Things to Do Near Hampstead Heath: A Complete Guide
Hampstead Heath is 790 acres of open land in the middle of North London, hills, ponds, ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and views across the city. It is also surrounded by some of the most interesting streets, buildings, pubs and cultural sites in the capital, and most visitors spend far too little time exploring them.
This guide covers the best things to do within walking distance of the Heath, arranged by direction from the main entrances.
Starting Points: The Heath's Main Entrances
The Heath has several access points, and the best starting point depends on what you want to do afterwards.
- Hampstead village (NW3): North End Way and the tube station, the most visited entrance, closest to the high street, Flask Walk and the pubs
- Parliament Hill Fields (NW5): The Lido, Parliament Hill viewpoint, and the café, the most accessible entrance from public transport
- Golders Green / Golders Hill Park (NW11): The western side, quieter, connects to Golders Hill Park and its small zoo
- Highgate (N6): The eastern side, connects to Kenwood House, Highgate village and Highgate Cemetery
- South End Green (NW3): The southern entrance, nearest to Belsize Park station and the swimming ponds
Kenwood House
Kenwood House sits on the northern edge of the Heath, set in its own landscaped grounds with a lake and woodland walks. It is a late 17th-century house remodelled by Robert Adam in the 1760s and now managed by English Heritage, with free admission.
The art collection is the main draw, paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Gainsborough and Reynolds, displayed in rooms that retain much of their original character. The collection is discussed in detail in our Kenwood House art collection guide.
The grounds are particularly beautiful in spring and summer. The summer concert series, classical and popular music performed in the grounds with the lake as a backdrop, is one of the area's most popular annual events. Our Kenwood concerts guide has the full programme and booking details.
Getting there from the Heath: From the Hampstead ponds area, the walk to Kenwood takes around 20-25 minutes through the northern woodland. From Highgate village, it is around 15 minutes on foot.
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery lies on the eastern edge of the Heath, separated from Kenwood by a short section of Highgate village. It is one of the great Victorian burial grounds, over 170, 000 people buried across the original West Cemetery (opened 1839) and the East Cemetery (1854).
The West Cemetery, with its Egyptian catacombs, ivy-covered mausoleums and overgrown Victorian monuments, can only be visited on a guided tour. The East Cemetery, where Karl Marx, George Eliot, Douglas Adams and many others are buried, is open for independent visits with an admission fee.
The combination of the Heath, Kenwood and Highgate Cemetery makes one of the most concentrated and varied half-day itineraries in North London. A full guide to booking and visiting is at Highgate Cemetery tours.
Waterlow Park
Waterlow Park in Highgate is one of North London's most overlooked green spaces, 6 acres of formal terraced gardens, ornamental ponds and ancient woodland, free to enter, and positioned immediately adjacent to Highgate Cemetery.
The park was donated to the public in 1889 by Sir Sydney Waterlow, a Victorian Lord Mayor, who described it as "a garden for the gardenless." Lauderdale House, a 17th-century mansion within the park, now houses a café and arts centre.
From the Heath's eastern edge, Waterlow Park is about a 20-minute walk through Highgate village. It is a logical extension of any Highgate itinerary. Our full guide is at Waterlow Park visitor guide.
Hampstead Village
Hampstead village, at the top of Hampstead High Street near the Heath's northwestern entrance, is the most popular area for post-walk food and drink.
The pubs: Several historic pubs are within a short walk of the Heath. The Spaniards Inn on Spaniards Road, a 16th-century coaching inn at the Heath boundary, with a large beer garden, is the most famous, with a history connecting Dick Turpin, John Keats and Bram Stoker. The Flask on Flask Walk is a quieter and more intimate option in the village itself. The Wells on Well Walk is a food-focused pub with a good kitchen.
A full pub crawl route with detailed notes on each is in our Hampstead pub crawl guide.
Flask Walk and Willow Road: The network of pedestrianised streets and alleys around Flask Walk, Perrin's Court and New End Square contains the best of Hampstead's independent shops, galleries and cafés. Worth an hour of wandering after a morning on the Heath.
Keats House: The Romantic poet John Keats lived in a house on Keats Grove from 1818 to 1820, writing Ode to a Nightingale in the garden. It is now a museum, open to visitors, and one of the most atmospheric literary sites in London. Our guide covers opening hours and what to see: Keats House Hampstead guide.
Parliament Hill and the Lido
Parliament Hill is the elevated ridge on the southern Heath that gives views south across London, the Shard, Canary Wharf, the City, St Paul's and the hills of Crystal Palace on the horizon. It is the most visited viewpoint on the Heath and one of the best in London.
