There is an official test for whether you can see the London skyline properly, and the company that charges most for the view wrote it.
The View from The Shard operates a View Guarantee. If poor visibility means you cannot spot at least three of five named landmarks, you get a free return visit. The five are the London Eye, the Walkie Talkie, Tower Bridge, One Canada Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.
That is a useful list in its own right. If you can pick out those five, you are looking at the skyline. If you cannot, the weather has beaten you, and at the Shard that is worth money back.
The guarantee, and the way to lose it
The catch is procedural and it is the reason most people never claim.
You must speak to the Duty Manager on the day of your visit, and the vouchers are handed out as you leave. They cannot be claimed later. Walk out disappointed without saying anything and that is the end of it.
The voucher is valid for at least three months and gets you a return standard ticket free.
What you are actually looking at
The skyline splits into three groups and they are easy to tell apart once you know.
The City cluster: the Walkie Talkie at 20 Fenchurch Street, 22 Bishopsgate, the Gherkin, the Cheesegrater. This is the dense group north of the river and east of St Paul’s.
Canary Wharf: further east and visibly separate, with One Canada Square, the pyramid-topped tower that was the tallest in the country for years, at its centre.
The south bank singles: the Shard at London Bridge, standing on its own, and further west the four chimneys of Battersea Power Station, which are the oldest shape on this list.
St Paul’s and Tower Bridge are the two low landmarks that give the whole thing scale, and both are on the Shard’s own list for exactly that reason.
Where to see it without paying
Three of the best views in London are free, and two of them need booking.
Sky Garden, at the top of the Walkie Talkie, is free with a booked slot. Our Sky Garden page covers how far ahead to book and what happens when it sells out.
Horizon 22, on Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, is free and higher. Our Horizon 22 page covers the booking, and the fact that you can sometimes turn up without a ticket.
Primrose Hill needs no ticket, no booking and no closing time. Our Primrose Hill page covers the walk up and what you can see from the top, which is the classic west-to-east view across the whole city.
Greenwich gives you the other classic angle, from the hill by the Observatory looking down over Canary Wharf. Our Greenwich page covers the day around it.
Where to see it from the river
The underrated option. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers runs as a scheduled river bus and takes Oyster and contactless exactly like a bus, which means you can see the whole skyline from the water for the price of a journey rather than the price of a tour.
From Battersea Power Station it is 15 minutes to Embankment, 20 to Blackfriars and 40 to Canary Wharf, which covers the full run from the chimneys to One Canada Square.
What the Shard costs you in time
If you do pay, two rules shape the visit.
Last entry is one hour before the advertised closing time, and the bars stop serving about 30 minutes before closing. Once you are in you can stay until closing.
The viewing platforms are on Levels 68 and 69, with an open-air deck on Level 72. The entrance is on Joiner Street, SE1 9QU, two minutes from London Bridge.
Opening times vary and the operator publishes a calendar rather than fixed hours. On the day we checked, the attraction was showing as closed, so look at the calendar before you travel rather than assuming a daily opening.
The best time of day
Roughly an hour before sunset is the answer at any of them, because you get the city lit and then the city lit up, from one ticket.
That is also when the booked free viewpoints go first, so if you want Sky Garden or Horizon 22 at golden hour, book well ahead. Primrose Hill cannot sell out.
The best views page compares all of them on price, height and how far ahead you need to book.
Where to go next
The best views in London compares every viewpoint on price and height, and Horizon 22 and Sky Garden are the two free ones worth booking.
Primrose Hill needs no ticket at all, and Battersea Power Station is the western end of the view.
Questions we get asked
What buildings are in the London skyline?
The City cluster of the Walkie Talkie, 22 Bishopsgate, the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater; Canary Wharf to the east, centred on One Canada Square; and on the south side the Shard at London Bridge and the four chimneys of Battersea Power Station. St Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge are the low landmarks that give it scale.
Where can you see the London skyline for free?
Sky Garden at the top of the Walkie Talkie and Horizon 22 on Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate are both free, though both need booking. Primrose Hill needs nothing at all. Greenwich gives the other classic view, looking down over Canary Wharf from the hill by the Observatory.
What is the View Guarantee at The Shard?
If poor visibility means you cannot spot at least three of five named landmarks, the London Eye, the Walkie Talkie, Tower Bridge, One Canada Square and St Paul's Cathedral, you can claim a free return voucher valid for at least three months. You must speak to the Duty Manager on the day and collect the voucher as you leave, because it cannot be claimed later.
When is the best time to see the London skyline?
About an hour before sunset, which gives you the city in daylight and then lit up from the same visit. That is also the first slot to go at the free booked viewpoints, so book Sky Garden and Horizon 22 well ahead. Primrose Hill cannot sell out.
Can you see the London skyline from the river?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to see all of it. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers runs as a scheduled river bus and takes Oyster and contactless like any bus. From Battersea Power Station it is 15 minutes to Embankment, 20 to Blackfriars and 40 to Canary Wharf.
What time is last entry at The View from The Shard?
One hour before the advertised closing time, and the bars stop serving roughly 30 minutes before closing. Opening times vary, so check the operator's calendar rather than assuming a fixed daily opening.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 222 in the guide.
Last checked 5 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
