London has a lot of pretty parks and green spaces, but one thing sets the Sky Garden London apart; it’s London’s highest public garden.
It’s also absolutely free to visit and offers visitors stunning views of some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Free entry, gorgeous views and lots of lovely greenery; you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t add the Sky Garden to your London itinerary.
For obvious reasons, the Sky Garden is a popular spot. I’m not unearthing a hidden gem here. What I do bring is a handful of tips from my own personal experience. I hope I can inspire you to visit and get the most out of your time when you do.
Without further ado…
Book Tickets in Advance
The Sky Garden is free to visit and very popular, so getting in requires a little advance planning. Free tickets are released every Monday morning and need to be booked online. There are a limited number of walk in slots available at staff discretion, but I wouldn’t count on getting in that way.
- Booking in advance guarantees you entry and gives you a timed arrival slot.
- Tickets aren’t flexible, they are valid only for the date & time specified. We turned up a touch early and were asked to leave the line and return nearer our ticketed entry time.
- Each ticket allows for one hour in the Sky Garden, but we didn’t feel rushed.
Getting There
Find the Sky Garden at 1 Sky Garden Walk London EC3M 8AF, United Kingdom.
The nearest tube station is Monument. Tower Hill, Tower Gateway, Aldgate, Bank and Mansion House are within walking distance.
If you’d prefer to stay in the area rather than travel across the city to visit, check out this curated list of hotels near the London Sky Garden.
Be Prepared for Security
Like many other high profile venues, getting into the Sky Garden requires passing through security. It can be a little time consuming when it’s busy, but needs must to get to the fun bit.
Security involves having bags scanned and passing through a metal detector so make it easy on yourself. Pack light, keep bags small and be prepared.
Security conquered, it’s into the super fast lift for flight to the 35th floor and an hour in an oasis in the sky.
The Sky Garden
Designed by award-winning landscape architecture practice Gillespies, the planting in the garden is mainly made up of drought resistant plants designed to flourish year round. Basically, lots of lovely greenery to create a tropical garden feel.
Pops of colour come from the flowering plants, including African Lily and beautiful Birds of Paradise. Clever use of levels and planting have created lovely places to pause, snap a picture and take it all in.
The views are fantastic, inside and out. Best place for those outdoor views being…
The Balcony
The Sky Garden is able to declare itself London’s highest public garden because it’s at the top of a flippin’ massive building. And that means views. Across, up and down the River Thames. Looking out over the city, you’ll be able to see landmarks like St Pauls Cathedral, The Shard and St Dunstans in the East.
Build in time before your visit to see the nearby Monument to the Great Fire of London. Being able to gaze up at it from ground level and then down from Sky Garden level is pretty cool.
When They Say Free, They Mean It
Honestly, I thought that admission would be free but it might feel a bit hard sell once you were up there to buy drinks etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. When they say public access is free, that’s exactly what they mean.
There’s even signage inviting you to use the tables and not buy anything.
Free chilled water is available from a self service machine at the Sky Pod bar in the centre of the Sky Garden.
But If You Fancy A Coffee…
It comes in a cute cup with an Instagram friendly caption. And it really was a nice cup of coffee.
If you fancy more than a coffee and feel like a little splurge, there are a couple of dining options.
- Darwin Brasserie declares itself ‘London’s highest rooftop brasserie, with the best views in Sky Garden’. Expect to pay around £60 a head for a three course set menu.
- Fenchurch Restaurant is currently undergoing a refurb and will reopen on April 15th 2024. The new Fenchurch will offer a British- Caribbean foodie experience with prices around £50 a head for a three course lunch.
Head Up to the City Garden Bar
The crowds tend to build towards the bottom and middle of the Sky Garden around the balcony, the bar and the entrance.
Head up to the City Garden at the rear. There’s plenty of seating tucked in amongst the plants. The light up there is fantastic and the views even better. The views from the stairways to the left and the right showcase parts of London you wouldn’t usually get a birds eye view of. Look out for the window stickers telling you which landmarks you’re looking at.
The Beat-the-Crowds Hack.
The Sky Garden is a popular spot and it gets very, very busy. If you want to go for the sweeping, people free photo’s or you just want a more peaceful experience, there is a little trick.
