Get ready to be wowed at the best views in London. Whether you’re peeking at the skyline from a Royal Park or a secret viewing platform, here are the best spots to see the city’s skyscape.
London is a striking city, a glorious hodgepodge of centuries of architecture, punctuated by the meandering Thames and lots of green spaces.
But where do you go to see London at its very best? Scattered all over the city, these spots offer some of the best views in London.
Best views in London
Greenwich Park
The views from the top of Greenwich Park are renowned for being some of the best in London, not least because they offer a different perspective to the viewpoints in central London.
First, there’s leafy Greenwich itself, the gorgeous buildings of the Queen’s House and the Old Royal Naval College, from which you can catch a peek of the Thames. Then there’s the glittering skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, between them you can take in centuries of London development and history in one view.
Horizon 22
Genuinely the highest view on this entire list, and free. Horizon 22 opened in 2023 on the 58th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, 254 metres up, and claims the title of Europe’s highest free public viewing platform.
The 300-degree views take in St Paul’s, the Shard, Tower Bridge and Sky Garden laid out below you, through floor-to-ceiling windows with no barriers in the way. Free timed slots are released two weeks ahead every Monday, or you can pay for an early-morning or late-evening slot outside the free daytime window if you miss out.
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is one of the best parks in London, full stop. It’s got deer, it’s got trees, it’s got nature trails aplenty, what more could you want?
Well, not many people know that if you find the right spot, it also offers some of the best free views in London. One vantage point is Sawyer’s Hill, where you can see central London in all its splendour. The second spot is King Henry’s Mound, reputed to be the very place Henry VIII waited for a signal showing the beheading of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, had been successful.
These days it offers much gentler pastimes, including the perfect tree-framed view of the London skyline.
Primrose Hill
Spread out to the north of the prim and proper Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill has a less manicured feel that, along with its views of central London, attracts people from all over the city.
The view sweeps south straight to central London, with much of the modern architecture that dominates the skyline today visible. From The Shard to the Walkie Talkie and much more besides, this is a view to savour at least once.
Sky Garden
Speaking of the Walkie Talkie, the stunning Sky Garden sits at the top of the building, prime real estate for soaking up fantastic views of London, and one of the city’s most majestic spots.
Take a peek at the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf to the east and the meandering Thames leading to iconic attractions like the London Eye and Parliament in the west.
Want to beat the crowds? Go up early in the morning when there’s barely anyone around and you’ll get the best of the view without jostling for position.
The Oxo Tower viewing platform
Many of central London’s viewing platforms are ridiculously expensive, not so the Oxo Tower’s viewing platform, which offers gobsmacking Thameside views across St Paul’s Cathedral and the Square Mile for free.
Just head up to the terrace, where there’s an area the public can enter for free. Even better, it’s a bit of a hidden secret, so chances are you’ll get it all to yourself.
Parliament Hill
It’s one of the most iconic panoramas in London, the rolling grasslands of Hampstead Heath provide the perfect foreground for the skyscrapers of the city beyond. If you’re unsure which buildings you’re looking at, there’s a helpful plaque matching the skyline you can use to work out which highlight is which.
The history of the Hill’s name is hotly contested, our favourite story is that Guy Fawkes’ co-conspirators gathered here to watch the Houses of Parliament blow up. Obviously it never did, but the name stuck nonetheless.
Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden, South Bank
The Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden on the South Bank might not be one of the highest points in London, but thanks to its central location, it offers a pretty great view of the city all the same.
It’s an unusual haven amid the concrete of the Southbank Centre, where wildflowers and fruit trees frame views of the Thames and the hustle and bustle beyond.
Viewing level at Tate Modern
Head atop the Tate Modern’s Blavatnik Building for another of the best free views in London.
The viewing level at Tate Modern sits smack in the middle of the action when it comes to London’s skyline. Housed at Level 10, the southern side has been roped off to stop visitors gawping directly into neighbouring flats, but that’s no real loss, the best of the view is elsewhere. Be warned, photography isn’t allowed, and you can expect a stern tap on the shoulder if you’re spotted sneaking in a pic.
Instead, peek over to the instantly recognisable dome of St Paul’s, glance over to The Shard, you can even see the arch over Wembley Stadium if you look hard enough.
One Tree Hill
It’s hard to imagine when the Great North Wood covered huge swathes of South London, but it left its mark on the city if you know where to look.
