Being a travelling Muslim can be difficult when it comes to performing your solat and finding halal food to replenish yourselves. Fret not as in this article, I will be listing the Muslim prayer rooms and areas around London that you can find!
Allah SWT commands us Muslims to perform prayer regardless of where we are and what we are doing at the time. While some people don’t have any difficulty praying in open areas which are basically performing their prayers anywhere that is clean, some of us cannot muster up the courage to do that. Thus, that lead me to try my best to find areas dedicated to Muslim prayer rooms around London!
This list is by no means complete so feel free to suggest any new places that you know of!
[Fit these prayer spaces into our 6D5N London itinerary!]
1. Heathrow Airport
Chances are, the first place you'll explore in London is Heathrow Airport! And there are many multi-faith prayer rooms throughout the airport - most are in the restricted area but there are some outside too. Plus, if you happen to be here on a Friday, Jumma’ah prayers are performed here at around 1 pm.
Credit: Xaved Talukder on Facebook
If you arrive at Gatwick Airport, there are two multi faith prayer rooms too. The first is at the South Terminal, on the third floor near Caffe Nero (before security). The other room is at the North Terminal, on the first floor before the entrance to Hampton by Hilton. Ablution areas are provided.
2. Oxford Street, Regent Street, Green Park
Selfridges at Oxford St. has a multi-faith room on the fourth floor, at the customer service/toilets area. Do note that they do not have any ablution facilities.
Getting There: Underground Station - Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus.
3. Baker St., Madame Tussauds, Sherlock Holmes Museum
The London Central Mosque is about a 10 minutes walk from the Baker St. Underground Station. This is my personal favourite because I performed my first congregational prayer for Maghrib there. It’s large, comfortable, has proper ablution facilities, and has separate male and female areas. They even have a bookstore selling Islamic books and halal gummies! Y’all know we Muslims need our halal gummy bears; I know I do!
Credit: @gregetkallabuana on Instagram
After or before prayer, you can eat at Burgista Bros which is just across the street from the Baker St. Underground. One burger is around £7 - £10.
Blooming spring at Regent’s Park
#HHWT Tip: The Regent Park is just across the street from the mosque. You can take an enjoyable stroll through the picturesque park from the station through the park and exit at the gate near the mosque.
Getting There: Underground Station - Baker Street
4. Big Ben, Westminster, Shrek Adventure, London Eye
Head to the South Building of the St Thomas’ Hospital, across the street from the Marriott and across the river from the Big Ben. At the Ground floor, there’s a Muslim prayer room with ablution facilities but brothers and sisters share the same space.
You can start your Southbank tour from praying at St Thomas, followed by taking pictures at the Big Ben. Cross the street and you’ll arrive at the Shrek Adventure and the London Eye. If you walk further, you’ll reach the Southbank Centre Food Market which has a variety of choices for Muslims, like the Malaysian-based Sambal Shiok selling chicken satay burgers. After you have grabbed a bite, head on to Beltane & Pop for ridiculously rich hot chocolate and check out secondhand books at Southbank Book Market. Around that, there are also the National Theatre, Tate Modern, and the Shakespeare Globe.
Getting There: Underground Station - Westminster, Waterloo
5. Tower of London, Tower Bridge
The London Muslim Centre at Whitechapel is also known as the East London Mosque. They have separate buildings for brothers and sisters with complete ablution facilities, and shower rooms too.
There are halal eateries surrounding the Centre that doesn’t take more than five minutes to reach by foot. There shouldn’t be a problem in finding a place to eat, if you don’t mind Middle Eastern food.
Credit: Mehdi Bensaid on Facebook
Getting There: Underground Station - Whitechapel, Aldgate, Aldgate East. From the London Bridge, you can either take the 42/78 bus and stop at the Mansell St, or you can take the District Line to Aldgate East.
6. Westfield Stratford City Mall
Called the InSpiration room, it’s located on the Third Floor near the Cafe Court.
