The Shard, formerly known as the London Bridge Tower, is a 95-storey skyscraper in Central London. The Shard is famous for being the tallest building in London and Western Europe. The building, shaped like a spire, or a shard of glass, is covered by 11,000 glass panels arranged to form a slender figure that ends in an angled tip.

With its 309.6 metres (1,016 feet) in height, The Shard dominates the London skyline and has become one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, as well as one of the main attractions in the city. Inside, it is served by 36 lifts, some of which are double-decker.

Out of the 95 storeys, only 72 are habitable, with the very top floors being occupied by The View, The Shard’s panoramic gallery. From there, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree view that stretches 40 miles over the city and 800 feet above it.

On the floors below, The Shard is designed as an exclusive vertical neighbourhood. You will find world-class offices, award-winning gourmet restaurants, swanky residences, and the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel.

The Shard’s deluxe restaurants and cocktail bars are modern and sophisticated dining spaces such as GŎNG, Aqua Shard, Hutong, Bar 31, Oblix, and TĪNG. If you want to eat at one of these restaurants, expect to pay at least £70.00 for a full meal.

Location

32 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9SG.

The Shard is located immediately next to London Bridge station, in the Southwark area of Central London, by the River Thames. In the neighbourhood, you’ll find several other monuments and sites of interest.

Directly in front of the shard, moored in the Thames’ waters, is the HMS Belfast, a warship turned museum. On land, opposite The Shard is the Old Operating Theatre and further west is the Borough Market. On the other side of the river, crossing the London Bridge you can find The Monument to the Great Fire of London and not far from it the Tower of London, with Tower Bridge in front of it.

Tickets

To go up The Shard and enjoy the panoramic terrace known as The View, you’ll have to get timed tickets, which cost a minimum of £28.00. The price varies depending on the season, availability, and how early you book. The maximum price for a single ticket is £37.00. Groups of 10 or more people pay a reduced price of £25.00 per person.

You can get your timed ticket to The View on The Shard’s website or directly in person at the ticket office. We recommend you book online to ensure your entry.

Remember that if you have a London Pass, you can access The View panoramic gallery from The Shard for free. The Shard’s panoramic gallery might, on occasion, also be included in the 2FOR1 offers, so we recommend you check on the official National Rails Days Out website .

The Shard schedule

Opening times at The Shard vary depending on the events that are taking place. The standard opening times in the summer are from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. In the spring, it’s common for The Shard to be open from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm or from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. In the winter, opening times are often from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. On special occasions, The Shard will only be open from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Closing days are not regularly scheduled on any specific days of the week either. We strongly recommend you check the programmed schedule on The Shard’s website .

The table below indicates the most common opening times depending on the season.

Transport

There are a couple of different ways you get to The Shard. The fastest and most popular is by Tube: you can get off at London Bridge, along the Jubilee and Northern lines, and you’ll be right by The Shard.

There also are a lot of buses stopping in the area. Lines 17, 43, 47, 141, 343, and 381 will leave you right outside The Shard, but you can also take lines 21, 35, and 133 to be dropped off just around the corner.

You can also take a cab, but we advise against it, considering heavy traffic in Central London tends to make taxi journeys expensive and slow.

Nearby sights

The Old Operating Theatre - just across the street from The Shard.

Borough Market - 350 m (0.2 miles) west, 5-minute walk.

HMS Belfast - 600 m (0.4 miles) east, 9-minute walk.

Tower Bridge - 900 m (0.6 miles) east, 11-minute walk.

The Monument - 900 m (0.6 miles) north, 12-minute walk.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - 1 km (0.6 miles) west, 14-minute walk.

Tower of London - 1.2 km (0.8 miles) northeast, 16-minute walk.