If there’s one thing us Londoners can all agree on, it’s our love of Paddington Bear. I, for one, have been a lover of the British icon since I received my very own Paddington back in the ‘90s – think the traditional bear based on the original illustrations by Peggy Fortnum. In 2025, we all know Paddington for the blockbuster trilogy featuring top actors like Hugh Grant, Julie Walters and Olivia Colman, as well as the legendary voices of Paddington (Ben Whishaw) and Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). And let’s not forget the iconic afternoon tea Paddington enjoyed with the late Queen Elizabeth II in celebration of her platinum jubilee in 2022.
Keen to visit top Paddington filming locations in London and learn about the fascinating history behind this much-loved character, I booked myself onto the Paddington Bear Walking Tour. The tour departed at 10.30am right outside the Paddington Bear shop inside Paddington Station. Here, I was greeted by a friendly tour guide and a group of 18 other Paddington enthusiasts (the tour caters for a maximum of 30 people, but my group was particularly large for a weekday due to half-term), before we departed for a two-and-half-hour tour around London.
Insider tip: Tickets are sent straight to your email. All you need to do is flash the barcode to your guide. Note that the Paddington shop is not connected with the tour, so there’s no need to check in there, but it’s worth a visit to pick up some Paddington merchandise.
A bear hunt at Paddington Station
After tracing where Paddington surfed through the bustling Paddington Station while disguised as a bin in Paddington 2 (fun fact: the station was never closed for filming this scene and the people you see – excluding the police officer – are members of the public), we headed straight to platform one to discover the exact spot where Paddington’s life in London began.
The Paddington statue sits proudly beneath the striking clock on platform one, which is where Paddington meets the Brown family in Michael Bond’s first book, A Bear Called Paddington, as well as in the first film. The bronze statue – which was designed by award-winning British sculptor Marcus Cornish and unveiled by Michael Bond in 2000 – features a life-sized Paddington perched upon a suitcase atop a marble base and offers a great photo opportunity.
Just alongside the statue, sits a Paddington bench with an illustration of Paddington enjoying a marmalade sandwich. I was fascinated to discover a green commemoration plaque above the bench, which highlights both the best-selling book and Paddington’s on-screen adventures.
Journey through time: Paddington's legacy and a tribute to Michael Bond
After exiting the station onto the vibrant Merchant Square, we wandered along the canal to find another Paddington statue beneath Bishop’s Bridge Road. I quickly discovered that this wasn’t just any Paddington statue; this was one of the 50 statues that were created in 2014 as part of the sculpture trail to celebrate the release of the first film while raising money for the NSPCC.
You might remember that the bears were individually designed by various British stars. David Beckham created Paddington in a red duffle coat sporting England’s three lion’s badge, while Jonathan Ross created a robot Paddington, and Emma Watson decorated Paddington with beautiful butterflies. This specific bear, named Bearing Up, was designed to feel exactly like the material of Paddington’s famous blue duffle coat.
Visiting Little Venice and Maida Vale
After stopping by the office building that was used as the hospital where Mrs Brown has a baby in the first film, we crossed over Paddington Central footbridge before heading through Porteus Road underpass down to Maida Avenue, where we stopped outside the stunning former home of the late Michael Bond.
While basking in the sunlight of the crisp, clear winter’s day, our guide shared fascinating insight into Bond’s inspiration for Paddington. I was amazed to learn that Bond was a BBC cameraman who had bought a teddy bear for his wife before deciding to write his first book in 1958.
Speaking of bears, I was aware that Shirley Clarkson was behind the creation of the Paddington bear soft toy, but I discovered that Bond had planned to stop the sale of the bears due to copyright but later changed his mind after meeting Shirley and warming to her. It was her son Jeremy – most famously known for hosting top TV programmes like Top Gear and more recently his hit series Clarkson’s Farm – who was the first person to have a Paddington teddy bear.
Interestingly, Bond drew on his wartime experiences in Britain to create the storyline, reflecting on the evacuees and Jewish refugees that his family cared for during World War Two. Upon learning this, I considered the story of Paddington from a new perspective. Details like the bear’s famous tag labelled “Please take of this bear. Thank you” took on a whole new meaning.
I wandered alongside the picturesque canal to the filming location where Paddington rides Wolfie the dog beneath the distinctive blue Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge in the chase with the villain of Paddington 2, Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant). The sunny spot was a tranquil haven that would be a lovely place to visit in the summer – there are even boat rides to Camden for those seeking a different type of tour in London.
Adventuring to Alice's antique shop in Notting Hill
We headed back to Paddington Station where we hopped on the bus to Notting Hill. The journey took five minutes and dropped us on Pembridge Road, where it was a short walk to Portobello Road. Here, we visited Alice’s antique shop, which is known as Mr Gruber’s shop in the Paddington films. While the name is different, the shop is almost identical and is a brilliant mishmash of antiques, ceramics and homewares that all spill onto the pavement and down the neighbouring cobblestone Denbigh Close.
Inside, walls and ceilings are brimming with all sorts of knick-knacks. It’s worth noting that the tearoom where we often see Paddington enjoying a marmalade sandwich and tea with Mr Gruber during the films doesn’t exist here. Outside, I found myself reminiscing about all the scenes that were filmed here – from Paddington flying down Portobello Road on a skateboard to track down a thief, to Paddington catching Phoenix Buchanan steal the pop-up book at the start of Paddington 2.
As much as I would have loved to spend the whole day spotting all things Paddington in London, Alice’s is where the tour came to an end. In case you didn’t already know, the Browns’ house is in north London’s Primrose Hill, so isn’t included in the walking tour due to distance and time constraints.