One Tree Hill is one such spot. The hill is a high point in Honor Oak where Queen Elizabeth I is said to have once rested under a tree, hence the name.
Today it’s one of the best skyline views in the south of the city, offering straight-up views of the Gherkin, Cheese Grater and Walkie Talkie among some less obvious beauties.
Alexandra Palace Park
Ally Pally, as it’s nicknamed, is many things, concert venue, home to a farmers’ market, a boating lake, an outdoor adventure course and much more. It’s a bit of a shame more fuss isn’t made over the spectacular view of London from Alexandra Park.
Parliament Hill might get all the attention, but Alexandra Park offers an equally awesome, widespread London view, particularly at night, when the city’s lights twinkle in the distance.
One New Change
For a while, One New Change’s viewing terrace was a bit of a secret. A free viewing terrace with views of St Paul’s so close it feels like you could reach out and touch it? The secret was never going to last long.
That still doesn’t stop it working its magic, pop up here for sunrise or sunset for a view that will make you fall in love with London all over again, or book a spot on one of the yoga classes or film screenings held in the space.
Waterloo Bridge
Who said you have to go high to get great views? The River Thames isn’t short of a bridge or two, but it’s the views from Waterloo Bridge that make even the most battle-hardened Londoner stop and take a photo.
To the west, the London Eye and Houses of Parliament set the scene, while to the east, the former riverside palace of Somerset House vies for your attention with The Shard and the City’s skyscrapers.
Blackfriars Station
Great views across London from a railway station? Pull the other one. Well, if you’ve ever travelled on the Thameslink Core between St Pancras and Blackfriars, you’ll have found yourself stopped at a station across the Thames at the southern end.
We love London’s expansive transport network, and Blackfriars is one of our favourite spots for it. It’s not unheard of for us to catch a train earlier than necessary, jump off here and grab some cool pics across the river.
Eastward or westward, the views are simply awesome, with all of London’s riverside charms there to picture.
Lift 109
Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station offers incredible views from beside the Thames in southwest London, out towards Surrey, west London and eastwards.
Take a lift up one of the power station’s trademark chimneys and arrive 109 metres above ground level for 360-degree views where you can see for miles in every direction.
With some great shops, bars and eateries as part of the wider regeneration, this is an excellent choice for a fun day out combined with stunning views across London.
London Eye
Ah, the London Eye. You can’t have a piece on the best London viewpoints without mentioning it.
Even now, over two decades after it opened, it still gives us a thrill to jump on for 30 minutes of stuffing our eyes with views of London’s icons. From the top of its 135m-high wheel, you’ll see about 25 miles of London sprawling beneath you in every direction, including fantastic views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben just over the river.
You don’t have to cram in with everyone else if you don’t want to, either, the London Eye also offers VIP spins and private pods, which make a brilliant setting for a bit of romancing, just saying.
How to go: Book directly with the London Eye.
Tower Bridge
Londoners and visitors alike spend so much time gawping at and photographing Tower Bridge that they sometimes forget you can actually go inside. It’ll cost you, this is London, after all, but the Tower Bridge Exhibition is quirky, interesting and comes with some fabulous views. You can even walk on the glass floor over the Thames, if you dare.
ArcelorMittal Orbit slide
Any mention of the UK’s largest sculpture is pure Marmite to Londoners, some love it, others hate it, but whichever way you swing, you can’t deny it offers a cracking view of London and, if it’s your thing, the Thames estuary.
The big attraction is, of course, the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide. Still, given its size, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can see for 20 miles from the top, something to take your mind off the fact it’s a long way down.
London Cable Car
The London Cable Car is probably one of the cheapest things you can do with a great view, since it’s actually part of London’s public transport network.
As such, it’ll cost you a mere snippet on your Oyster card to hop aboard and take the 10-minute journey (20 minutes return) between North Greenwich and Royal Docks.
The Monument
The 17th-century Monument, built to commemorate the Great Fire of London, sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to London skyline views. We absolutely love it, though.
The view is a little obscured by the newer, towering buildings of the City that surround it, but it’s still worth taking a peek and thinking about what London’s skyline might have looked like in years past.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s is such a dominant piece of London’s skyline, but it’s also a great spot to take in an eyeful of central London.
Climb the dome to the Stone Gallery (378 steps) and the even higher Golden Gallery (528 steps) for far-reaching city views.
