



London: The Shard
Operating Hours:Daily: 10:00 - 22:00 (last entry 21:00). Seasonal extended hours in summer
The Vibe:Western Europe's tallest building, 800 feet up.
Renzo Piano's 95-storey glass spire rises 310 metres above London Bridge, the tallest building in Western Europe since its 2012 completion. The View from the Shard on the top three floors offers 360-degree panoramas 40 miles in every direction on a clear day.
Glass lifts whoosh upward; ears pop as the pressure drops. At the top, Thames threads through London like a silver wire; St Paul's dome looks miniature. Wind keens past the building's tapered glass tip.
- • Western Europe's tallest building at 309.6 metres (95 storeys)
- • Designed by Renzo Piano, completed in 2012
- • The View observation deck on floors 68-72 is Europe's highest
- • On clear days, visibility extends to Windsor Castle (25 miles) and beyond
Persona Fit
- 👨👩👧 Families: Kids love the height; glass lifts are a thrill in themselves
- 💕 Couples: Sunset and evening tickets with cocktails at Level 31 Aqua Shard
- 👵 Seniors: Full step-free access; seating at each viewing level
- 📸 Photographers: 360-degree compositions; sunset and night are the primes
Highlights
- Level 69 — the main indoor viewing gallery at 244 metres
- Level 72 — the partially open-air 'sky platform' at 244 metres
- Skyslide telescope — augmented viewfinders identifying every landmark
- Interactive digital displays — London's history told through the view
- Premium experience — champagne at the top included in upgraded tickets
- Aqua Shard and Hutong — floor 31 restaurants with free access for diners — Hidden Gem
1 Curated Booking Option
Starts From
(Per Person)

Sarah Riches
Our London Local Expert
Table of Contents
Things To Do Nearby
Borough Market — historic food market, three minutes east
Tower Bridge — 15-minute riverside walk east
HMS Belfast — WWII cruiser moored by the river, five minutes east
Southwark Cathedral — medieval church beside Borough Market
Borough Market — historic food market, three minutes east
Tower Bridge — 15-minute riverside walk east
HMS Belfast — WWII cruiser moored by the river, five minutes east
Southwark Cathedral — medieval church beside Borough Market
TJ's Guide - The Shard
Know Before You Go
Insider Tips
Best Time: Book sunset slots ~30 minutes before sundown for day-plus-illuminated views
Hack: Aqua Shard bar on Level 31 offers London views with just the cost of a drink
Hidden Gem: Book Hutong restaurant on floor 33 for a full meal at height without Shard ticket pricing
Weather refund means you can rebook if visibility is poor
Midweek morning slots are cheaper and less crowded than weekend evenings
Best Time: Book sunset slots ~30 minutes before sundown for day-plus-illuminated views
Hack: Aqua Shard bar on Level 31 offers London views with just the cost of a drink
Hidden Gem: Book Hutong restaurant on floor 33 for a full meal at height without Shard ticket pricing
Weather refund means you can rebook if visibility is poor
Midweek morning slots are cheaper and less crowded than weekend evenings
Know Your Facts
- Closest Tube: London Bridge (Jubilee, Northern), direct exit to the Shard plaza
- Main entrance: Joiner Street (under the building), clearly signed
- Security screening is airport-style — allow 15 minutes at peak
- First-time tip: The Shard combines office, hotel, restaurants and the View — entry for each is via different doors
Once You Reach
Internal Navigation
Entry via Joiner Street: Security and ticket check
Two dedicated lifts: Level 33 transfer, then upper-floor viewing lift
Viewing Levels 68, 69 and 72 spiral upward — work up, descend by stairs
Accessibility: Lifts throughout; step-free across all viewing levels
Efficient route: Level 68 for overview, Level 72 for open-air, Level 69 for extended viewing
Food & Coffee Shops
Shangri-La Bar (on-site, Level 52): The UK's highest hotel bar
Hutong (Level 33): Contemporary Chinese dining with Tower Bridge views
Borough Market (3 min east): Street food and restaurants post-visit
Shangri-La Bar (on-site, Level 52): The UK's highest hotel bar
Hutong (Level 33): Contemporary Chinese dining with Tower Bridge views
Borough Market (3 min east): Street food and restaurants post-visit
Photography Tips
Tripods not permitted at The View
Glass reflections are the main challenge — cup your lens to the glass directly
Open-air Level 72 gives the best unobstructed compositions
Sunset and night provide the most dramatic Shard photos
Tripods not permitted at The View
Glass reflections are the main challenge — cup your lens to the glass directly
Open-air Level 72 gives the best unobstructed compositions
Sunset and night provide the most dramatic Shard photos
Explore Deeper
Renzo Piano designed The Shard as 'a sort of cathedral', a tapered glass spire inspired by medieval church steeples. Construction began in 2009 with Qatari funding; it opened in 2012 timed for the London Olympics. At 95 storeys, it became and remains Western Europe's tallest building.
The building uses 11,000 glass panels, each carefully angled to create the shimmering faceted surface; the glass is triple-layered to reflect but not overheat
The tapered design reduces wind load by 50% compared to a conventional tower; the top floors narrow because they carry less structural necessity
The building combines offices (lower 28 floors), apartments (middle), Shangri-La Hotel (upper 18 floors), restaurants (31-33) and The View (68-72)
When it opened in 2012, the Shard briefly surpassed Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt as Europe's tallest building; it was overtaken by Moscow's Federation Tower in 2017, and Europe's tallest (outside Russia) it remains
The building uses 11,000 glass panels, each carefully angled to create the shimmering faceted surface; the glass is triple-layered to reflect but not overheat
The tapered design reduces wind load by 50% compared to a conventional tower; the top floors narrow because they carry less structural necessity
The building combines offices (lower 28 floors), apartments (middle), Shangri-La Hotel (upper 18 floors), restaurants (31-33) and The View (68-72)
When it opened in 2012, the Shard briefly surpassed Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt as Europe's tallest building; it was overtaken by Moscow's Federation Tower in 2017, and Europe's tallest (outside Russia) it remains
Did You Know?
Glass panels — The Shard has 11,000 glass facets; cleaning the façade takes specialist abseil teams a full season
Lift speed — The View lifts ascend at 6 metres per second, making Level 68 reachable in under 60 seconds
Olympic timing — The building opened in 2012 specifically to debut during the London Olympics
Qatari ownership — The building is majority-owned by the State of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund






