Sights · Our pick in London
Covent Garden Piazza and Market
The heart of Covent Garden
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © CrisNYCa · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Covent Garden Piazza and Market
Covent Garden began as London’s first planned square in the 1630s, laid out by Inigo Jones with St Paul’s Church on its western side. The market building at its centre, completed in 1830, was home to the fruit, vegetable and flower market until 1974. Today it holds shops and cafés, while the Apple Market inside has stalls of crafts, art and antiques. Street performers entertain under the church portico.
Why it's on our list
- Apple Market stalls
- Street performers
- St Paul’s Church
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Covent Garden Piazza and Market before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Covent Garden Piazza and Market, as the crow flies.
- Strand Palace Hotel0.1 mi3 min walk
- One Aldwych0.2 mi3 min walk
- The Savoy0.2 mi3 min walk
- Covent Garden Hotel0.3 mi5 min walk
- The Londoner0.3 mi7 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Covent Garden Piazza and Market are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- Covent GardenPiccadilly0.1 mi2 min walk
- Leicester SquarePiccadillyNorthern0.2 mi5 min walk
- Charing CrossBakerlooNorthernNational Rail0.3 mi6 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Russell Street0.1 mi1 min walk
- Taxi rank, Hungerford Lane0.3 mi6 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Leicester Square0.3 miWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Trafalgar Square0.4 miWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 6 min
- The British Museum0.5 miWalk 11 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- London Eye0.6 miWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Westminster Abbey0.9 miWalk 18 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Buckingham Palace1.2 miWalk 23 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 12 min
- The Shard1.6 miWalk 33 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Harrods1.9 miWalk 39 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Tower of London2.0 miWalk 41 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
Main rail terminals
- Charing Cross0.3 miWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Waterloo0.7 miWalk 15 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Euston1.2 miWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 12 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras1.3 miWalk 26 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 13 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)1.4 miWalk 28 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Victoria1.4 miWalk 28 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- London Bridge1.7 miWalk 34 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Liverpool Street1.8 miWalk 36 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Paddington2.3 miCycle 15 minCar or taxi 20 min