London/East travel guide

Location of the East London area in London (Photo: Greater London UK location map.svg Nilfanion , created using Ordnance Survey dat, CC BY-SA 3.0)

East London is the outer eastern part of London, north of the River Thames.

Understand

Many outer areas of East London were once part of the county of Essex. Essex is sometimes used as part of the postal address for these areas.

East London consists of the following boroughs:

• Barking and Dagenham — the borough includes:
  Barking
• Dagenham
• Havering — the borough includes:

Hornchurch

• Romford
• Upminster
• Rainham
• Newham — the borough includes:

Stratford – Was the location of the 2012 Olympic Games. (Don't confuse this Stratford with Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, the birthplace of Shakespeare.)

• East Ham
• West Ham
• North Woolwich
• Redbridge — the borough includes:

Ilford

• Woodford
• Waltham Forest — the borough includes:

Walthamstow – This town was made famous by a teen pop band East 17 (the postcode of the area) who came from here and had a number of hits. Soak up the multicultural atmosphere.

• Chingford
• Leyton
• Leytonstone – the birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock

Get in

By plane

London City Airport (LCY IATA). London's fifth largest airport. A commuter airport close to the City's financial district, and specialising in short-haul business flights to other major European cities. There are also routes to holiday destinations that include Malaga, Ibiza and Mallorca.

The airport is 11 km (6.8 mi) east of the City of London and a short distance east from Canary Wharf. Due to operation limitations, it can only be served with restricted small airliners, and only offer flights to major European cities by full service carriers.

You may find that this may be your cheapest London airport to fly to, especially if you add £10 or more in transfer costs from outlying airports. It has a convenient link to the Docklands Light Rail (DLR). Minimum check-in time for most airlines is around 30 minutes, with some offering 15-minute check-in deadlines. Queues for security can be long at peak business times. Touchdown to the DLR (including taxi, disembarkation, immigration and baggage reclaim) can be as fast as 5 minutes, although 15 minutes is normal.

To get to the city centre the following options exist:

• By Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The DLR runs to Bank station. London City Airport has its own station in London fare zone 3. There are direct trains to Woolwich Arsenal, Canning Town, Stratford and Bank. Change at Poplar for DLR services to Canary Wharf and Greenwich. You can pay for your journey using "touch in, touch out" Oyster and Contactless payment cards. Travelcard valid.
• By taxi. Journey time approximately 30 min. £20-35.
• By car. 10 km (6 mi).
• By bus. Take the 474 bus to Canning Town station and then the 115 or N15 into central London. Route 473 travels to Stratford. Travelcard valid.
• Car hire. Car hire firms near London City Airport include Avis, Europcar and Hertz. After leaving London City Airport, follow then for Canary Wharf and The City (westbound) or for the (eastbound). Follow then North Circular Road for destinations in east, north and west London. Use Woolwich Ferry then for destinations in south London.
• If you are using a private car to travel to London City Airport, Ultra Low Emission Zone charges may apply to a small number of vehicles.

By Tube

• Central Line (Red) to Woodford or Hainault.
• District Line (Green) to Upminster.
• Elizabeth Line (Light Purple) to Harold Wood or Custom House.
• Hammersmith and City Line (Pink) to Barking.
• Jubilee Line (Silver) to Stratford.
• Victoria Line (Light Blue) to Walthamstow.

By DLR

• DLR to Canning Town then branches to Beckton, or London City Airport and Woolwich.

By train

• From London Liverpool Street: to Chingford and Ilford.
• From London Fenchurch Street: to Southend or Grays.
• From Stansted Airport: to Ipswich, Colchester and Norwich to Liverpool Street.
• Stratford, Station Street, Stratford, E15 1AZ. Mainline station with National Rail, London Overground and Elizabeth Line services. Stratford is also the eastern terminus of the Jubilee line, as well as being on the Central line and DLR. In fare zones 2 & 3.

