The Bakerloo Line Guide: Museums, Theatreland and the South Bank, Stop by Stop

The Bakerloo line doesn’t get the same attention as the Central or Piccadilly lines, but stop for stop, it’s one of the best culture routes on the whole Underground network. Marked in brown on the Tube map, it runs from Harrow & Wealdstone in the northwest down to Elephant & Castle in the southeast — and along the way it passes some of London’s most-visited attractions almost by accident.

This guide covers the Bakerloo line’s three essential culture stops — Baker Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Waterloo — plus a handful of others worth knowing about, along with the practical details you need to plan a day around it.

[FEATURE IMAGE — see prompt below]

Baker Street: Wax Figures and a Fictional Detective

Baker Street is the Bakerloo line’s most famous stop, and for good reason. Madame Tussauds, founded by Marie Tussaud in 1835, has been drawing crowds here for nearly two centuries. The wax figures are updated constantly, so you’ll find current pop culture names standing alongside royalty and historical figures — it’s one of those London attractions that manages to stay relevant generation after generation.

A few minutes’ walk away is the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, a faithful recreation of the fictional detective’s Victorian townhouse. It’s a small, focused visit — ideal for slotting in before or after Madame Tussauds rather than as a full afternoon on its own.

Practical tip: Baker Street is also served by the Metropolitan, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Jubilee lines, making it one of the best-connected interchange stations on the network — see our Metropolitan line guide for how to combine the two.

Piccadilly Circus: The Heart of Theatreland

From Baker Street, the Bakerloo line drops you straight into the West End at Piccadilly Circus — the centre of London’s theatre district. The Prince of Wales Theatre and the historic Criterion Theatre are both within a short walk, alongside dozens of other venues showing everything from long-running musicals to new productions.

If you’re planning to catch a show, the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (a five-minute walk from the station) sells discounted same-day tickets, and many theatres also offer day seats or standing-room tickets for a fraction of the full price.

Piccadilly Circus station also connects to the Piccadilly line — read our Piccadilly line guide for more on where that line can take you next, including nearby Oxford Circus, covered in our station spotlight.

Waterloo: The South Bank’s Museum Hub

Waterloo is where the Bakerloo line earns its culture credentials. Step out of the station and you’re greeted by the London Eye, with panoramic views across the city. A short riverside walk brings you to the Southbank Centre — Europe’s largest arts complex, home to the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, and the National Theatre, with a rotating programme of music, dance, art and theatre year-round.

History fans should head to the Imperial War Museum, a short walk from Waterloo (or reachable from Lambeth North, one stop up the line) for exhibitions on the impact of modern conflict.

Other Bakerloo Line Stops Worth Knowing

While Baker Street, Piccadilly Circus and Waterloo are the headline stops, a few others are worth building into a Bakerloo line day out:

• Oxford Circus — one of London’s busiest shopping stretches, and a reliable spot for street performers. See our full Oxford Circus station spotlight for a proper itinerary.
• Elephant & Castle — a vibrant, multicultural area with a growing arts scene and some of South London’s best food markets.
• Lambeth North — a quieter alternative route into the Imperial War Museum if Waterloo is heaving.

Practical Tips for a Bakerloo Line Day Out

• Travel during weekday mornings where possible — Baker Street and Piccadilly Circus get significantly busier from midday onward.
• Use contactless or an Oyster card rather than paper tickets; see our Oyster card vs contactless comparison for which works out cheaper for your trip.
• Look for combination tickets that bundle entry to two or more attractions along the route at a discount.
• Check step-free access before you travel — not every Bakerloo line station has lifts. Our step-free London guide breaks this down station by station.
• Check TfL’s site for live service updates, particularly around Baker Street and Elephant & Castle, which see frequent weekend engineering works.

Bring It Together

The Bakerloo line is proof that you don’t need to plan an elaborate itinerary to have a genuinely great culture day in London — three stops, one brown line, and you’ve covered wax figures, world-class theatre, and one of the best museum stretches in the city. For a longer day that links the Bakerloo line with neighbouring routes, see our London Tube zones and fares guide to plan your travel budget, or our first-timer 3-day itinerary if this is your first trip to the city.