30+ Best Photo Spots In London: The Most Instagrammable Places In London (With Map!)

London is one of the most famous and photogenic destinations. If you do a quick search of #london on Instagram you will get over 92 MILLION results.

That’s a lot of photos tagging the grand UK capital. London however is also a gigantic city and not every corner is as Instagrammable as the next.

If you’re planning a trip to London, and want to make sure you hit all the Instagram famous photo spots so you can make your friends back home jealous, this is the guide for you.

In this article I will take you to explore all the best photo spots in London, with a map and geo-location, so that you can do a self-guided tour and easily find all the most Instagrammable places in London.

Before you read on, have you sorted your accommodation in London already? If the answer is no, check out where to stay in London (according to a Londoner!)

Do you need travel insurance to visit London?

After my personal experience spending two nights in a private hospital in Tenerife, and having to pay for it out of pocket (it wasn’t cheap), I always recommend getting travel insurance.

You might not end up needing it, but for a small fee you can travel without worries. Personally, I suggest getting your travel insurance with  Heymondo.

Heymondo offers tailor made travel insurance, providing the best value for money for your specific trip. You can also buy it once you’re already abroad and have forgotten about it before flying (which, if you’re anything like me, is quite likely).

Besides the usual cancellation, medical expenses, luggage coverage and general travel insurance services, Heymondo also has a 24/7 doctor chat and instant assistance through their app.

As a Greta’s Travels reader, you get 5% off your Heymondo travel insurance!

Click here to get your 5% off Heymondo travel insurance!

Map of the most Instagrammable places in London

I’ve listed all the most Insa-worthy spots in London in this guide with a sample photo and the exact location from which it was snapped, so that if you see a photo you like you have all the info to recreate it.

However if you prefer a big picture view you can open this map and you’ll have all the best photo spots in London mapped on your phone.

Should you do a London Instagram photo tour?

Using this London Instagram guide you can easily visit all the most Instagrammable places in London by yourself. I have included the exact location of every spot and a sample photo that you might want to snap.

Most of these spots are free to visit, for some you might have to pay an entrance fee. However if you’re interested you could also do a London Instagram tour.

This will not only to take you to some of the most Instagram-worthy places in London (not quite all of them, if you wanted to visit all 30+ spots in this guide it would take you 2-3 days) but you will also have a photographer with you helping you snap the best shots!

It can be a fun idea for those looking for the perfect Instagram shot, without having to rely on your friends or kind strangers to snap your photos!

Click here to book your London Instagram photo tour!

The most Instagrammable streets in London

Oxford Street

Nothing screams London quite as much as a busy street and red double decker buses. As far as busy streets go, Oxford Street is probably one of the busiest in London.

The wide roads, with a convenient little pedestrian sidewalk in between lanes, make it the perfect spot to snap some pictures of the busy streets of London, without risking to get run over.

You can either pretend to be a top model like I did, or arm yourself with a tripod and try your hand at long exposure shots of the moving red buses.

Check out the exact location here.

Regent Street

Just round the corner from Oxford Street you will find Regent Street.

With a very similar layout and architecture Regent Street is also a perfect spot to snap pictures of the busy London street life. It’s also the perfect location to do some shopping in between photos.

Check out the exact location here.

Neal’s Yard

This is one of those spots that doesn’t even feel like London. Just next to the busy Covent Garden you will find Neal’s Yard, a small courtyard with colourful houses and plants decorating every corner of it.

Neal’s Yard is always busy, so make sure to go either early in the morning or during the week when there will be less people around if you want to snap a quiet shot.

See the exact location here.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill is more of a neighbourhood than specific street, however I figured it should fall within the “most Instagrammable streets of London” bucket since you can snap beautiful photos wandering around the streets of Notting Hill.

There is nothing quite as photogenic as white houses and beautiful architecture to please the eye. You can take a photo as you walk down the steps of a beautiful Victorian building, pretending that is totally where you live.

Check out the exact location here.

Book a Notting Hill walking tour here

Portobello Road

Just round the corner from the beautiful white houses of Notting Hill you will find the cute coloured houses of Portobello.

Portobello is famous for its vintage and street food market, with the coloured houses coming up close after it.

