7 Most Instagrammable Stops on the Bakerloo Line (And Exactly Where to Get the Shot)

The Bakerloo line doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s one of the oldest lines on the network, but it also happens to run through some of London’s most photogenic pockets — neon-lit circuses, Sherlock Holmes’ front door, quiet canals, and a park that looks like a film set in the right light. If you’re planning a day of shooting for Instagram (or just want an excuse to get off at a few new stops), here are the seven Bakerloo stations worth building a route around, plus what to shoot and when.

This guide pairs well with Cultural Experiences on the Bakerloo Line if you want stop-by-stop travel tips alongside the photo spots.

1. Piccadilly Circus — for the classic London energy shot

Piccadilly Circus is the one everyone recognises before they’ve ever set foot in London — the curved neon signage, the crowds, the Eros statue at the centre of it all. It’s not a subtle shot, but it doesn’t need to be. Shoot from the steps for a wide, crowd-in-motion frame, or get in close on the signage after dark when the neon does most of the work for you.

Best time to shoot: just after sunset, once the signs are lit but there’s still some colour left in the sky.

Internal link opportunity: link to your Piccadilly line guide here, since the two lines share this station.

2. Baker Street — for the literary, old-London backdrop

Baker Street trades neon for atmosphere. The station itself has tiled Sherlock Holmes silhouettes on the platform walls, and a two-minute walk brings you to the Sherlock Holmes statue and the museum on Baker Street proper. The surrounding red-brick Victorian terraces give you a completely different London to Piccadilly Circus — quieter, older, more film-set than city-break.

Best time to shoot: mid-morning on a weekday, before the museum queue builds up and blocks your frame.

A Literary London Day Out by Underground: From Bloomsbury to Baker Street

3. Oxford Circus — for fashion and street-style shots

If Piccadilly Circus is about London’s energy, Oxford Circus is about London’s style. The junction itself — with its diagonal “X” crossing — is a genuinely interesting shot in its own right, and the surrounding shopfronts give you an easy backdrop for outfit or lifestyle photos. Go early on a Sunday if you want the crossing without the crowd, or embrace the crowd entirely for a busier, more atmospheric frame.

4. Embankment — for golden-hour river views

A short walk from Embankment station puts you on the Thames path with the London Eye, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament all in view. This is the spot to save for the end of the day: the light off the river at dusk is some of the best in the city, and the skyline does most of the composing for you.

Best time to shoot: the 30 minutes around sunset — arrive earlier than you think you need to, since the best light window is short.

5. Warwick Avenue — for a quieter, residential London

Warwick Avenue is the outlier on this list, and that’s exactly why it’s worth including. The canal at Little Venice, a few minutes’ walk away, gives you narrowboats, waterside cafés, and leafy residential streets — a completely different register from the rest of the route. It’s a good stop for anyone whose feed is more “London local” than “London landmark.”

6. Regent’s Park — for green space and colour

Regent’s Park is one of the most photogenic green spaces in the city, and Queen Mary’s Gardens in particular is worth timing your visit around — the rose displays in summer are hard to overshoot. The boating lake and the wider park paths also give you options if flowers aren’t in season.

Best time to shoot: late spring through summer for colour; early morning for empty paths and soft light.

7. Elephant & Castle — for street art and modern London

Elephant & Castle won’t appear on many “beautiful London” lists, and that’s the point. Ongoing redevelopment in the area has brought a wave of murals and contemporary architecture that photographs completely differently to the rest of this route — sharper, more graphic, more current. It’s a good closing stop if you want your set to end on something unexpected.

Internal link opportunity: link to a street-art-near-Tube-stations post here, if one exists or is planned.

Building the Route

You don’t need to hit all seven stations in one day — the Bakerloo line runs Elephant & Castle to Harrow & Wealdstone, so a realistic route is Elephant & Castle → Embankment → Piccadilly Circus → Oxford Circus → Baker Street → Warwick Avenue → Regent’s Park (or the reverse), shot across a single afternoon into evening to catch both daylight and golden hour.