London’s Top Ten Photo Locations

London is massive so feel free to add your favourite photo locations in the comments below. This article is geared for first timers. Using only one prime lens 35mm (F1.4) on my Fujifilm XT3 camera, I walked through some key areas of London to capture my visual story of this incredible city. Below are a list of ten areas and the surrounding locations in each spot.

St. Patricks Cathedral

The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of England. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London

TOWER BRIDGE

Was built to ease road traffic while maintaining river access to the busy Pool of London docks. Built with giant movable roadways that lift up for passing ships, it is to this day considered an engineering marvel and beyond being one of London's favourite icons.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

The land where the Palace now sits had been owned by historical figures like William The Conqueror and the monks of Westminster Abbey, before the Duke of Buckingham bought it in the late 17th Century. He built Buckingham House there and it was bought by King George III in 1761.

ST. JAMES PARK

St James's Park is a 23-hectare urban park in the City of Westminster, central London. A Royal Park, it is at the southernmost end of the St James's area, which was named after a once isolated medieval hospital dedicated to St James the Less, now the site of St James's Palace

BIG BEN & WESTMINSTER

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, the structure was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The clock is a striking clock with five bells.

V & A MUSEUM

The Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom is the world's largest museum of applied and decorative arts, design, and historical craft traditions—with a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects housed across 6 sites.

Natural History Museum

The museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology. The museum is a centre of research specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation.

The British Museum

The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.

The Regent’s Canal

The Camden canals typically refer to the picturesque sections of Regent's Canal in North London, famous for Camden Market and the bustling locks. If you are visiting London, this iconic waterway offers walking, boating, and dining right by the water's edge.

St. Pancras Station

Is a major central London railway terminus on Euston Road. It serves as the UK hub for Eurostar international trains to mainland Europe, domestic high-speed lines, and the Tube, while also housing diverse shops, restaurants, and the iconic Searcys Champagne Bar

In Conclusion: Queens Walk - River Thames

The Queen's Walk in London is a scenic, pedestrian-only promenade stretching roughly 2 to 4 miles along the south bank of the River Thames, running from Lambeth Bridge (near Westminster) to Tower Bridge.

It offers iconic views of the city's skyline, passing major landmarks like the London Eye, Tate Modern, and Shakespeare's Globe. The route is easily walkable, taking about 1 to 2 hours depending on your pace and the number of stops you make.