Two things decide a visit to Battersea Power Station and neither is on the front of the website.
The building is free to walk into. The public areas cost nothing, and only the Chimney Lift, the cinema and the Ramses exhibition need a ticket. It is also fully enclosed, which makes it one of the few places in London that works as well in rain as in sunshine.
And the lift to the top of the chimney is 16 pounds if you book and 24 pounds if you do not. That is a third off for the sake of choosing a time slot in advance.
The hours, including the Sunday nobody mentions
Open 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and midday to 6pm on Sunday. That Sunday is four hours shorter at both ends, and the site’s own Frequently Asked Questions page gives only the Monday to Saturday times without mentioning Sunday at all. The Getting Here page is the one that has it right.
Individual shops vary, and many of the cafes, restaurants and bars run longer than the building’s published hours.
The Chimney Lift, and the ticket arithmetic
First, the name. What people search for as Lift 109 is now called The Chimney Lift. Same lift, same chimney, same 109 metres.
It runs up the inside of the north west chimney to a glass topped platform with a 360 degree view. The journey starts in Turbine Hall A with an exhibition about the building before you go up.
The prices are worth laying out, because the structure rewards one decision and punishes another:
Entry tickets are from 16 pounds online against a standard price of 24 pounds, for an adult aged 16 or over. You choose a time slot.
Anytime tickets are from 24 pounds online against a standard 29 pounds, and let you turn up whenever you like on your chosen day.
The Riser drinks package is from 19 pounds online against 27 standard, and comes in two versions: Early Riser, a morning ascent with a mimosa or a hot drink, and Late Riser, with a drink from the menu at the top.
So the online Anytime ticket costs the same 24 pounds as a standard timed ticket. Book ahead and you either save eight pounds or buy total flexibility for nothing. Turn up without a ticket and you pay the flexible price for an inflexible slot.
A private ascent is 440 pounds, which the operator notes works out at 18.30 pounds a head.
Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold, until 1 January 2027
The exhibition runs from 28 February to Friday 1 January 2027 at Neon, inside the Power Station. Over 180 authentic Egyptian objects, officially endorsed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, with the cedar coffin of Ramses II and the Mask of King Amenemope among them.
It is billed as being in the United Kingdom for the first and only time. Our exhibitions guide dates every show in the city and says when each one closes.
Getting there, and the route nobody takes
Battersea Power Station has its own Zone 1 station on the Northern line, which is the obvious way and the one everybody uses.
The better one on a clear day is the river. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops here, takes Oyster and contactless exactly like a bus, and reaches Embankment in 15 minutes, Blackfriars in 20 and Canary Wharf in 40. It costs no more effort than the Tube and arrives with a view of the building from the water, which is the only angle that shows you what it actually is.
Taxis should be directed to Pump House Lane, which is the vehicle entrance.
Parking, and the warning attached to it
The car parks are on Pump House Lane, SW11 8BJ, and Circus Road West, SW11 8EZ, with a 2.2 metre height limit and seven day opening.
Under two hours is 6 pounds, two to four hours 10 pounds, four to six hours 16 pounds, and six to 24 hours 30 pounds.
The operator says plainly that the car parks are likely to reach capacity at weekends and peak periods, with a traffic management system directing people to independently managed car parks nearby at tariffs it does not control. On a Saturday, take the train.
There are 45 Blue Badge spaces across the Circus West Village and Electric Boulevard car parks. They cannot be booked in advance and are charged at standard rates.
For electric cars there are 39 charging bays, two of them Blue Badge accessible, run by EVC and Pod Point at 45p per kilowatt hour, started by scanning the QR code on the charger.
Motorcycles park free. Press the help button on the way out and a member of staff lets you through.
What is actually in it
The site is 42 acres of former industrial land, split into named districts rather than one building: the Power Station itself, Circus West Village, Electric Boulevard, Prospect Place and the Battersea Roof Gardens.
Inside there are shops, restaurants and bars, a cinema, playgrounds and green space. Power Station Park has deck chairs in summer and a jetty on the water.
