London is home to an array of locations that attract huge crowds every year, including historical landmarks, fashionable bars, and cultural hubs.
If you’re planning to visit England’s capital and already know that you want to hit up some of the city’s hotspots that will make an impact on your social media feed, here’s a bit of inspiration to help you plan your perfect trip.
Photograph London’s Picturesque Parks
Did you know that photographs featuring London’s parks and green spaces have been snapped and shared on Instagram more than 4 million times? Hyde Park is the most popular of all, with location tags on Instagram exceeding 17,000. And given the fact it spans some 350 acres, is home to thousands of trees, the Diana Memorial fountain and playground, a meadow, flower garden and lake, it’s perhaps no surprise that it attracts so much attention.
But other spaces, including St James’ Park, Regent’s Park and Hampstead Health are also social media hotspots, with thousands of people geotagging their images from these picturesque surroundings every single day.
London’s Must-Visit Restaurants
There are a huge number of popular restaurants on social media that call London home, including the iconic Sketch restaurant in Mayfair. Sketch offers a range of dining experiences, each of which features impeccable, Instagram-ready decor. In fact, as the tagged section of Sketch’s Instagram page illustrates, the restaurant is so popular, images of its interiors have been shared on the social platform tens of thousands of times. Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard is another social media favourite, with countless influencers sharing snaps of its iconic ‘press for champagne’ button.
Heston Blumenthal has a renowned restaurant in Hyde Park which offers plenty of photo opportunities to its guests. From the impeccably presented Michelin-starred dishes to the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that allows you to watch the chefs at work, this photogenic restaurant isn’t one to miss. And don’t forget to enjoy the al fresco dining experience offered at Dalloway Terrace in the stunning Bloomsbury Hotel. Dine in dressed floral surroundings complete with twinkling fairy lights for an extra touch of ethereal magic.
The City’s Shopping Hotspots
More than one million posts featuring the iconic Harrods department store have been shared on Instagram, making it the number one shopping social media shopping destination. Fellow high-end department store Selfridges sits in second place, with some 500,000 posts showcasing its famous floors offering everything from artisanal food to designer clothes.
But let’s not overlook the variety of markets that are peppered around the capital, including Borough Market, which is heaven for food-lovers, Columbia Road Flower Market, where there are fresh blooms at every turn, and Camden Market, which is renowned for its alternative clothing, accessories and homewares.
Soak In Iconic Landmarks
London is home to countless landmarks that are familiar to people right around the world. From Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral, images of these spectacular examples of architecture flood social media feeds every single day. Big Ben is the city’s most Instagrammed landmark, having been snapped and uploaded to the social media platform almost three million times.
In terms of other popular locations, there is the Shard, which stands more than 309 meters tall and is the tallest building in the UK. It cuts a striking figure amongst the London skyline and offers stunning panoramic views across the city from its top-floor viewing platform.
London’s Cultural Hotspots
The Natural History Museum attracts more than 5 million visitors each year who flock to admire an array of interesting exhibitions. Snaps of its grand entrance which has vaulted ceilings of cathedral-like proportions are regularly shared to social media platforms, particularly as this is where the blue whale skeleton named Hope has been housed since 2017.
Covent Garden is also a must-visit hotspot that has earned its hotspot reputation by offering a little something for everyone. Whether you want to snap images of the curious objects found amongst the market stalls or enjoy a drink at one of the area’s pubs, there’s a reason why fashionistas and foodies flock here from far and wide.
