London’s architectural diversity has always fascinated me. The more I walk these old streets and get to know the city, the more I realise how differently shaped the British capital is. Throughout history, London has faced the need to rebuild from scratch after several catastrophic destructions and the transformation brought by the economic and social evolution. The Great Fire of 1666, historical wars and the Industrial Revolution, to name a few, have defined London’s skyline. As a result, a mix of architectural styles have become inextricably intertwined. You can see buildings ranging from historical architectural styles (Victorian, Baroque, Edwardian) to innovative modern buildings (Brutalist, Skyscrapers). All in the same place!
Now, what if I told you, you can admire London’s most iconic buildings, parks and the River Thames from above? And even better, that you can do so for FREE? Our latest adventure took us to the top of 20 Fenchurch St. where the magnificent Sky Garden rewarded us with the most incredible views over the city.
A 360° panorama of London
I love a good excuse to discover a little more about London, especially when it’s about crossing incredible places off my Ultimate London Bucket List. Sky Garden has undoubtedly become one of London’s most sensational attractions. Standing at the top of The Walkie-Talkie, it is the city’s highest public garden. At 160m high, the three-storey glass and steel dome combines stylish restaurants and bars, 360° observation decks and long stairs surrounding the sloping rain-forest style garden. Among the palm trees, ferns and moss hide a plethora of tropical flowers such as Agapanthus and Birds of Paradise, both of which we had seen on our trip to Madeira just a month before!
Outside the conservatory, a long open-air terrace faces The Shard, offering fantastic bird-eye views of south London. Although it stands roughly at half of The Shard‘s height, many argue this is perhaps why Sky Garden shows a better perspective of London’s skyline. From both the platform and inside observation decks, you get sweeping views of the River Thames running across London and many of its emblematic buildings. The Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Cheesegrater, The Gherkin and even Wembley Stadium become perfectly visible on the horizon.
The best part of it all is that you can enjoy all this scenery for free! Sky Garden offers multiple 1h slots every day allowing you to explore the glass dome and balcony.
Sky Garden bars and restaurants
You can also enjoy a drink at any of the two bars (Sky Pod Bar and City Garden Bar). However, make sure you book in advance as slots tend to fill up insanely quickly! Early morning, a yoga class and breakfast from the heights is also available for booking.
With such a magnificent panorama, Sky Garden is undeniably one of the best dining locations in London, especially at night. Once the last slot has been covered and tourists have left, the dome gets filled with live music, cocktails and delicious food at the bars and their three restaurants (Darwin Brasserie, Fenchurch Restaurant and Fenchurch Terrace). Definitely the perfect spot to enjoy London’s nightlights from above!
What do you think of the views from Sky Garden? Have you been before? Tell me all about your experience in the comments!
G. x
Sky Garden | 20 Fenchurch St., London EC3M 8AF
skygarden.london/
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Looks a great place – you’ve inspired me to want to go. Glad to have the advice about a free one hour slot.
Thanks Jane 🙂 It is such a lovely place, definitely worth visiting!
Great photos ☺️I’ve been here once but would love to go back as it was such a cold windy day when we went!
abbiejadewanders.co.uk
Absolutely, a great weather makes it ten times better! x 🙂
Aaaaah I’d love to visit the Sky Garden!! Every time I go to book it’s always fully booked up – gutting!
Becca // http://becc4.co.uk
We were actually quite lucky when booking! Try doing so at the beginning of each week when free visit tickets are released. They also welcome walk-ins although it depends on availability 🙂 x
Fab post! I loved my visit to the sky garden last year… such a fab photo session 🙂 I loved seeing all the views and landmarks of London. What a fab pic of yourself with the shard!
Emma | http://www.lifeofemmax.co.uk
Awe thank you! I loved it to, I wanted to go for ages! x
I’ve wanted to go here ever since I first heard about it! I absolutely love visiting London and getting to see the sights so having such beautiful views would be a dream for me! I’m not sure how much I’d be able to enjoy it being absolutely petrified of heights but I still want to go! Your pictures are stunning!
Jess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
Haha, it is actually not that bad 🙂 Plus you have a stunning garden inside to explore and you can enjoy the views from inside the dome itself rather than going out to the platform. You’ll love it! x
Great post! The view looks incredible! I’ve never been to London but if I ever go I think this is one place I would have to visit x
Thank you! 🙂 This is definitely a must, not many people go there on their first visit to London! Plus it is free, so what’s not to like? x
The view is amazing… Tell me, does it really have a forest inside!!!
