Londoners are quite funny as they name the new buildings in the city based on their shapes – there’s the Gherkin, Cheese Grater, Shard and the Walkie Talkie. I’m not sure of the proper names of the buildings or even their addresses but everyone seems to know what you are talking about if you say the names in the city’s financial district. When all of these skyscraper (for London anyway) buildings were built, only the Shard had an observation area (for a price). For other views of London, you can ride the London Eye, climb the stairs at St. Paul’s (not that high) or the free rooftop at New Change Mall on Cheapside. Now you have Sky Garden. The aptly named Sky Garden London is just that – a green space in the sky located at the top of the Walkie Talkie building. Unlike the Shard and London Eye, the Sky Garden London is FREE to visit. There are, of course, a few hoops to jump to get up in the sky but let’s look inside first.
Sky Garden London – Outdoor Observation Deck
When you exit the elevators and make a right you enter the vast terminal in the sky – it feels almost like T5 at Heathrow but despite the airport security you just endured in the lobby, there is no gate to run to and the food options are much tastier. If you walk straight through the doors, you are outside with a glass paneled view of the Thames and London below. While I was enjoying the views, there was a guy not content to take a photo through glass that put his camera above the glass for an unobstructed photo and was quickly reprimanded by security due to safety issues (what if he dropped his camera over?). The sunny day and warm temps made the outside visit quite nice.
Sky Garden London – Indoor Seating & Café
If you choose to sit inside there is a center café selling drinks, snacks and sandwiches. Some tables have blankets (the air con was quite cold) and can be reserved but on the day of my visit the sun was streaming in the glass walls and windows making a few spots warm and in need of sunglasses inside. There was ample room to sit and enjoy the views and greenery (the number of visitors is controlled to avoid crowds).
Sky Garden London – the Gardens
The greenery is located up and around the top floor in a U shape. There are stairs up and around providing you a 360 degree view of London along the windows. You need to be able to climb stairs for this part of the visit. On the interior of each staircase there are benches to sit among the plants.
Sky Garden London Views
The day of my visit was bright sun, hazy and humid (the hottest September day breaking records). The interior windows are tinted as you can see from the photos and have markers on the windows for the viewing descriptions. The views are 360 degrees which is fabulous although your camera may have issues with the tinting. As you can see I took a photo of Tower Bridge not of London Bridge which was in front of the marker.
Sky Garden London – Food & Drink
Also inside the U shape above you are the two posh restaurants, Fenchurch and Darwin Brasserie, (reservations required) which are further enclosed and their views while nice seem a bit obstructed in my opinion. The two bars, City Garden Bar and Sky Pod Bar also have tables (with reservations).
Sky Garden London Free Admission
While the views and admission are free, you do need to reserve a timed ticket in advance as the number of visitors is limited each hour. If you are unable to find a general admission ticket, you can always book a restaurant reservation which allows you to visit the Sky Garden at your leisure. The restaurants are open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. whereas the public free viewing access is open Monday/Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sky Garden London – Check In & Security
You will see a staff member outside the doors as there is a separate entrance on the side of the building. You are directed into the queue to check in – one line for general admission and another for restaurant guests. Make sure to have your confirmation page printed out or on your phone to make the check in quicker. Also bring photo ID to match the names on the reservation. Once you’ve checked in, you move forward to the airport style security check. Once you’ve cleared security, you can board the elevators (lifts) to the top floor where the Sky Garden is located.
Sky Garden London – Final Thoughts
I was really impressed with our Sky Garden London experience. My mom was with me and she was able to go outside and then sit inside while I explored up, around and down the various viewpoints. The windows have markers with important buildings that you are viewing. The café costs were reasonable for bottled water and sweet treats. I’d love to go back to experience the sunset as well as the city aglow at night. Next time! Sky Garden London is a wonderful opportunity to see the city from all angles and a great option for families since it is free.
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9 thoughts on “Review: Sky Garden London – Free London Skyline Views and a Rooftop Bar”
Thank you for sharing this! I was supposed to visit Sky Gardens in November after WTM but actually cancelled my reservation due to the weather being awful.
I go regularly to London so now you’ve proved it’s a beautiful experience, I’ll be sure to book next time.
Thanks!
P.S. The cakes in the cafe looked yum
Sky Garden is great. It helps that my best friend works in the building too!
Josh – if my friend worked in the building, I’d be at a lot of happy hours at Sky Garden and eating way too many chocolate biscuits and brownies with a glass of red wine. thats fun though you have such easy access to great views
This is brilliant! So thorough, I’ve yet to make it to the Sky Garden but I’m keen to do so when the weather is good again. Thanks for sharing so much detail of your experience.
This reminds me so much of a wonderful indoor tropical garden in Ottawa. It’s just beside the Currency Museum (itself a really neat spot) and it’s a small, warm, humid, charming garden filled with tropical plants and filled with tons of sun. Granted, it lacks both the view and the food of the Sky Garden but being around so many beautiful plants in the middle of winter is always a great treat!
I love learning about free places in a fairly expensive city! It looks beautiful. I’d like to experience this someday!
This sounds like a great idea! The views look amazing and I love all the greenery. I would love to do this on our next visit to London, especially since it is free!
Oh I will have to keep this in mind for when I go back to London! The views look great and of course you can’t beat free. Although I’d probably be like that guy security yelled at and point my camera over the glass, haha.
London’s latest rooftop spot has recently opened – 120 Fenchurch Street. The best bit? It’s free and you don’t have to prebook, just turn up! The rooftop garden is open in the summer months Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 10am until 9pm.
One thing worth looking out for is down at ground level. The building has a spacious through-passageway to retain a historic link between Fenchurch Street and Fenchurch Avenue. It’s from here that you catch a lift to the roof. But before you do, look up. There’s a digital art installation by Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier on the ceiling. It aims to act as a camera obscura bringing imagery from the garden down to the street. The best moment comes when the image flickers onto the roof’s live-stream, trained on Tower Bridge. People walk underneath barely noticing, but stop and stare when it grabs their attention.
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