Public access to the Sky Garden begins at 10.00. The Darwin Brasserie opens at 08.30 for breakfast.
A breakfast reservation means you’ll catch the quietest early hours and bypass the need to snag tickets online. A restaurant reservation means you don’t need a separate access ticket. Breakfast will set you back about £15-40 a head, find the menu here.
I loved exploring the Sky Garden and think you will too. Find details, tickets and opening times here.
If you love those London views, you might also enjoy reading about my Lift 109 experience at Battersea Power Station.
Helen x
I’ve been probably a decade ago.. it’s amazing it’s still free 👏
Oh wow, ready for a return visit? I think the Sky Garden has enjoyed riding the social media wave, it’s an insta-favourite! Thanks so much for reading and taking time to comment, appreciate it.
I used to live near there. I moved out of London now, not really my cup of tea. Too busy for my liking!
The Sky Garden was nice, though. I tried to go back 2 years after I first visited, but it was always too full, so I found a small garden nearby. I forgot what it was called now.
Also, I’m not on the socials. Had to give that up 😁
It’s interesting to see some updates, though. I did tell a colleague to visit the place.
Sky Garden is a must-see destination for tourists visiting London as it offers breathtaking views of the London skyline and famous landmarks such as the Shard, the Gherkin, and the Tower of London. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I find it amazing that this is still free, it’s such a great view and so popular! Most people just share photos of the views, it’s good to see the lush gardens being featured too 🙂 And great tip about breakfast, that hadn’t occurred to me as an option.
I’m surprised it’s remained free too, and that there’s no pressure at all to buy when your up there. It’s a real London gem.
Good tip about breakfast
I didn’t know about this place – though we must have been very close at the monument on our last but one London trip. The breakfast tip sounds handy!
Yes, just a short stroll from Monument. Booking breakfast would bypass the queues and the crowds so it’s a good way to do it! One for the list for the next London trip?
I would definitely take in that breakfast to take advantage of being there earlier (not to mention having a good meal to start out the day!). This high-rise garden setting looks and sounds like an absolute must-see if Mrs. Chess and I ever visited the UK. Great shots taken…truly wonderful views.🙂
Thank you, the London views are wonderful! They Sky Garden should be on every London itinerary. I hope you make it to the UK one day.
What a great review Helen. I’ve been up to the Sky Garden many times but hadn’t considered the idea of having breakfast there. It sounds like a good plan if we are staying in that part of town.
It would be a lovely start to the day wouldn’t it? I only discovered you could book breakfast with early access when we were there. It’s definitely something I’d like to try and do at some point.
Thanks for showing me just another item for my bucket list.
You’re very welcome. The Sky Garden is a great experience, one I’d definitely recommend!
Thanks for sharing this. It’s definitely bookmarked as a Thing To Do in London now.
How have I never heard of this!? Taking the kids up to the Cabinet War Rooms this week so might add this on the itinerary!
If you can it’s definitely worth squeezing in a visit! Enjoy your time in London and thanks for stopping by.
My friends have been talking about taking me to the Sky Garden for years, so I definitely need to make that happen. Going for breakfast is a great idea!
Breakfast with friends in such a lovely London spot, definitely a grand idea!
A great guide to this wonderful place. I went for my anniversary and we ate in Darwin Brasserie – the food was wonderful!
That’s a lovely way to celebrate an anniversary.
Loved the views from here, and it is still free!I visited it in 2016
I love that it’s remained free and so welcoming, it’s a London highlight.
It’s forever on my list but whenever I’m in London I never seem to fit it in!
I was exactly the same, it can be tricky to time tickets to a visit. Definitely one to keep in mind if you get the chance, it’s a lovely place and the views are grand.
what a wonderful place always want to explore.
came across : https://sites.google.com/view/historicallandmarks/home to explore Discovering England’s Stunning Coastlines.
Thanks for sharing such valuable information. Your perspective is refreshing and has given me a lot to think about.TIRUPATI TRAVELS
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.
I have been to the sky garden once before and I am going back next week, Helen your review was excellent, I didn’t know about the breakfast, what a great idea. Thank you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment. I hope you have a great return visit to the Sky Garden, it’s a wonderful time of year for it!