For the best views, head to the Shard

After the inauguration laser show from London’s newest skyscraper last week, all eyes are on the Shard. Standing tall at London Bridge, the Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe at 310m. Without a doubt, this is the place for great views of London. But how much will it cost?

The Shard’s observation decks will be located between the 68th and the 72nd floors, roughly 240m above the ground with a vantage point of around 40 miles. That’s one incredible view of the city! The whole outfit is pretty hi-tech, including a “kaleidoscope” elevator which takes only 30 seconds to reach the 68th floor. The highest point visitors can visit is the 72nd floor, called “The View from The Shard”.

With these kinds of views (twice as high as any other viewing point in London!), you can expect that The Shard will be yet another popular addition to the tourist circuit on top of the Thames cable car that opened at the end of June. Which brings us to tickets. How much is it going to cost and when will it open to visitors?

Visiting The Shard

Tickets, which are on sale now via The Shard box office, will cost £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children (not cheap!). That’s a grand £90 for a family of four who want the best views of London that money can buy, unless you hire a private helicopter of course.

The high prices come as a surprise to many, as the Eiffel Tower charges €14 (£11) per adult to ride the elevator to the top and the Empire State Building charges slightly more at $25 (£16) to view the Main Deck at the 86th Floor. Worth it for the flights to London? The View from The Shard is expected to open February 1st of 2013.

• Opening hours: daily 9:00-22:00

Do you think prices to visit The View from The Shard are too high? Will you be visiting to see the views?

Img: jenny-bee / Flickr cc.