Shoreditch Street Art: Free Self-Guided Walking Tour With Map

The walls and railway arches of Shoreditch are one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Exploring the constantly changing images makes for a great day out. Here’s a free self-guided walking tour covering all the best pieces.

There is no gallery in London with a collection quite like the streets of Shoreditch.

Bright, vivid paintings stretch across railway arches, warehouses and storefronts. Political statements and intricate portraits compete for space on every available surface, from tiny stencils tucked into doorways to murals five storeys high.

Artists flock from all over the world to paint in Shoreditch. Some pieces have stood for a decade; others disappear overnight, painted over by the next artist or the next commission.

That rotating lifecycle is what makes it so compelling — and why no two visits to these streets are ever quite the same.

We’ve been coming here for years, updating this self-guided walking tour regularly to keep it current.

We’ve included the Banksy on Rivington Street, a hidden gem tucked into Heneage Street, Ben Eine’s 45-metre typography mural on Ebor Street, and plenty of pieces you won’t find on any other walking tour.

The post includes a map and route instructions, a brief history of street art, and a list of artists to look out for.

Brief History of Shoreditch Street Art

For most of the 20th century, Shoreditch was a working industrial neighbourhood. The textile and furniture trades that had sustained it for generations collapsed in the 1970s and 1980s, leaving behind a landscape of empty warehouses, derelict factories, and vacant lots.

Rents fell. Artists moved in. By the early 1990s, the area around Old Street and Brick Lane had become a loose community of studios, squats, and makeshift galleries.

Graffiti had been present on London’s walls since the 1970s, carried over from New York by a generation of kids who had seen it in films and heard it in hip-hop.

But what developed in Shoreditch in the 1980s was something different — less about tagging names, more about image-making, political expression, and the deliberate occupation of public space.

Banksy’s early appearances in the area in the late 1990s demonstrated that street art was more than just vandalism. It could function as genuine art, making a political statement.

The walls of Shoreditch began to serve as an art gallery, and from the mid-2000s onward, it attracted artists from all around the world.

Today, it serves as a living archive of contemporary street art. Continually changing, no visit is ever the same.

Shoreditch Street Art Walking Tour Overview

• Start: Old Street Tube Station
• End: Liverpool Street Tube Station
• Distance: 3.3 miles (5.4 kilometres).
• Walking Time: 2 hours (but allow half a day)
• Best for: Street Art Lovers and Vintage Clothes

Our walking route has been designed to pass the best street art in Shoreditch in the shortest distance possible. It starts at Old Street Tube Station and ends at Liverpool Street Tube Station, but there is no reason you can’t do it the other way around.

If you were to walk quickly, it would take about 2 hours, but you’ll want to take time to absorb the art, pop into the vintage shops, and try the Bangladeshi Restaurants in Brick Lane or the food stalls at Spitalfields Market.

The walk is all along the street pavements and is easy. It can be done at any time of day or year. However, photography is better when it is overcast, and there are no shadows on the walls.

If you’d like to do a shorter walk, you can focus on the area around Brick Lane. You’ll find the highest density of artwork here, so you can see a lot without walking too far.

Map: Shoreditch Street Art Walking Tour

Below is a map of the walk. The best art pieces are marked so you don’t miss any. The map also includes art galleries, cafes, and restaurants to stop for a break.

If you have the map open on your phone as you walk around, you can follow your progress.

Key Shoreditch Artists

As you wander around Shoreditch, a few key artists keep popping up. Here are a few to look out for.

Banksy

No artist has done more to shape the public conversation around street art than Banksy. His identity remains unknown despite decades of speculation. His style is subversive humour, using precisely cut stencils.

On Rivington Street, you’ll find two early pieces — “The Guard Dog” and “His Master’s Voice” — preserved behind perspex.

Ben Eine

Eine grew up in East London and has been painting these streets since the early 1990s — first as a graffiti writer, later as a typographer whose bold, circus-style letterforms have become one of the defining visual signatures of the neighbourhood.

His most striking work on this walk is the 45-metre mural on Ebor Street — “I Don’t Want To Be Like This Anymore”

Fanakapan

Of all the artists on this walk, Fanakapan is perhaps the most technically astonishing. His signature is the hyper-realistic helium balloon — rendered in such precise three-dimensional detail that it appears to float off the wall.

He has a collaboration with Jim Vision on Pedley Street, but his masterpiece is hidden down a back alley off Heneage Street.

Stik

Stik began painting while he was homeless, using a minimal style in bold colours, sending stripped-back, but powerful messages. His simple stick figures with circular heads are among the most recognisable in British street art.

