United Kingdom · England · London
West End of London, London — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Theatre crowds fill the West End of London, a district of the City of Westminster north of the River Thames, known for Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.
About West End of London
Where to stay in West End of London
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
The West End of London is central London's densest cluster of hotels, theatres and galleries. Playhouses, department stores and grand squares press together between Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross, so beds sit within walking distance of nearly every major stage and museum in the district. Choice is wide.
Rooms range from large landmark hotels near Piccadilly Circus to quieter houses tucked off the main streets. If you want to step straight from your room to a West End theatre, the National Gallery or the Royal Academy of Arts, no London district sits closer.
About West End of London
What are the main landmarks in West End of London?
The West End of London gathers many of London's best-known landmarks. Trafalgar Square opens at its heart, edged by the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, while Covent Garden draws crowds a few streets east. Museums abound.
The British Museum, Somerset House and the Courtauld Gallery sit within its bounds, alongside the Royal Academy of Arts and Sir John Soane's Museum. Government London lies close too, from Downing Street to the Churchill War Rooms.
What is the history of West End of London?
The West End of London took shape as building spread west of the City of London. As the district filled the ground west of the City of London, it drew theatres, galleries and institutions like the British Museum, and its playhouses grew famous enough to lend their name to London's whole theatre scene. The stages made the name.
Covent Garden began as a market square before the surrounding streets turned to entertainment and shopping. The term West End came to be used abroad much as Broadway names the theatre district of New York City.
Where is West End of London?
The West End of London lies north of the River Thames and west of the City of London, within the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden.
Good for
More areas in London
Updated July 2026