Jubilee line (westbound) services to Stanmore.

• Central line services to West Ruislip, Ealing Broadway and Epping.
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services to Woolwich Arsenal via Canning Town.
• London Overground (Mildmay line) services to Richmond via Willesden Junction.
• Elizabeth line services to London Liverpool St and Shenfield.
• Greater Anglia services to Southend-on-Sea, Bishop's Stortford, Norwich, Braintree, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Ipswich and Hertford.
• c2c weekend services to Shoeburyness and London Liverpool St.

By London Overground

The London Overground (orange) is useful for getting across the district. Later in 2024, the lines will be renamed and have their own colour scheme:

• Liberty line  LIB  is a short line that runs from Romford to Upminster via Emerson Park. This separate line is disconnected from the rest of the London Overground.
• Mildmay line  MLD  is a line from Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford.
• Suffragette line  SUF  (sometimes referred to as the "Goblin") from Gospel Oak to Barking and Blackhorse Road.
• Weaver line  WEA  is a line to Chingford, Enfield Town and Cheshunt from London Liverpool St.

See

• Epping Forest (tube: Epping  CEN ), ☏ +44 20 8508-0028. Dawn-dusk. Large expanse of green space stretching 12 miles (19 km) from Forest Gate into Essex. Despite the name it is not completely wooded: in medieval times "forest" meant a royal hunting ground. Free.
  Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, 6 Ranger's Road, Chingford, London E4 7QH (Within walking distance of Chingford  WEA  station (London Overground from Liverpool Street, Zone 5)), ☏ +44 20 7332-1911. Tue-Sun 10AM–5PM, closed Mondays. Excellently preserved and unusual example of a Tudor-era timber-framed "hunting stand". Built for King Henry VIII, contrary to the popular name of the building. The building houses exhibitions on Tudor culture and the top floor still provides a fine view of Epping Forest. Free.
• Wanstead Park / The Temple (tube: Wanstead  CEN  or Redbridge  CEN ), ☏ +44 20 7332-1911. Remaining grounds of the 18th century mansion Wanstead House, with woods and ornamental lakes. The Temple (opening hours vary, check website) is the visitor centre covering the history of the park. Free.

Stratford

• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (tube/rail: Stratford  CEN  JUB  MLD  DLR  ELI , Stratford International  DLR ). 24 hours. Site of the London 2012 Olympics and the ArcelorMittal Orbit with the world's longest slide. Free.
• House Mill, Three Mill Lane E3 3DU (Tube: Bromley-by-Bow  DIS  H&C ). Tidal mill in the River Lea, built 1776.
• V&A East Museum, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London.. New museum opening 18 April 2026. One of two branches of the Victoria & Albert museum near Stratford.
• V&A East Storehouse, Parkes Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick, London, E20 3AX ((do not confuse this site with V&A East museum) Bus 388 & 241 stop The Copper Box. Hackney Wick  MLD +8min walk, Stratford International + 17-min walk, Stratford  JUB  DLR +20 min walk). Sun-Wed Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu Sat 10:00-22:00. Three floors with a view of the vast store of objects owned by the V&A. There are mini curated displays scattered throughout but otherwise this is a fairly uncurated experience. A major attraction of the site is the David Bowie Centre where objects related to the late musician are stored with a selection on display.If you can see the cardboard tag of any object, it can be looked up on the store house database accessible from a smart-phone after scanning a QR code. All bags coats etc must be left in free lockers on the ground floor. Food & drink are available from e5storehouse on the ground floor. free.