His most striking works are on Grimsby Street and Princelet Street.

David Speed

Where many Shoreditch artists look outward to politics and global themes, David Speed looks at his own neighbourhood. His signature neon-purple portraits of East London personalities are a striking homage to his hometown.

His works are often found on Braithwaite and Ebor Street.

Self-Guided Shoreditch Walking Tour

1. Old Street & Cowper Street

The walking tour starts at Old Street Station. Exit the station and if you fancy a coffee, pick one up at Grind.

Take a look around the main traffic junction. On our last visit, there was a work titled ‘In The Urban Jungle’. A collaboration between Vlad and Doppel, it shows two women surrounded by reptiles.

Now head down Cowper Street. There is usually a large mural at the end of the road on the right.

2. Blackall Street

Follow the walking route on the map above, turn left on Tabernacle Street, then right on St.Paul, and then second left onto Blackall Street.

This alley is something of a hidden gem in Shoreditch. Too small for cars, it’s backed onto by warehouses and packed with street art and murals.

There are hundreds to take in.

Don’t miss the numerous stencils by Buenos Aires-born artist Cartooneros, including “Van Gogh”and “Surviving England on Ten Pounds.“

There is also a piece by LA-based street artist WRDSMTH, with his trademark black type on a white background.

3. American Car Wash

Head on Leonard street, where you’ll find Pure Evil Gallery, run by the eponymous local artist. It is a mecca for independent artists who wear their politics proudly. 

Around the corner on Curtain Road is Jealous Gallery. A contemporary gallery often focusing on street artists. It’s well worth popping your head into, and on our last visit, it had an exhibition by Italian-born artist ALO (Aristide Loria).

In front of you is a multi-story car park called the American Car Wash. It is covered in graffiti from top to bottom. Rather than cool street art, it’s more of a blast of colour against the city’s skyscrapers.

4. Rivington Street

Before heading into New Inn Yard, the walk makes a detour. It’s well worth the effort as there’s plenty of excellent art, including two Banksys.

Turn left and head north up Curtain Road, then turn right onto Rivington Street.

First up are the colourful heads of French artist Thierry Noir set under the Bash Street sign. He became a legend for painting on the Berlin Wall almost every day from 1984-1989.

Further up, in Cargo Bar’s Yard, behind an iron gate and covered in perspex, you’ll find Banksy’s “The Guard Dog” and “His Master’s Voice.” Between them are the indelible thoughts by LA-based street artist WRDSMTH and the familiar interwoven ribbon stylings of Otto Schade.

There’s plenty more to feast your eyes on opposite the courtyard.

Ben Eine’s “Scary” is under the railway bridge. Next to it is ‘First They Came’ by Subdude. It is based on a poem by the German pastor Martin Niemoller, written from his experiences during the Second World War. 

5. Dereham Street & Bateman’s Row

At the end of Rivington Street turn right and then right again into French Place. Then left to the massive walls of the bridge over Dereham Street. Here, Mister Trist has a large mural of a man reaching for paper doves.

Next up is the bridge over Bateman’s Row. Luap’s Hope was painted in just 3 days and features a pink bear looking depressed. However, his flowers suggest a glimmer of hope might be around the corner.

Head under the bridge, turn left and follow the map to New Yard Inn.

6. New Inn Yard & King John Court

New Inn Yard has a tiny little courtyard containing rubbish bins, metal fire escapes, and a whole host of street art. The art rotates quickly, but there are plenty of images all over the walls and an evocative Cartoonneros stencil called Putting Putin in the Bin.

The brutalist building running along New Inn Yard and King John Court is covered top to bottom in one massive mural called Connectivity Matters. Numerous artists contributed to this remarkable endeavour which was completed in 2018.

• Autone Neist has created a crossing of lines in blazing colour topped with a Pride Matters rainbow heart.
• Mr Cenz and Lovepusher have combined to show a woman in deep thought holding a glowing orb seemingly connecting with the future.
• Nomad Clan use the fast-forward and rewind symbols of old cassette decks to show connections through time, and a pigeon carrying a letter for connections across space.
• Best Ever simply portrays human connections through the shaking of hands.
• Oliver Switch and BUSK convey the unbroken line of time from grand old masters to modern street art and graffiti.
• Ed Hick and Zadok, both formerly part of the 54 Crew, have created an eerie forest scene connecting twisted trees and mushrooms.
• Tizer and Captain Kris highlight the links between nature and technology in their image of a robot dancing with a woman.
• Hunto & Mr Thoms have painted a series of intertwined faces in Picasso-esque cubist style.

