London's iconic skyline has it's fair share of viewing platforms: the Shard, the Walkie Talkie (home to the Sky Garden), Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station and our destination for today: Horizon 22. Located on the 58th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, a lofty 254 metres above the traffic below, Horizon 22 is actually 10m higher than it's neighbour across the river, The View From The Shard. It's also completely free to visit, as opposed to the Shard's £28.50 ticket price, which makes it a no brainer in our eyes. The Shard is also a beautiful London landmark to look at, and you obviously can't see it if you're up it! So much like admiring the Eiffel Tower from the Montparnasse Tower, going up Horizon 22 gives you a more complete view of the London skyline.
Only about 5 minutes walk from Liverpool Street Station, you enter 22 Bishopsgate through a revolving door and take either a lift (the whole building is wheelchair/buggy accessible) or a short flight of stairs up to airport style security where you and your bags are scanned.
The next lift whizzes you up to the 58th floor at an ear popping rate, and as you leave the lift lobby you get the first wow moment: a mezzanine level view of the floor to ceiling windows looking out over the northwest of London: St Paul's cathedral, Barbican, Kings Cross Station, the BT Tower, the Guildhall with the black paving stones marking out its its Roman amphitheatre and in the distance, the arch of Wembley Stadium. To the left, the River Thames curves and swerves with the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Battersea Power Station at one end and, if you walk to the other side, Canary Wharf at the other.
The south facing side is by far the stand out, with loads off the most famous landmarks on display. Directly in front of the building is the Walkie Talkie, home to another free, but much lower, viewing platform, the Sky Garden, and beyond that, on the Southbank, the Shard. You'll see the HMS Belfast, Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge Station, Tower Bridge and the Tate Modern gallery, plus absolutely spectacular views down over the Tower of London.
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The third side of Horizon 22 is the shortest - this is more like 300 degrees of views rather than a full 360, and it looks down the river towards Canary Wharf, and in the very distance, the Dartford Crossing. Immediately beneath you is the Gherkin, which looks tiny from this height! The section of London that you can't see is Spitalfields and most of the east.
One of the best things about looking down at London from such a height is that you spot things that you can't see from street level - the beautiful shape of Finsbury Circus, countless secret roof gardens, the fact that the Natwest Tower is the shape of the Natwest bank logo, who knew there was a cricket ground near Old Street (it belongs to the Honourable Artillery Company)?
How to visit Horizon 22
Horizon 22 is at 22 Bishopsgate EC2N 4AJ.
Closest tube station: Liverpool Street (Central, Hammersmith and City, Circle, Metropolitan and Elizabeth Lines, London Overground and National Rail)
Timed tickets are free, and it is strongly recommended that you book them online in advance. Capacity permitting, you could just try and walk up on the day, but this obviously isn't guaranteed. Dates can be booked up to 60 days in advance, with each new day's tickets released daily at 10am.
There are baby changing facilities and accessible toilets, and a small coffee shop at the top - please note no other food or drink is permitted inside
Opening times:
Weekdays 10.00 - 18.00
Saturday 10.00 - 17.00
Sunday 10.00 - 16.00
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