It’s no secret that London is a beautiful city. With iconic sights like Tower Bridge and Big Ben, it’s no wonder that millions of tourists visit this city every year! If you’re visiting London soon and want to know where the most Instagram-worthy London photography spots are, look no further. In this guide to the best photo spots in London, I’ll take you through some of London’s most popular places to take photos, as well as some less popular London photography spots. Of course, these places aren’t just beautiful in photos, so get out and enjoy the beauty this city has to offer using this guide, whether you want to Instagram it or not.
If you get hungry while exploring London, why not try some of these famous British foods?
Popular London Photography Spots
There are a few iconic spots that every visitor wants to photograph in London. These are the most photographed sights in the UK capital. I’ve also included some tips to help you get the best shot of each of these famous London photography spots.
Red Telephone Booths
One of the images that first comes to mind when many tourists think of London is the red telephone booth. These brightly-colored booths dot the city streets, and you can find them almost anywhere, but sometimes it can be hard to find clean and undamaged booths to take photos of. Some of the most photogenic telephone booths are on Broad Court in Covent Garden.
Big Ben and Parliament
Ah, Big Ben. This clocktower is possibly the most famous sight in London, but unfortunately, it is going to be under renovation for the next year or two. The entire tower, and part of the Parliament building, is currently covered in scaffolding, so it’s not the best photo spot in London at the moment. Once the renovation is complete, you can get great shots of it from Westminster Bridge, Southbank or the London Eye, where I took this photo.
London Eye
The London Eye is one of the city’s most popular attractions, and you can get cool photos of the city while on it. If you want a cool photo with the London Eye as the backdrop, I recommend heading directly across the river!
Buckingham Palace
The Queen’s royal residence is a must-see when in London! If you want to take cool photos with the palace in the background, I recommend taking photos from the Victoria Memorial (located in the middle of the roundabout).
Notting Hill
The multi-colored houses of Notting Hill are perfect for photos. If you do decide to take photos in Notting Hill, please be mindful of the residents who live in the beautiful candy-colored houses! They get quite annoyed at tourists playing around and having full-on photoshoots on their doorsteps!
Covent Garden Market
Covent Garden is a lovely area to visit if you’re traveling to London. The entire neighborhood is very cute, but the area around the market is best for photos. There is almost always a seasonal photo op display at the market entrance that is perfectly Instagrammable, and the wooden bench swings surrounding the market are always covered in (fake) flowers that look adorable.
The Shard and Sky Garden
For a great view of the city from above, head to The Shard or Sky Garden. Sky Garden is free to visit, so I highly recommend choosing this location if you’re on a budget! Make sure to make a reservation before you go– it’s free and it ensures you can go up to the top of the building! If you have some extra cash to spend on your trip, you can head to The View from the Shard, where tickets start at 32 GBP per person. Alternatively, you can go to tea or have dinner at one of the restaurants on a lower floor in the Shard and bypass the fee to enjoy the view. Whichever location you choose, I recommend going just before sunset so you can watch the city transition from day to night.
The (Secret) Best Photo Spots in London
Okay, so these locations aren’t really “secrets,” but there are less popular than the stereotypical London photography spots, so you can be sure to take some great photos here without the crowds!
Brick Lane
Shoreditch has no shortage of hipster photo ops, but the street art along (and just off of) Brick Lane is my favorite, by far. Peek into the Nomadic Community Gardens for some really interesting graffiti, sculptures, and more. Out of all of the London photography spots on this list, this area is certainly the most unique.
St James’s Park
Even though the nearby Buckminster Palace and Big Ben get most of the attention, this park is one of the best photo spots in London, especially during the spring. Lush greenery, beautifully landscaped flower gardens, and distant views of the London Eye and the Palace make St James’s Park a perfect place for outdoor photos!
Leake Street Arches
If you didn’t get enough street art on Brick Lane, head to the Leake Street Arches, located near Waterloo Station. The Leake Street Arches have long been recognized as an area where street artists go to create amazing works on the walls of the tunnel. Now, there are even restaurants and bars lining the tunnel, so you can stop for a pint while exploring. Because this tunnel is covered in street art, it’s perfect for streetstyle photos!
Parliament Square by Westminster Abbey
While Westminster Abbey isn’t “off-the-beaten-track” by any means, there is a lesser-known photo spot that I think is worth mentioning. When walking down the street towards the front entrance of Westminster Abbey, there is a red telephone booth. The photo I took of myself stepping out of the booth with Westminster Abbey in the background is my most liked photo ever on Instagram!
Southbank
With great views of Big Ben and Parliament, the Southbank area is one of the best photo spots in London. Continue walking along the river in this area, and you’ll also find a graffiti-covered skatepark and tons of outdoor seating by the Thames, which make for perfect photo opportunities!
An Instagrammer’s Guide to London
As you can see, London is a beautiful city with lots of great places to take pictures. I’d love to see your photos if you use this guide to the best photos spots in London! Tag my Instagram account, @elizabetheverywhere, so I can see what you create! Do you like to take photos when you travel? It’s one of my favorite things to do when traveling because I love sharing everything I’ve seen with my friends and family (and you guys, of course!). Even if you don’t post photos to social media, you can still use this guide to see some of the most beautiful views in the city and explore some less-traveled areas!
Love this and especially love London, my aunt lives there so I’ve visited a lot of times!!
Great spots! London’s so pretty!
I especially love that shot of you in front of Buckingham Palace!
– Laura // afinnontheloose.com
Amazing Blog. I found via search engine and when I visit your Site, I am just impressed. Very good Content and Informative. Wait for the next travel content in a short time.
Such a comprehensive guide, beautiful locations too! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth. I’ve surely added some on my list. I’m with Explorest and we built an app that helps people discover 125 beautiful photo locations in UK, and I think you’d enjoy it! We include the exact GPS coordinates & tips by the state’s best photographers. We also have locations in New York, California, Michigan, across Asia and will be debuting in Germany soon. If you have a moment, check it out! https://www.explorest.com/