All of our lives we’ve seen reference to the famous London Landmarks. Top London attractions have been featured in movies and TV shows, in magazines, and even sporting events and commercials.
When we had the chance to visit London, we were excited to explore all of the iconic landmarks and attractions that London had to offer.
There is so much to see and do!
When you go to London next, be sure to put all of these famous landmarks of London onto your list!
London England is a city that we’ve always wanted to visit.
Famous London Landmarks
London Landmarks – Tower Bridge
Many people mistake the Tower Bridge for London Bridge. But London Bridge is actually the plain and unassuming Bridge of London.
It is Tower Bridge that is the star and is one of the most iconic landmarks of London.
Crossing London Bridge will take you close to the Tower of London.
London Landmarks – Tower of London
The Tower of London is another historic landmark in London. Throughout the centuries it was an infamous destination where many a royal awaited their fate.
Famous prisoners included Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, Lady Jane Grey and Rudolph Hess, Hitler’s second in command.
Fun Fact: The Tower of London has always housed important items of the British monarchs and it still houses the royal family’s crown jewels today.
London Landmarks – Big Ben
Everyone associates Big Ben with London.
Big Ben is located at the houses of Parliament. You can’t miss it.
The Clock Tower stands tall over the Parliament buildings containing a giant bell that ways 13 tons!
Fun Fact: Big Ben was completed in 1859 and is one of five bells located within the clock tower.
London Landmarks – Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster is where Britain’s The Houses of Parliament are located on the River Thames.
You can see Big Ben standing above the building that dates back to 1860.
London Landmarks – Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous churches in the world and definitely at the top of London’s famous landmarks.
We all know it from the famous royal weddings that have taken place here. Most recently Prince William and Kate.
London Landmarks – Trafalgar Square
After watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palaces, we walked along the mall to another of London’s famous landmarks, Trafalgar Square.
It’s a fantastic place to hang out and meet up with friends. Trafalgar Square has been used for protests and demonstrations throughout history.
It is also where Londoners celebrate ringing in the New Year just like New York’s Times Square.
London Landmarks – Painted Hall
One of our favourite days in London was visiting the Greenwich Meridian at the Old Royal Navy College.
Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a great way to spend the afternoon.
The star attraction for us was The Painted Hall, a massive hall with baroque painting dating back 300 years!
London Landmarks – St Paul’s Cathedral
Located on the North Bank of the River Thames, St. Paul’s cathedral dates back to 1710. But the earliest church that stood on this site was in 604.
London Landmarks – Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Royal Family.
When we visited London, we stood among the crowd waiting for the changing of the guard. It was fun to see and a must for first time visitors to London.
London Landmarks – The Globe
Having gone to college or Music Theatre, I always heard my professors reference productions at the famous Globe Theatre of London.
This cultural landmark dates back to 1599 when Shakespeare’s theatre company built the original building.
A replica of the 16th century Globe Theatre was built a mere 750 feet from the original site.
London Landmarks – London Eye
It’s funny to think that a Ferris wheel has become the landmark that is most synonymous with London, but that is the first thing that comes to my mind when picturing London.
It is so popular, that many cities around the world have designed waterfronts around Ferris Wheels of their own.
Located on the Thames, the London eye is one of the more modern London landmarks on the water. Be sure to give it a ride for some of the best views of London.
London Landmarks – The Shard
One of the most modern London symbols is the Shard.
The 95 story glass skyscraper was completed in 2012 and towers above London.
We’ve come a long way since 1710 when St Paul’s Cathedral was the tallest building in London.
London Landmarks – Piccadilly Circus
Located in London’s West End, Piccadilly Circus is a far cry from its origins in the 1600s.
The heart of London’s shopping district, Piccadilly Circus has held on to the tradition of showcasing billboards since 1908. But today it is one big neon sign.
While Trafalgar Square may be where new year’s celebrations take place, it is Piccadilly Circus that reminds everyone on New York.
London Landmarks – Tate Modern
The Tate Modern is one of the largest modern art museums in the world. It is part of the Tate museum family, comprised of Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St. Ives, and Tate Modern.
It’s free to visit and making it Britain’s most popular museum!
The Museums of London are all considered important landmarks of London.
From the Natural History Museum to the British Museum, London has and array of world class museums to visit.
Read about the Top 5 London Museums to visit
London Landmarks – Black Cabs of London
Like the old yellow cabs of New York, the London Black Cabs are synonymous with the city.
There are still thousands of Black Taxis in the city and drivers of these cabs take a rigorous test to become certified.
London Landmarks – London Underground
Why is the London Tube a landmark in London? Well it was the very first passenger underground system in the world dating back to 1863.
