Location 1 · London, UK

London

Licence to Roam is a free guide to the real places the James Bond films were shot. See every location.

Bond's home city. MI6 on the river, Fleming's front doors, and the clubs that became Blades.

Why go

Bond's home city: the real MI6 headquarters on the Thames, the clubs of St James's that became Blades, and the streets where Fleming lived and wrote. MI6 was only acknowledged in law in 1994, the year it moved into Vauxhall Cross.

The place

Admitting it exists

For most of the 20th century the British government didn't officially acknowledge the Secret Intelligence Service. The Intelligence Services Act 1994 did so for the first time, the same year the service moved into Vauxhall Cross.

Terry Farrell's ziggurat

The architect Terry Farrell designed the stepped, green-glazed building, inspired by 1930s industrial architecture and Mayan temples. Londoners have called it everything from Legoland to Babylon-on-Thames.

A real attack

In September 2000 a rocket was fired at the building from across the road. It hit an eighth-floor window but did only superficial damage.

The shoot: The World Is Not Enough (1999)

The Q-boat bursts out of the building and races down the Thames.

Across town

The Reform Club on Pall Mall plays Blades in Die Another Day, Carlton House Terrace holds Madeleine's office in No Time to Die, and a Bayswater church and St Pancras station stand in for St Petersburg in GoldenEye.

The Q-boat

In The World Is Not Enough (1999) a bomb tears through MI6 and Bond launches the unfinished Q-boat from the wreckage, chasing the assassin down the Thames all the way to the Millennium Dome.

A building in miniature

The explosion and the boat's launch were shot using a quarter-scale model of the building, more than 80 feet long, built by special effects supervisor John Richardson.

Blown up again

The building took another hit in Skyfall (2012), when an explosion rips through M's office, and is finally demolished in Spectre (2015).

The spots

Millbank, facing MI6: The film's view of the building: the bomb blows a hole in the wall and the Q-boat bursts out onto the Thames. Stand: On the riverside walk on the north bank, just west of Vauxhall Bridge, looking across at the whole riverfront.
22B Ebury Street, Fleming's flat: Not a film set: Ian Fleming's flat in the 1930s, years before Bond. A blue plaque marks it. Stand: On Ebury Street outside number 22B, looking up at the blue plaque.
16 Victoria Square, Fleming's home: Not a film set: Fleming lived here from 1953 until his death in 1964, the years he wrote the Bond novels. Stand: In the small square just off Buckingham Palace Road, outside number 16.
Buckingham Palace: Die Another Day: Gustav Graves parachutes in to collect his knighthood outside the palace. Stand: At the Victoria Memorial, facing the palace, then walk up Green Park to St James's.
Dukes Bar: Not a film set: Fleming drank here, and the bar ties itself to the Vesper martini and "shaken, not stirred". Still open: order the martini. Stand: In St James's Place, a quiet cul-de-sac off St James's Street.
Boodle's, St James's Street: Not a film set: Fleming's club, and the main model for Blades, Bond's club in the Moonraker novel. Stand: On St James's Street outside number 28. Members only, so look from the street.
The Reform Club, Pall Mall: Die Another Day: it plays Blades, where Bond and Graves settle up after their sword fight. Quantum of Solace: M and Tanner walk through the main hall. Stand: On Pall Mall outside number 104. Members only, so look from the street.
Carlton House Terrace: No Time to Die: Madeleine climbs the steps by the Duke of York Column; her office scenes with Safin were filmed at numbers 10 to 11. Stand: At the top of the Duke of York Steps by the column, looking down to The Mall.
35 Spring Gardens, the Spectre safe house: Spectre: the MI6 safe house where M, Q and Moneypenny meet Bond, before the drive across London when Blofeld's men strike. Stand: In Spring Gardens, the side street just behind Admiralty Arch.
Malaysia House, Trafalgar Square: The Living Daylights: the front for Universal Exports, MI6's cover company. Stand: On the south-west corner of Trafalgar Square, at number 57.
The National Gallery: Skyfall: Bond meets the new Q on a bench in front of Turner's The Fighting Temeraire. Stand: Inside, in front of The Fighting Temeraire. Entry is free; ask staff which room it hangs in today.
The Old War Office, Whitehall: Octopussy, A View to a Kill and Licence to Kill: where Bond is briefed. Skyfall: Bond on the rooftops after M's death. Stand: On Whitehall opposite Horse Guards. It's now the OWO hotel, so you can go inside for a drink.
Whitehall Court: For Your Eyes Only: it stands in for the Ministry of Defence. It also appears in No Time to Die, and the real Secret Service had early offices here. Stand: On Whitehall Place, looking up at the turrets from the corner by the river.
Ministry of Defence, Main Building: For Your Eyes Only: plays itself. No Time to Die: stands in for MI6's offices. Stand: On Horse Guards Avenue, outside the main entrance.
Westminster Bridge: Spectre: Bond shoots down Blofeld's helicopter, which crash-lands on the bridge in the finale. Stand: Mid-span, looking towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Embankment Place: Skyfall: Silva comes up into the street after the chase through the Tube. Stand: At Embankment Place under Charing Cross station, by Villiers Street.
Rules, Maiden Lane: Spectre: M sits in London's oldest restaurant, beneath a nautical painting. Stand: On Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. Book a table to see the room.
Somerset House: GoldenEye: Jack Wade's car breaks down in the courtyard, playing St Petersburg. Tomorrow Never Dies: Bond drives through the north arch to meet M. Stand: In the central courtyard, facing the north wing arch.
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Bayswater: GoldenEye: the "St Petersburg" church where Boris lures Natalya and traps her. The interior is filmed here. Stand: On Moscow Road, Bayswater. Open for services, so dress and behave as you would in any church.
St Pancras station: GoldenEye: platform 5 plays St Petersburg station, where Natalya arrives. Stand: Inside the great arched train shed, looking along the platforms.
Frobisher Crescent, Barbican: Quantum of Solace: MI6's headquarters, set in a block of flats. Stand: Inside the Barbican Centre, looking up at the curved crescent of flats.
The Millennium Dome (The O2): Where the boat chase ends: the assassin escapes by hot-air balloon from the Dome and Bond leaps onto its rope. Stand: On the riverside path at North Greenwich, looking up at the Dome's yellow masts.

More: every The World Is Not Enough location.

Stand here

Cross to Millbank on the north bank, just west of Vauxhall Bridge. The full riverfront elevation faces you across the water.

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Quick answers

Where in UK was The World Is Not Enough filmed?

London, London, UK. The Q-boat bursts out of the building and races down the Thames.

Where exactly should I stand at London?

There are 22 filming spots. Start at Millbank, facing MI6: On the riverside walk on the north bank, just west of Vauxhall Bridge, looking across at the whole riverfront.

How do I get to London?

Vauxhall station, then a 5-minute walk over the bridge. Pair it with Room 34 of the National Gallery.

When is the best time to visit London?

Late afternoon, when the sun is on the river face.

How long should I allow at London?

Allow 1 day. Exterior only. Free.

Can I visit London for free?

Exterior only. Free.

Visit

Best: Late afternoon, when the sun is on the river face. Access: Exterior only. Free. Getting there: Vauxhall station, then a 5-minute walk over the bridge. Pair it with Room 34 of the National Gallery.

Taste: Pie, mash and liquor, a London classic, or a pint at a riverside pub on the Albert Embankment.