It’s not quite as fancy as Notting Hill with the white columns and houses, but if like me you love colourful places Portobello is a more fun photo location.

Check out the exact location here.

Ladbroke Square

Also extremely close to Notting Hill and Portobello Road is Ladbroke Square, where you will find this row of beautiful matching houses with the white columns, bricks and balconies.

Basically pretty much this whole part of London is characterised by Victorian architecture and pretty houses, which make for some pretty stunning Instagram photos.

Click here to see the exact location.

Hillgate Place

If you’re looking for pretty houses for your Instagram photo shoot you don’t need to travel far. A short walk away from Ladbroke Square you will find Hillgate Place.

This street (and all the nearby surrounding ones) are characterised by these adorable colourful houses, the perfect backdrop to your next Instagram photos!

The tricky part here is finding houses without cars parked in front of them to take photos with, but considering how beautiful all the surroundings are it shouldn’t be too hard of a mission. 

Get the exact location here.

Kynance Mews

If you’re looking for the perfect spot for your autumn appreciation Instagram photos, Kynance Mews is the place you’re looking for.

The entry to this short street in South Kensington has the most beautiful red leaves all over it, that will add that touch of colour to your Instagram feeds.

Just make sure to visit at the right time of year, we were there early November and all the pretty red leaves had already fallen unfortunately.

Click here to see the exact location here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUCs1Rgq1T/

Leadenhall Market

It’s finally time to move away from the Notting Hill / South Kensintgon area and venture towards East London. It’s a closed market which is actually made up of different streets but the whole area is known as Leadenhall Market.

You can access it from different openings which converge in a central square area, the most Instagrammable spot in my opinion!

A pro photo tip for this spot, which goes against all tourist common sense in London, is to visit on a weekend to get photos without people! I was here on a Sunday afternoon and was surprised to find it completely empty.

That’s because this part of London is composed mostly of offices and all the cafes, bars and restaurants close on weekends as there aren’t as many people around.

If you visit Leadenhall Market at 5pm on a Friday you will find it full of people in suits drinking outside.

See the exact location here.

The most Instagram worthy cafes and restaurants in London

Peggy Porschen

Peggy Porschen is the perfect example of how Instagram can make a place famous. With the pink exterior and floral decorations photos of Peggy Porschen have exploded and gone viral on social media.

It’s such a famous Instagram location that while we were there we saw another blogger buy a cupcake, take photos with it, then walk away without even eating it! Bloggers are weird.

The cafe specialises in cupcakes, so make sure to treat yourself to one and actually eat it, don’t just take photos with it.

Check out the exact location here.

Coppa Club

For me the “most Instagram worthy cafes and restaurants” label goes to places with epic decor and surroundings, more than how well the food is served and how pretty it looks.

Which is why Coppa Club couldn’t miss from my London restaurants Instagram photo guide. 

If you’re not already in love with the idea of eating in an igloo type bubble, the views over the Shard, the Thames and tower Bridge should easily convince you.

There are a couple Coppa Clubs around London, however the one by Tower Bridge is by far the most photogenic and Instagrammable in my opinion.

Get the exact location here.

The Churchill Arms

The Churchill Arms is also known as the most photogenic pub in London. With a facade covered in plants and flags like that one, how could it not be?

The decorations aren’t limited to the outside, the pub is decorated with a number of Churchill memorabilia on the inside, while it might not be quite as Instagrammable the inside of the pub is also definitely worth a visit!

The Churchill Arms is an example of truly British eccentricity and is located in the heart of Kensington, close to a lot of the other Instagram spots on this guide. Why not plan your Instagram photo day to include a food stop here?

See the exact location here.

B Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

As you may have already guessed by the name, this Instagrammable must-see in London isn’t really a specific spot. However if you’re looking for the most Instagram worthy cafes in London, the B Bakery bus tour has to feature.

This tour lasts around 60 minutes (or more depending on how bad the London traffic is!) and will drive you past all the main tourist landmarks in London.

All the while serving you delicious and very photogenic food, it doesn’t get any better that!

The most photogenic landmarks in London

Tower Bridge – from More London Place

If Coppa Club in Tower Bridge made my list of most Instagrammable restaurants in London the merit goes to the famous landmark that you can admire while eating there; Tower Bridge itself.

