A Guide To Peckham South London

Home to diverse communities, arty venues and a thriving food and drink scene, southeast London’s Peckham is one of the capital’s coolest neighbourhoods.

A stroll along Rye Lane, Peckham’s bustling central thoroughfare, will give you a taste of what this South London district is all about. A handful of African restaurants and takeaways point to the area’s large British-Nigerian community, which has earned this enclave of Peckham the nickname ‘Little Lagos’. The street’s heritage as a major shopping destination in the late-19th and early-20th centuries can be found in its architecture; on the corner of Rye Lane and Peckham High Street is a rather grand building and clock tower, the former site of a once-flourishing department store. Then there’s the Bussey Building, a manifestation of Peckham’s evolution into an arty hotspot, home to live music, theatre and club nights.

The Bussey Building highlights Peckham’s evolution into an arts and culture hotspot

Peckham’s creative side doesn’t end there – and it certainly didn’t begin there, either. South London Gallery on Peckham Road has been bringing international contemporary art to the people of South London for over 100 years, while much-loved independent cinema Peckhamplex shows blockbuster films for bargain prices. Just across the rail tracks from the Bussey Building is Bold Tendencies, a multistorey car park converted into an exhibition space. Those from London and beyond flock here for summertime staple Frank’s Cafe, a rooftop bar on the car park’s highest tier that serves up a heady cocktail of contemporary art, alcohol and fantastic views over the capital.

Every summer, people from all over flock to Frank’s Cafe in Peckham

Peckham boasts an exciting drinking scene, with bars in railway arches and atop converted carparks

A train from London Bridge to Peckham Rye station takes a little over 10 minutes. From there, the neighbourhood’s best restaurants, bars and cultural venues are moments away. Peckham’s boutique hotel scene is yet to fully catch up with the area’s newfound popularity, though there are a handful of nice places to stay here, with pub-turned-boutique hotel The Victoria Inn leading the pack.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.