London Red Phone Box Photo Spots: Find the Backdrop You Love
You spot the red box, look behind it and suddenly know which photograph you want. Perhaps Big Ben is rising above your shoulder. Perhaps it's a row of lovely Mayfair buildings, or lanterns that turn a familiar London picture into something a little different. The fun is choosing the setting that feels like your trip, then putting yourself in it.
October 7, 2026
Updated
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London red phone box photo spots: choose the background first
A red telephone box is a wonderfully small thing to build a London memory around. You can stand beside one with your partner, take a quick portrait of a friend or make it the bright detail in a picture of the street. It gives you that instant feeling of being here without needing a whole afternoon of sightseeing to explain the photograph.
Picture the background you'd love to send home. Big Ben above a red box on the north side of Parliament Square gives you the classic London photograph. The Victoria Embankment pair brings you beside the river, with the Eye across the water. Or you might prefer Mayfair's long line of shopfronts, or Chinatown's own lettering above that familiar red door. Start with the one that makes you think: yes, that's our picture.
There's also a lovely row of five in Broad Court, near Covent Garden, if you like the box itself more than a famous building behind it. One, two or five: even the number changes the picture. Choose the setting you're most excited about, then see how it fits the London plans you already have. You can love red boxes without spending the day collecting them.
Picture the background you'd love to send home. Big Ben above a red box on the north side of Parliament Square gives you the classic London photograph. The Victoria Embankment pair brings you beside the river, with the Eye across the water. Or you might prefer Mayfair's long line of shopfronts, or Chinatown's own lettering above that familiar red door. Start with the one that makes you think: yes, that's our picture.
There's also a lovely row of five in Broad Court, near Covent Garden, if you like the box itself more than a famous building behind it. One, two or five: even the number changes the picture. Choose the setting you're most excited about, then see how it fits the London plans you already have. You can love red boxes without spending the day collecting them.
Big Ben: the picture that says London at a glance
This is the combination you can send home with almost no caption. Red box in the foreground, the clock tower above, and you two right there in the middle of your London trip. If that familiar view is the photograph you've imagined for years, it deserves to be your first choice rather than an afterthought squeezed in before dinner.
For that Big Ben picture, head to the north side of Parliament Square, near the junction with Whitehall, with Westminster as your nearby Tube stop. Give yourself a moment to look from the pavement before joining a queue: there are several boxes here, and the tower sits differently behind each one. Finding the view you had in mind is a lovely little moment in itself.
The photograph here shows how lively the street can be. People are waiting, walking past and finding their own views of the tower. Seeing the box and tower together helps explain why this particular picture attracts so much attention.
When your turn comes, keep the idea simple. Stand beside the box, turn towards each other and take a few pictures before swapping places or moving on. Leave the pavement open for people passing through. A close portrait may give you a lovely expression; a wider one may show more of the tower. You can decide which tells your story once you've seen both.
For that Big Ben picture, head to the north side of Parliament Square, near the junction with Whitehall, with Westminster as your nearby Tube stop. Give yourself a moment to look from the pavement before joining a queue: there are several boxes here, and the tower sits differently behind each one. Finding the view you had in mind is a lovely little moment in itself.
The photograph here shows how lively the street can be. People are waiting, walking past and finding their own views of the tower. Seeing the box and tower together helps explain why this particular picture attracts so much attention.
When your turn comes, keep the idea simple. Stand beside the box, turn towards each other and take a few pictures before swapping places or moving on. Leave the pavement open for people passing through. A close portrait may give you a lovely expression; a wider one may show more of the tower. You can decide which tells your story once you've seen both.
London Eye: two red boxes beside the river
The Victoria Embankment pair has a different kind of London energy. Two red boxes sit beneath a tree, with the river setting and part of the London Eye beyond. In the image here, the glass is covered with stickers and the leaves throw patches of shade across the pavement. It's a more lived-in picture than a freshly polished souvenir, and that may be exactly what you like about it.
You'll find this pair on Victoria Embankment near Westminster, on the north bank of the Thames. The Eye is across the water, so you can keep your red-box photograph part of a riverside wander on this side. Save the Embankment spot on your map; the Eye's South Bank entrance is a different destination.
Let the trees be part of the surprise. In the original photograph, only part of the Eye peeps through and beside the leaves; on a leafier visit, you might fall for the red boxes against the greenery instead. With fewer leaves, more of the wheel may appear. When you arrive, have a look from the pavement and choose the picture you love that day. No particular month promises a clear view.
A pair of boxes can be fun for two people even without going inside. You might stand beside the two exteriors, turn towards one another, then come together for a closer portrait. Keep the photograph on the riverside pavement, with both you and the person taking it clear of the road and crossings.
Choose this stop if the river is already part of your day, or if you like greenery around the red paint.
