out tickets on the spot? You can find scenic cruises and Camden tours on GetYourGuide — handy above all for combined guided tours. The waterbus ticket itself, though, is usually cheapest right at the pier or on the London Waterbus website.
8. Shopping in the futuristic Cyberdog
You simply can’t miss this place, if only for the loud music and the giant metal robot statues guarding the entrance. Cyberdog is an absolute legend of the local rave and cyberpunk scene, selling the craziest futuristic clothing you can imagine. Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, visiting the shop is a huge visual experience in itself, because inside there’s loud techno playing, everything glows under UV lights, and the shop assistants sometimes dance on platforms.
You’ll find everything here from glowing T-shirts and neon glasses to PVC and latex accessories. The brand even recently expanded, so on top of the main shop in the Stables Market they now run their own Cyberdog Rave Bar in the nearby BOXPARK container village. It’s an absolutely unique window into 1990s London underground subculture, which has survived here in unchanged form.
💡 Tip: On the lower floor of the shop there’s an adults-only section, entry to which is permitted only from age eighteen. Inside the shop it’s fairly dark with strong flashing lights, so it may not be pleasant for people sensitive to their eyesight.
9. Hunting for vintage treasures and music vinyl
For lovers of old things and sustainable fashion, Camden is the absolute holy grail. There’s no point wasting time on the main drags with cheap souvenirs — head straight into the depths of the horse tunnels, where real treasures are hidden. You’ll find specialist shops crammed with military coats, retro dresses from the 1950s, and a huge selection of original T-shirts of old rock bands.
Among my favourite regulars is the Mad Hatters shop, where they have hundreds of incredible hats of every shape and size, and Camden Retro Signs, which makes beautiful tin signs inspired by old advertisements. If you love collecting vinyl, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to rummage through the crates, because the selection of old rock, punk, and jazz records here is absolutely phenomenal.
💡 Tip: Unlike the food stalls, where prices are fixed, with vintage clothing and antiques you can haggle nicely with the sellers. Try offering a slightly lower amount or ask for a discount when buying several pieces of clothing at once.
10. A canalside walk to King’s Cross
If you love exploring cities on foot, this is one of the most beautiful walks you can take in London. Instead of heading back on the packed Tube, set off on foot along Regent’s Canal eastwards towards King’s Cross. The walk along the so-called towpath, where horses once pulled cargo boats, takes about twenty-five to thirty minutes at a relaxed pace.
Along the way you’ll pass beautiful moored houseboats with flower pots on their roofs, old locks, and renovated industrial buildings. The walk leads you straight into the gorgeous new Coal Drops Yard area, an amazingly revitalised space of former coal warehouses full of top-notch restaurants, modern art, and boutiques. It’s a huge contrast to raw Camden and a showcase of how brilliantly London works with industrial architecture.
💡 Tip: The canalside path is shared with cyclists, so keep to the edge and watch out for passing bikes. After dark the path tends to be fairly gloomy, so I recommend planning this walk for the afternoon hours instead.
11. Views of London from Primrose Hill
Once you’ve bought all your vinyl and tasted the vegan goodies, grab a coffee and head off to the nearby Primrose Hill. From the centre of the market it’s just about ten minutes’ walk west through Chalk Farm. This park offers one of the very best views over the whole London skyline, entirely free and without any queues for tickets.
The hill is sixty-three metres high, and on a clear day you can easily pick out the London Eye, The Shard, and the silhouette of the City’s financial district. Locals absolutely love coming here for afternoon picnics with a view, or head here in the evening to watch the sunset over the city. The neighbourhood around the hill is also famous for its pastel houses, often home to famous British actors and musicians.
💡 Tip: On the way up the hill, notice how radically the atmosphere of the neighbourhood changes. In the space of a few streets you go from a bustling market full of punks into an incredibly quiet, upscale, and peaceful residential zone with pricey cafés.
12. Evening atmosphere and stress-free transport
While most tourists start leaving the market around 6 p.m., for the locals the real evening is only just beginning. The streets light up and live music starts pouring out of every other pub. Stop for an evening drink in one of the traditional pubs, where you might easily stumble upon an up-and-coming band that will be a global phenomenon in a few years’ time. Safety here is fairly good in the evening hours, because the streets are full of people enjoying the clubs, but even so, keep an eye on your pockets in the crush.
As for leaving, plenty of people still have it fixed in their minds that Camden Town Tube station is closed to entry on Sunday afternoons. This old safety rule, however, was officially scrapped in 2019, so the Tube runs normally on Sundays too. Even so, bear in mind that this station (on the Northern line) tends to have huge crowds, with queues forming even before the turnstiles.
💡 Tip: If you want to avoid the stress and the crush of the crowd, the TfL transport authority — and we — warmly recommend using the nearby Chalk Farm station. From the Stables Market area it’s about ten minutes on foot, and because you’re walking downhill and the station is usually half empty, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.
Where to go next from Camden Market
If you have more days in London and are wondering what else to add to your itinerary, be sure to check out our detailed article 50 things to see and do in London, where you’ll find plenty more neighbourhoods to explore. After tiring shopping, you can then go relax and top up your caffeine at one of the spots from our pick of the best cafés in London.
History lovers, after exploring the Victorian stables, should definitely head off to discover the ancient Tower of London or get lost in the endless collections of the stunning British Museum. And if the view from Primrose Hill wasn’t enough and you’d like to see the city from an even greater bird’s-eye perspective, read our tips for visiting the iconic London Eye.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee to Camden Market?
No, entry to the entire market complex including all its sections (Stables, Lock, Hawley Wharf) is completely free. It works like a regular city neighbourhood with open-access lanes and alleys. You only pay for what you actually buy or eat at the stalls.
When is the market least crowded?
You’ll experience the most peaceful shopping and photo opportunities on weekdays, specifically Tuesday to Thursday in the morning hours between 10:00 and 12:00. Weekends, and especially Sunday afternoons, on the other hand, mean huge crowds when tens of thousands of people literally pour through the narrow lanes.
How much time should I set aside for a visit?
It depends on your pace, but I recommend setting aside at least three to four hours. Simply walking through the maze of lanes takes quite a bit of time, and if you add queuing for food, sitting by the canal and trying on vintage clothing, you can easily spend a pleasant half-day here.
Can I pay by card at the stalls, or do I need cash?
These days, almost all stallholders, including street food and vintage clothing vendors, accept payment cards without any problem. In fact, some modern stalls in the food halls are entirely cashless, so you don’t need to exchange for pounds in cash at all.
Is Camden safe in the evening?
Yes, the area around the main streets and markets is relatively safe in the evening because it’s full of people heading to pubs and clubs. However, as in any big city, you need to be very careful of pickpockets in the crowds on the main High Street and by the bridge over the canal. Ideally, wear backpacks on your front.
Is it worth bringing small children?
During weekday mornings it can be a wonderful experience (the canal with boats, crazy colourful facades, horse statues), but I definitely wouldn’t recommend a weekend visit with a pushchair. Manoeuvring through the narrow cobbled lanes in the crowds is very stressful and children from their low perspective will only see the legs of strangers.
What’s the difference between Stables, Lock and Hawley Wharf?
Camden Lock is the oldest section with crafts by the water lock. Stables Market is housed in former vaulted horse stables and focuses mainly on vintage clothing and antiques. Hawley Wharf is a newly opened modern complex with covered food halls and seating that operates until late in the evening.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
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Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
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