This stereotypical London landmark is photogenic from whatever side you decide to capture it from.

I used to work in an office in More London Place, just south of the river and with an epic view over the Thames and Tower Bridge (before I decided I’d had enough of the corporate world).

The view of Tower Bridge from the south side of the river has a bit of an emotional importance for me, plus if you’re visiting in summer you can enjoy the view on deck chairs while sipping a mojito or eating fajitas from the local market stalls.

Borough Market, one of the best street food markets in London, is just round the corner so you can grab some tasty street food and then enjoy the photogenic view!

Check out the exact location here.

Book a visit to the Tower Bridge Exhibition here

Tower Bridge – from the Girl with a Dolphin statue

While from south of the Thames you can see Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and all the jazzy buildings of the City, from the north side you can snap a shot of Tower Bridge with the Shard right behind it.

If that doesn’t have Instagram written all over it I don’t know what does. Bonus points if you get the Girl with a Dolphin fountain and a red bus driving on the bridge in the shot too.

If you want to recreate the shot sitting on the fence on the edge of the water you have to walk past the fountain, to one of the cruise boat docking piers.

When we got there the gate was open and the docking pier was empty, we couldn’t not take the opportunity for such an Instagrammable shot!

Get the exact location here.

Tower Bridge – on the bridge!

Basically Tower Bridge is one of the single most photogenic spots in London. From whatever angle you decide to photograph it, it looks brilliant.

I personally love photos taken on the bridge, as it really gives you an idea of the scale and size of this architectural feat.

If you want to snap a photo without other people though you either have to visit very early in the morning, or be very patient and wait for that rare moment without the crowds.

If you bring a tripod and try some long exposure photos the cars can become cool photo props and backdrops!

See the exact location here.

St Paul’s Cathedral – from One New Change

If you’re looking for a beautiful and photogenic landmark St Paul’s Cathedral should be on your list, especially if photographed from One New Change.

The reflections in the shiny mirror-like windows of the mall add to the Instagrammability of the shot.

Once you’re done taking photos you can either visit the inside of one of the largest and most famous cathedrals in England, or go shopping in One New Change. A perfect Instagram photo location that also caters to all types of tourism!

See the exact location of the shot below here.

Click here to book your fast track entrance to St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral – from the left / river side

After you take photos at One New Change (yes I’m assuming you are taking these photos on one Instagram photo shooting day) walk towards St Paul’s, go left and along the path that flanks the cathedral.

You will soon reach a typical red London phone box, here is your next Instagrammable photo spot! This is one of my personal favourites as it really gives you an idea of the sheer size and mass of St Paul’s.

Try to visit in spring, summer or autumn to get the best photos, if you visit in winter the trees will all be leafless which doesn’t make for the best Instagram shots.

See the exact location here.

Millennium Bridge

The Harry Potter fans reading this will recognise Millennium Bridge as a key Harry Potter London spot; it’s the bridge that the Death Eaters knock down at the start of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

For everybody else, it’s just a cool metal structure that connects the north and south banks of the river.

The view of the metallic architecture of the bridge, combined to the rooftops of London and the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in the distance make for the perfect Instagram shot.

If you want to get a shot without the crowds, you will have to come here very early in the morning.

Check out the exact location here.

The London Eye

The famous London Eye makes for some beautiful Instagram shots, especially when coupled with a sunset over the Thames.

Capturing the golden light washing over South Bank with the shadows of the big Ferris wheel is the dream of any photographer.

My personal favourite shot is taken by the nearby pedestrian bridge, where you can capture both the London Eye, Westminster, the sunset and the river in one perfectly Instagrammable shot.

Find out here where the shot below was taken from.

Book your tickets for the London Eye here

The London Eye – from Westminster Pier

If you want to get the whole of the London Eye in properly, you’ll have to snap a photo of it from across the river.

You can stop anywhere you want along the river, but the most Instagrammable spot in my opinion is by the cruise piers, just under Big Ben and next to two red phone boxes.

There is also a convenient pedestrian sidewalk section in the middle of the road, from which you can snap your photos without getting run over (always a plus)!

