Sky Garden; 20 Fenchurch Street

The Sky Garden; 20 Fenchurch Street

Located on the 35th, 36th & 37th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street, the Sky Garden comprises of 9000 square feet of green space complete with some of the best views over London. Perched at the top of this London skyscraper, the Sky Garden offers fantastic views over London landmarks such at the Tower of London, Tower Bridge & St Paul’s Cathedral even better news is that tickets are free of charge.  Sitting directly across from The Shard, you can wander around these beautiful surroundings for free whilst taking in 360 degree views across London – find out how you can pick up free tickets to the Sky Garden, (more details below).

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The Sky Garden, (photo; Phil Loach)

The Sky Garden

Positioned in the heart of London, 20 Fenchurch Street stands directly across from the Shard on the north bank of the River Thames.  Located in prime position, the Sky Garden sits atop of this London  skyscraper offering a heady mix of breath-taking views, architectural wonder & the beauty of the garden-like surroundings.

With fantastic views over London, you can take in views of the Tower of London, the River Thames, Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, St Paul’s Cathedral & many other London landmarks.  You’ll also be able to spot alternative settings offering views of London including The View from The Shard, (paid entry) or newer viewing decks such as Horizon 22 & The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate that also come with free entry.

The great news is that tickets are FREE of charge whether you opt to book tickets in advance or be spontaneous with a later visit.  The Sky Garden is now firmly on the tourist trail and remains a popular visitor attraction so you’ll need some forward planning to guarantee entry. Tickets are released in advance & demand remains fierce so best to be ready to go as tickets are released each Monday morning. Some walk-in tickets are made available on the day although these are subject to capacity limitations. We’ve tried a few times to pick up walk-up tickets and been knocked back at the door so we suggest booking ahead to avoid disappointment.

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The Sky Garden

The Sky Garden; How To Gain Free Entry

Sitting directly across from The Shard where visitors have to pay to view, the great advantage with the Sky Garden is you can gain FREE entry.  Tickets are released 3 weeks in advance, (usually the release goes live around 10am each Monday), but it does get booked up quickly so it requires an element of pre-planning.  We suggest you be ready to go the moment tickets get released and remember you will need to provide details of each person within your party & provide photo identification, (passport/drinking licence), on the day of your visit.

Bookings can be no larger than 10 people & worth noting that visitors under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by an adult, (1 adult can only accompany up to 3 children under the age of 18 years).  The Sky Garden offers a timed entry ticket system so consider timing when booking your tickets are you will need to ensure you leave sufficient time to arrive on time.  Whilst your ticket offers you a free 1 hour visit to the Sky Garden, there currently doesn’t appear to be any method in place to restrict your stay.

Find out more tips and tricks to get the most from your stay below.

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The Sky Garden

The Sky Garden; How To Get The Most From Your Visit

1. The entrance to the Sky Garden is at the back of the building via Philpot Lane; simply follow the crowds.

2. You will need to go through airport style security to gain access; no food, drink, liquids must be under 100ml & limitations on the size of personal belongings.

3. You will need to provide photo ID for each member of your party with personal details corresponding to the information provided on each ticket.

4. Arrive on time as latecomers risk refusal as the Sky Garden operates on a timed ticketed system.

5. The Sky Garden releases tickets 3 weeks in advance, each Monday around 10am.  Spaces are limited so try to remain flexible with your dates to give you the best possible chance of securing tickets.

6. Although you cannot take your own food & drink into the Sky Garden, you can make use of the refreshments available on site.  Opt for a cup of tea, a glass of champagne or even a 3 course meal from the various dining options available within the Sky Garden.

7. There is an open air terrace that offers spectacular views across the River Thames.  Access to the Francis Golding Terrace is weather dependent and is subject to availability so look out for signs located by the access points on the day of your visit. Worth also taking the stairs up to the terrace for a different perspective within the Sky Garden.

8. There is now limited signage located onto the glass windows helping visitors to pin-point many of the main London landmarks as you make your way around the Sky Garden.

9. Good to see that there is an array of seating available around the Sky Garden that is available to the general public – you do not need to make a purchase to make use of the seating options.

10.  Your tickets offer you access to the venue for 1 hour.  On the day of our visit, we exceeded this time without any problems although on busier days, this is likely to be enforced.

To book go to The Sky Garden Free Tickets.