They’re both giant monuments to modern London, both offer amazing views of the best city in the world and both are among the most visited attractions in the city. But which one is better?
You may think this comparison is automatically bias, coming from a website dedicated to The Shard, however we’re not here to trash The Eye. It’s a fantastic symbol of for the city and London simply wouldn’t be the same with out it; The Shard may be bigger, but is it better?
The Shard vs The London Eye
Let’s look at the positives and negatives of both attractions, then you can decide which is the best place to visit.
The View
The main reason anyone would want to visit either the top of The Shard or the London eye is to see London from high up. London has so many spectacular buildings that seeing them from as high as possible makes for a truly spectacular view.
London Eye
Viewing Height – 135m
How far can you see – Up to 30 miles
Location benefits – Opposite the Houses or Parliament and on the River Thames.
The Shard
Viewing Height – 280m
How far can you see – Up to 40 miles
Location benefits – Highest viewing point in the city. Opposite Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast.
The Price
London Eye
Standard tickets: £21:20 for adults and £16/95 for children
Fast Track Entry: £29.45 for adults and £25.45 for children
For this you get to experience the 30 minute ride on the London Eye and a 4D cinema experience
The Shard
Tickets: £26.95 for adults and £21.95 for children
For this you get unlimited time of levels 78 – 82 of The Shard including an outdoor viewing platform. There are no ‘fast track’ entry tickets as all tickets guarantee entry within 10 minutes of arriving.
The Experience
The London Eye often requires very long queuing times due to its popularity. You may be waiting up to 40 minutes on the busiest days an even fast track tickets require some queuing. The Shard offers fast track entry to all its customers and queues are short due to the higher capacity of the attraction.
Once aboard one of the London Eye’s pods you may be fortunate enough to not have too many people with you, however each pod can hold 20 people so it can get quite busy. You are also unlikely to be alone at the top of The Shard, but with two whole floors with 360 degree views of London, you will certainly have plenty of space.
Verdict
When looking at the two experiences, we’d say that The Shard offers an overall superior experience. Then again we would say that, wouldn’t we? But let’s look at the evidence.
The Shard offers visitors unlimited time to view London from by far the tallest viewing point in the UK, over twice the height of the London Eye. There are limited queuing times and much greater space to enjoy the view. The Shard is slightly more expensive, however you get a lot more for your money. The London Eye is great, but if you need to choose between the two, choose The Shard!
You can choose from a selection of Shard tickets from this page. Or click the button below to go straight to the preferred ticket provider.
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