The View from The Shard: Floor 72

The Shard is undoubtedly one of the most iconic buildings in London, and if you are planning a trip to London, you probably won’t want to miss a visit to the top of the tallest building in Western Europe. Going all the way up to the 72^nd floor of The Shard, which is located on London Bridge, guarantees the BEST views of the city.

The View from the Shard in London: Our experience

Although we have been living in London for years now, we still act like tourists every weekend and love to explore the city. So, one thing we had to do was go to the top of The Shard.

Unfortunately, the day we had booked, turned out to be a very snowy day! and we did indeed go thinking the views would be amazing, and that it was going to be wonderful to see the snow fall from so high. But the reality was that we could not see anything at all – so we were a little disappointed. However, as we left, we spoke to someone at the information desk, and they gave us two new passes to visit again later in the year due to poor visibility on the day. (Win!)

So, we went again on a day where good weather was predicted, and we decided to go when we could see day turn to dusk.

So how was it? On both occasions that we’ve been, we have zoomed up the high building very quickly. On entry there has always been a small queue, but we passed through quickly. There is security control just like you would find at the airport, your bags need to be checked before going up. Then you go up in a first elevator to the 32^nd floor. There you take a second elevator to the 67^th floor. From there you will walk up one more floor to the 68^th and enjoy your first viewpoint with 360-degree views of the city. From here you can make your way to the 72^nd floor, with its open roof.

And was it worth it? Absolutely! The views were breath-taking. You have perfect views of Tower Bridge, The Tower of London and the Town Hall, and the photos that you can take are absolutely stunning. You can see the  rest of the city really well including Big Ben and the London Eye, although they are just that little bit further away. You’ll find plenty of information explaining what you can see of the 68^th floor.

How to get to The Shard

The nearest tube station to The Shard is London Bridge. From London Bridge Underground Station it’s just a 2 minute walk to the main entrance.

Whilst you’re in the area, we would suggest that you also visit Borough Market or walk alongside the River Thames, where you can take a stroll alongside the river to Tower Bridge or to the London Eye.

Opening Times

In 2023, the View from the Shard is open for visitors from Wednesday to Sunday. Once you are ready to book your tickets, please have a look at the available times as they are different depending on the day and the month that you would like to visit.

Buy tickets for The Shard

The entrance to The View from The Shard is free with The London Pass and with this tourist pass it’s not necessary to reserve a time, you simply need to present your London Pass at the door.

If you don’t have a London Pass, you can also buy tickets online in advance. This is the best way to get your tickets to the Shard, as it will save you time rather than waiting in queues.

Buy Tickets to The View from The Shard