7. Hollywell Lane & Great Eastern Street

At the end of King John Court turn right on Holywell Lane and then left on Great Easten Street. At the junction, look up to see two tube carriages covered in graffiti by Sime and Wendy

The words “Let’s adore and endure each other” are under the carriages on the Great Eastern Street side. Painted by Stephen Powers, it’s one of London’s most famous and loved street art pieces.

There are four advertising boards below that regularly rotate with different street art.

8. Braithwaite Street

Continue along Great Eastern Street, bear left onto Fairchild Street, turn left on the main right and then right to reach Box Park.

The walk continues by turning left onto Ebor Street, but it’s always worth taking a short detour to the railway arches on Braithwaite Street and seeing what’s there.

For the last few years, the side of the bridge has been covered by the dramatic purple neon images of East London-based artist David Speed.

A couple of years ago, there was a girl with a large afro, which was replaced in 2024 with a portrait of a local gentleman named Mally, who was looking dapper in a bow tie.

On our last visit, it appeared David had veered away from his images of locals and instead presented the Greek Goddess Demeter shedding a tear.

9. Ebor Street

Ebor Street has some large, long walls, making it perfect for large pieces of Shoreditch Street art.

For many years, the right side had a large David Speed portrait, but in 2025, the buildings were demolished, and now wooden boards are covered in graffiti.

On the left, typography artist Ben Eine’s 45-metre-long multi-coloured mural “I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS ANYMORE” is still one of the iconic images of the Shoreditch street art scene.

10. Chance Street & Whitby Street

At the top of Ebor Street, turn right onto Redchurch Street and then right again onto Chance Street.

Chance Street used to be packed with street art, including the colourful diagonals by German street artist MadC (Claudia Walde) and Yorgos’s large black-and-white image reflecting his focus on human gestures.

But the buildings have been demolished, and the wooden boards on one side have made the art more temporary. On our last visit, we were lucky enough to watch a new work taking shape.

At the corner of Chance & Whitby Street is the bold blue and pink artwork called the “Dream Factory“, reminding you where dreams were made.

Turn left down Whitby Street, and you’ll find Jim Vision’s kaleidoscope of colour in a portrait of a woman.

A little further, “The Whitby Street Lady” was painted in 2018 by Jimmy C, an Australian Street artist based in London. It has incredible light and depth, with the out-of-focus spheres drawing you towards the lady’s face.

11. Redchurch Street

Turn left onto Club Row, then right onto Redchurch Street. This is a great road with bits of street art hidden all along its length.

Columbian Vane MG’s bright and neon colours come together in a striking image of a girl with a red face. ALO has two pieces in his usual liminal style.

It’s also a great spot for a recharge. Jolene Bakery serves excellent baked goods, and across the street, AllPress does its usual high-quality coffee.

For something more filling, try the £15 lunch at BAO (not on the printed menu, but on the online menu) or brunch at Gecko. If it’s late enough, sample a traditional English pint at the old school Owl and Pussycat pub.

At the end of Redchurch Street, turn right onto Brick Lane.

12. Brick Lane

Brick Lane is a fascinating assault on the senses. This multi-cultural melting pot has vintage stores, bagel shops, curry houses, art galleries and record stores. A popular stop is the Beigel Bake to pick up a New York-style pastrami bagel.

This section explains the art along Brick Lane, but there are a number of short detours, which leave and return to the road.

There’s art on almost every spare space of the wall, so you need to keep your eyes peeled. The easy access means the paintings turn over fairly regularly.

At the junction of Bacon Street, keep an eye out for a couple of pieces by Israeli artist Benzi Brofman including his striking “Catwoman“

After the detour down Grimsby Street, look carefully back at the bridge (once you pass under it), and you can see “3 monkeys“, one of nine Banksy’s that appeared across London over nine consecutive days in August 2024. Sadly, it has badly faded.

Near the end of Brick Lane (after you have done the detour to Hanbury Street), there’s a new colourful piece by Mr Cenz. This area is also a great spot for a meal. It has been home to the London Bangladeshi community for decades, and there are some excellent curry houses.

13. Grimsby Street

Just before you reach the bridge over Brick Lane, you’ll notice we have a detour marked on the map to Grimsby Street.

Down here, you’ll find two entwined elephants, painted by American artist Cernesto, high up on the wall.

The road ends at a bright orange mural called “Scream“. Painted in Stik‘s familiar bold, simple figures, it “screams” pain.

14. Allen Gardens & Pedley Street

Just after the Banksy on the bridge over Brick Lane, the next detour turns left onto Pedley Street.

On your right is “High 5”, a collaboration between Jim Vision and Fanakapan painted in 2019. Jim contributed the explosion of colours around the woman, Fanakapan added the helium balloon, a trademark of his work.