The building was finished in the 1930s and generated electricity until the early 1980s. It stood empty for decades, which is the part worth remembering when you are standing in the Turbine Hall holding a coffee.
How to plan it
Raining: this is the answer, because the Power Station building is enclosed and the whole thing can be done without a coat.
Going up the chimney: book, and book a time, which saves eight pounds over turning up.
Sunday: get there before midday and you will be waiting, and leave before six.
Weekend by car: do not. The operator’s own page says the car parks fill.
For the other high places in the city, the best views page compares them on price, and Sky Garden and Horizon 22 are the two free ones.
Battersea Power Station
- Address
- Battersea Power Station, London SW11, south of the Thames next to Chelsea Bridge
- Nearest
- Battersea Power Station on the Northern line, Zone 1. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops here and takes Oyster and contactless
- Hours
- 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and midday to 6pm on Sunday. Many cafes, restaurants and bars run longer
- Booking
- None needed for the building
- Price
- Free to enter. The Chimney Lift, the cinema and the Ramses exhibition are ticketed
- Standing
- A 1930s power station, out of use since the early 1980s, now 42 acres of shops, restaurants, bars and homes
How to get in
The Power Station building is fully enclosed, so it works in any weather. Car parking is 6 pounds under two hours rising to 30 pounds for 24, with a 2.2 metre height limit, and the operator warns the car parks fill at weekends. The river bus reaches Embankment in 15 minutes.
The Chimney Lift
- Address
- Turbine Hall A, Battersea Power Station, London SW11
- Nearest
- Battersea Power Station
- Booking
- Online, choosing a time slot. Booking ahead saves up to 30 per cent
- Price
- Entry tickets from 16 pounds online against a 24 pound standard price for adults 16 and over. Anytime tickets from 24 pounds online, standard 29. Riser drinks package from 19 pounds online, standard 27. Private ascent 440 pounds
- Standing
- A glass lift 109 metres to the top of the north west chimney, with a 360 degree view
How to get in
Formerly called Lift 109. The experience starts with an exhibition about the building in Turbine Hall A before the ascent.
Where to go next
The best views in London compares the Chimney Lift with the rest on price, and Sky Garden and Horizon 22 are the free alternatives.
The exhibitions guide dates the Ramses show and everything else on in the city, and Chelsea is across the bridge.
Questions we get asked
Is Battersea Power Station free to enter?
Yes. The public areas are free to access. Only some attractions are ticketed: The Chimney Lift, cinema screenings and the Ramses exhibition. The main building is fully enclosed, so it also works as a wet weather plan.
What are Battersea Power Station opening hours?
10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and midday to 6pm on Sunday. Individual shops vary and many of the cafes, restaurants and bars open longer. Note that the site's own FAQ page gives only the Monday to Saturday hours and omits Sunday.
How much is the Chimney Lift at Battersea Power Station?
Entry tickets start at 16 pounds online against a standard price of 24 pounds for an adult aged 16 or over, and you pick a time slot. Anytime tickets, which let you arrive whenever you like on the day, are from 24 pounds online. Booking ahead saves up to 30 per cent.
What happened to Lift 109?
Nothing: it was renamed. The attraction people search for as Lift 109 is now called The Chimney Lift. It is the same glass lift up the north west chimney to a viewing platform 109 metres above the ground.
How do you get to Battersea Power Station?
It has its own Zone 1 station on the Northern line. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers also stops here, takes Oyster and contactless like a bus, and reaches Embankment in 15 minutes, Blackfriars in 20 and Canary Wharf in 40.
How much is parking at Battersea Power Station?
6 pounds for under two hours, 10 pounds for two to four, 16 pounds for four to six and 30 pounds for six to 24 hours. The height limit is 2.2 metres. The operator warns the car parks are likely to fill at weekends and peak periods.
When is the Ramses exhibition at Battersea Power Station?
It runs from 28 February until Friday 1 January 2027 at Neon inside the Power Station, with over 180 authentic Egyptian objects including the cedar coffin of Ramses II and the Mask of King Amenemope.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 214 in the guide.
Last checked 5 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