Walthamstow

Bremer car at Vestry House Museum (Photo: sludgegulper, CC BY-SA 2.0)

God's Own Junkyard (Photo: JRennocks, CC BY 4.0)

• Walthamstow Wetlands, 2 Forest Road, N17 9NH (tube: Blackhorse Road  VIC  SUF , Tottenham Hale  VIC ). Daily Oct-Mar 9:30AM-4PM, Apr-Sep 9:30AM-5PM. Nature reserve set around reservoirs, one of the largest urban wetlands in Europe and a nice place for birdwatching. Opened to the public in October 2017. There is a cycle and running route through the wetlands. Dogs aren't allowed, except for assistance dogs. Free.
• Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road, E17 9NH (tube/rail: Walthamstow Central  VIC  OGD ). Closed until 2026 for renovation. Presents the history of Waltham Forest. The building was constructed to be a workhouse and has since been used as a police station and a private home. Its collection includes the Bremer car, built by the engineer Frederick Bremer in 1892 and has a claim to being the first petrol-driven car made in Britain. Free.
• Walthamstow Village (tube: Walthamstow Central  VIC  OGD  / rail: Walthamstow Central/Wood Street). The ancient nucleus of present-day Walthamstow centred around the 12th-century St. Mary's Church.
• William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Rd, E17 4PP (tube/rail: Walthamstow Central  VIC  WEA , bus 123), ☏ +44 20 8496-4390. Tue–Sun 10AM-5PM. Dedicated to William Morris, the Victorian arts & crafts designer and writer. Located in his old Georgian family home, Water House, which is now a Grade II* listed building. Free.
• God's Own Junkyard, Unit 12, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street, E17 9HQ (rail: Wood Street  WEA , Tube: Walthamstow Central  VIC ), ☏ +44 20 8521-8066. Fri Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-6PM. A museum of sorts in a converted warehouse displaying hundreds of illuminated signs (neon and bulb signs) including signs of businesses, decorative signs, movie props and artworks. Free.

Ilford

• Redbridge Central Library & Museum, Clements Rd, IG1 1EA (rail: Ilford  ELI ). Mon–Fri 9:30AM–8PM, Sat 9AM–4PM. Interesting structure from an architectural point of view. Unfortunately it is also the locale of choice for the native rude-boys to hang out, alas this is not due to the educational value of the institution.
• Valentines Park (tube: Gants Hill  CEN ). A pleasant green area, Essex County Cricket team used to play on the pitch in the western side of the park.

Barking

• Eastbury Manor House, Eastbury Square, Barking, IG11 9SN (tube: Upney  DIS ), ☏ +44 20 8227-5216. limited see website. Elizabethan gentry house with gardens.

Dagenham

• Valence House Museum, Becontree Avenue, Dagenham, RM8 3HT (rail: Chadwell Heath  ELI , then bus 62), ☏ +44 20 8227-2034. Tue-Thu and Sat 10AM-4PM. Historic manor house, the only one surviving in Dagenham, and now a local museum and gallery.

Hornchurch

• Langtons House (Langtons), Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1XJ (rail/tube: Emerson Park  LIB , Hornchurch  DIS ), ☏ +44 1708-433-155. Attractive house, with a beautiful landscaped garden. The house is now used as the registry office of the London Borough of Havering.

Do

Stratford

• Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN (tube: Stratford  CEN  JUB  DLR  MLD  ELI ), ☏ +44 20 8534-0310. Watch a live performance: comedy, music and more. £12.50–22 depending on time and seating.
• West Ham United, London Stadium E20 2ST (tube: Statford / Stratford International  DLR ), ☏ +44 20 8548-2748. "The Hammers" were relegated in 2026 and now play soccer in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is London Stadium, capacity 60,000, in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Their women's team play in the Women's Super League, their top tier, with home games at Victoria Road (aka Chigwell Construction Stadium) in Dagenham.
• ABBA Voyage, ABBA Arena, Pudding Mill Lane, London E15 2RU (Pudding Mill Lane  DLR ). Digital recreation of famous Swedish super-group in a purpose built arena with live musicians. variable pricing.