This way in one shot you can get both the London Eye and a red phone box, it doesn’t get much more iconic London than this!

Click here to get the exact location.

Parliament Square

Although this spot is slightly less Instagrammable at the moment with Big Ben covered in scaffolding, these red phone boxes are still one of the most photographed places in London.

There are a number of different phone boxes all lined up along the side walk and if you visit on a weekend it could easily pass for a cat walk photoshoot.

Try to get there early or during the week to beat the crowds and get your iconic London shot.

Find out the exact location here.

The Houses of Parliament – from South Bank

Similarly to Tower Bridge the Houses of Parliament are an extremely photogenic landmark, from whatever angel you decide to take the photos.

My personal favourite is from the south side of the river, directly in front of Big Ben as you can avoid most of the crowds mingling in front of the London Aquarium or Dungeon museum.

For an even more Instagrammable shot, make sure to frame your photo with the arch of the nearby under-passage.

Check out the exact location of this shot here.

The most Instagrammable buildings in London

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a pretty imposing building with stunning architecture. Needless to say, it makes for some pretty beautiful Instagram shots.

If you want the perfect Instagram shot just walk a little further away from it along one of the roads that lead to it. Here you will find a number of red phone boxes on each side of the road that you can pose with. 

It doesn’t get any more Instagrammable or iconic London than this!

See the exact location here.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum has it all. From dinosaur fossils, fun interactive games, a huge whale and most important of all, a very photogenic and Instagrammable facade.

The architecture is simply stunning and can be a great backdrop for you London travel photos. Especially if you’re visiting London around Christmas time, the extra lights and ice rink add to the Instagrammability of the shot!

The inside is also pretty gorgeous and entrance is free, so don’t miss out!

Get the exact location here.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

If you’re arriving to London by train to either St Pancras International Station or Kings Cross Station this is an easy shot to take!

Right outside the stations is St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (can you believe that you can actually stay inside this beautiful building?!).

It is the perfect Instagram photo location, with its red bricks and stunning architecture that create the perfect contrast with a blue sky, if you’re lucky enough to be in London on a sunny day.

Get the exact location here.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel – inside, the Grand Staircase

The inside of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is just as beautiful as the outdoors. As soon as you walk in, just before reception, on the left you will find the grand staircase.

With the red tapestries, large windows and elaborate ceiling art it creates a truly unique and stunning backdrop for your Instagram photos.

If you want to feel like a princess, this is definitely one of the places that gives you the opportunity to do so!

Royal Albert Hall

The famous concert hall is one of the most underrated Instagram photo spots in London. Its round architecture coupled with the distinctive red colour make it a beautiful and easily recognisable landmarks in London.

However it doesn’t often rank in lists of most Instagrammable places in London such as this one.

I was lucky enough to attend a couple performances at the Royal Albert Hall and can guarantee the inside is even more stunning than the outside, so I simply couldn’t not include it in my guide to the best photo spots in London.

Check out the exact location here.

Harrods

If the shopping on Oxford Street, Regent Street and One New Change wasn’t quite enough for you, don’t worry, we have London’s most iconic shopping mall up next on the list!

While the prices might not be for all pockets entry is free, and I personally always enjoy exploring the food hall of Harrods.

The outside of the building is also beautiful and the perfect backdrop for Instagram photos. If you’re visiting under Christmas time they also add loads of lights to the facade, making it an even more Instagrammable shot.

See the location here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdKMTSaD5g5/?taken-by=xeniaoverdose

The most Instagram worthy views in London

Sky Garden

Sky Garden pairs epic views with tasty cocktails and an indoors garden, how can you not love that? Sky Garden has a 360° view all around London and a number of different bars and restaurants inside it.

Access to Sky Garden is free but you have to book in advance if you want to skip the queues, don’t worry if you forget about booking, you can still access Sky Garden but you will have to wait a little longer before taking your perfect Instagram shots.

While prices of food and drinks are on the higher end it is also the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the view, not just snap photos. If you want to know more about Sky Garden, check out these 10 things to know about visiting Sky Garden.

Check out the exact location here.

The London Eye

Yes the London Eye features twice in my list of best photo spots in London. Once as the object of the photograph, and then as the location from which to take the photograph.

