London

Arrive at 9am when the forecourt is nearly empty — golden morning light hits the Portland stone facade and the Victoria Memorial gleams white against a blue sky. Walk the full length of the gilded fence for the classic shot, then climb the steps of the Victoria Memorial for an elevated angle with the entire palace stretched behind you. Watch the Queen's Guard in their bearskin hats standing motionless at the sentry boxes — close enough to see the buttons on their tunics.

Tip: Skip the front gate crowd — climb to the top tier of the Victoria Memorial for the only elevated angle of the full palace facade. Before 10am you'll have this vantage point almost to yourself. The Changing of the Guard is at 11:00 but takes 45 minutes and the view is blocked by thousands of heads — not worth waiting for on a one-day trip.