The Shard, also known as “Shard London Bridge” in some guides, is a 72-storey skyscraper designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, in the district of Southwark, London. It is part of what is known as the “Shard Quarter development”.
It has a height of 309.60 meters, which makes it the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the sixth tallest building in Europe. The building is on the same land where the Southwark Towers stood until 2006. The construction of the Shard Building in London took more than 6 years.
The Shard has a very particular shape as it is a triangular skyscraper and its entire exterior façade is covered with reinforced glass panels, leaving the upper terrace outdoors, which can only be visited if the weather allows it.
We tell you what you need to know to visit the Shard in London
What will you find in this article?
- How to get to The Shard
- Times to visit The Shard
- Prices Tickets The Shard
- What to see at The Shard in London
- What to see after visiting the Shard in London
- Visiting The Shard in London: Our experience
Driving Directions to The Shard
Getting to the Shard is very simple and if you are planning to do any of our routes through London, you will surely pass very close to the building on several occasions.
If not, you can get to the Shard via Underground (London Bridge station on the Northern (black) or Jubilee (grey) lines. If you prefer to add it to your map, the address is: The Shard, 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, UK.
Hours to visit The Shard
Depending on the time of year and the day of the week, the hours to visit the Shard change. The Shard is generally open from 10am to 10pm most days (last admission 8.30pm) but during the winter months it usually closes at 8pm (last admission 5.30pm).
At the time of making the reservation to buy the tickets you will be able to see the exact schedule of the day you want to visit it.
The Shard is closed on December 25.
The Shard Ticket Prices
As it is a private building, it is necessary to buy tickets to visit the Shard. We have visited it twice during the years that we have been living in London and the truth is that we totally recommend it.
Do you have a London Pass? Entry to The View from the Shard is free with the London Pass and when using the London Pass there is no need to book a time, just present your card at the door.
Tickets to visit the Shard are 20% cheaper if you buy them online in advance and not at the box office the same day.
- Adults: £27
- Children (4 to 15 years): £21
- Children under 4 years: Free
At the time of booking you will see that there are also options of tickets combined with a glass of champagne in case you want to make the visit a little more special.
Something you should know is that if the day you go up is cloudy and you can hardly see anything, you can redeem your ticket for another day for free. But remember to do it there at the ticketing counter of the building before you leave.
What to see at The Shard in London
The Shard has restaurants, offices, a luxury hotel and of course even housing for those who are lucky enough to be able to afford the more than 70 million Pounds it costs to live in this imposing building that is part of the London skyline.
For those of us without those savings in the bank, we can always go to one of its restaurants and bars to celebrate a special occasion while enjoying stunning views of London.
If you are going to visit the Shard for its 360-degree views of London , then it is best to buy your ticket online in advance and go to the 72nd floor. First of all, you will be amazed at how quickly the elevator reaches the middle of the building. . There you will have to change to another elevator that takes you to “The View”, the floor from which you will be able to see London like never before.
What to see after visiting the Shard in London
- The Old operating Theater : A museum on the history of surgery that houses one of the oldest operating theaters in existence. Highly recommended if you work in medicine or have children of school age.
- Borough Market : London’s oldest market and probably our favorite market in the world. It is also the place where movies such as Bridget Jones’s Diary have been filmed.
- Tower of London : It is exactly a little over 10 minutes walk from the Shard so it may be a good idea to visit it before or after going up.
- Shakespeare Globe Theatre : If you like theater or literature you can’t miss it, take a look at our article to find out how to visit it.
- HMS Belfast Warship : Imposing inside and out. She is a ship-museum that can be visited almost in its entirety. From the deck to even going down to the engine room and the cabins used by British soldiers in World War II.
- The Old operating Theater : A museum on the history of surgery that houses one of the oldest operating theaters in existence. Highly recommended if you work in medicine or have children of school age.
Visiting The Shard in London: Our experience
As you know, although we have been living in London for years, we are still tourists every weekend. So as soon as the observation deck of the new building “The Shard” opened to the public, I bought tickets to go up. And the day we went up it was snowing. As we climbed we thought, it will be nice to see how it snows from so high, but it was exactly like that.
The reality was that there was absolutely nothing to be seen. It was obvious where the Tower Bridge was, but the great cloud that was letting the snow fall over London did not allow us to see anything… so a little disappointed, when we got off, I went to the information booth, and there they told me that since they understood that the visibility was low they gave us two new tickets to visit it again whenever we wanted.
So on our second attempt to enjoy the views from The Shard we went on a day with better weather.
And what is it like? Well, the two times we’ve gone, we’ve gone up very quickly without almost having to wait. There is security control and all metals and bags have to go through a control like the one at the airport.
You go up in an elevator, which goes up at 6 meters per second, the same speed our son runs when we open the jelly beans, and it takes you to the 32nd floor. There you change a second elevator that takes you up to the 67th floor.
From there , you walk up one more floor, to the 68th floor where the first viewpoint is located, glazed 360ºC with the highest views of the city. In addition, you can go up to the 72nd floor, which is a floor that is glazed, but with an open roof. (If the weather is very bad it may be closed).
The feeling was fabulous. And the amazing views. The best seen is the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the town hall area. You can also see The City area very well, and further away you can see Big Ben and the London Eye. On the 68th floor there are signs with explanations, and screens that tell you what you can see.