You'll find this pair on Victoria Embankment near Westminster, on the north bank of the Thames. The Eye is across the water, so you can keep your red-box photograph part of a riverside wander on this side. Save the Embankment spot on your map; the Eye's South Bank entrance is a different destination.
Let the trees be part of the surprise. In the original photograph, only part of the Eye peeps through and beside the leaves; on a leafier visit, you might fall for the red boxes against the greenery instead. With fewer leaves, more of the wheel may appear. When you arrive, have a look from the pavement and choose the picture you love that day. No particular month promises a clear view.
A pair of boxes can be fun for two people even without going inside. You might stand beside the two exteriors, turn towards one another, then come together for a closer portrait. Keep the photograph on the riverside pavement, with both you and the person taking it clear of the road and crossings.
Choose this stop if the river is already part of your day, or if you like greenery around the red paint.
Mayfair: a red box with a whole street behind it
Mayfair lets the street do more of the talking. In the photograph used at the top of this article, a red box stands in front of a long run of shops and pale and red-brick buildings. The paving leads your eye into the distance. You get the familiar London colour, but the picture feels more like a moment on a neighbourhood wander than a stop at a major landmark.
Save the Brook Street end of South Molton Street for that lovely view down the shops. Bond Street is the useful station for your arrival, and South Molton Street is pedestrianised, with Brook Street crossing at the end. Adding the junction to your map pin keeps you headed for this neighbourhood scene: the box by Cartier on New Bond Street is a separate spot.
The box's door was shut when this photograph was taken, and it wouldn't open. You can stand beside the red shape and let the street stretch away behind you, keeping enough of the shops in view to show why you chose this setting.
This is for you if your London day already includes browsing around Bond Street or wandering through Mayfair. An outfit you love, a box you recognise and somewhere pleasant to go afterwards can be quite enough. There's no need to turn a small photo stop into a formal event unless that's what you'd enjoy.
Leave a little space beside you for shoppers as you settle next to the box. People coming and going are part of what makes this Mayfair picture feel like a moment in your day.
Save the Brook Street end of South Molton Street for that lovely view down the shops. Bond Street is the useful station for your arrival, and South Molton Street is pedestrianised, with Brook Street crossing at the end. Adding the junction to your map pin keeps you headed for this neighbourhood scene: the box by Cartier on New Bond Street is a separate spot.
The box's door was shut when this photograph was taken, and it wouldn't open. You can stand beside the red shape and let the street stretch away behind you, keeping enough of the shops in view to show why you chose this setting.
This is for you if your London day already includes browsing around Bond Street or wandering through Mayfair. An outfit you love, a box you recognise and somewhere pleasant to go afterwards can be quite enough. There's no need to turn a small photo stop into a formal event unless that's what you'd enjoy.
Leave a little space beside you for shoppers as you settle next to the box. People coming and going are part of what makes this Mayfair picture feel like a moment in your day.
Chinatown: look closely at the lettering
The Chinatown box gives you a little detail worth getting closer to: the panel reads CHINATOWN ่ฏๅ . You still have the red paint and familiar shape, but the sign makes the photograph about this part of London. It's a nice choice when you want a memory of a neighbourhood you enjoyed, not just an object you've seen on postcards.
The photographed box is on Gerrard Street. Its surroundings include stone arches, shop signs and lanterns, with everyday shop materials beside the kiosk in the image. Those details may change, but they tell you something useful about the setting. This is a working street where a photo stop shares space with people shopping, eating and getting on with their day.
A closer portrait can keep the Chinatown panel visible without including every object around the base. A wider picture can bring in more of the street's colour. Decide which you prefer once you're there, and choose a position that leaves shop entrances and pedestrians room.
This is for you if Chinatown is already somewhere you're looking forward to visiting. Let the box be one small part of that experience, alongside looking at the lanterns, shop windows or the nearby stone guardian lions. The neighbourhood gives you plenty to notice after the phone-box picture is taken.
Red paint and lanterns can make a grey-day photograph feel wonderfully cheerful. You can still come home with colour in your pictures when sunshine isn't part of the day. If you've booked a session, have a chat with your photographer about the forecast and what you'll do if it rains.
The photographed box is on Gerrard Street. Its surroundings include stone arches, shop signs and lanterns, with everyday shop materials beside the kiosk in the image. Those details may change, but they tell you something useful about the setting. This is a working street where a photo stop shares space with people shopping, eating and getting on with their day.
A closer portrait can keep the Chinatown panel visible without including every object around the base. A wider picture can bring in more of the street's colour. Decide which you prefer once you're there, and choose a position that leaves shop entrances and pedestrians room.
This is for you if Chinatown is already somewhere you're looking forward to visiting. Let the box be one small part of that experience, alongside looking at the lanterns, shop windows or the nearby stone guardian lions. The neighbourhood gives you plenty to notice after the phone-box picture is taken.