It’s also the best and most affordable way to get around London. I know we were excited to first ride the Tube and its iconic sign can be seen throughout the city.
Take the London underground to see all of London’s famous landmarks!
London Landmarks – The London Phone Booths
They may be disappearing due to nobody needing a telephone anymore. But when we saw the red phone booths of London, we were so excited!
There was once tens of thousands of red phone booths in London, today, the city has managed to preserve nearly 10,000 phone booths for mostly decorative purposes.
London Landmarks – Red Double Decker Buses
There are red tour buses around the world today, but the original double decker buses originated in London.
They are considered the national symbol of England, so you can count on them not going anywhere.
Do you have any favourite London Landmarks that we should add to our list?
For more London travel information to help your London itinerary, check out these links below.
- Where To Stay In London – A Guide to The Best Areas and Places
- 3 Days in London – The Ultimate London Itinerary
- How to Get from London Airports to the City
- 22 of the Top Things to do in London, England
- London’s Top 5 Alternative Attractions
- The Top 5 Museums in London you Have to See
If you are planning a trip to England, make sure to check out our UK Travel Guide
Many people plan their London travels with a trip to Paris, visit these Paris articles to help plan more of your itinerary
- How to Visit Paris on a Budget
- Three Days in Paris Itinerary
- Free Things to do in Paris
- What to do in Paris at Night
- Visiting the Catacombs of Paris – An Underground Labyrinth of Death
- Famous People Buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery of Paris
- Paris Closures, When to Avoid Museum and Attractions
Alex S says
I’ve personally visited London, but only for work so didn’t really get a chance to explore it in it’s pureness. Besides the landmarks London seems to be a breeding ground for the next upcoming music genre. From the Beatles to Prodigy the music that comes out of Great Britain is AMAZING! Being able to experience a show for the next upcoming music style and saying years later that you were in London and got to see experience it before anyone else would be cool to say the least.
Davide says
Amazing pictures from an amazing city…Thanks for sharing!
debndave says
Thanks for stopping by!
El Boquerón Viajero says
Congrats!! They are really amazing!
Maria of Culture-ist says
Gorgeously Gothic and beautiful use of HDR. What type of editing software do you typically use?
debndave says
Hi Maria, Glad you enjoyed the photos and thanks for the compliment on the HDR Processing. Currently I am using Photomatix pro with other processing, including NR, done in Photoshop with Nik EFex.
Chris says
Thanks for the response to my question. Not. Will not visit here anymore.
debndave says
What question did you ask Chris? We normally respond and may have missed it. We have a lot of comments come through each day on several different and sometimes miss a few. Sorry that we missed yours.
Garrett says
Oooh, gotta say the last one is my favorite – the foreground/background contrast is intense.
You guys are getting good (and by good, I mean fantastic)!
debndave says
Thanks Garrett. It’s all Dave, he’s the fabulous photographer in this partnership!
Chris says
Do you use Photo shop after you are done in Photomatix? Found a great 3 page free tutorial and was all excited until I got to page 3 and everything went over my head. Even the basics of digital are a struggle for me.
debndave says
Hi Chris, Sorry we missed this question. Yes, we do use photo shop after Photomatix. For noise reduction and sharpness. Keep going with the HDR, you’ll love it.
50+ and on the Run says
Wonderful photos! They are so good it at once inspires and depresses me, lol. Thanks for posting!
debndave says
Thanks 50+, I hope that they didn’t depress you too much, and instead inspired you go get yourself to London:)
Bret @ Green Global Travel says
Hey guys, just “Stumbled” onto this today. Exceptional work!
debndave says
Thanks Bret, glad you found it.
saket srivastav says
outstanding pics
!Can says
I was there last year but your photos inspired me to go once again. A lots of good memories and beautiful architecture.
debndave says
Thanks !Can. We want to go back again too. You need a lot more time than a week in London and we barely scratched the surface.
!Can says
A week is simple not enough, but that is probably with every capital on the planet.
Btw, you pictures are great, you have unique style.
debndave says
You are so right! A week is never enough to see anything:)
Dave and Deb says
Thanks and you are so right! A week is never enough.
Jade says
Wow! These photos literally take my breath away! The coloring, light and wide angle – especially on the Big Ben and St. Paul’s photos – is absolutely gorgeous. You have a great artistic eye!
debndave says
Thank you very much Jade. I was very inspired photographing London and I am so glad that the photos turned out as I hoped they would.
Erica says
Loving these!
