London, Sky high, Things to do, UK

4 places to get sky high views in London Bridge

RiA
25 March, 2020
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From ground level, buildings in London’s city tower above you. Get above it all and take in London’s skyline. Here are 4 places to see amazing views in and around the London Bridge area.

1. The Monument

Built to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666, The Monument has 311 steps which will take you to the small viewing platform for 360 degree views over the River Thames.

You’ll get fantastic views of The Shard on one side with Tower Bridge on the other, the river meandering below.

When you first see The Monument, located on Fish St Hill, you wouldn’t think you were able to climb up it.

The column is very narrow so if you’re not good with small spaces, you may want to give this a miss or maybe let someone go up and take pictures for you.

The entry fee only costs a few pounds and is well worth the view. You even get a certificate to show you made the climb.

The design of the Doric tower was by none other than Sir Christopher Wren – famous for other buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Temple Bar, London to name a few.

Address

Fish St Hill, London EC3R 8AH

2. Tower Bridge

Did you know you can visit inside Tower Bridge and not just walk or drive across it?

At about 300 feet high, built from iron, steel and stone and with glass from Austria, Tower Bridge is another one of London’s most iconic structures.

Constructed and completed in late 1800’s, it took over 430 men to build Tower Bridge in just under 10 years.

Tower Bridge is one not to be missed on your trip to London. Even if you live in London and haven’t yet been for a visit, you should go even juts to learn about its history and how it was built.

Despite there being no real health and safety laws and without the technology and equipment we have today, only 10 of the workers died during its build.

You get to see the internal mechanisms of the tower and how its system works with an end of tour visit to the Engine Room. The bridge itself opens every so often and it’s really nice to see it up close or from afar. I was lucky enough to be near the bridge and captured this shot as it opened at night. You can check the Tower Bridge website for the opening times and days of when the bridge opens here.

Another great aspect of Tower Bridge is the glass floor from which you can see the river, cars and pedestrians below. The views really are amazing from all points of the Bridge.

For more information on entry tickets and times, visit the Tower Bridge website.

You can purchase a combination ticket to visit the Monument and Tower Bridge. If you live in Tower Hamlets, Southwark or the City of London you can purchase a community ticket which allows entry for just £1 (as of January 2020).

Accessibility

The tower has a lift so if you have difficulty walking or are in a wheelchair, you can still do parts of the tour.

Address

Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2UP

3. Sky Garden

Sky Garden is a rooftop restaurant and bar. It’s located at the top of the building often referred to as the “Walkie Talkie Building” due to its interesting shape.

There’s a large tropical garden which is filled with a wide variety of plants to create a garden feel.

Sky Garden offers 360 panoramic views over London. The best bit about this feature is that access to this building is free.

To book your free ticket place, you need to visit the website. It’s best to do this in advance as free places are limited and they release dates gradually.

If don’t book in advance, you can still walk in on the day – you just have to do so at set times. Check what those times are on the day you plan to visit. Free entry visits are still possible for walk-ins but they’re more limited.

Address

20 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 8AF

4. The Shard

How could I not include The Shard? It’s one of the latest editions to London’s skyline, completed in 2012.

The Shard has quickly become just as iconic as many other London’s historical buildings in and around the area and has many ‘facets to its bow’.

It has penthouse flats and hotel facilities – the top end of luxury and price is the Shangri-La Hotel. It also has restaurants, bars and offices in its 90-storey frame.

Towering above the city and noticeable from anywhere, The Shard is definitely worth visiting. Even if you do so just to take in the stunning views across the river Thames and the city’s skyline.

For more information on entry, tickets and to find out what’s on, visit The Shard’s website.

Address

32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG

There you have it. A few ways to get amazing sky-high views of the city in the London Bridge area. If it’s your first trip to London, make sure you add these places to your list to visit!

How to get around these attractions

All of these attractions are within walking distance of each other.

If you prefer, you can also take some public transport in between some of these attractions, especially if walking is difficult. For example you can get a bus between The Shard and the Monument or between The Shard and Tower Bridge. Visit Transport for London’s website for more information. If you’re going to be in London for a few days, it’s probably more cost effective to purchase an Oyster card. You can easily load and Oyster Card with a daily or weekly travel card or top it up with cash using a pay as you go method as and when you need it.

If you have any questions or want some insight into what to expect at each attraction, drop me an email to [email protected] or say something in the comments below.