The London Eye

A prominent landmark in South bank, just across from the Big Ben on the other side of the Westminster Bridge is the Coca Cola London Eye. An icon of London along the Thames for nearly 2 decades.

Costing a whopping £24.95/adult and £19.95/child (March 2017 prices), it doesn't come cheap! However it has become such an icon that there are many replicas of the "eye" on river banks across the world.

According to an Internet trivia, the London Eye receives more visitors per year than the Taj Mahal or the pyramids of Giza. It is not considered a Ferris (or Giant) wheel but the world's tallest observation wheel with 32 capsules representing the 32 boroughs of London. 

 

Ferries whizz past the London Eye on the Thames, ferrying people from across the banks of one of the most important rivers in history - the Thames.

People on the Queen's walk look up and gape at the capsules and the views it must be offering people that were lucky enough to get onto it.

All this while the Eye rotates at a snail's pace of 26 cm/sec, offering a flight across London in as little as 30 minutes.

The queues start early at the ticket offices located in the County Hall just across from the entrance to the eye. Tourists line up eagerly to cough up the sky high (pun intended) asking price just to have "been there and done that"! The tickets go so fast that within an hour of opening the morning tickets are sold out. Most of the times visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets at their website (https://www.londoneye.com). 

A short 4D movie takes the visitors on a virtual ride before queuing up for roughly 20 minutes to board the capsule. A quick security check and then we line up to enter the large glass capsule.

Cameras at the ready, your 30 minutes flight begins now! Views all around are plenty. On a clear day you can see up to 40 kms in every direction, they claim! Sadly, the number of clear days on London's weather calendar aren't many.

You can see the Thames curving to the east...

Follow the river and then you see some iconic buildings and landmarks (St. Pauls Cathedral, The walkie-talkie and The Shard) to the east...

Then follow the Thames to the south, catching sight of the Westminster Bridge, the houses of Parliament, the Westminster Abbey and further...

Do not forget to the smile at the camera just as you near the bottom of the wheel. After a quick glance at the 360º views, you disembark from the capsule and visit the shop to see your photos and perhaps, for buying a couple of souvenirs.

Tips

1. Westminster. 
Use the exit to Westminster Pier for quick access to the Westminster Bridge.

2. South bank and the area near the London Eye is always crowded; keep an eye on your belongings though there have been rare cases of theft.

3. Tickets are very expensive. However there are some offers always around. There's the Kellogg's grown-ups-go-free offer, where you only pay for a child ticket - a cut-off coupon found on certain Kellogg's cereal boxes at certain times of the year in the UK. There is a 2For1 offered by National Rail. Visit https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/london-eye for more details. Tesco's club card vouchers also entitle you to get the tickets at certain times. If all fails, you can always save more by purchasing combined tickets for more than one attraction that you're intending to visit in the UK (https://www.londoneye.com/days-out-in-london/)

4. Time your visit to coincide with sunset. If that is not an option ensure that the sun isn't directly behind or above the Houses of Parliament. Use https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london to determine the position and angle of the sun. The Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are on the west and are the most photographed attraction from the London Eye and the sun shining directly into the camera isn't a favourable scenario.

5. It is always a good idea to purchase tickets on the day of the ride as the weather is quite unpredictable in London and a £25 wash-out isn't on top of everyone's list. If purchasing tickets for the day it is always a good idea to purchase the tickets in the morning and return in the evening to board. There's so much to do in the area in the meantime.

6. If you do not feel like spending the £25 for the 30 minute flight, you can get similar views for free from The Sky Garden at Fenchurch Street. Read more here - The Sky Garden.

The Sky Garden

London is a very fascinating city! The new and the old co-exist harmoniously. An old church does not seem out of place amidst a group of buildings built in steel and glass. Neither does a 36 storey building right across from the The Shard!

20 Fenchurch Street, or the more adorable name for it locally, the walkie-talkie tower, rises unassumingly among a group of short storied buildings. A well-known landmark in the new and changing skyline of central London, it opened it's top floor to the public just over a year ago. 

A dedicated entrance at the back of the building welcomes visitors to the restaurants and the viewing gallery at Sky Garden. A quick scan of the bar code on the pre booked tickets, an airport style security check and a super fast lift whisks you up to the 35th floor.

A large indoor area with cafe style tables and lounge style couches welcomes you on the 35th floor. There's a cafe selling expensive coffees and drinks. However your eyes are soon distracted by the view outside the supersized windows.

The Francis Golding terrace (closed during inclement weather) beckons you for unrivalled views from Canary Wharf to the Wembley Stadium and everything in between. And if you time the visit right you can marvel at the awe-inspiring vision of the sun setting over the roof tops of London.

After gaping at the views from the terrace it's time to head back inside and climb the stairs to access the 36th floor. If you're wondering about the garden from "Sky Garden" you'll notice it now! The stairs on the extreme left and right are flanked by lush greenery - a garden in the 35th floor indeed, though I doubt if anyone would visit to see the garden!

It's now time to see the cheese grater and the space shuttle or more formally known as Tower 42 and The Gherkin from the bar and viewing gallery at the 36th. 

Once you've marvelled at the views here, a stair just behind the bar takes you to the top floor of the building - the 37th. It's a terrace off the Fenchurch restaurant and offers you, well, even more views!

It's now time to walk down the stairs on the other side and try and spot all the points of interest marked on the glass windows. From St. Paul's to Tate Modern to Tower of London to the London Eye, Westminster and everything beyond!

If you dawdle long enough you can also catch lights sparkling across the streets of London.

And also in the Sky Garden

While your wallet becomes lighter by about £20 if you were to cross the London Bridge to go up The Shard, it's absolutely free to visit Sky Garden. All you need is to book your convenient slot when it opens up (3 weeks ahead) at https://skygarden.london/booking. 

Access

Monument, Bank, or Tower Hill

Fenchurch Street, Canon Street

Bank, Tower Gateway