The top Instagrammable places to visit in London

Are you looking for hot IG pics in London, in winter, that are a little off the beaten track? Well, this photogenic city is one of the best places to do it. I went to London with my fiance, to visit his brother and sister-in-law, it was our first time traveling to a first world country and we were super excited to see how their public transport worked, among other things. We saw lots of touristy things and there were loads of places that were uber-instagrammable. I kinda wished I was there in cute dresses/skirts and not coats and beanies, but alas, these are my top instagrammable places in London:

My top 10 hidden gems:

1. Richmond Park: it was gorgeous to walk around and see all the Autumn leaves, you could take a million pics there with the leaves and scenery. You can go there for a run/cycle and there’s deer that wander around the park so it’s super relaxing and beautiful. There’s also a quaint restaurant that serves amazing scones, with strawberry jam and clotted cream for that authentic British experience.
2. The underground: After you’ve run to catch a few trains you develop a love/hate relationship with the underground, you need to capture this, it’s a beautiful keepsake, it’s gorgeous to look at and you’ll laugh when you look back at it. Depending on where you are, there are even double-decker trains which are something you don’t see every day.
3. The history and natural science museum: The architecture, colored glass windows and giant whale skeleton all make for magnificent backdrops. You’ll also learn and see a lot while you’re there, so this is a double win. Depending on when you go, there’s an ice rink just outside the museum too that you could visit straight after. This is a free museum, so this is actually a triple win.
4. Flat iron square: This is a market in London, similar to a neighborgoods market, there are loads of Instagrammable places in and around the market, street art, and gorgeous food options too. From bubble waffles, to Italian pasta, they’re offering it at flat iron square.
5. El&N cafe: This cafe is just across the road from Harrods and every inch of it is an Iger’s dream, from the pink bicycles outside to the horse carousels, rose wall, or sweet candy booths, you could do a full-on photoshoot here, with outfit changes and all. They also offer pink pasta, among other things, because we need to keep that IG theme consistent right.
6. Lady Diana’s memorial garden: This garden is across the road from Buckingham Palace and is home to lots of ‘tame’ squirrels, they climbed on a few people for pics, in exchange for apples and the flowers were also something quite special to see.
7. River Roamer: I highly recommend getting a river roamer ticket, they’re pretty affordable, this boat cruise is on the River Thames and it shows you loads of touristy spots and it stops off at a whole bunch of them so you can get off, explore a bit and take pics and then jump back on another boat when you’re ready to go to the next spot. This is a great way to see the city and get all those snaps, at different places, in one day.
8. Greenwich Park: This is another lovely park, with dogs at play, squirrels everywhere and kids running freely, but at the top of this park, there’s the most sensational view of the London skyline.
9. Do a day-trip to Bath: We booked a day trip with Rabies, they pick you up at a meeting point and take you sightseeing for an entire day. We learned a lot about the city and stopped at quaint little towns and saw the most unusual things – things like bakeries with no one in them, you see the price list, pick your items and leave your money in the post box. We saw Harry Potters house (where the film was shot), a factory that makes ice-cream for dogs, a Michelin star restaurant that I was dying to eat at, the most spectacular restaurants, rivers and buildings as well as a small town that was filled with ‘magical’ rocks, fog and loads of shops on witchcraft. It was the most fabulous day out and then we went to see a comedy show afterward, in the evening. That’s another must-do!
10. Churchill arms pub: This is one of the oldest pubs in London, it’s beautifully decorated with flowers and flags and would make for a lovely background.

Ofcourse, as not to forget the most popular places, you should also visit the below too:

1. Tower Bridge: if you can walk on it, do it, the pics from inside and outside this building are outstanding. There’s something magical about it.
2. Harrods: They have an insane bakery and their offerings, while expensive, are not totally unaffordable, you’re looking at about R80 for a cupcake/pastry and about R120 for a cappuccino.
3. Elizabeth Street, Belgravia: This whole street is IG heaven, from Peggy Porschen Cakes to the impeccable street art, every shop is armed with a flower arch, oh and my favourite hair salon (Issy’s) is on that street too, this SA team will make you feel like you’re right back at home and you’ll be in the best hands. Great pics start with great hair right.
4. Buckingham Palace: The changing of the guards is something really special to watch. I like that the palace has loads of unicorns around it too (in the architecture), that was kind of unexpected tbh.
5. The red telephone booth: No trip to London is complete without a pic of the red telephone booth, the red post box or the red busses right. Luckily these are easy to find.
6. Trafalgar Square: This fountain is gorgeous and it’s also pretty close to a super affordable restaurant called Withspoons, should you be running a little low on cash, but still wish to get a fulling pub lunch.
7. The London eye: No explanation needed here.
8. Architecture: West minster Abbey, and Big Ben, again no explanation needed.
9. Camden Market: This is where you’ll see the best of British punk, hipsters, and the most creative stalls.
10. The colourful houses of Chelsea and the colourful Neal’s yard: are must-visits too. You’ll thank me when you see them.

If you have any hidden gems that you would like to add to this list, let us know in the comments section.

Photo by Vincent Creton on Unsplash