London is undoubtedly one of the best European city breaks, especially for those who love photography. The huge variety of locations, aesthetics, weather, and subjects means an endless supply of photo opportunities and a thoroughly good trip. In this blog, I will share what I believe is the perfect weekend travel plan for London in the winter, and while this article is aimed at photographers, it’s equally applicable to regular tourists too. Everything I share is based on a lifetime of living and shooting in this city.

Best Time To Visit

London is great all year round; however, depending on what you want to get out of it, I might suggest skipping certain seasons. If you prefer a cold and gloomy mood, then you can’t go wrong with January or February. These two winter months are amazing for night photography, moody blue hour, and some great golden winter light. If possible avoid December at all costs. It’s expensive, extremely busy, and your photos will be ruined by all the Christmas lights and decorations. Of course, if you want to photograph London during the festive period, by all means come in December, but we warned, you will pay at least double and it would be unbearably busy. I suggest visiting anytime from mid January onwards.

Where To Stay

This really depends on which part of the city you want to focus on; however, given this is a short break, I would suggest being as central as possible to avoid wasting time commuting. I would recommend staying somewhere near Covent Garden if you prefer the more chaotic West End, or somewhere near Bank if you prefer a cleaner, more business-like aesthetic. Not sure? Then stay in Temple to be right between these two contrasting parts of London.

Weather

While there is the stigma around grey, rainy days, the truth is that the weather is very varied and at times unpredictable. Winter can be extremely unpleasant with heavy rain, sleet, and on occasion snow. It’s very rare for the snow to settle though, and in the last 5 years I can recall twice where it did for a day. The rain can be persistent, and coupled with the cold wind, can make for an unpleasant experience if you’re not prepared. Fog makes an appearance on some mornings along the river, I suggest downloading an app called ClearOutside for the most accurate prediction. When the sun is out, it’s very pleasant and sometimes surprisingly warm. I would say be prepared for temperatures between -5 and 10C, for heavy persistent rain, and for wind.

Safety

There are a lot of concerns around safety in London at the moment, especially with the rise in phone snatching. While this is true, I feel it’s slightly blown up on social media. In general, London is pretty safe in the central areas. I’ve never had a single issue despite living here most of my adult life, and being out shooting at least two times a week. With that said, there have been times when I crossed the road or put my camera away to be on the safe side. Of course, use common sense, don’t walk around with your phone out, don’t leave your bag unattended or out of sight, and always use a solid camera strap. This isn’t Dubai or Tokyo, leave your designer clothes and luxury watches at home. Your gut feeling is important, and if you feel something is off, then take action. 99% of thefts can be avoided by using common sense and paying attention to your surroundings. With that said, I would avoid the East End at night. I would also exercise caution around Soho during the later hours when there are drunk people about.

Photography Essentials

Attitude to photography is very relaxed here. Photography is a widely accepted hobby, and in almost all public locations, you won’t face any issues. Like with all photography, learn how to read the room and sense if people are comfortable with your presence or not. It’s worth noting that some public areas are in fact privately owned, for example, Canary Wharf. This means that even though they look like normal public spaces, they will have private security patrolling them. Sometimes they might ask you why you’re taking photos; however, very rarely would they ask you to stop. A 24-70mm zoom is all you need in London, and it will cover every possible scenario. If you prefer primes, I think a 35mm is a perfect focal length for this city. 50mm can also be great if you prefer a tighter focus on your subjects instead of bigger scenes. If shooting at night, try to go for a faster lens, such as an f2 or better. Unlike some cities such as Tokyo, London isn’t the most brightly lit city in the world, so having as much light gathering ability as possible, will help.

London Photography Guide

If you’re finding this blog useful and want more detailed information such as exact locations and a deeper dive into each area, may I suggest checking out my in-depth London Photography Guide. Over 160 pages of everything you need to know about shooting in this city. It’s also a live guide, meaning you will get free updates for life.

