Traceflap
Photo: Caledonianl · CC BY-SA 4.0

London · City of London · Views

Horizon 22

Europe's highest free viewpoint, on floor 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, with a 360-degree view over the City.

45 minfree
Website

The platform is in the 22 Bishopsgate tower and fully glazed, so you can see in every direction without an outdoor terrace. To the south the Shard is almost at eye level, with Tower Bridge and the river winding towards Greenwich below. Because it’s newer and less well known than the Sky Garden, time slots are often easier to get. The view is often clearest after a rain shower, when the air has been washed clean.

Walk on from here

Walk on from here

Three places nearby, in walking order.

  1. ·
    Horizon 22
  2. 3 min walk1
    Duck & Waffle24-hour restaurant on the 40th floor above the City; duck with waffle and a fried egg.
  3. 6 min walk2
    The Garden at 120Open-air roof garden on 120 Fenchurch Street, quieter than the Sky Garden, with views of the Tower and the Shard.
  4. 4 min walk3
    St Dunstan-in-the-EastBombed-out shell of a church, now home to a small garden, in among the office towers.
Nearby

Nearby

Duck & Waffle
Alex Wright · CC BY-SA 3.0

Duck & Waffle

75 min · £££

Open around the clock

24-hour restaurant on the 40th floor above the City; duck with waffle and a fried egg.

Often space without booking after 11 pm; book for the evening. Dress code smart casual: no tracksuit bottoms, no flip-flops.

The Garden at 120
Marathon · CC BY-SA 2.0

The Garden at 120

30 min · free

Winter (Oct–Mar) Mon–Fri 10 am–6.30 pm, Sat/Sun 10 am–5 pm; summer Mon–Fri until 9 pm

Open-air roof garden on 120 Fenchurch Street, quieter than the Sky Garden, with views of the Tower and the Shard.

Usually no booking needed, security check downstairs. Closed on public holidays; at weekends it shuts as early as 5 pm.

Sky Garden
Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sky Garden

60 min · free

Free access Mon–Fri 10 am–6 pm, Sat/Sun 11 am–9 pm

Glass dome with a garden at the top of the ‘Walkie-Talkie’, with views over the Thames, St Paul's and Tower Bridge.

Free time slots are released up to three weeks ahead. Without a ticket only if there is space; on weekdays no entry without a ticket after 5 pm.

The Polo Bar

40 min · £

Around the clock (according to OSM, unverified)

Family-run café near Liverpool Street with a long history; English breakfast at any hour.

One of the few genuine places to eat in the City at night; just turn up, no booking needed.

St Dunstan-in-the-East
Elisa.rolle · CC BY-SA 3.0

St Dunstan-in-the-East

20 min · free

Open in daytime, approx. 8 am until evening (unverified)

Bombed-out shell of a church, now home to a small garden, in among the office towers.

Five minutes from the Sky Garden, ideal as a quiet stop before or after. Emptiest early in the day.

All places in London

Links marked * are partner links: if you book there we earn a commission, your price stays the same.

All of it in the app, as a plan from your arrival

Traceflap turns arrival, departure, opening hours and weather into a day plan and accompanies the whole trip live.

Traceflap for iPhone

Sources: Selection and texts: Traceflap. Hours and prices from the official websites, as of 21 Oct 2026. Coordinates: Wikidata (CC0), some venues © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). No guarantee, please check before visiting. Map: OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, author and licence with each picture.