Horizon 22

Horizon 22 is London’s highest viewing platform and it’s FREE! Unlike the nearby Shard platform though, this one is only open in the daytime. Booking in advance is advised via the Horizon 22 website, but if you haven’t booked you can still walk up on the day and scan a QR code for entry. Places are reserved for this and you’ll be allocated a ticket time if there is one available. We did this and were granted immediate entry, but sometimes you may have to wait a while. Entrance is via separate doors to the offices in the building and you’ll then be guided to high speed elevator to reach the viewing platform. As you come down the stairs and see a huge wall of windows, it becomes clear you’re in for a real treat.

Views vary depending on the time of day and the location of the sun. The views are almost all the way around, as there’s only a small wall on one side of the viewing platform. As such, you will see around 300 degrees and all the significant buildings of central London as you move from window to window. The most impressive view is the one towards the River Thames and The Shard as you can see that you are actually looking down on it! The viewing area can get crowded, so the key to getting a decent view is to move around a lot. Having said that, there were entire empty windows when we visited and they closely regulate the number of people who are there at any one time.

There is a small café at Horizon 22 offering drinks and snacks. It has a handful of tables, but we ended up sitting on the floor and looking at the view instead. There are staff on hand who were friendly and helpful. One even came to tell everyone individually that Tower Bridge was opening. All in all it was a really memorable experience and all the better for the fact that it’s free to visit. You won’t be disappointed!