Going on a ride of the London Eye is considered a very touristy activity, which as Londoner I always avoided. After 4 years of living in London I decided it was time for me to experience this and I’m glad I did.

Make sure to book a ticket beforehand and visit during the week if you can, it will be less crowded than on weekends.

With its 135 metres in height the London Eye is one of the tallest structures in Central London, meaning the views are unlike any other. My personal favourite is facing West over Westminster and the Thames.

See the exact location here.

Book your tickets for the London Eye here

The Shard

The Shard has one of the most beautiful and photogenic views over London (if you manage to go on a sunny day, unlike the one when I went and snapped the photo below).

My advice for visiting The Shard is to go enjoy the view from the cocktail bar, instead of the viewing floor.

As you can imagine cocktails are expensive, however they are only a couple pounds more expensive than the entry ticket to the viewing deck. The bar is located a couple floors below, but the view is pretty much the same.

That way you can skip the queues  and enjoy a nice drink while taking photos of the view, instead of being surrounded by other tourists trying to make their Instagram friends jealous.

Check out the exact location here.

Book your Shard entrance ticket here

Madisons Rooftop Bar

Madisons Rooftop Bar, located on the rooftop of One New Change, has some beautiful views over the rooftops of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Madisons is a very cool bar, however as you would expect given the view and location, it can be very pricey.

If you’re only looking to get some Instagram worthy shots to make your friends jealous, you can ignore the bar and head straight to the viewing platform.

A top tip from me, the queue for the lift straight to the viewing deck is also always considerably shorter than the one for the bar.

Here there are benches where you can sit and enjoy the view, snap some photos and then go somewhere else for a cheaper drink.

Get the exact location here.

Take epic Instagram photos with this gear

Now that you know all the most Instagrammable photo spots in London, I just wanted to share with you what gear I use to take these Instagram-worthy photos.

Most of the times a phone camera is fine, but if you’re looking to step up your photography game and want to amaze all your friends on social media, you might consider purchasing the following items.

Nikon D3300: This is the camera I use to take all my photos and videos. I purchased it before I started travel blogging since it’s considered one of the best beginners DSLRs.

It’s not the fanciest model out there but it’s relatively cheap when it comes to DSLRs and it’s fairly easy to use.

Nikon f/1.8 35mm lens: This is a fairly new addition to my camera gear. This type of lens allows you to get that nice blurred background effect (see photo below).

It obviously depends on the type of photos you want to take, but it can be a great lens to take stunning Instagram photos.

Manfrotto compact tripod: For the solo travellers, you will want to take a tripod with you.

You can’t always trust strangers to take good photos of you so if you want to make sure the photo is framed exactly like you want it to, arm yourself with a tripod and don’t let other people put you off.

If anything, I find people are less likely to get in your photo if you have a tripod since they think you’re a professional of some sort. I like the Manfrotto compact tripod since it’s so light and easy to carry around.

Selfie stick: If you don’t quite feel comfortable enough carrying around a tripod, go for a selfie stick instead. There have become increasingly popular and it’s not weird at all to see one used in a popular tourist destination.

These are the main pieces of camera I used to take all the Instagram photos you can see in this guide. Click here to check out my full gear guide.

Final thoughts on the best places to take pictures in London

Do you have any other favourite Instagram worthy locations in London? Let me know in the comments below! These are just some of my own personal favourite photo spots in London, I’d love to hear which one yours are!

I hope you find this guide and map useful in planning your photo excursion around London, and that it allows you to take all the best holiday Instagram snaps.

Looking for more Instagram city photo guides? Check out these posts:

• The 15 most Instagrammable places in Rome
• The 15 most Instagram worthy places in Singapore
• The 18 most Instagrammable places in Sydney
• The 15 best Instagram photo spots in Barcelona
• The 20 most Instagram worthy spots in Bangkok
• 15 epic Instagram worthy spots in Tokyo
• 15 awesome photo spots in Marrakech

Going beyond London? Check out these UK travel tips:

• How to spend an epic weekend in Bath
• The ultimate Brighton weekend itinerary
• A local’s travel guide to Stratford Upon Avon

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