Abbey Road Zebra CrossingThe most photographed zebra crossing in the world. Walk in the footsteps of John, Paul, George and Ringo across the exact crossing used for the 1969 Abbey Road album cover. Traffic is constant — locals are used to it. The white wall outside the studio is covered in fan graffiti repainted every few years. Free, 24 hours.
Abbey Road StudiosThe most famous recording studio in the world. The Beatles recorded virtually every album here between 1962 and 1970. You can't go inside (it's still a working studio) but the shop sells exclusive merch and the exterior wall is a pilgrimage site. Studio 2 — their studio — occasionally opens for tours. Check the website.
3 Savile Row — The Rooftop ConcertOn 30 January 1969, the Beatles climbed to the roof of their Apple Corps offices here and played their last ever live concert — unannounced, to the street below. The police eventually stopped them. John's last words: 'I hope we passed the audition.' Now a private building, but the exterior is unchanged. One of rock history's most sacred spots.
Marylebone Station — A Hard Day's NightThe opening chase scene of A Hard Day's Night (1964) was filmed here — four mop-topped lads sprinting from a mob of screaming girls. The station facade looks almost identical today. Walk around to Boston Place on the right side of the station to find the exact street where John, George and Ringo were running.
34 Montagu Square — John & Yoko's FlatRingo originally rented this flat in 1965. Jimi Hendrix later lived here briefly, then John and Yoko moved in. It was here they recorded the avant-garde Two Virgins album and where they were famously arrested for cannabis possession in 1968. A blue plaque marks the spot. A quiet Georgian square, easy to miss without knowing the story.
94 Baker Street — Apple BoutiqueIn 1967 the Beatles opened their psychedelic Apple Boutique here, painted with a giant mural and stocked with 'beautiful things for beautiful people'. It closed just 8 months later — they gave everything away for free on the last day and stripped the shop bare. Now a Specsavers, but Beatles fans still make the pilgrimage.
The London Palladium — Beatlemania BornThe Beatles performed here on 13 October 1963 for the Sunday Night at the London Palladium TV show — watched by 15 million people. The next morning, the word 'Beatlemania' appeared for the first time in the press. The Palladium is still one of London's great theatres; its grand facade on Argyll Street is unmistakable.
Indica Gallery — John Meets YokoIn November 1966, John Lennon attended a private preview at this avant-garde gallery in Mason's Yard, Mayfair. He climbed a ladder to read a tiny card with a magnifying glass — it said 'YES'. He met the artist, Yoko Ono, that night. The rest is history. The gallery is long gone but the yard looks the same.
57 Wimpole Street — Paul's Early London HomePaul McCartney lived here with his then-girlfriend Jane Asher's family from 1963 to 1966. It was in the small attic room of this Marylebone townhouse that Paul wrote Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby and many other Beatles classics. A blue plaque marks the address. Standing outside, it's hard to believe so much music came from here.
20 Manchester Square — EMI HeadquartersFrom 1960 to 1995, this elegant Georgian townhouse was the UK headquarters of EMI — the label that signed and broke the Beatles internationally. The famous 1963 'With The Beatles' album cover photo was taken on the staircase inside. Now private apartments, but the exterior and square are free to visit.