Haha, it is more like a garden with very big trees and plants galore! You need to check it out 🙂
Great post! I went to the sky garden in May and thought it was incredible! Unfortunately we couldn’t go on the outside terrace because the weather was so bad, the view wasnt the best either but it’s just a good excuse to go back!
Thank you :)) I agree! Unfortunately you cannot always tell what the weather will be like in London, but it is definitely worth the try 🙂
I’m off to London in a couple of weeks, so I’ll definitely be hanging out here! Thanks for the tip : )
Sky Garden is definitely a place to visit! Feel free to check my Ultimate London Bucket List for more inspo on places to visit! x
https://blushrougette.com/lifestyle/life/my-ultimate-london-bucket-list/
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible – London is one of my favourite cities in the world and I cannot believe I didn’t even know the Sky Garden exists! Thank you so much for sharing and for these incredible photos – it’s now next on my list of places to check out next time I’m there!
Sending you good vibes for a wonderful weekend!
Nati x | http://www.lifeaftercoffeeblog.com | @NAfterCoffee
London is unbelievable, it’s one of my favourite cities too! It is full of hidden treasures all over and there is always something going on 🙂 x
Honestly, you’ll see in one of my blog posts, that the Sky Garden is one of my favourite places to go! It’s stunning, your photos are gorgeous too! x
I can see why, it’s stunning! 🙂 x
I just went to London in May on holiday and fell in love with the city. I did miss out on the Sky Garden though and every time I see it I regret not going. Hopefully I’ll get back to London one day and be able to check this out.
Great pictures! x
Michelle
dressingwithstyle-s.com
Thank you! It is an incredible place, definitely add it to your list when visiting London next time! x
This place looks amazing! The views are lovely and you have taken such stunning photographs! I’ve never heard of the Sky Garden before but will be sure to check it out if I’m ever visiting London. Thank you for sharing! 💖 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Thank you! Sadly not many people know Sky Garden but it is definitely worth visiting! x
I’ve wanted to go here for so long! I’ve been to London a couple of times and I’m always looking for cool places to go. Great tip about the free hour slot I will definitely be going now
Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for the post! This sounds great. It’s on my list for next time I’m in London. 😃
Thank you 🙂 I am sure you’ll love it! x
Such a beautiful post. Ravishing!
I followed you on Instagram.
Thank you! :)))
Ooo that looks fun! My friend and I are planning on a Dublin/London trip this coming fall. Wil most definitely try to stop here! Thanks for sharing!
Let me know your thoughts if you go! x
I’ve not heard of this place before. Amazing that it’s free, it sounds awesome!
It really is, such a great place to explore during a lazy Sunday x
It took me loads of tries to get a spot, I was never fast enough! I went there with my brothers in July on a weekday – a lot less crowded – and last week with my boyfriend, but due to the poor weather the balcony was closed. Still amazing view of the skyline, though.
Rachel || anotherstationanothermile.com
I agree! Definitely a place to visit, especially for the amazing views and free entry! x
I’ve heard so much about The Sky Garden but I’ve never been! I definitely need to check it out the next time I’m in London!
Absolutely! It’s a great way to see London from a different perspective x
I’ve always said to myself that I need to go here one day but have never done it.
But from your incredible photos I NEED to book it now! It looks amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing ☺️
Love Lozza x
http://girlygabble.com
Thanks Lozza! We had loads of fun visiting it and decided to go back and have a cocktail at night! I would absolutely recommend doing that as well x
Wow so much greenery at this viewpoint, I would
love to check it if I’m in London.
Thanks for stopping by! It’s one of my favourite viewpoints for sure, and it’s free! x
I should visit Sky Garden if I travel to London again in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Fadima, thanks for the comment! Hope you can squeeze it in if you visit London again in the future! You won’t be disappointed x
We missed this when we were in London. Such a bummer!
Now you have another excuse to come again! x
I always love your pictures. London is really very beautiful
Thank you, that’s so sweet to read! x
My inner plant mom is SCREAMING (on the inside though). I love visiting gardens and I know I HAVE to go here. Thank you blogging about this beautiful place! x
Thanks Chrissy! Oh if you love plants, then you should definitely visit the Barbican Conservatory! I have another post on it with everything you need to know – and it’s also free! x
This looks so incredible! I just started working on the outskirts of London and have slowly been visiting new places. I cannot wait for lockdown to lift because I will definitely be visiting here! Thanks for sharing.
Viki – http://www.ohsoviki.com
Thanks Viki! Hope you have a great time if you decide to visit! x