#HHWT Tip: Westfield is one of the largest malls in London and houses over 280 stores. The food court has a lot of halal options. Once the centre of London Olympics 2012, it is situated right next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Getting There: Underground Station - Stratford
7. Borough Market, London Bridge, The Shard
Head towards Guy’s Hospital, enter via the Main Entrance and go past the AMT cafe, through the elevators and there will a Muslim prayer room. There are separate ablution facilities but a shared prayer room.
Credit: @boroughmarket on Instagram
#HHWT Tip: Try the one of Bread Ahead’s doughnuts at the Borough Market for £2.50 each. They’re not too sweet so you don’t have to worry about chopping your leg off afterwards.
Bread Ahead’s Doughnut with Salted Caramel filling and a Honeycomb to top it all off
Getting There: Underground Station - London Bridge. 3 minutes walk to the Hospital.
8. V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall
I have never personally been to the prayer room, but from the information I have read, there is a multi-faith room at the Natural History Museum. Although, it is said that there are no ablution facilities provided at the museum.
Credit: @neekaboo on Instagram
#HHWT Tip: The V&A, Natural History Museum, and Science Museum has no admission charge, although they do appreciate voluntary donations.
Getting There: Underground Station - South Kensington. If you exit at the street, there’s a simple Chinese store Chopstix that serves meals for less than £7. They’re not the typical Chinese food you’d imagine, just rice and a couple of side dishes but enough to fill your bellies.
9. Tottenham Court Road, Soho, Piccadilly Circus
There is an Islamic Centre at Berwick St, but that is specifically for the brothers. If you walk a bit further, towards Goodge St. there is the Muslim World League Mosque. It has proper separate ablution facilities and praying areas for both sisters and brothers. For sisters, they also provide telekung there.
Credit: 81321 on Instagram
#HHWT Tip: Around the mosque, there are Oxfam and YMCA charity shops. The YMCA shop is my favourite because they have great outfits selling for a very affordable price. I bought two of my winter coats for less than £12 there.
Getting There: Underground Station - Goodge St, Tottenham Court Road
10. Camden Town
Baitul Aman Mosque at Weedington St is around 10 minutes walk from the Camden Market and caters specifically for men (I think, because when I was there it was empty and there was only a male toilet, which I used anyway because I notice these things much later than I should).
#HHWT Tip: The Camden Market is a lovely place to be. If you go through the indoor market selling arts & crafts, you’ll arrive at the portion of the market that sells food from all over the world. The halal option I had there was the Turkish kebab but if you walk further, you’ll come across even more Muslim friendly eatery options. The KFC at Camden is also halal. Actually, if you pass by any KFC or Subway in London, some of them have halal certification such as the ones at Baker Street and Stratford Mall.
Getting There: Underground station - Kennington, Camden (a bit of a walk from both stations) [Check out these 5 street markets in London you shouldn't miss!]
11. Paddington
Exit the Paddington Station towards the St. Mary’s Hospital, Praed St. The prayer area is at the Clarence Wing, Ground Floor. The place also has ablution facilities.
By now, I assume that all public hospitals would at least have one multi-faith room for public usage. Another prayer area that is just a few minutes walk from the Paddington Station is the Brunei Hall at Norfolk Sq. They have a surau there, although I’m not sure if other then Brunei nationals are allowed to use the facilities.
12. Greenwich, The Royal Observatory, The Maritime Museum
The Prayer Space here is a multi-faith prayer room situated at the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula. From the Underground Station, it’s a five-minute walk to the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula, which is a terminal for the cable car ride over the Thames River to Canning Town.
