More about: The Shard Tickets and Tours
If you're looking for thrills and don't suffer from vertigo, don't miss the city's latest tourist attraction on your next trip to London: The View panoramic viewing platform.
Located in The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe, it is, along with the famous London Eye, the best place to see London from above. Want to know how to get tickets? Read on!
London The Shard Tickets
The most convenient option for enjoying the best view of London
If you are planning your trip to London and want to secure a spot to enjoy the most spectacular viewpoint in Europe, it is best to book your ticket online at the best price.
Given that this is a very popular viewpoint in London, the best option to guarantee access on the day you want is to buy tickets for The Shard online and in advance from £39. This way, you'll have direct access and ensure you don't miss out on your visit.
An ideal option for enjoying the best panoramic views of the city from a height of 244 metres and a distance of 64 kilometres. You can also choose to enjoy a premium experience by adding a glass of champagne.
Why I like this option: I'm not exaggerating when I say that The Shard's viewing platform has the most amazing views of the British capital, even more so than the London Eye, as it is almost twice as high as the famous Ferris wheel.
Recommended if... you want to visit this architectural marvel without having to queue for tickets at the door.
How to buy tickets for The Shard
At Hellotickets you can buy tickets for The View panoramic viewpoint at The Shard. To do so, you will need to choose the exact time of your visit. Intervals are every 15 minutes. This way, you can cancel for free.
You also have the option of buying tickets on the skyscraper's website, but you have to do so well in advance. Keep in mind that along with the London Eye, The Shard is one of the best places to get a panoramic view of London and receives many visitors.
Ticket prices and visits to The Shard
There are no discounts on admission to The Shard on any day of the week, and there are no reduced rates for any groups, except for children under 3, who are admitted free of charge. You can buy tickets to The Shard from £29. If you want to enjoy a superior experience, you can also enjoy a glass of Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut champagne from £57. Read the following article if you want more details about prices at The Shard.
Tourist cards that include admission to The Shard
Of course, if you're looking to save a few pounds, you can always purchase the London Explorer Pass from £55 and enjoy a range of discounts at The Shard and the city's main attractions. See below for all the information about the London Explorer Pass.
How can I save on tickets and visits to The Shard?
A great way to save money and make the most of your visit to The Shard is to combine your ticket with other tourist activities in London. There are several combined experiences that include access to this iconic skyscraper along with guided tours, Thames cruises or walking tours of the city. These options allow you to enjoy a more complete and enriching view of London.
Here are some of the best options to combine your visit to The Shard and save money:
- Guided walking tour of London + tickets to The Shard (from £58): Stroll past more than 30 iconic attractions in small groups and end the day with spectacular views from The Shard.
- Private tour of London + skip-the-line tickets to The Shard (from £240): Explore the city with a guide just for you and finish your tour with direct access to the viewing platform of the UK's tallest skyscraper.
- Guided tour of Westminster + Thames cruise + tickets to The Shard (from £142): Experience London from land, water and air in this complete experience that includes a walking tour, boat trip and fast-track access to The Shard.
- Guided tour of Westminster + tickets to The Shard (from £103): Discover the main sights of Westminster with a guide and end your tour at The Shard to see the city from above.
The Shard opening hours
The Shard opening hours
The Shard viewing platform is open Wednesday to Sunday during the summer months from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. non-stop and during the winter months from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, opening hours may vary due to special events. I therefore recommend that you check the official website to confirm the latest opening and closing times before your visit.
Also, keep in mind that the last admission is one hour before the official closing time and restaurants close approximately 30 minutes before closing time.
How long does it take to see The Shard?
The visit lasts approximately 1 hour. You can spend the first 45 minutes enjoying the views from the viewing platform and reserve the remaining time to relax in The View bar while sipping a glass of champagne.
Please note that Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days at The Shard, so if you want to visit at the weekend, I recommend going early to confirm your preferred visiting time.
What is The View from The Shard like?
If I had to describe it in a few words, this viewpoint is an unmissable and absolutely thrilling experience. Being up there looking out over London and the Thames from the highest observatory in Western Europe is mind-blowing. It feels as if time and the city itself have come to a standstill before your eyes.
It all begins when you arrive at the entrance to The Shard in the London Bridge area. As you look up from the ground, you feel like an ant as you gaze up at this colossal structure that seems to go on forever.
It gives you an idea of the magnificent views that await you at the top and the excitement builds. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, one step at a time.
The Shard's ultra-fast lifts
When you arrive at The Shard with your ticket, you will have to go through a security check, just like at an airport. In just a few minutes, the skyscraper staff will guide you to the lift you need to take to get to The View. The complex has a total of 44 lifts, but only two of them take you to the spectacular views at the top.
As with other famous observatories such as Top of the Rock and The Edge in New York, the lifts at The Shard are also interactive, with panoramic images of London projected onto the walls, giving you a taste of what you'll see at the viewing platform. With these ultra-fast lifts , I went up 68 floors in less than a minute without even noticing. Wow!
