Piccadilly to Covent Garden via Soho and Chinatown (1.9 Km)
Updated: Aug 30
'In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in' - Paddington Bear. This short Photo run takes you through the various entertainment areas of the West End of London - each with its own character, delights and history.
INTRODUCTION
Set in the heart of Theatre-land, this route begins with the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus, heads up Shaftesbury Avenue with its many theatres, and then diverts first to Chinatown and then into Soho. It then heads into Seven Dials and down towards Covent Garden via Garrick Street and King Street. The final section heads towards the Royal Opera House before ending at Covent Garden.
LOCATION - Piccadilly to Covent Garden via Soho and Chinatown
Start at Piccadilly Circus Station and End at Covent Garden Station
The best time to do this photorun is on weekends in the early morning when it is quiet and free from crowds and heavy traffic.
GETTING TO KNOW THE AREA - HIGH-SPEED VIDEO
The Google map and the summary video are useful to have open when doing these Photoruns. They will help you remember the route and prevent you from getting lost.
Route at a Glance Video.
This short video gives a quick overview of the route and the sights and then shows you what the route would look like if you were running it at about 25 mph. It's a great way of getting familiar with the route before you do it for real.
GETTING TO KNOW THE AREA - GOOGLE MAP
This is a 'My Google Maps' depiction of the route with photographs of the sites. This is available on the desktop or mobile by clicking on the map. The mobile version does allow you to get directions to points on the map and will show you your location. However, its behaviour does depend on the browser and application you use. (Google Chrome seems to be the best).
The Plotaroute map is an alternative guide where you can download the route to a device once you navigate past the adverts. Use the link below.
VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE AREA
Piccadilly to Covent Garden via Soho and Chinatown
Click on the map below and go on a virtual tour of the entertainment area.
Use this to explore these locations by looking around in 360, taking in the sights and sounds, listening to an audio recording about the location and going on a virtual tour.
PHOTO GALLERY OF THE AREA
This will gallery provides a descriptive and visual reference to many sights along this photoroute. Double-click to see its full size.
SIGHT TOUR GUIDES
These four short videos give you a quick guided tour of some sights on this route.
The first two parts go from Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square, and the third and fourth go from Leicester Square to Covent Garden.
Part 1 Piccadilly Circus to Chinatown (5.5 Mins)
Part 2 Soho to Leicester Square Station (5.3 Mins)
Part 3 Leicester Square Station to Bow Street (6.0 Mins)
Part 4 Royal Opera House and Bow Street Magistrates Court (5.3 Mins)
HISTORY OF THE AREA
These three history videos provide you with a history of the area and a history of entertainment in the west end of London.
This video gives you an overview of the history of London's Entertainment District.
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
This map shows you the Eat Drink and be Merry locations in the Entertainment District in relation to the various photoruns.
Click on the map to find out more about all these areas.