10 Best Places to Go Shopping in London

Oxford Street is one of the busiest streets in the world. The bustling crowds are attracted by a huge range of shops and department stores that offer the best in high street fashion, sportswear, and Britain’s most famous brands. Selfridges department store is a particular highlight.

To see all that Oxford Street has to offer, take the Tube to Tottenham Court Road station and shop all the way down to Marble Arch, at the opposite end of the street. Use Oxford Circus station as your reference point, roughly halfway down. Around the festive season, Oxford Street is especially pretty, with thousands of twinkling Christmas lights and imaginative window displays.

Knightsbridge in London’s West End is the best place in the city for designer fashion. Straddling Kensington and Chelsea, the whole area has a genteel vibe, best felt in the 2 world-famous department stores, Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

Don’t miss Harvey Nichols, where you’ll find boutique designer fashion along with some of the finest service in London. For more boutiques, head down Sloane Street and you’ll find Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler, and Louis Vuitton.

Matching the price tag of many of these designer stores, the hotels located in the Kensington area are beautifully opulent.

If you are looking for a bespoke suit, Saville Row is the place to go. Located in Mayfair in central London, there have been tailors working here for hundreds of years. In fact, it’s claimed that the tuxedo was invented by tailors on this street.

The process of a made-to-measure suit is a special experience, as you are served in attractive dressing rooms, often with drinks included. You should allow time for at least 3 fittings to get your suit exactly right. The most esteemed Saville Row tailors change thousands of pounds for a suit or tuxedo, but you will also find ready-to-wear items in many of the larger clothiers, such as Alexander McQueen and Gieves & Hawkes.

Spitalfields Market is renowned for its cutting-edge fashion boutiques, vintage traders and generally cool atmosphere. It’s open every day, but on weekends you’ll find the best selection of handcrafted items from some of London’s finest independent designers. We’ve seen everything from women’s trench coats covered in Manga designs to African-inspired hats. Consider staying in a hotel near Liverpool Street station, it's walking distance from there.

As well as incredible shopping, you can buy some fresh food from the wet market or grab a bite from a variety of franchise restaurants. If you want to show off your cool new clothes, take a short walk to Brick Lane and trendy Shoreditch.

Ever-vibrant Camden Market is a centre of the counter-culture movement, so you’ll find many niche stalls selling anything from punk fashion to handmade silver jewellery, and plenty in between. Bargain hunters will love it at Camden as prices are noticeably lower than other London shopping hotpots. Take the Northern line to Camden Town and walk up to Camden Lock.

The market has some excellent food stalls selling a wide range of regional dishes. In case you want to stay on after shopping, you’ll find some cool pubs and live comedy venues along the canal.

The UK doesn’t do malls on the same scale as Asia or the US, but Westfield is one clear exception. This huge dome of retail has hundreds of brands, and although you can find most of the items in other spots around the city, Westfield London offers free parking and shelter from the weather. Around the festive season, this is probably Londoners go-to shopping spot for stocking up before Christmas.

Westfield London is in the west of the city, close to Hammersmith. If you decide to book your accommodation in east London, then the sister mall called Westfield Stratford City will be closer.

Portobello Road market is one of the world’s largest antiques markets, running through the whole of Notting Hill. It’s most famous for its main Saturday market, but you can actually shop here 6 days a week. Although it’s possible to find a bargain, the items are often high-end and unique – with prices to match.

Portobello Road is the best shopping spot for antiques in London, but it’s also a great place to soak up the ambiance of this swanky neighbourhood. Take the Tube to Ladbroke Grove and it is just a couple of minutes’ walk to the market. Or book yourself a room in a hotel located in Notting Hill itself, giving you more time to poke your head into the rows of antiques shops lining Portobello Road, selling everything from clocks to stamps to vintage designer clothes.

Harrods is a popular spot for tourists to London as it combines heritage with high-end shopping. The once famous dress code to enter the store no longer applies, although children under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

This department store is huge, with sections covering fashion, jewellery, souvenirs, toys, and lots of fancy food. The afternoon tea at The Georgian restaurant is a popular rest stop, with or without champagne. Fancy items, diligent service, and a ‘ye olde’ ambiance has kept Harrods relevant since it opened in 1849.

Chelsea High Street was once the King’s private road, but now has a debonair, community feel thanks to the luxury properties that line the streets on either side. Measuring little more than 1 mile yet packed with hundreds of boutique fashion stores, restaurants and art galleries, this is where the monied come to shop.

Take the Tube to Sloane Square and split up your shopping with regular stops for a drink and a bite to eat. Prominent brands along the King’s Road include Club Monaco, Kate Spade, and All Saints. Peter Jones department store is good for all-weather shopping.

For young fashion, you can’t miss a short walk south from Oxford Circus to the famed Carnaby Street. This short pedestrianised street became the centre of 1960s fashion culture in London and has been living off this reputation ever since.

These days, the independent retailers have been replaced with brand names and some cheaper souvenir shops. Prominent brands include Diesel, Lazy Oaf, and Office footwear. There’s a good selection of pubs, too.