The Sky Garden is a winter garden on the top floor of a building in the City of London, with a fantastic view of the city. And it’s free!

20 Fenchurch Street is the address and official name of the building, which, because of its peculiar shape, has been nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie. The Sky Garden is located on the 35th floor of this building, just over 150 metres above street level. The garden occupies the top three floors of the building.

It is a commercial building in the city’s financial district – the City – but unlike its neighbours, it has a public area on the top floor with a view of the whole city.

The view from the Sky Garden

The first view is already impressive, as in the centre of the huge window is the Shard, London’s tallest building, which stands on the opposite bank of the Thames. On this first level there is a bar with a few tables, where you can have a quick snack or a drink. This bar is open all day.

On the sides, stairs lead to the second level of the garden, and in the middle of everything, we see a “box” where two restaurants work: the Darwin brewery and the Fenchurch restaurant. On the way up, we see the beautiful city at our feet. On the east side, the Tower of London and the famous Tower Bridge are very close, but you can see beyond Canary Wharf.

On the west side, the view is not disappointing either. It is from this side that you can see the Tate Modern gallery, and further on the London Eye and Westminster Palace. On reaching the upper level, the large window looks out over the north of the city. Here we can see the other two famous buildings in the city: the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin, a building shaped like a cucumber.

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How to book a visit to the Sky Garden

This is how it works: you go to the official website and click on “Book a free tour”.

https://skygarden.london/

The screen displays a calendar with the dates available for booking. Bookings for Sky Garden are made for the next three weeks, for visits between 10am and 6pm (weekdays) and between 9am and 9pm (Saturdays and Sundays).

As this is a very popular attraction, those wishing to visit on a specific date and at these times should book at least three weeks in advance.

By clicking on the date, the available times will appear (in 15 minute intervals). The time is the entry time, you can stay at the site for as long as you like, you can stay up to an hour at the site.

How to visit the Sky Garden without a ticket

Tickets for the Sky Garden are required between 10am and 6pm on weekdays and between 11am and 9pm on weekends.

Those without tickets can try to arrive at the least busy times. You can visit the Sky Garden from Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 11.30am and between 2.00pm and 4.30pm.

How to get to the Sky Garden

To get to the Sky Garden, go to Monument Station and follow the signs for the Eastcheap Great Tower Street exit.

Once on the street, look up. You can’t miss the building, which is right next to the station. On arrival, you enter a queue where you present your reservation (printed or on your mobile phone), an ID (not necessarily a passport) and go through an airport-type security check.

Then simply take the lift which takes you quickly to the 35th floor of the building, where the Sky Garden is located.

Nearest station: Monument

Opening hours:

Monday to Wednesday: 7am to 11.30pm.

Thursday and Friday: 7am to midnight

Saturday: 8am to 1am

Sunday: 8am to 11.30pm

Address: 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 8AF

https://goo.gl/maps/jWMTQyYmXtuWQFSz8