Sky Garden

When people think of soaring above the London skyline, the mind immediately jumps to the London Eye or the glass-floored heights of The Shard. While those offer spectacular vistas, they come with a hefty price tag—often upwards of £30 per person. For the savvy traveler and the readers of Explorers Insight, there is a much better way to experience the capital from the clouds without spending a single penny on admission: Sky Garden.

Known locally as the "Walkie-Talkie" building due to its distinct bulbous shape, 20 Fenchurch Street houses a lush, three-story urban jungle on its top floors. At 155 meters above the ground, it is London’s highest public garden, offering a 360-degree panorama that rivals any paid observation deck in the world.

Why Sky Garden is London’s Best "Free" Secret

The most compelling reason to visit Sky Garden is, quite simply, the value. In a city as expensive as London, finding a world-class attraction that costs nothing is rare.

The developer of the building was granted permission to build such a massive skyscraper on the condition that they provide a public space that everyone could enjoy. The result is a stunning glass-domed atrium filled with Mediterranean and South African plants, where you can wander through landscaped gardens while the entire city unfolds beneath you.

While the entry is free, it is ticketed. To maintain a high-end experience and avoid overcrowding, you must book your "Free Access" slot in advance.

Landmarks in Every Direction: The View

The architectural layout of Sky Garden is designed to give you a front-row seat to London’s most famous landmarks. Because of its location in the heart of the City (the financial district), you are perfectly positioned between the ancient and the modern.

The Tower of London & Tower Bridge

Look to the East, and you will see the Tower of London looking like a perfectly preserved chess set from above. Just behind it, Tower Bridge stretches across the Thames. From this height, you can truly appreciate the scale of the bridge’s Victorian Gothic towers and watch the tiny red buses crawl across its span. It is, without question, one of the best angles for photographing these historic icons.

The Shard: A Mirror Image

Directly across the river to the South stands The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building. From Sky Garden, you are at an almost eye-level perspective with its mid-section. It is a striking sight to see the sun reflecting off its glass facets, and arguably, it's better to look at the Shard from Sky Garden than to be inside the Shard looking out—after all, if you’re in the Shard, you can’t see the Shard!

St. Paul’s Cathedral & The West End

As you walk toward the western side of the terrace, the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral dominates the view. Beyond it, you can trace the curve of the Thames toward the London Eye, Big Ben, and the distant hills of Hampstead Heath.