Hampstead and Notting Hill are London's two prettiest, most photogenic villages, one north, one west. An honest comparison of their feel, sights and crowds to help you choose.
Hampstead or Notting Hill: Where Should You Visit?
Hampstead and Notting Hill are the two London neighbourhoods people picture when they imagine a pretty, well-off, slightly bohemian village in the city. They get confused for each other constantly, partly because both have that white-stucco, leafy, photogenic look. They are on opposite sides of London, and they offer quite different days out. Here is an honest comparison to help you choose, or to plan both.
The quick version
Notting Hill is west London at its most colourful and stylish: pastel terraces, the Portobello Road market, antiques, and a buzzy, fashionable feel. Hampstead is north London at its most village-like and green: Georgian streets, a wild heath, literary history, and a quieter, older mood. Notting Hill is about the market, the colour and the shopping. Hampstead is about the Heath, the history and the calm. Both are beautiful. They just scratch different itches.
The look
This is where the confusion comes from. Both have grand stucco-fronted terraces and leafy streets that photograph beautifully. Notting Hill takes it further with its famous rows of pastel-painted houses, candy colours that draw photographers from around the world. Hampstead's beauty is more historic and restrained: Georgian brick, old cottages, hidden alleys. Notting Hill is the more obviously colourful; Hampstead is the more obviously old.
The main draw
Each has one big thing. Notting Hill has Portobello Road, the long market street famous for antiques, vintage and food, busiest and best on a Saturday. It is one of London's great market experiences. Hampstead has Hampstead Heath, 320 acres of wild parkland with bathing ponds and a skyline view, plus the free art at Kenwood. So the real choice is market versus heath, shopping and colour versus nature and space. That alone will tell most people which they want.
The crowds
Worth being honest about. Notting Hill, especially Portobello Road on a Saturday and during the late-August carnival, gets extremely busy, sometimes uncomfortably so. It is part of the energy, but it is a lot. Hampstead is busy in the village centre at weekends but never on the same scale, and the Heath absorbs crowds easily because it is so large. If you want buzz, Notting Hill. If you want room to breathe, Hampstead.
Getting there
Both are easy to reach. Notting Hill Gate sits on the Central, Circle and District lines in west London. Hampstead is on the Northern line in the north, with the Overground for the Heath. From central London both are quick. They are on opposite sides of the city, though, so doing both in one day means crossing London in the middle, which is doable but eats time.
So which one?
Choose Notting Hill for the market, the pastel houses, the antiques and a stylish, busy west London day. Choose Hampstead for the Heath, the history, the calm and a green north London day. If you have two days, do one each and enjoy how different two pretty London villages can be. If you only have one and you want nature and quiet, go to Hampstead. If you want colour and a market, go to Notting Hill.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hampstead or Notting Hill better to visit?
It depends what you want. Notting Hill offers the Portobello Road market, pastel houses and a stylish, busy feel in west London. Hampstead offers Hampstead Heath, literary history and a quieter, greener north London day. The choice is market and colour versus heath and calm.
Are Hampstead and Notting Hill the same?
No. They are different neighbourhoods on opposite sides of London with a similar grand, leafy look, which is why people confuse them. Notting Hill is in the west and known for its market and pastel houses; Hampstead is in the north and known for its heath and history.
Which is less crowded, Hampstead or Notting Hill?
Hampstead, generally. Notting Hill's Portobello Road gets very busy on Saturdays and during the August carnival. Hampstead's village centre is busy at weekends but quieter overall, and the large Heath absorbs crowds easily.
Can you visit both Hampstead and Notting Hill in one day?
It is possible but involves crossing London between north and west, which takes time. They work better as two separate days, one built around Notting Hill's market and one around Hampstead's heath.
