The View from The Shard — Attraction in London

Tickets for my Sister and myself were purchased two years ago and then Covid-19 happened. Needing to use those tickets as the extension period was coming to an end, we made plans. Taking into account work commitments, we decided that a Friday evening would be best for us. Luckily the day chosen had good weather and it was not too cold. Metropolitan Line to Finchley Road, then change across a platform to the Jubilee Line to London Bridge. Just sixteen minutes on the second train had us arriving at London Bridge. Heading out of the station, the way to The Shard was very clearly signposted and took only a few minutes. Passing quickly through a checkpoint outside, we were directed up a flight of stairs and into the Ticket Sales and Reception Area. Staff here were very helpful and we were quickly on our way. It became clear that the visitor procedures were clearly thought out with one-way routes and staff providing guidance and instructions on what to do. To get to the viewing areas located at, and above, the 68th floor, it is necessary to get two different lifts. The first takes you from ground level to the 33rd floor and after a short walk, the second takes you up to the 68th floor. Lifts were very smooth with little sensation of the speed we were travelling. A staff member drew our attention to a panel which showed our progress in each lift. Arriving on the 68th floor, it was possible on leaving the lift to get our first view over South-East London. As this was not a main viewing floor it was necessary to walk up some stairs to the 69th floor. Arriving there, those (like us) who had a particular type of ticket were treated to a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne :-). This floor allows you to walk around all four sides of the square building with views up to many miles in all directions. The River Thames, several bridges including Tower, London and Blackfriars, tourist landmarks such as The Tower of London, The London Eye, The Post Office Tower and more modern buildings including those in the City and over at Canary Wharf, all clearly visible on this sunny afternoon. One thing that was quite funny, seen from above, was the number of main-line railway stations and trains. It was just like looking down on a large model railway. Lots of photographs taken and then it was time to climb some more stairs up to the 72nd floor, which is open to the elements. Today it was quite breezy in places but very refreshing. Again, more photographs. After several laps identifying places, it was time to begin our descent. Down to the 69th floor, a couple of laps and down again to the 68th floor to get the lift back down. As before, the journey down took two lifts. Arriving at Ground Level you are directed out via The Shard Gift and Souvenir Shop. More spending here including a cloth bag for £ 1.00. Good quality and very good value. Was this a worthwhile visit ?, certainly a resounding Yes. How much time could you spend here ?, several hours could be spent matching places to memories and identifying landmarks. In honesty, probably not a good place to take very small children. Access for mobility impaired is quite good and there is plenty of space for wheelchair users. Is it worth the money ?, Yes but to get maximum value to need to do more than just look out of the windows. Would we come...

Now I'm terrified of heights so I wasn't looking forward to going up so high, but since it was a gift and it was my wife 50th birthday I decided to give it a go...it's obvious best to go later in the day as it's less busy, the queue wasn't too bad but security check holds every thing up, I even had to remove my belt.. now I was in real danger of showing more than just the view from the shard and could only hold my trousers up as we made our way up... ushered into a lift with about 10 people we started to go up...it's all automatic you just have to stand ...the lift speedily goes up to the first half of the shard....on the exit we had to follow a carefully planned route to be then ushered in to a 2nd lift to go further up...the lift only takes seconds and then your up...well the view is amazing but I couldn't wait to rush to the toilet to quickly put my belt back on my trousers before they fell down ...after that I was ready... wow the view is amazing and you can see London from every angle .... amazing ...I was a bit reluctant to go close to the edge but it was perfectly safe as it was inside with these huge glass windows to look out...we plumped to have a drink and prices were about what you can expect being so high up... prices start from 7 pound a drink upwards ...small glass of champagne was about 20!! ...but people were drinking plenty and it was quite busy but you can't stop looking out at the view anyway... really enjoyed it and just have a look at the photos...don't worry about it being so high it's totally safe ....we spent about 1.5hrs looking out and waiting for the light of the streets far below to come on... overall a great visit and would definitely recommend.. only down side was for my belt but I can understand it was for security purposes but i couldn't put it back on after the check as we were in a queue for the first lift..not very good...but only a...

Absolute must visit if you're in London! Definitely one of the best views of the city. If you're lucky and you pick a sunny day - even better! The view is amazing and you can even get a drink at the top and relax. I already visited a few times and would definitely go again!

If you want to see the best views of London make sure you visit The View from the Shard. At 1016 ft the Shard is the second tallest building in Europe if you don't include Russia. TVFTS features unparalleled vistas of the British capital. It's got several viewing decks and well stocked bar. Admission is $42 and it's included with the London Pass but reservations are required. I highly recommend this attraction if you happen to be visiting.

A great experience, there are two levels to view from, one internal and one external. The external platform is completely enclosed with high windows but no ceiling, it was a bit chilly as there is quite a bit of wind at that height. We spoke at length with Michael, who is one of the team there to assist. He was very knowledgeable about points of interest that you can see from The Shard, and where the ones are that you can't see easily. It is fairly expensive but worth it, as you can't get these views anywhere else. You can stay for hours if you want, but be prepared to pay high prices for drinks. The cocktails were nice but pricey, up to £20. There was also an optional service charge of £1.75 added to the price for making two cocktails, I couldn't see an obvious way to cancel the charge, so I just paid it. That was my only negative, really. I would highly recommend this experience, the views of London from The Shard are...