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The London Eye: half an hour above the Thames

The London Eye was put up to mark the year 2000 and was meant to come down after five. It turned out to be the best view in London, and it has carried more than three million people a year ever since.

Find Tickets
Tickets
From £29
Open
11:00 to 18:00 most days, later Fri and Sat
Closed
See the wheel's calendar
Allow
1 to 1½ hours

London this week

    What to see at the London Eye

    1. Big Ben and Parliament from above

      As the capsule climbs, the clock tower and the long river front of the Houses of Parliament lie just across the water, with Westminster Abbey behind them.

    2. The top of the turn

      At 135 metres you look down the Thames past St Paul's to the towers of the City and the Shard, and the other way to Buckingham Palace in its parks.

    3. The capsule

      Each is a glass pod with a bench in the middle and room for about twenty-five people. You can walk round it, and the view is open on every side.

    4. At dusk

      Board half an hour before sunset and you go up in daylight and come down with the bridges and the Parliament clock lit.

    5. The South Bank

      The riverside walk at the foot of the wheel runs east past the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre to Tate Modern, about twenty-five minutes on foot.

    Tickets and tours for the London Eye

    • Sold by GetYourGuide

      London: The London Eye Entry Ticket

      One turn on the London Eye at a booked time, with a fast-track option.

      Included

      • One turn on the London Eye, about thirty minutes
      • Entry at a booked time

      From

      £29

      Book Tickets

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    Visiting the London Eye: hours and admission

    Opening hours

    Sunday to Thursday, in the week this was read
    11:00 to 18:00
    Friday and Saturday
    10:00 to 20:30
    • The hours change with the season and with school holidays. In the last week of October 2026 the wheel was to open from 10:00 to 20:30 every day. Its site gives the hours for each date.
    • The time on a ticket is the time to join the queue, not the time of boarding.

    Who gets in free

    • The wheel's own site sets out its tickets for small children and for carers.

    Getting there

    Tube
    Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, Waterloo and City), five minutes on foot.
    Tube
    Westminster (Jubilee, District, Circle), then across Westminster Bridge, seven minutes.
    River
    London Eye Pier is at the foot of the wheel.

    Address

    London Eye
    Riverside Building, County Hall
    London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom

    Entrances

    The ticket office is inside County Hall, the long stone building beside the wheel. With a ticket bought online go straight to the boarding ramp on the riverside walk, where bags are checked. Fast-track tickets use a line of their own.

    On the map

    Before you go

    • The ticket is for a time, and that is the time you join the queue, not the time you board. At busy hours allow another half hour.
    • A fast-track ticket is worth it at weekends and in school holidays, when the ordinary queue is longest.
    • Go on a clear day. In low cloud or rain there is little to see, and the ticket will not be changed for the weather.
    • The hours change with the season and the day of the week. Look them up for your date.
    • The best photograph of the wheel itself is from Westminster Bridge or from the far bank.

    Built for one year, kept for good

    The wheel stands on the South Bank of the Thames beside County Hall, directly across the river from the Houses of Parliament. It is 135 metres high, and when it opened to the public in March 2000 it was the tallest observation wheel in the world.

    It was designed by two London architects, David Marks and Julia Barfield, and it is held from one side only, like a fan on a stand, so that it could be built flat on the river and raised into place. The thirty-two capsules hang on the outside of the rim and stay level as it turns.

    The wheel never stops: it moves slowly enough for you to step on and off. One turn takes thirty minutes. On a clear day you can see about forty kilometres, to Windsor Castle in the west.

    London Eye: common questions

    What are the opening hours of the London Eye?
    Sunday to Thursday, in the week this was read: 11:00 to 18:00. Friday and Saturday: 10:00 to 20:30. The hours change with the season and with school holidays. In the last week of October 2026 the wheel was to open from 10:00 to 20:30 every day. Its site gives the hours for each date. The time on a ticket is the time to join the queue, not the time of boarding.
    Is the London Eye ever free?
    The wheel's own site sets out its tickets for small children and for carers.
    What does the ticket include?
    One turn on the London Eye, about thirty minutes. Entry at a booked time. It is sold by GetYourGuide.
    How long does the London Eye take?
    One turn lasts thirty minutes. With the queue and the security check, allow an hour to an hour and a half in all.
    What is the best time to go on the London Eye?
    The hour before sunset on a clear day, for the city in daylight and then lit. The first rides of the morning have the shortest queues.
    How high is the London Eye?
    It is 135 metres high, with thirty-two capsules. On a clear day the view reaches about forty kilometres.

    What visitors say about the London Eye

    Rating from Google

    4.5

    205,421 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 8 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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