From our hotel to Highgate cemetary and Hampstead Heath village walk

The 24 bus ends at the Royal Free Hospital.which is somewhat short of Hampstead (another bus ride for about 15 minutes) but about 5 minutes walk to Hampstead Heath. Which do you actually want to go to?

Note that the bus for a journey of such a length is slow - about 75 minutes, whereas you could get to the centre of Hampstead in under half an hour by Underground (Victoria Line to Warren Street and then Northern Line) or Hampstead Heath in about the same time - Victoria Line to Highbury & Islington and then the Overground.

It's Village of Hamstead we want to walk around and have a lunch THEN, if possible can you get from village to Highgate cemetary . Is that a walkable route to get there or must we go back via your recommended tube route to another point and reroute to Highgate? I think you can see that I would like to visit both places in the same day and wonder if it's doable and best access. I understand bus 24 not the best then.

The bus is excellent when you are encumbered or for short trips. Much much slower than the tube usually for longer distances. The bus is also much better for seeing where you are going and looking at all the interesting stuff that you are passing, especially if you are upstairs, and especially if you are in the first couple of rows (be careful if larger or with bad knees or long legs, very short legroom in the first row - that's why you have such great visibility). The tube doesn't give you the same visibility because mostly you are only able to see dark tunnel walls.

Hampstead, if I am not wrong, is the deepest station on the network, and Belsize Park, the next one along, is pretty deep too.

Use your Oyster Card or Contactless card wisely - the bus when that is best and the tube when that is.

Use the TfL Travel Planner and you will always get the right answer. Remember to tick the right boxes and adjust for the time you will need it and POOF!

You would have to walk across Hampstead Heath to get to Highgate. There is no direct bus - you would need to change at the Royal Free. On this occasion the underground is no quicker.

Ok thanks for the info, tube likely better to Hampstead then, BUT if bus stops at the hospital, any idea of how far a walk would be to , say Hampstead High street. Also, I get that walking from HAmpstead to Highgate is the easier route, straight through the Heath basically, but how long of a walk, how far, will we find our way through the Heath to the cemetary quite easy??.
Ps - we don't have a problem with the time spent on the bus,particularly if it's a nice day with lots to see, however, just need to get to the destination!
Pss- I have done the tfl website for route planning and it's good, just need some insight.

Ok thanks everyone, I think I have what I need now. Fingers crossed for good weather for that day.