Westminster Cathedral
Not Westminster Abbey, the lesser-known Westminster Cathedral is just down the road from Victoria Station (still in Westminster) and hides one of London’s best views in plain sight.
To reach it, just hop to the top of the cathedral’s St Edmund’s Tower (thankfully, there’s a lift). At 94 metres high, it’s in the perfect spot to pick out some of London’s most famous buildings, including the BT Tower, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.
The Dare Skywalk
“To dare is to do” is the motto of north London football club Tottenham Hotspur, and believe it or not, some of the best views across London can be found on their awesome, or terrifying, Dare Skywalk.
Built as part of the stadium’s transformation from old-school ground to state-of-the-art venue, the Skywalk offers an amazing opportunity to take in views across north London towards Ally Pally, central London, Canary Wharf and Stratford.
It’s high, and it’s expensive, but the views are unmatched in this part of town. Feeling brave? You can choose to come down much quicker than you went up, by abseiling from the top.
Up at the O2
Or, for a similarly adrenaline-fuelled experience south of the river, climb the outside of the O2 in southeast London, right next to the Thames in North Greenwich.
Up at The O2 offers exquisite panoramic views across London once you’ve made the climb (you’re attached to a rope and given a helmet and appropriate footwear). Expect wonderful views across Greenwich Park towards Blackheath, and across the river to Canary Wharf.
Bars and restaurants with great views
12th Knot at Sea Containers
Get to the bar early (or book ahead) to nab one of the terrace tables at the rather brilliant cocktail bar 12th Knot, at the top of Sea Containers hotel.
What’s better than looking at the central London skyline at sunset? Doing it with a tasty cocktail in hand.
Radio Rooftop
We dithered about whether to include Radio Rooftop in this guide, the place is pretension defined, but the fact remains it’s genuinely one of the best rooftop bars in London when judged by the view alone.
Take the lift to the top of the ME Hotel and step out to see the bright lights of London’s glitzy West End spread out beneath you. You can find better cocktails in the area, and you can certainly find nicer staff, but you can’t replace those views.
Frank’s Cafe
If Frank’s Cafe didn’t single-handedly elevate Peckham to one of London’s cool spots, it certainly played a starring role.
Worth knowing: this is a proper seasonal fixture, closed over winter and reopening every year around mid-May, running through to late September. Check current dates before you go, but the annual rhythm has held reliably for years.
Wend your way up the iconic bubblegum-pink staircase to emerge on the rooftop, a cool panoramic view of London spread out before you. It’s busy, buzzy and lots of fun.
Hutong, The Shard
London restaurants with a view generally come at a steep price, and Northern Chinese restaurant Hutong in The Shard is no exception.
Inside, lanterns and silk curtains transport you to the Far East, but it’s really the view of London spread out beneath you (it’s on the 33rd floor) that steals the show.
Duck & Waffle
The Salesforce Tower’s (better known as the Heron Tower) contemporary British-European restaurant has been a fixture on London’s dining scene since it opened in 2012.
Duck & Waffle is also one of the few 24/7 restaurants in London, so you can get an eyeful of stellar views and a bellyful of delicious food whatever the time of day. It’s pricey, but worth it, especially at sunrise or sunset.
SushiSamba
Also in the Salesforce Tower, SushiSamba brings the unlikely combination of Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian food together and makes it work with spectacular aplomb. The bamboo ceiling and glass globes get it into our most beautiful restaurants in London as well as this list.
Where else can you graze through a menu that zips from Brazilian moqueca to Japanese gyoza and Peruvian ceviche and excels on all fronts? The views, from the 38th and 39th floors, are exceptional, and it just so happens to host one of the liveliest brunches in town too. The only wrinkle is successfully nabbing a reservation at one of the hottest tables around.
Portrait, National Portrait Gallery
Portrait, a fitting name for the restaurant at the top of the National Portrait Gallery, is one of central London’s little gems.
How would you like to sit down to dinner with views of Nelson’s Column, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey? Thought so. Want to make the most of your money? There’s a set lunch menu that makes it one of the more affordable options in Covent Garden, check current pricing when you book.
The London x London Take: Horizon 22 and the Oxo Tower are the two entries here that genuinely surprise people, both free, both genuinely excellent, and both still somehow overlooked in favour of paying for the Shard. Do one of those two first before you spend a penny on the others.
