The Shard View from Sky Garden

Sky Garden occupies the top three floors of 20 Fenchurch Street, known as the Walkie-Talkie, in the City of London, England, and gives free views across the capital, including the Shard to the south. Entry is free but requires booking a timed slot online, which opens up in advance and fills quickly, and a limited number of walk-in places are released daily. Visitors pass security and ride a lift to the 35th floor, which holds a landscaped indoor garden of Mediterranean and South African plants, a viewing terrace and open-air balcony, plus two restaurants and a bar. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Thames, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the Shard, with the Shard appearing as a glass spire above London Bridge. The terrace is open to the air, and wind can be strong. The best photographs of the Shard are taken from the south-facing windows at sunset, when the glass catches the light, and after dark when the skyline is lit. A visit usually lasts about an hour, though many visitors linger over drinks. Weekday mornings are quietest, while sunset slots and weekends are busiest and fill earliest. Visitors are asked to dress smartly and bags are checked on entry. Photography is allowed for personal use, but tripods are not. The Monument and Leadenhall Market are a short walk away.