Royal Docks

• ExCeL London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock (DLR and rail: Custom House  DLR  ELI ), ☏ +44 20 7069-5000. Exhibition and conference centre. The venue hosts such public events as the London Boat Show, the British Motor Show, MCM London Comic Con, the London Triathlon, Eurogamer Expo (EGX) and many others. It was a venue for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics for sports such as boxing, table tennis, and fencing.
• London Royal Docks. Open water swimming in the docks operated by Love Open Water. Swimmers must have a valid NOWCA membership.

Walthamstow

• Leyton Orient F.C. (Tube: half a mile north of Leyton  CEN ). They were promoted in 2023 and now play football in League One, the third tier. Their home ground is Brisbane Road (capacity 9200) and is shared with Tottenham Hotspur women's team.
• Bicycle along the River Lea or Epping Forest.

Romford

• Sapphire Ice & Leisure Centre (on Western Rd 200 yd (180 m) north of Romford  LIB  ELI ). The home rink of London Raiders, who play Sept-March in the National Ice Hockey League, England's second tier.

Buy

Stratford

• Westfield Stratford City (tube/rail: Stratford  CEN  JUB  MLD  DLR  ELI , Stratford International  DLR ). Mon–Fri 10AM–9PM, Sat 9AM–9PM, Sun noon-6PM. Vast shopping mall between the station and the Olympic Park. Also has many restaurants, a cinema, a baseball batting cage and a bowling alley.

Walthamstow

• Walthamstow Market, High Street (tube: Walthamstow Central  VIC  OGD , St James Street  OGD ). Tue–Fri 8AM–5PM, Sat 8AM–5:30PM. The longest outdoor street market in Europe, stretching for roughly a kilometre. All manner of items may be purchased here.
• The Mall Walthamstow (Selborne Walk) (tube: Walthamstow Central  VIC  OGD ; just over the road). Walthamstow's shopping mall, with the usual selection of shopping mall type shops. Part of it remains closed since a major fire in July 2019.

Ilford

• The Exchange Shopping Centre, High Road, Ilford, IG1 1RS (tube: Ilford  ELI ), ☏ +44 20 8553-3000. It was one of the largest American-style malls when it was constructed in the early 1990s. Although now it has an extensive array of shops now it can only really be considered a bog standard shopping centre. The town centre has most high street chain shops.

Eat

Goodmayes is a great area for really good cheap Indian/Pakistani food.

• The Pantry Café, 357 High St, E15 4QZ (ten seconds' walk from Stratford High Street  DLR , on the same side of the road). Traditional British café. Different menu options are placed on the wall to make ordering easier "I want a 4, I'd like a 9" but the friendly owner will of course accept any variation you want. This café beats the chain hotel breakfasts for price and quality. Stay away if you want haute cuisine.

Newham

• Albina, 239 Barking Rd, Plaistow, E13 8EQ (directions: Canning Town  JUB  DLR ), ☏ +44 20 7474-0244. Wed Thu 3-11PM, Fri Sat 3PM-1:30AM, Mon Tue closed. Tasty Ukrainian food in a rustic restaurant. Try the golubtsi (cabbage rolls) and the cutlets.

Walthamstow

There are a number of cafés and restaurants down the high street.

• Kebabish, 411 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 9AP (tube: Walthamstow Central  OGD  VIC  or Leyton Midland Road  OGD ). Does a nice kebab and also tasty Indian food.
• Thainese, Hoe St (turn right from Walthamstow Central), ☏ +44 20 8509-9668. Noon-midnight. Halal Singaporean Chinese and Thai, black pepper crabs, chilli lobster, private rooms, prayer rooms. expensive.
• Supperclub.tube, South Access Road, E17 8AX (in Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum). Thu-Sat 7-9:30PM, arrive from 6:45PM. Enjoy a Latin American feast on board an old Tube carriage! Chef Beatriz (Bea) Maldonado, originally from Bogotá, takes you on a six-course culinary tour of her continent of birth, while you soak up the convivial and surprisingly romantic atmosphere of a Victoria Line 1967 stock. Although following a set menu, Bea can arrange substitute courses to suit dietary needs. Table (seats 2-13) £57 pp, booth (seats 2-3) £63 pp. Includes all food and service; drinks extra.
• Deeney's, 360 High Rd, E10 6QE, ☏ +44 20 3759-0582. Mon-Fri 8AM-4PM, Sat Sun 9AM-4PM. Café serving coffee, brunch and their famous Scottish haggis toasties.