The London Photography Guide

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Day 1 AM

The morning of the first day will focus on the City. This is when you will get the best light, and the most going on if it’s a weekday. On weekends expect it much quieter, which is also great. The City is the financial and business part of London. Expect traditionally dressed people, timeless architecture, a clean aesthetic, amazing light, and plenty of opportunities for fine art-style photography.

• Bank

• Barbican

• St Paul’s

• One New Change

• Square Mile

• Throgmorton Street

• Liverpool Street Station

• Fenchurch Street

• Leadenhall Street

• Leadenhall Market

• Moorgate

• Broadgate

• Horizon 22

• Garden at 120

• Sky Garden

Day 1 PM

Late afternoon and into the evening will focus on the West End. Characters, gritty streets, fantastic low light photography, and plenty of details to shoot. The list below is in no specific order, and you can reorder it depending on your schedule, preferences, location, and weather. The more of these you can hit, the better. Furthermore, the list below isn’t exhaustive, nor is everything a must. This covers the main spots in this area; however, you will find many more by simply walking around. Once the sun goes down, shift your focus to Chinatown, Covent Garden, Piccadilly, and Soho. This is where you will find the most light. This isn’t to say that the other areas won’t yield results.

• Covent Garden

• Chinatown

• Soho

• British Museum

• Trafalgar Square

• Piccadilly Circus

• St James’s Park

• National Gallery

• Bond Street

• Oxford Street

• St James’s

• Regent Street

• Jermyn Street

• City of Westminster

Day 2

I hope you like walking because Day 2 will involve a lot of it. So far you’ve been going to different locations and ticking off areas. Now, you will go for a long walk along the river and see the sights of London slowly change in front of you. In total, expect to walk for 5–8 hours and cover at least 10–15 miles. If this is too far for you, then you can easily cut it down to any length you wish.

We will start in Battersea, where you can get a coffee at the power station, visit the park if you wish, and proceed to head east along the south side of the river. On your way, you will walk past Vauxhall, Waterloo, Southbank, Tate Modern, Bankside, London Bridge, More London, and eventually arrive at Shad Thames just past Tower Bridge. There are plenty of things to see, do, eat, and drink along the way. Shad Thames also offers some stunning views of Tower Bridge with the city behind it.

Cross over Tower Bridge and turn right into St Katharine Docks. This is a small yet cosy area of London full of boats and cafés. From there, head over towards the Tower of London and proceed to follow the Thames along the north side of the river heading west. This is a less touristy and more industrial walk that will eventually take you back towards Westminster. Of course, you can do this walk in any direction.

Extra Day AM

If you happen to have an extra day, I suggest exploring the East End in the morning, then grabbing the tube to West London to see the more fancy areas of town. The East End is gritty, dirty, messy, and full of characters. I personally don’t shoot much in the East End as it’s not my cup of tea; however, if you’re visiting for the first time, it’s worth popping in just to see some of these areas. During the day I’ve never had any issues in the East End; however, I would probably avoid it at night. Here are a few spots I’d check out:

• Old Street

• Shoreditch

• Spitalfields

• Brick Lane

Extra Day PM

If you have the time (and energy), you can easily walk from the East End to the West. It would take you a few hours and you will walk past many spots that you’ve already been to. I often refer to this part of town as the posh bit, meaning the more affluent part of town that most people would recognise. I don’t find this area as photogenic as some of the other areas; however, it’s fantastic for walking around, looking at nice things, sitting down for a coffee and taking it slow.

• Knightsbridge

• Kensington Gardens / Hyde Park

• Kensington High Street

• South Kensington

• Holland Park

• Notting Hill

• Mayfair

• Belgravia

• Sloane Square

• Brompton

• Chelsea

• V&A Museum

Bad Weather

While I hope you have pleasant sunshine throughout your stay, the reality is that in the UK anything can happen. So if the weather is less than ideal, below are a few things you can do. Some of these will need booking in advance, and some will not be free. Please check ahead of time.

• Horizon 22 – Rooftop

• Sky Garden – Rooftop

• The Shard – Rooftop

• Tate Modern – Museum

• V&A Museum

• St Paul’s Cathedral

• British Museum

• National Gallery

• Natural History Museum