Entering The View
As the highest observatory in the city, The View undoubtedly offers the best aerial view of London.
It is divided into three floors, two of which are enclosed and one is an open terrace. Level 69 is a glass-enclosed floor offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the British capital. From so many metres up, everything looks like a toy model: St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the River Thames, the Town Hall, the Gherkin and the London Eye, among many other sites.
The truth is that you can spend a very entertaining time here scrutinising the cityscape to identify its tourist attractions one by one. In addition, this floor has digital telescopes with touch screens called 'tell:scopes' that allow you to see the city both day and night, zooming in and receiving real-time information about London's main attractions to understand its past and present.
The top of The View
But, if you ask me, the experience really takes off when you reach the top of The View on the 72nd floor of the skyscraper. After climbing a short flight of stairs, you'll reach The Shard's open-air viewing platform, where on a clear day you'll have breathtaking panoramic views of up to 65 kilometres around.
The feeling you get here is that of standing on the edge of a precipice while feeling the wind on your face. Everything seems small and immense at the same time! Your adrenaline will skyrocket and you'll inevitably get goosebumps if you're afraid of heights. The occasion deserves it, so take advantage of the moment to take all the videos and selfies you want of your visit.
If you like thrills, I promise you that seeing London at your feet from The Shard, hundreds of metres above the ground, is a very exciting sensation that you will never forget.
The perfect end to your visit to The View
As it's not every day you get to visit such a spectacular place, we wanted to spend more time at The Shard enjoying the atmosphere and took advantage of the visit to have a drink at the viewpoint bar (there is a bar on floors 69 and 72), as the entrance fee includes a glass of Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut champagne if you select this option when booking.
As the prices on the menu are not very cheap, I recommend choosing this option if you don't want to pay too much for a drink. Having a drink up there with those wonderful views is an excellent way to end the visit, don't you think?
What is the best time of day to visit The Shard?
What is the best time of day to visit The Shard?
I would say that the experience at The Shard depends more on the weather in London than on the time of day, as you will see more of the city on a sunny day than on a rainy one, but the views from The View are truly breathtaking at any time of day.
However, my favourite time is at sunset. Watching the sun set over London and the River Thames as the city lights gradually come on is unparalleled. It's a magical feeling!
One of the most beautiful experiences you'll have during your trip and one that I highly recommend.
Isabel's Traveler Tip
On a clear day, you can see 65 km in all directions. Look closely and you'll even see the Houses of Parliament.
How to get to The Shard?
The Shard is located in the historic London Bridge area, close to such interesting sights as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the modern Town Hall, Borough Market and HMS Belfast. There are also many trendy restaurants and bars in the surrounding area where you can relax after visiting the skyscraper.
There are several ways to get to The Shard:
- Underground: Northern and Jubilee lines at London Bridge Underground Station.
- Bus: Routes 43, 48, 141, 149 and 521.
- Train: Southern and South Eastern trains at London Bridge Station.
Discover The Shard: a little history
Discovering The Shard: a little history
In 2012, the modern architecture of the prestigious Renzo Piano changed the London skyline forever, and in just a few years it has become one of the icons of the British capital. The Shard was conceived as a vertical city where "people could work, live and relax".
This 87-storey skyscraper has offices (floors 3-28), restaurants (31-33), the Shangri-La Hotel-La (floors 34-52), several private apartments (floors 53-65), The View observation deck (floors 68-72) and the spire (floors 73-87), which is open at the top, allowing the building to "breathe" and release the heat generated inside. The Shard was built with an ecological focus. No less than 95% of the materials used in its construction are recycled, and the enormous glass wall covering the entire skyscraper was designed with photovoltaic panels.
But Renzo Piano's project not only sought to build the tallest skyscraper in Western Europe, but also to regenerate the London Bridge area, one of the city's busiest railway stations. The entrance was renovated and now houses a shopping arcade called The Retail Arcade, managed by The Shard. You can take advantage of your visit to take a stroll around the shopping centre and do some shopping.
Did you know that...
Before the Mercury City Tower in Moscow (339 metres) was built, The Shard (310 metres) held the record for the tallest building in Europe.
Other breathtaking views in London
If you're one of those travellers who loves to enjoy London from above, another must-see is The London Eye, which was the world's tallest Ferris wheel at the beginning of the 21st century until it was surpassed by the Star of Nachang (China) and the Singapore Flyer (Singapore).
The London Eye is a rotating panoramic observatory (360º) and a true icon of the British capital. You'll find it in the heart of London, in the Riverside Building on County Hall Westminster Bridge Road.
Be sure to bring your camera because from here you'll take spectacular photos of Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, which you can add to your collection of London skyline photos that you started at The Shard.
If you want to know how to get on the world's most famous Ferris wheel, I recommend you take a look at the article Tickets for the London Eye, where you'll learn how to get the cheapest tickets with priority access.