Drink

Walthamstow

• The Ferry Boat Inn, Ferry Lane, N17 9NG (tube: Tottenham Hale  VIC /Blackhorse Rd  VIC  OGD ), ☏ +44 20 8808-4980. Daily noon-11PM. A quaint country-style pub in a lovely river side setting.
• The Goose, 264 Hoe St, E17 3AX (tube: Walthamstow Central  VIC  OGD , opposite), ☏ +44 20 8520-4751. Sun–Thu 10AM-midnight; Fri Sat 10AM–1AM. Updated Victorian gin palace. Popular with commuters.

Dagenham

• Admiral Vernon, 141 Broad St, Dagenham RM10 9HP (tube: Dagenham Heathway  DIS ), ☏ +44 20 8592-0431. Daily 11AM-11PM. Great trad pub with live music at weekends.

Sleep

• Ibis Hotel Stratford, 1A Romford Rd, Stratford E15 4LJ (tube: Stratford), ☏ +44 20 8536-3700. 104-room hotel with the usual identikit, Ibis set-up. From about £50.
• ibis Styles London Excel, 272-283 Victoria Dock Rd (tube: Custom House  DLR  ELI ), ☏ +44 20 7474-0011. £120.
• Newham Hotel, 349-353 Romford Rd, Forest Gate, E7 8AA (rail: Forest Gate / tube: Wanstead Park  OGD ), ☏ +44 20 8534-8400. Budget hotel in the Forest Gate area of Newham From £44.
• Viking Hotel, 162 Romford Rd, Stratford, E15 4LD (tube: Stratford), ☏ +44 20 8534-7861, fax: +44 20 8503-0863.
• Devonshire Hotel, 94 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 6LX (tube: Hornchurch  DIS ), ☏ +44 1708 440088. Opened in 2011, it is a family-run boutique hotel with free wi-fi and secure parking. Some rooms have been adapted to allow for easier access. Breakfast & homemade snacks available.
• Travelodge London Stratford, High Street, Stratford, E15 2JG (five-minute walk from Stratford stations (walk to the High Street, turn right). Even nearer to Stratford High Street DLR (come out, turn left)), ☏ +44 871 984 6502. Usual Travelodge set-up. New hotel, spotless rooms with private facilities. 24-hour bar. Friendly staff prepared to go the extra mile. Price - depends, can be as low as £30 for a double room if you pay well in advance and pay up front ("Saver Rate").
• Sunborn London (Sunborn Yacht Hotel), Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1AA (tube: Royal Victoria  DLR ), ☏ +44 20 3714-8111. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Luxurious 4-star yacht hotel. London's only and one of a kind yacht hotel situated at the Royal Victoria Dock in London. This floating hotel boast of their surrounding views of Canary Wharf, ExCeL and O2 Arena and the hospitality. It also has a sea themed tea room named Under The Sea Afternoon Tea. from £131.
• Ridgeway Hotel, 115-117 The Ridgeway,North Chingford, London E4 6QU (rail: Chingford  WEA ), ☏ +44 20 8529-1964.
• Snoozebox, Pudding Mill Lane London E15 2NQ (Pudding Mill Lane  DLR ), ☏ +44 7533 587 807. Pop up modular hotel next to ABBA arena. Adults Only. Offer double beds or single bunk bed.

Go next

• Hackney
• East End of London
• Hornchurch (including Rainham and Upminster)
• Epping

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