Red paint and lanterns can make a grey-day photograph feel wonderfully cheerful. You can still come home with colour in your pictures when sunshine isn't part of the day. If you've booked a session, have a chat with your photographer about the forecast and what you'll do if it rains.
Broad Court: five red boxes for a different sort of picture
If one red box makes you smile, Broad Court gives you a whole row. Five boxes stand along this pedestrianised street off Bow Street in Covent Garden, with the Young Dancer statue nearby. Here, the repeated red shapes are the attraction. You can make a picture about the line of boxes themselves, rather than trying to tuck another London landmark behind your shoulder.
That makes it a useful alternative if you like a playful, graphic-looking photograph. You might stand beside the end of the row with your partner, or let one friend take a portrait while the others wait out of the walkway. Leave space for other visitors and enjoy the rhythm of the red doors behind you.
If you've fallen for those five red doors, save Broad Court on your map. The boxes near the Piazza at James Street and King Street are a pair, so the two Covent Garden stops give you different pictures. Naming Broad Court gets you to the row you've been looking forward to.
Treat this as an extra when you're already planning time around Covent Garden or the theatres.
That makes it a useful alternative if you like a playful, graphic-looking photograph. You might stand beside the end of the row with your partner, or let one friend take a portrait while the others wait out of the walkway. Leave space for other visitors and enjoy the rhythm of the red doors behind you.
If you've fallen for those five red doors, save Broad Court on your map. The boxes near the Piazza at James Street and King Street are a pair, so the two Covent Garden stops give you different pictures. Naming Broad Court gets you to the row you've been looking forward to.
Treat this as an extra when you're already planning time around Covent Garden or the theatres.
A lovely portrait with the door closed
The box can be part of your picture without becoming a tiny room you have to squeeze into. Standing beside it often gives you more room to move, lets you stay close to your partner and keeps the surrounding street in view. The red outline does a lot of the work. You can simply be yourselves next to it.
Start shoulder to shoulder beside the box, then turn towards each other. Perhaps one of you says something that makes the other laugh. Take that picture too. If there's enough clear pavement, try one where you're a little further apart, then one close together. You get different expressions without needing a working phone or an open door.
On your own, think about what you'd naturally do while waiting for a friend. You might look along the street, glance back towards the camera or stand with your hands comfortably in your coat pockets. Choose a position beside the box rather than gripping its fittings. It's a portrait of you in London, not an audition for the role of person making a telephone call.
London Museum notes that most surviving red boxes are no longer connected, and some have found new uses. Leave the kiosk as you found it and take the photograph home.
That cheerful red was a choice. Giles Gilbert Scott originally wanted a silver exterior for his K2 telephone kiosk, but the General Post Office chose red so the boxes would stand out on the street. A century later, they're still rather good at catching your eye.
Have a closer look at that curved roof and those little window divisions while you're beside the box. They belong to a design story that began with Scott's winning entry in the 1924 competition: the cast-iron K2 reached London's streets from 1926, and the smaller K6 was designed in 1935 for King George V's Silver Jubilee. You can enjoy the details without turning your photo stop into a test of which model is which.
Start shoulder to shoulder beside the box, then turn towards each other. Perhaps one of you says something that makes the other laugh. Take that picture too. If there's enough clear pavement, try one where you're a little further apart, then one close together. You get different expressions without needing a working phone or an open door.
On your own, think about what you'd naturally do while waiting for a friend. You might look along the street, glance back towards the camera or stand with your hands comfortably in your coat pockets. Choose a position beside the box rather than gripping its fittings. It's a portrait of you in London, not an audition for the role of person making a telephone call.
London Museum notes that most surviving red boxes are no longer connected, and some have found new uses. Leave the kiosk as you found it and take the photograph home.
That cheerful red was a choice. Giles Gilbert Scott originally wanted a silver exterior for his K2 telephone kiosk, but the General Post Office chose red so the boxes would stand out on the street. A century later, they're still rather good at catching your eye.
Have a closer look at that curved roof and those little window divisions while you're beside the box. They belong to a design story that began with Scott's winning entry in the 1924 competition: the cast-iron K2 reached London's streets from 1926, and the smaller K6 was designed in 1935 for King George V's Silver Jubilee. You can enjoy the details without turning your photo stop into a test of which model is which.
Pick a time that leaves room to enjoy it
There can be something lovely about starting your London day with the photograph you've been looking forward to. Pick a time that suits everyone coming and the daylight on your travel date, then leave a little space in the plan for a wait or a change of angle. Early can be a happy choice for your outing, though the pavement may still be busy.
