The Shard London: Tickets & Tips for London’s Tallest Skyscraper

The Shard: 7 Exciting Facts

The Shard is a truly spectacular structure. Here are seven facts about it that we find pretty fascinating:

• The Shard stands 310 meters tall and is the second-tallest building in Europe, after the Mercury Tower in Moscow
• An incredible 11,000 glass panels were used in its construction — equivalent to eight soccer fields
• On September 4, 2022, a 21-year-old climbed unsecured all the way to the top of the tower
• The upper floors are home to luxury apartments worth £50 million each
• During construction, a fox was found on the 72nd floor — the crane operators named him “Romeo”
• At 1.2 billion euros, The Shard was even more expensive to build than the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg
• You can even enjoy the view over London from the restroom

Tickets and Prices for The Shard

If you want to buy a ticket for The Shard, it’s thankfully not as complicated as buying tickets for the London Eye. Tickets start at £22 online, while buying on-site will set you back £32. Children under three get in free. When booking, you simply select your preferred time slot.

We recommend booking your ticket online in advance. Not only will you save a few pounds, but you’ll also be guaranteed entry on your chosen day. Especially on weekends, this place gets incredibly busy.

You can book either through the official The Shard website or through the ticketing provider Tiqets. Personally, we find the booking form on Tiqets simpler and faster, and it lets you switch between pounds and euros for easy conversion.

Get your ticket for The Shard in London

Is The Shard Included in the London Pass?

In another article we introduced you to the various London passes, and maybe you already have one. With our London City Pass calculator, you can easily find out which attractions are included in which pass and which one gives you the best value.

Currently, admission to The Shard is included in the London Explorer Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass.

Location & Getting There: How to Reach The Shard

The Shard is located in central London in the Southwark neighborhood, right next to London Bridge.

The address is: 32 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9SG

Borough Market is just steps away, and in about 15–20 minutes you can walk from The Shard along the Thames to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

Getting There by Subway

The nearest Underground station is London Bridge. It’s served by:

• Jubilee Line
• Northern Line
• and regional train services

From there it’s only about a two-minute walk to the entrance.

Getting There by Bus

Many bus routes also stop at London Bridge station:

• Lines 17, 21, 35, 43, 47, 133, 141, 149, 344, 388
• and the night buses N21, N133, N199, N343, N381

You can also reach The Shard easily with the London Hop-on/Hop-off Bus. As one of London’s most popular attractions, it’s served by all providers.

Getting There by Boat

Right next to The Shard is the London Bridge City Pier, where the Thames Clipper boats operated by Uber stop.

Parking near The Shard

There’s no parking directly at The Shard. However, you can park at:

• Q‑Park Tower Bridge
• The Circle Car Park

Both are just a few minutes’ walk away, but they do charge a fee — expect to pay around £5 per hour. That’s why we recommend getting there by public transit.

Our Experience: Visiting The Shard

Wondering whether a visit to The Shard is worth it and what to expect? Here’s what we found when we went up London’s tallest skyscraper ourselves.

What Is a Visit to The Shard Like?

At your booked time slot, you join the queue. Once your ticket is scanned, you head through security. Food and drinks — other than small snacks like granola bars — are not allowed.

Then it’s up in the elevator: the first takes you to the 33rd floor, the second to the 68th. The ride takes just a few seconds. After that, you take a few flights of stairs. On the 69th floor, you’ll find a covered observation deck, and on the 72nd floor an outdoor observation deck.

There’s no time limit, so stay as long as you like. You’ll also find a bar serving champagne and cocktails up there — which, of course, doesn’t come cheap.

What Can You See from the Shard Observation Deck?

The observation deck The View from the Shard is directly across from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, which you get an incredible vista of. But you can also spot many more London landmarks like Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and the sightseeing boats on the Thames.

On clear days, you can see up to 68 kilometers into the distance — seriously incredible!

Is a Visit to The Shard Worth It?

Absolutely! In our opinion, the view is even better than from the London Eye, yet the entry fee is significantly lower. If you have to choose between the two, we’d definitely go with The Shard.

By the way, Borough Market is just a short walk away — it’s one of the most popular markets in London! You can easily combine both in a single day.

Our tip: The one thing that could put a damper on your visit is, of course, typical English rainy weather. When it’s overcast, the view obviously isn’t as impressive. So it’s worth checking the weather forecast before you book.

Staying at The Shard: The Shangri-La Hotel

If you’re visiting London for a special occasion or simply want to treat yourself, you can also spend the night in London’s tallest building. The 5-star luxury hotel Shangri-La has suites on floors 34 through 51, and you’ll wake up to the best view in London — a total dream.

All rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows. There are three different gourmet restaurants and bars, and our absolute favorite detail: the Infinity Sky Pool on the 52nd floor! Oh, and binoculars are provided in the suites — a fun touch we really loved.