A Guide to the Best Places to Take Pictures in London
London is a fantastic place to visit, and we have created this exciting list of the best places to take pictures in London. It has over two hundred museums, hundreds of monuments and 1,500 permanent exhibition spaces and art galleries, and thousands of restaurants, bars, clubs, and performance venues. So, it is true that there is no shortage of things to do in London.
But it is the iconic sights that draw tourists to the city. When Conde Nest Traveler asked their travel experts which attractions they would most recommend to others, the iconic Tower of London was on the list of must-sees. London’s biggest tourist attractions regularly appear on people’s bucket lists.
Understandably, when people visit these attractions, they take photos. Doing so enables them to share the experience with friends and family and relive their experience. It inspired us to look at the most visited tourist sites in London, according to Statista, and tell you how to create the best photos while visiting them.
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8 Best Places to Take Pictures in London
The Botanic Gardens at Kew
Much to our surprise, at the top of the list, is Kew Gardens. Every year, they welcome around two million visitors. In terms of photo ops, the list is endless, but here are some of our favourites:
· Zoom in on some of the plants. Kew is home to 16,900 plant species, some of which are now extinct in the wild. Photos of some are a fantastic way to encourage yourself to look more closely and enjoy their beauty.
· The palm house is spectacular. Make sure you get a distance shot from across the lake.
· The mother nature statue is stunning.
· The laburnum pergola is a treat for all senses when in full flower.
For more inspiration, you can read about some of the spots the team that manages these beautiful gardens recommends photographing here.
The Natural History Museum in South Kensington
The second tourist destination on London’s most visited sites list is a museum. This unique establishment welcomes an average of 1.6 million visitors most years. If you want to get good shots of the interior, be first in the queue and head to the following places:
· The Hintz Hall
· The elevated walkway of the dinosaur and mammal room
· Tring house to photograph the mounted animal collection
· Take one of the museum’s behind-the-scenes tours to photograph places like the tank room or their spirit collection.
It is easy to see why it is one of the best places to take pictures in London.
The British Museum
1.3 million visitors pop into The British Museum every year, and the building is beautiful to photograph, especially the roof. Just wait until you see the magic!
Take some iconic photos in these spaces:
· The Egyptian room
· The courtyard
· Photograph some exhibits – the statues make for particularly striking shots!
Tower Bridge and the Tower of London
No visit to London is complete without seeing The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. They are some of the most famous spots in the city, so of course, they have to make this list of the best places to take pictures in London. You will find a lot of tourists here, so you must bear that in mind when you visit.
You can take pictures on the bridge, or you can take a picture from a distance of either landmark from opposite ends of the river or the fountain. Have fun!
Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament
Photography is not permitted in all areas, so check before getting your camera out. But you can get some good shots from the New Palace Yard. Plus, Westminster Hall and St Stephen’s Hall are worth photographing too.
We’d recommend heading to the south side of Westminster Bridge which you can reach by crossing the bridge from Westminster Station. It will be the spot to get the best photographs! It can get VERY busy here, though. It’s one of the best places to take photographs for a reason!
Buckingham Palace
Go here early in the morning to photograph the Palace from the fountain in front of the gates. If you frame it right, you will get the entire building into a relatively traffic-free shot. It is one of the most famous attractions in the capital.
If possible, time it when it is the changing of the guards, go left towards the back for the best photographs of them!
The London Eye
For panoramic views of London, you cannot beat the London Eye for one of the best places to take photos in London from above. If you want to go on it, make sure that you book your tickets in advance.
If you want to capture the London Eye instead, you should head to the Victoria Embankment, where you can find plenty of spots to photograph the London Eye, and you can also head to Westminster Bridge or Big Ben from here. No wonder it is one of the best places to take photos in London.
Capture shots of your special London dining experiences
There are no restaurants on Statista’s list of top London attractions, which is understandable. A restaurant with a seating capacity of only one hundred or so does not have enough space to welcome tens of thousands of visitors as a large tourist attraction can.
But we know that food tourism is a huge and growing trend for the city. So why not check out instagrammable restaurants in London too? We know that many of you will want to know where to go to enjoy great food in fantastic locations, which enable you to eat in stunning surroundings that are well worth photographing. Click the link, and you will soon see what we mean.
If you are passionate about food, you should learn more about London’s growing food tourism scene. When you do, you will discover some great food tours that enable you to sample the world’s foods. Experiences that are sure to provide you with even more interesting photo opportunities.
There you have it, the best places to take pictures in London for first-timers. Remember, there are no hidden gems on this list. Instead, these are the most popular attractions. Therefore, if you want to visit these spectacular spots, you will have to arrive early or put up with the flocks of tourists, but we promise it will be worth it!
Heading to London? Please read: 12 Interesting Facts about London You Must Know