Continue into Allen Gardens, where you’ll find a mix of street art and graffiti all around the park. It can often be busy here with artists painting over old works or touching up their own.

Once you’ve explored, head via Buxton Street back to Brick Lane, turn left and continue walking south.

15. Hanbury Street

The next detour of Brick Lane is Hanbury Street. Do not miss this street as it usually has some of the best street art in Shoreditch.

Look out for Belgian artist ROA’s black-and-white crane high up on a large brick wall. Next to it is an upside-down breakdancing Coldstream Guard painted by Argentinian Martin Ron. Both have been here for over 12 years.

A little further up the street is another work by WRDSMTH.

At the junction with Spital Street, a large wall used to hold a wonderful mural of pink mushrooms by Woskerski. In 2024, it was replaced by a collaboration between Jimmy C and Taqi Spateen, a Palestinian artist.

Last time we were there the space was occupied by a collaboration between Micho Gato, Cranio, Jay Kaes & Otto Schade.

Running from left to right, Micho Gato has contributed his trademark cute cat, and Cranio his familiar Blue Indian trademark. Jay Kaes blends photorealism and comic art to create his “Glitch Pop” style, while Otto Schade has painted the mummified hand in his usual twisting, interwoven ribbons.

16. Princelet Street

At the junction of Princelet Street and Brick Lane is a simple yet striking image painted by Stik on red shutter doors.

It features two stick figures holding hands, one in black wearing a burka and one in white. It celebrates London’s diversity and the bridging of cultures. Pointedly it’s only a few doors down from the Brick Lane Mosque.

Next to it is another work by Taqi Spateen featuring an angel in Ukrainian colours, standing on the shoulders of a soldier.

17. Seven Stars Yard

Seven Stars Yard looked a bit messy when we last visited. The wall of the yard used to be covered in art, but a large metal shed now covers half of it. Nevertheless, there’s been some intriguing pieces here over the years.

On our last visit, there was a piece by British-American artist Tizer, known for his blend of graffiti and character-based street art.

High up on the wall was ‘FAN’ spelt out in Fanakapan’s signature helium balloons.

18. Heneage Street

We’re big fans of Fanakapan’s hyper-realistic helium balloon 3D graffiti-inspired murals and our favourite lurks just off Heneage Street.

The mural features the 3D character Carl Fredricksen, the 78-year-old balloon salesman from the Pixar movie ‘UP’, holding the strings to balloons that spell out the words ‘UP YOURS’

It’s a magnificent piece of street art in a yard adjacent to the 5th Base Gallery. Although it can be a bit tricky to find, we have marked its location clearly on the Shoreditch Street Art map above.

19. Fashion Street

The final stop on our Shoreditch Street art walking tour is Fashion Street.

First up is a portrait of café owner Danni with her grandfather Joe when she was three years old. Painted by Jimmy C in his usual pointillist/drip style in 2016, “Joe’s Kid” recalls the work of post-impressionist painters. Sadly, it was defaced in 2025 and only bits now remain visible.

Further down the street is a portrait of a girl in vivid swirling colours by Mr Cenz, which he regularly updates. There’s also a mix of graffiti and street art around the door of Mission E1.

20. Spitalfields Market

Fashion Street is the end of the street art walk.

The nearest tube station is Aldwych East, but it’s much more interesting to head home via Liverpool Street Station, stopping off at Spitalfields Market on the way. Have a stroll through the market or grab a bite at one of the food stalls.

From Spitalfields, it’s a short walk along the atmospheric Artillery Passage to Liverpool Street Station, the end of our DIY walking tour.

If you fancy extending the walk, then consider exploring the city on our self-guided walk through the City of London.

If you’d rather join an organised tour rather than our self-guided walk, check out this well-rated Shoreditch Street Art tour.

For more great walks in London, read our Best Walks in London Series. If you want to take a day trip outside the city, then try one of our Best Country Walks near London.

More Guides to Plan Your London Trip

• To get an idea of what you might like to do, read our guide to the best things to do in London.
• Our London Itinerary helps you plan 3 or 4 amazing days in the city.
• Find your perfect accommodation with our Where To Stay in London guide, which includes a review of the best areas.
• A great neighbourhood to explore is Notting Hill – this guide covers the highlights.
• For a completely different area, take our Shoreditch Street Art walk.
• Read our Hackney neighbourhood guide for all the best things to do in this East London area.
• Our guide to accommodation in Soho includes our hotel recommendations and things to do.
• Get out and about with our top walks in London – each with a detailed map.