Matt says
Love the tones in the sky, could use the “Big Ben” photo as a state of the nation photo with the current recession issues. London is a place I have often worked but never spent any spare time in. One of the things I want to correct when I go to the UK in November.
davendeb says
Hi Matt, thanks for the feedback. Hope you have a great time revisiting London in November. It’s always more fun being a tourist than being in a city for work for sure!
Brock - Backpack with Brock says
Stunning photos you two! The clouds are really haunting!
Ciki says
My eyes are hurting from the beauty! Friggin amazing!! 😀 Congrats on your 1million-th view D&D!!
Don Faust says
The chain link fence with London Bridge has a great perspective. Like it!
jenjenk says
this is so gorgeous it hurts my eyes!!! 🙂
davendeb says
Aw, cheers and thanks Jen!
Erin says
I love how you incorporated the fence + lock into the last photo!
davendeb says
Cheers, thanks Erin. It was the lock that caught my eye.
Simona says
Amazing pictures! I love London and these photos gives justice to the beauty of the city! Thanks for sharing!
Charu says
I am trying to learn HDR but using simple Light Room post processing techniques on current photos. I find if you don’t know how to post process correctly the photos come out weird–you guys really know your HDR techniques. How many levels of bracketing do you use?
wandering educators says
incredible photos. WOW!
Mack Reynolds says
these are some really great photos. i love what you did (or appeared to do) with the sky. it looks so gray and fluffy. i really love the colors in all of these, and how some of the stuff is blurry, but not too blurry. good job.
davendeb says
Thanks Mack! Much appreciated.
Annie says
I especially love the last shot! Those love locks all over Europe are so cool!
Cam says
Another great collection Dave!
Man, I gotta learn HDR processing – really creates originaly pics (though I really like your composition and creative angles too – especially the last one and the Eye)
Lori Henry says
Just stunning, Dave.
Merav | AllWays Car Rental NZ says
OK. So I’m sitting here thinking to myself, when I go visiting my parents next year, perhaps I should go through London and stop there for a few days? Hard decisions! Beautiful, amazing photos, Dave.
Andrea says
Gorgeous! I haven’t been there in six years but we’re visiting soon – can’t wait
Bodlagz says
Love that last shot, no pun, does “lock of love” have any meaning. Looks like it could have been taken any time, the only thing which betrays it’s modernity is the padlock.
Raymond @ Man On The Lam says
Those photos are scary good! Very awesome!!
Joya says
These are the most gorgeous photos I’ve seen of my favorite city!
Marlieke says
Wow, I lreally like them! I’ve seen and made many pictures of the buildings in London, but these are very fascinating.
My favourite is St. Paul’s in B&W.
Thanks for sharing!
davendeb says
Thanks Marlieke. We’re looking forward to going back to really explore more of London. 1 week while planning for the Mongol Rally is not enough time.
Chelsea says
Wow, these are stunning photos! Great work.
Wakeybluenose says
Wow! these are awesome. I live in London & these make me want to go out and explore. Good work
davendeb says
Hey Wakeybluenose, Thanks for the compliment. That means a lot when someone from the city enjoys the photos. We definitely can’t wait to come back. Cheers!
Thai Tour Guides says
Wow! These pictures look so great – hyperrealistic in a way that they are even enhanced by fantasy! What kind of camera do you use?
davendeb says
Hi Thai Tour Guides, I use a Canon 5D MKII it is the HDR processing that give the fantasy feel. Cheers and I’m glad that you like it.
Migrationology says
Awesome photos Dave, love that last shot of the fence and lock!
Debbie Beardsley says
Every time I see your pictures it reminds me how much I need to learn about taking awesome photographs! These are pretty spectacular. I especially loved the Painted Hall – beautiful.
davendeb says
Thanks Debbie, that painted hall was pretty beautiful in person. London has some fascinating landmarks and we only just barely scratched the surface.
Sid Vic says
Wow! Absolutely amazing photographs!
Wai Tsui says
Wow! You do have a knack for making those HDR photos!
Ray says
These are so cool!
Matthew Karsten says
The Tower Bridge shot behind the fence is amazing. 🙂
Sarah Lee says
I love these photos! Great job, Dave.
Natalie says
Amazing photos. I don’t like London but in those photos you bring a mysterious aura to the place.
Journey Photographic says
Great shot! I love the black and white shot of St Paul’s, and the Painted Hall picture reminds me I’ve never been inside the Old Royal Naval College – some day!
Dean says
Amazing photos as always. Incredible!
Roy Marvelous | Cruisesurfingz says
Very nice! What post-production software did you use?
davendeb says
I used a combanation of Photomatix Pro for processing and the Nik Software bundle for Noise Reduction. Glad you enjoyed them.