Plan Your Visit to The Shard: What to Know Before You Go

There is no cloakroom. Bags over 55 x 38 x 20 cm stay out. Level 72 is open air. Once you are inside you can stay until closing. Under 18s need an adult with them.

Once you are through Joiner Street

Arrival is timed. You can walk in up to 15 minutes after the time on the ticket. Later than that, they may charge a rebooking fee. Under 18s go in with an adult.

Jackets, bags, belts, and pockets empty at the scanners. The first lift is on level 1. You change at 33, then go on to 68.

How long to allow at The Shard

Until closing
Last-entry tickets

The viewing galleries at The View from The Shard

Until closing

There is no time limit once you are on the floors, until closing. Last entry still cuts new arrivals an hour before close.

If you want both indoor galleries and the skydeck without rushing, do not treat last entry as a full visit.

Bags and what to wear at The Shard

Bags
Dress

Bags and cloakroom

Bags and backpacks over 55 x 38 x 20 cm (22 x 15 x 8 inches) stay out. There is no cloakroom and nowhere to leave a suitcase while you go up.

Folded pushchairs can be left in a designated spot in the booking hall. Bags and coats cannot be left with them. Travel light enough to clear the scanners.

Food, scissors, knives, alcohol, tripods, selfie sticks, weapons, and prams are on the restricted list at the door.

Limit: 55 x 38 x 20 cm
No cloakroom
Folded pushchairs in the booking hall only

The open-air skydeck at The Shard

Level 72

The ticket covers levels 68 and 69 and the open-air skydeck on level 72. That is the top of this visit, not a 79th floor. You feel the weather. Look up as well as out. The glass above you follows church spires and tall-ship masts.

London Expert talks run on the floor. Ask a Guest Ambassador when the next one starts.

If it is blowing, 68 and 69 are still indoors. The bar on 72 sits in that same open air.

Bars, toilets, and food at The View from The Shard

Bars, the loo with a view, and the gift shop

Bars on level 69 and level 72 sell drinks and a small selection of snacks. Only food and drink bought inside The View is allowed on the galleries.

The View does not serve afternoon tea, lunch, or dinner, and you cannot reserve a table. The restaurants in the building are a different door. There is a gift shop in the entrance lobby.

Accessible toilets are on level 1 and level 68. The one on 68 is the loo with a view. Foldable chairs are on request. There is no fixed seating on the viewing platforms. After the scanners there is a green-screen photo stop. You get a Memory Pass for the kiosks at the end.

Getting around inside The View from The Shard

Steps at the door, lifts after that

From Joiner Street there are 15 steps to the booking hall, with a small lift on the left. After level 1 the route is step-free to level 72. The automatic door beside the revolving door is 900 mm wide.

Wheelchairs are available if you need one. Hearing loops sit at the desks. Only guide dogs and hearing dogs can come in.

A registered disabled guest buys their own ticket. A carer ticket is issued on arrival, with proof, at the Fast Track desk. That companion ticket cannot be pre-booked.

The Shard visitor guidelines

Handheld cameras and phones are fine for personal use. Tripods and monopods are not allowed. Selfie sticks stay out at the scanners.

Under 18s stay with the adult who brought them.

No smoking or vaping anywhere in The View.

Other pets stay out. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome.

Some galleries play background sound. Lighting is mostly bright. A few spots are dimmer on purpose.

The Shard opening times and how to get there

When the lifts run, and the door

When the lifts run. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Other open days are shorter. Last entry is one hour before that day's close. The Shard opening hours.

The door. Joiner Street, London SE1 9QU, a two-minute walk from London Bridge station. 32 London Bridge Street is the building, not the ticket hall. Address and Directions.

The Shard tickets for this visit

The View from The Shard

Timed arrival at Joiner Street. The ticket is levels 68, 69, and the skydeck on 72, not a table at Aqua Shard. Walk-up tickets exist if the slot is still open.

The View from the Shard

Highlights

Enjoy sweeping 360-degree vistas of London from over 300 meters high.

Visit multiple viewing platforms including levels 68, 69, and the open-air deck on level 79.

Skip the regular admission queue with your entry ticket.

Optional add-ons such as a glass of Champagne and a digital photo package enhance the visit.

Marvel at famous landmarks like the London Eye, Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Thames from above.

Questions before you go up The Shard

How long can I stay at The Shard?

There is no time limit once you are inside, until closing. Last entry is one hour before that day's close, and that makes a short visit.

What is the bag policy at The Shard?

Bags over 55 x 38 x 20 cm stay out. There is no cloakroom. Folded pushchairs can be left in the booking hall. Bags and coats cannot be left with them.

Is there a dress code for The View from The Shard?

No published jacket-and-tie rule for the galleries. Level 72 is open air, so dress for wind. Restaurant dress codes in the building do not apply to this ticket.

Can I take photos at The Shard?

Handheld cameras and phones are fine for personal use. Tripods and monopods are not allowed.

Is The View from The Shard wheelchair accessible?

Fifteen steps from Joiner Street to the booking hall, or a small lift on the left. After level 1 the route is step-free to level 72. Wheelchairs and folding chairs are available on request.

Can I eat at The View from The Shard?

Only food and drink bought inside. Bars on levels 69 and 72 sell drinks and snacks. There is no afternoon tea, lunch, or dinner on this ticket.

What if I am late for my Shard ticket?

You can enter up to 15 minutes after the printed time. Later than that, they may charge a rebooking fee.