The Ext. Street Blog
A walking tour of London in the footsteps of
James Bond
Following in the footsteps of James Bond would take you around the world more than once, but if you want to visit the most filming locations in one day, your only destination can be London.
This short self-guided walking tour is less than four miles and visits filming locations for TEN James Bond films. If you have your hiking boots on and wish to up the mileage, there is a diversion to Buckingham Palace to bag another location.
The route is available on Google Maps.
As well as visiting the filming locations, this tour takes you through the heart of London and you will also see many of the capital’s famous landmarks.
If you prefer a shorter walk, start at Westminster Bridge. Thsi will be less than two miles walking.
The SIS Building, Vauxhall
Where better to start than the home of the Special Intelligence Service (SIS) aka MI6? The nearest underground station is Vauxhall, and many bus routes stop there.
First appearing in Goldeneye, it featured in many films that followed, until it was destroyed by a bomb in Skyfall. Head North along the Albert Embankment road to view the front of the building and see where a hooded Bond dispatched a pair of goons in Spectre, before entering the building’s ruins looking for Madeleine.
Continue North and join the Thames Path along the riverside. Looking across the river you can see the location of the CNS building from Spectre. The building itself was CGI. Further along you can see the Thames Party Boats pontoon. Just south of the pontoon would be the subterranean tributary that leads Tanner and Bond to the MI6 base, but this is also CGI in the film.
On this side of the river is the location of the Universal Exports building featured as an establishing shot in Dr No, but the building itself has since been demolished.
It’s a bit of a stroll up the Albert Embankement, under Lambeth Bridge and then to Westminster Bridge. This stretch of the river saw the beginning of the boat chase that opens The World Is Not Enough, passing in front of the Houses of Parliament.
Westminster Bridge
Pass under Westminster Bridge and then double back up the steps, and you’ll see the door that Bond uses to enter the fictional Vauxhall Cross tube station, another one of MI6’s underground bases in Die Another Day. Cross the bridge towards Westminster. This is of course the scene of the climax to Spectre, where Blofeld’s helicopter crashes.
Embankment
Follow Victoria Embankment North to Embankment underground station, the location where Silva emerged from the subway disguised as a Policeman, following his destruction of the train tunnel.
Take the first left along Whitehall Place and then left again along Whitehall Court. You will come face to face with the MOD building, just as Bond does in No Time To Die.
Whitehall
Take a right along Horseguards Avenue until it meets Whitehall. On this corner is the building used as MI6 HQ in Octopussy and A View To A Kill.
The Mall
Cross Whitehall here and go under the arches into Horsguard Parade. Head north towards the Mall, and see where Madeleine crosses the road on her way to hospital in No Time To Die.
If you want to take a diversion, turn left and head along the Mall to Buckingham Palace. This is where Graves made his flashy parachute landing in Die Another Day. The building is famous for other reasons too. Return along the Mall.
Take a right along Admiralty Place, where Madeleine looked over her shoulder before being kidnapped in Spectre. The street leads to Spring Gardens, where the safe house in Spectre was located. Turn left towards Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar Square
Uganda House, overlooking the Square was the location of Universal Exports Ltd, a cover for Q’s gadget lab in The Living Daylights.
Cross Trafalgar Square and visit the National Gallery. It is free to enter, so worth ducking in and visiting room 34, where Bond and Q rendezvous in Skyfall. They regard The Fighting Temeraire by Turner, but that painting is now in room 40 of the gallery.
Somerset House
Head East from the gallery along William IV Street, Chandos Place and then Maiden Lane. M enjoyed a meal at Rules restaurant until it was interrupted by Q and Moneypenny. Fittingly, they have Vespers and Martinis on the menu.
Cut onto the Strand along Southampton Street and then continue to Somerset House. The courtyard here marks the end of the tour. This location did double duty in Bond. It stood in for St Petersberg, in Goldeneye, when Wade battles his little car. Closer to home, it was the MOD in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Top image on this page made with OpenStreetMap.org using Streets.gl.