The Lido, an outdoor swimming pool at the foot of Parliament Hill, is open from late April to September. It is a 60-metre unheated pool and requires advance booking during the busiest periods. Our Hampstead Heath Lido guide covers the booking system and what to expect.
The Parliament Hill café is a convenient stop for hot drinks, snacks and lunch, open year-round.
Golders Hill Park
Golders Hill Park extends from the western edge of the Heath and is technically part of the Heath estate, though it has a more formal, managed character. It contains a walled flower garden, a duck pond, a small zoo (with flamingos, deer and wallabies, free to enter) and a café with reliable food and good outdoor seating.
The combination of the zoo, which surprises most first-time visitors with how good it is for a free attraction, the flower garden in summer, and the café makes Golders Hill Park a particularly good option for families with young children.
From Golders Green station (Northern line), the park is around a 10-minute walk.
Burgh House and the Hampstead Museum
Burgh House on New End Square is a Queen Anne house dating from 1703, now managed as a community arts venue and local museum. Admission to the museum is free. The basement café is one of the quieter options for lunch or coffee in Hampstead village.
The house hosts a regular programme of exhibitions, concerts and talks, oriented toward local history, art and community rather than major institutional programming. The Burgh House guide covers what's on and the museum collections.
The Pergola and Hill Garden
The Pergola on Inverforth Close, on the western edge of the Heath above Golders Hill Park, is one of London's more extraordinary and obscure horticultural features. It is a 220-metre elevated walkway and formal garden constructed by the soap magnate Lord Leverhulme in the early 20th century, now maintained by the City of London.
In June and July, the wisteria and climbing roses that cover the pergola's columns and roof are extraordinary, one of the most atmospheric garden settings in the city. It is free to enter and largely unknown outside the immediate area. Entry is from North End Way or via the path from Golders Hill Park. Our guide covers the best visiting times: Pergola and Hill Garden Hampstead guide.
Vale of Health
The Vale of Health is a small hamlet tucked into a dip in the Heath, enclosed on almost all sides by open land. It feels implausibly rural for somewhere in NW3, a pond, a few dozen houses and a silence that the surrounding city barely touches.
Leigh Hunt, D.H. Lawrence, Edgar Allan Poe and Rabindranath Tagore all lived here at different times. There is no formal visitor attraction, but it is worth including in any walk around the eastern or central Heath as a reminder that the landscape contains more than open grassland.
Practical Information
Nearest stations to the Heath: - Hampstead (Northern line), north-western entrance, 5 minutes' walk - Belsize Park (Northern line), southern entrance, 15 minutes' walk - Highgate (Northern line), eastern side, 15 minutes' walk - Golders Green (Northern line), western side, 15 minutes' walk - Gospel Oak (Overground), Parliament Hill / Lido entrance, 5 minutes' walk
Parking: Limited parking on the surrounding streets. The Heath itself has no car park. Most visitors arrive by Tube or bus.
Café and food: Parliament Hill café, Kenwood café, Golders Hill Park café and the Spaniards Inn are the main food options within or immediately adjacent to the Heath. Hampstead village has the widest choice for post-walk lunch or dinner.
A Suggested Half-Day Itinerary
For a first visit combining the Heath with the best of the surrounding area:
Morning (2-3 hours): Enter at Hampstead station, walk north toward the Men's Pond and continue to Kenwood House. Spend time in the collection, then walk through the northern woodland toward Highgate village.
Midday: Lunch in Highgate, the Flask pub or one of the independent restaurants on the village high street.
Afternoon (2 hours): Waterlow Park and Highgate Cemetery East (independent visit). Return via the Heath's eastern path through the woodlands, exiting at South End Green or Belsize Park.
This route covers the best of what the Heath and its immediate surroundings offer and takes around five to six hours at an easy pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do near Hampstead Heath?
Kenwood House (free, English Heritage), Highgate Cemetery, Waterlow Park, Hampstead village (pubs, Flask Walk, Keats House), the Pergola and Hill Garden, Golders Hill Park and Parliament Hill viewpoint are all within 15-20 minutes' walk of the Heath's main entrances.
How far is Kenwood House from Hampstead Heath?
Kenwood House sits on the northern edge of the Heath, accessible on foot in around 20-25 minutes from the Hampstead village entrance or 15 minutes from the Highgate entrance.
Is there swimming near Hampstead Heath?
Yes, the Hampstead Heath ponds (men's, women's and mixed) are natural swimming ponds open year-round. The Lido (outdoor pool) is open seasonally. Both require advance booking during busy periods.
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