Credit: @stanley9595 on Instagram
#HHWT Tip: Greenwich is one of my favourite places to be in London. Take the 129 or 188 bus from the Underground Station towards the City Centre; from there, you can reach all of Greenwich’s attractions by foot. You can start by visiting The Cutty Sark, the ship that transported tea from China to Great Britain followed by a stroll through the Greenwich Market (I highly recommend trying the Vegan Brazilian Churros with the dulce de leche and brigadeiro mix filling for £2.50) and make your way up to the National Maritime Museum, The Royal Observatory, and the Queen’s House, all in the vicinity of the vast Greenwich Park. If you want to go on the cable car ride, it is cheaper to use your Oyster cards rather than buying separate boarding passes.
Vegan Brazillian Churros at the Greenwich Market
Getting There: Underground Station - North Greenwich
13 & 14. St Thomas’s hospital and Guy’s Hospital
The majority of hospitals have multi-faith prayer rooms. The St. Thomas's Hospital and Guy's Hospital, are both located in the centre of London. You can find the multi-faith room on the ground level in the South Wing of St. Thomas Hospital, which is near Westminster. You can reach St. Thomas Hospital by stopping at either Waterloo or Westminster station.
The multi-faith room at Guy's Hospital is located behind the main hospital entrance. You should pass by the main foyer, and head to the left near the Tower Wing elevators. Turn right after the elevators, and the prayer room will be on your left. Guy's Hospital is only a short distance from London Bridge station.
14. Mayfair Islamic Centre
Located near Hyde Park and the 5-star London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel, Mayfair Islamic Centre is another good spot for Muslim travellers to catch their prayers on time if you're in central London! The facilities here are clean and tidy, and you can even take your wudhu here with ease.
P.S. If you’re new to London and are unsure where to go, you should check out these11 Quintessentially British Places To Visit In London For Your Next Trip!
Getting there: A 9-minute walk from Underground Station - Green Park
15. Shepherd's Bush Mosque
The Mosque was first built in 1972 on Tunis Road before being relocated close by to Godolphin Road. The mosque is only a 4-minute walk from Shepherd's Bush Market underground station, making it convenient for those who are visiting the nearby area! It’s also within walking distance from the Westfield London shopping mall. Shepherd's Bush Mosque is open for the five daily prayers, Friday prayers, children's Madrassah classes, events, and more.
Credit: Shepherd's Bush Mosque on Facebook
Getting there: Underground station - Shepherd's Bush Market
P.S. Looking for halal food in London? Check out these21 Best Muslim-Friendly Eateries In London!
16. Al Manaar | The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
Conveniently located near Westbourne Park underground station, this Mosque is large enough to fit prayer rooms for both men and women! It's also situated near Portobello Road Market, so you can easily perform your solat before heading there to explore the various vintage clothes, household items, and artworks. If you're looking for other street markets in London, read up on these 5 Street Markets in London You Can’t Miss!
17. Al-Nehar Mosque & Education Centre
Credit: abdurrahmanalmuttaqi on Instagram
Al-Nehar Mosque is located close to King Cross Station and is a 3-minute walk from King's Cross St. Pancras underground station. This mosque is a great spot to do your prayers if you're near The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾!
Getting there: Underground station - King's Cross St. Pancras
18. Brick Lane Jamme Masjid
Only a 10-minute walk from Whitechapel Gallery, Brick Lane Mosque is yet another large Mosque that can house 3,000 people. The mosque has prayer rooms for both men and women, and you can find wudu facilities. All five of the daily prayers and Jummah are held in the mosque, so you can head down to complete any of your solat without worry!
19. BBC Community Centre Mosque
Nestled near Brick Lane, this small Mosque is another good and quiet spot to perform your prayers. It has wudhu facilities and a carpark which can accommodate those driving! It's also accessible for those without a vehicle. You can simply stop at Aldgate East underground station and then walk for 6 minutes or take the 242 bus from Aldgate East Station (Stop F).
I hope this guide helps you to tour London without having to pray in the dressing room of a random clothing store (like I did the first time I got here)! Before heading to London, you should read up on the traveller’s permit you will need to enter the UK.