At Westminster, ask yourself which part of the picture makes you smile most: Big Ben behind you, or the red box itself. If it's the tower, decide how long you'd happily wait for that view before your next plan. If it's the red-box memory, another box may be just as lovely. And if the line is longer than you'd like, you can enjoy the rest of your day and return if it suits you.
At Westminster, ask yourself which part of the picture makes you smile most: Big Ben behind you, or the red box itself. If it's the tower, decide how long you'd happily wait for that view before your next plan. If it's the red-box memory, another box may be just as lovely. And if the line is longer than you'd like, you can enjoy the rest of your day and return if it suits you.
Fit your London red phone box photo spots into the day
Begin with one scene you would be disappointed to miss. If that's Big Ben, put the Westminster box stop ahead of less important photo ideas and give it time before your next commitment. You can then decide whether the nearby Embankment pair adds something you genuinely want. Together, they give you a clock-tower picture and a separate riverside scene.
If you're already spending time in Mayfair, the South Molton Street box can belong naturally in that outing. If you're heading to Chinatown for food, build the Gerrard Street photograph into that visit. And if Covent Garden or a theatre is your main plan, Broad Court offers its own version of the red-box picture. Choosing by neighbourhood keeps the photograph connected to a day you'd enjoy anyway.
Once you arrive at your chosen spot, take a moment to look at the background together. Agree where you'll stand on the pavement, start with the picture that matters most, then try a closer portrait if you feel like it. When you have a photograph you're happy with, carry on to the thing you were looking forward to afterwards. It could be a meal, a wander or the show you've had tickets for all year.
Our London photographers can help you choose a red-box setting around the part of the city you want to enjoy, so the photographs feel like part of your trip.
If you're already spending time in Mayfair, the South Molton Street box can belong naturally in that outing. If you're heading to Chinatown for food, build the Gerrard Street photograph into that visit. And if Covent Garden or a theatre is your main plan, Broad Court offers its own version of the red-box picture. Choosing by neighbourhood keeps the photograph connected to a day you'd enjoy anyway.
Once you arrive at your chosen spot, take a moment to look at the background together. Agree where you'll stand on the pavement, start with the picture that matters most, then try a closer portrait if you feel like it. When you have a photograph you're happy with, carry on to the thing you were looking forward to afterwards. It could be a meal, a wander or the show you've had tickets for all year.
Our London photographers can help you choose a red-box setting around the part of the city you want to enjoy, so the photographs feel like part of your trip.
Wear something you love beside that red
Red already brings plenty of colour into the picture, so start with clothes that make you feel good. Cream, navy or a favourite denim jacket can look lovely beside it, while a brighter outfit can be just as fun. There's no need to match the paint. Think about whether you prefer the contrast of a darker outfit or the softer look of pale clothes against it.
The background can help you decide how dressed-up you want to be. Mayfair's shopfronts might suit the jacket you've brought for dinner; a riverside wander might call for a comfortable layer you can keep wearing afterwards. If you're coming with friends, agree on the sort of outing you're dressing for rather than trying to make everyone identical.
Comfortable shoes and a manageable bag are particularly useful when you're standing on a pavement or waiting for a turn. Keep your belongings with you and choose clothes you can move in. The nicest expression usually comes more easily when you're enjoying the person beside you, not wondering where you've put your things.
The background can help you decide how dressed-up you want to be. Mayfair's shopfronts might suit the jacket you've brought for dinner; a riverside wander might call for a comfortable layer you can keep wearing afterwards. If you're coming with friends, agree on the sort of outing you're dressing for rather than trying to make everyone identical.
Comfortable shoes and a manageable bag are particularly useful when you're standing on a pavement or waiting for a turn. Keep your belongings with you and choose clothes you can move in. The nicest expression usually comes more easily when you're enjoying the person beside you, not wondering where you've put your things.
Letโs find your favourite little piece of London
Big Ben behind you, a leafy river view or a red box on a street you can't wait to explore. Tell us your date, who's coming and the background you love, and we can talk through a London photo outing that fits your trip.
Your red phone box questions answered
You can enjoy an ordinary personal photograph beside the public street boxes, including the popular Big Ben setting, without buying an attraction ticket. Budget separately for transport, food and any booked photography session, and ask for a session quote based on your date and plans.
For an ordinary photo stop, you'll share the box and pavement with other visitors and take your turn. You can still make the moment feel like yours when you step beside that red door, even though the space isn't reserved. For a larger professional setup, ask your photographer to check the location and any permissions beforehand: nearby streets, gardens, river areas and the Covent Garden piazza have different managers.
You can make a lovely portrait beside the box without entering its narrow doorway. To choose a comfortable stopping place, share your wheelchair or pushchair needs when planning the outing and check the exact route, station access, pavement, crossings and likely crowds. Space varies from box to box, so the plan needs to fit you as well as the background you love.
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