The Shard hasn’t just changed the look of London – it’s changed the way we look at it, too.

For the first time in the capital’s history, there’s a place where you can make sense of its multi-generational, higgledy-piggledy cityscape, all from one spot – the top of Renzo Piano’s striking, 1016 ft tall Shard (the featured image is courtesy of The View from The Shard).

Sure, authority figures have surveyed the city from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral for the past 200 years. And, since the turn of the Millennium, the paying public has been afforded ever-so-slightly better views from the London Eye.

But, with its uninterrupted and far-reaching vistas, the View from The Shard undoubtedly gives an impression of London far superior to any other. Finally, England’s capital has a viewing platform to match New York’s Empire State Building, Paris’ Eiffel Tower and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

The people behind the attraction claim you can see as far as 40 miles away – that’s way, way beyond the M25. But, most importantly, you can see London’s great landmarks, old and new, from the very same vantage point.

The View from The Shard on a sunny January morning, London. Photo by Oonagh Shiel

Suddenly, London doesn’t feel so big. You realise how close the Tower of London, The Gherkin, Tower Bridge, the Olympic Stadium, Canary Wharf, St. Paul’s, the Oval cricket ground, The Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Wembley Stadium all are to each other. They’re all distinctively visible, yet curiously miniaturised at the same time.

Photo by Oonagh Shiel

So how does The Shard compare with the other great urban viewing platforms around the world? Well, first off, it’s pretty expensive. It’s nearly twice as expensive to visit as the Empire State Building, and nearly three times more expensive than the Eiffel Tower.

Height wise, The View from The Shard isn’t anywhere near as tall as the world’s tallest. Though nearly twice the height of its closest competitor in London (the London Eye), it’s nearly 2,000 feet shorter than At the Top (the Burj Khalifa), which is the equivalent of two Shards stood on top of one another!

But altitude isn’t everything – being closer to the ground means you get to see the landmarks better. The Top of the Rock in New York, which is similar in height to The View from The Shard, has spectacular views.

See Brett Ackroyd’s fantastic photos of London from The View from The Shard and read our hints and tips if you’re planning a visit.

Read this: The view from the top – England’s tallest viewing platforms

Viewing platforms around the world:

The Shard: The View from The Shard, London

Height of viewing deck: 800 ft (244 m)
Height of building: 1,016 ft (309.6 m)
Adult admission: £29.95 / $48.25
Child admission: £23.95 / $38.60

The View from The Shard, London. Photo by EG Focus

The London Eye, London

Height of viewing deck: 443 ft (135 m)
Height of building: 443 ft (135 m)
Adult admission: £18.90 / $30.40
Child admission: £11.10 / $17.90

View from the London Eye, London. Photo by Stig Nygaard

St Paul’s Cathedral - Dome’s Golden Gallery, London

Height of viewing deck: 279 ft (85 m)
Height of building: 365 ft (111 m)
Adult admission: £15 / $24.15
Child admission: £6 / $9.70

View from St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Photo by Ariaski

Empire State Building Observatory, New York

Height of viewing deck: 1,224 ft (373.1 m)
Height of building: 1,250 ft (381.0 m)
Adult admission: £15.50 / $25
Child admission: £11.80 / $19

View from the Empire State Building, New York. Photo by Sebastiaan ter Burg

GE Building, Rockefeller Center - Top of the Rock, New York

Height of viewing deck: 850 ft (260 m)
Height of building: 850 ft (260 m)
Adult admission: £15.50 / $25
Child admission: £9.95 / $16

Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York. Photo by Adam_Inglis

Willis (Sears) Tower, The Skydeck, Chicago

Height of viewing deck: 1,353 ft (412 m)
Height of building: 1,450 ft (442.1 m)
Adult admission: £10.90 / $17.50
Child admission: £6.85 / $11

View from the Willis (Sears) Tower, Chicago. Photo by AndrewH324

Eiffel Tower, The third floor, Paris

Height of viewing deck: 896 ft (273.00 m)
Height of building: 1,063 ft (324 m)
Adult admission: £11.35 / $18.30
Child admission: £7.70 / $12.40

View from the Eiffel Tower, Paris. Photo by Elsie esq.

Burj Khalifa, At the Top, Dubai

Height of viewing deck: 2,717 ft (828 m)
Height of building: 1,483 ft (452.1 m)
Adult admission: £16.90 / $27.25
Child admission: £12.70 / $20.45

The View from Burj Khalifa, Dubai. Photo by isapisa

International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong

Height of viewing deck: 1,289 ft (393 m)
Height of building: 1,587.9 ft (484 m)
Adult admission: £12 / $19.35
Child admission: £8.40 / $13.55

View from Sky100, Hong Kong. Photo by BarbaraWilli

Sky Tower, Sky Deck, Auckland

Height of viewing deck: 722 ft (220 m)
Height of building: 1,076.1 ft (328 m)
Adult admission: £14.30 / $23
Child admission: £5.60 / $9

View from the Sky Tower, Auckland. Photo by Hitesh Shah

CN Tower, Sky Pod, Toronto

Height of viewing deck: 1,465 ft (447 m)
Height of building: 1,815.4 ft (553.33 m)
Adult admission: £18.70 / $30.10
Child admission: £13.75 / $22.15

Toronto from the CN Tower. Photo by rnicoll

Shanghai World Financial Center, Sky Walk 100, Shanghai

Height of viewing deck: 1,555.1 ft (474 m)
Height of building: 1,614.2 ft (492.0 m)
Adult admission: £15 / $24.15
Child admission: £7.50 / $12.10

The Shanghai World Financial Center, nicknamed the Bottle Opener, stands to the left of this image, by Suvcon

The view from the skywalk of the Shanghai World Financial Center, looking down at the Jin Mao Tower, which stands 421 metres tall. Photo by Bernt Rostad

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…

Brett Ackroyd (580 Posts)

Travel writer for Hg2 | A Hedonist's guide to...™ and contributor to Cheapflights Travel Blogs.

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