Columbia Road Flower Market London (2025): Opening Times, Map, Best Time to Visit & What to Buy

Last Updated on 15 October, 2025

Columbia Road Flower Market is London’s most famous Sunday flower market — a riot of colour in Bethnal Green / Shoreditch where traders line the street with seasonal flowers, houseplants, herbs and shrubs from 8am–3pm.

It’s an unmissable East London market, perfect for cheap bouquets, indoor plants and a morning of coffee, pastries and vintage shopping nearby.

Here’s exactly how to visit, the best time to go, where to eat, and what to buy at Columbia Road.

 

ALSO SEE: Guide To Shopping in Shoreditch

 

 

Quick Facts

Columbia Road Flower Market – Need to know

• When: Sundays, 8:00–15:00 (best selection 8–10am; cheapest last hour)

• Where: Columbia Rd, E2 7RG (Bethnal Green / Tower Hamlets)

• Nearest stations: Hoxton, Shoreditch High Street (Overground); Bethnal Green (Central line)

• Payment: Most stalls take card & contactless

• Tip: Bring cash for small buys and tote bags for plants

 

ALSO SEE: 30 Amazing Sunday Markets In London You Should Visit

 

 

Best Time To Visit 

If you want the pick of the crop, arrive for opening (8–9:30am). For bargains, go in the last hour (2–3pm) when traders discount bouquets, herbs and bedding plants.

The street gets very crowded 11:00–13:30, so early birds (and photographers) win.

 

ALSO SEE: 23+ Cool Things To Do In London On Sundays

 

 

History of Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Flowers Market was built upon an area known as Nova Scotia Gardens. It had been a brick field northeast of St Leonard’s, Shoreditch.

It first began as a Saturday trading market but was then changed to a Sunday, in an attempt to accommodate the local Jewish market traders. This change also made way for the opportunity for Covent Garden and Spitalfields traders to sell their supplies left over from Saturday.

The long-lasting interest and demand for cut flowers and plants were introduced to the East End by Huguenot immigrants (driven from France), alongside a fascination for caged songbirds – the pub at the end of the Columbia road market is called The Birdcage.

The Columbia Flowers Market suffered in World War II from rules prioritising food production. So, it went into a long decline. A huge civilian shelter under the market suffered a direct hit by a 50 kg bomb in September 1940. After 20 years, new rules forced traders to attend regularly from the 1960s. 

 

 

What are the highlights of Columbia Road Flower Market?

Columbia Road Flower Market is a must-visit for anyone planning a trip to London, even locals because of its super-colourful displays. It has around 49 tenants selling different plants, vases, and flowers.

Here you can buy everything from banana trees to bedding plants. One of the most beautiful highlights of the market is its fragrant blooms. Ensure to browse for perfect blooms and gardening essentials at the fantastic Columbia Road Flower Market. 

When you’ve bought your blooms, discover behind the stalls and down the streets to find fantastic cafés, independent restaurants, delis, amazing shops, antique dealers, vintage stalls, and small art galleries, many of which follow the Columbia Flowers Market’s opening hours. 

Open every Sunday in east London, Columbia Flower Market is full of friendly flower sellers, many of which grow their own plants. Several flower sellers in the market also import their plants from around the world. 

 

ALSO SEE: 34 Things To Do In East London: A Comprehensive Guide To The Best Activities, Areas, And Tours

 

 

What To Buy

You’ll find:

• Seasonal bouquets (peonies, tulips, dahlias, eucalyptus)

• Houseplants (monsteras, fiddle leaf figs, calatheas, succulents)

• Herbs & veg seedlings (basil, mint, tomatoes)

• Bulbs & shrubs (hydrangea, lavender, roses)

• Accessories: vases, planters, compost, gardening gifts

Money-saving tip: buy mixed buckets or multi-stems (e.g., 3 bunches for a set price) and split at home.

 

ALSO SEE: Brick Lane Guide

 

 

Things To Do Near Columbia Road Flower Market

Among the many cool and fun things to do in Shoreditch is the flower market and beyond that are a few more places to visit nearby.

• Grab a salt beef bagel from Beigel Bake
• Check out Brick Lane Market
• Visit the many vintage store and markets that line Brick Lane.
• Check out Backyard Market
• See Princelet Street’s old Georgian houses.
• Explore Hackney City Farm Yard.
• Museum of the Home
• Visit Spitalfields Market
• The Truman Brewery Market
• Spitalfields City Farm

 

ALSO SEE: Best London markets

 

 

 

Where To Eat & Coffee Near Columbia Road 

Make it a Sunday brunch + market combo:

• Hermanos Coffee Roasters (from 7am) – speciality coffee & pastries (perfect pre-market caffeine).

• Pavilion Bakery – sourdough, cardamom buns and chai.

• Lily Vanilli (Ezra Street) – iconic cakes in a cute courtyard.

• Campania & Jones – rustic Italian lunch and fresh pasta.

• The Birdcage – classic East London pub for a post-market pint.

 

ALSO SEE: Coffee shops in Shoreditch

 

 

How To Get There & Parking 

• Overground: Hoxton (8–10 min walk), Shoreditch High Street (12–15 min)

• Tube: Bethnal Green (Central line; 12–15 min walk)

• Bus: 26, 55, 388 stop on Hackney Road

• Parking: Limited. Some pay-by-phone bays and residents’ bays free after 14:00 on Sundays; always check signs. If driving for last-hour bargains, arrive after 2pm for easier street parking.

 

ALSO SEE: Best brunch in Shoreditch/Hoxton

 

 

Is Columbia Road flower market worth visiting?

 

 

 

 

 

Book Tours & Experiences 

Make a day of it with a guided Shoreditch walking tour, street-art photography tour, or East London food tour that includes Columbia Road.

These small-group experiences cover the area’s Huguenot, Jewish and Bangladeshi heritage, the flower market’s history, and the best places to eat and shop nearby.

 

ALSO SEE: 8 Amazing Food Tours In London Perfect For Foodies