Horizon 22 Viewing Platform: My Honest Visit + How to Go

I recently visited Horizon 22 – Europe’s highest viewing platform located on the tallest building in London – and was quite impressed. Admittedly, I love viewpoints – they are a great way to experience a new (or old) city.

Having visited Sky Garden multiple times and erroneously believed it was the highest viewing platform in London, I was excited and mind-blown experiencing an even higher viewing vantage point.

If it’s not already clear – I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Horizon 22, whether you’re visiting London briefly or you’ve lived here for years. It’s a free view offering a different perspective of Tower Bridge, Thames River, or the Shard.

However, visiting (most) well-known London viewpoints isn’t a quick or last-minute decision. Tickets are released and booked weeks in advance, you are limited to a specific arrival time slot, and there are elaborate steps you go through to access the actual viewpoint. But the process is worth it.

If you live in London like I do, you can afford to be flexible when planning your Horizon 22 visit. But if your dates are fixed, then it helps to plan more keenly. Either way, here is everything I wish knew ahead of visiting, as well as a recap of my experience there.

What is Horizon 22?

Horizon 22 is a free public viewing platform offering almost 360 (300 exactly) degree view of London. It is located on Level 58 at the top of 22 Bishopsgate, which is the second tallest building in London. To get there, you go via one of two high-speed lifts that take less than a minute to get to the top.

The whole experience there feels quite simple and no-frills – book free tickets, you go up, enjoy the views, take photos and head down. It doesn’t feel like a curated tourist experience at all. It’s recently become very popular as a one of London’s popular free viewpoints, especially for sunset views.

Is Horizon 22 Free?

Yes! Visiting Horizon 22 is free. No paying in advance or any minimum spends. Also, once you’re inside, there’s no pressure to buy any food or drinks at all.

The only catch is that you need to book a ticket for your preferred time in advance. Tickets release in batches and they can be competitive, especially for popular times.

So yes, Horizon 22 is one of the best free options – but planning ahead is still needed.

Where is Horizon 22 & How to Get There

Horizon 22 is located at 22 Bishopsgate London, EC2N 4BQ. (DIRECT GOOGLE MAPS LOCATION)

22 Bishopsgate is also a massive office building, so on arrival you want to look for the Horizon 22 entry area. The staff members on the main building side are very welcoming and can still direct you accordingly.

The entrance area looks something like this:

22 Bishopsgate building is very close to busy Liverpool Street, meaning you have multiple transportation routes to get there depending on where you’re coming from.

These are the closest underground stations:

• Bank: Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City
• Liverpool Street: London Overground, TfL Rail, Central, Circle, Hammersmith, Metropolitan, Elizabeth line
• Moorgate: Circle, Hammersmith, Metropolitan, Northern
• Monument: Circle, District

If taking the bus, you also have several bus stations nearby:

• Bishopsgate: Stop N
  Bishopsgate City of London: Stop R
• Old Broad Street St Mary Axe: Stop LR,Z
• Threadneedle Street: Stop N
• Wormwood: Stops Q,W and Y

It may also make more sense to walk there from other sites nearby. Here is the rough walking distance from a few locations

• St Pauls: 0.8 miles/18 min walk
• Shoreditch High St: 0.9 miles/20 min walk
• London Bridge: 0.8 miles/17 min walk

How to Book Horizon 22 (Step-by-Step)

Tickets to Horizon 22 are released on Mondays for the next 2 weeks.

Tickets are only sold on Horizon 22 website, therefore you really should not be buying on a third-party website as they’re likely scalpers.

Booking a ticket is super easy. These are the steps:

1. Head to the Horizon 22 booking website here: Book your tickets | Horizon 22
2. Select your preferred date and time, as well as number and types of guest (adult, child, infant, disabled adult etc)
3. If a date is not visible, then that’s because it’s sold out.
4. You can book up to 9 tickets per booking
5. Choose additional add-ons, like an audio- visual guide to the view (for £5 and accessible via your phone) or a glass or bottle of champagne for £12 and £70 respectively
6. Provide your information: first name, last name, postcode, email address, phone number and accept terms and conditions
7. Complete order and voila! You’re all set.

Tickets are sadly not transferable to anyone else – Horizon 22 says that can be asked to show ID on arrival; however we didn’t see anyone being asked to show IDs.

Can You Visit without Booking?

Yes. There are some limited walk-in tickets available every day, however, this is subject to availability and it’s not guaranteed.

I would recommend arriving early on your preferred day to increase your chances of snagging a ticket.

If you’re travelling during high season and summers, then it’s likely that tickets may be sold out.

On Saturdays, you can book the Italian Brunch and The Market on Level 2 which offers complimentary access to Horizon 22.

Best Time to Visit (Sunset vs Daytime)

I’ve visited Horizon 22 over sunset, and my partner has visited both during the day and at sunset, and they can offer two different experiences.

Sunset is the most popular time – and for good reason.

London looks its most dramatic with golden lights on buildings, the sky changing colours and city light switching on. If you can book right around sunset, then you can get some daylight views, sunset and early night views all in one visit.

This was our exact tactic; however London doesn’t care – we ended up going on a foggy day oops!

The official website lists updated opening hours and rough expected sunrise and sunset. Sadly, it’s not open early enough for sunrise, so sunset is your only option.

The downside of a sunset visit?

They are the slots that are booked the fastest. It’s also busier, meaning more people waiting for window spots and potentially more time moving around to find a space for photos with not too many people in the background.

Daytime visits are generally calmer and easier to book.

If you go earlier in the day, the gallery is calmer and you can take your time. The views are still impressive, and you’ll see landmarks even clearer.

Best days of the week to visit

Weekdays (especially Tuesday to Thursday) are much easier to book than weekends. You can likely find an open slot very last minute. Fridays and Saturdays tend to fill up quickly , especially for those sunset slots.

As we learnt the hard way,

Weathers matters more than time

A cloudy or foggy sunset isn’t very impressive. If the forecast shows heavy clouds or haze (which can be most non-summer days in London), I’d honestly pick a daytime slot or reschedule. The wow factor of Horizon 22 really relies on visibility.

My recommendation

If you’re visiting for the first time and want the ‘wow’ factor, sunset is great but only on a clear day. Otherwise, you’re better off going for daytime view – less crowds and much easier to plan.

My Experience visiting Horizon 22, London’s highest viewing gallery

As we approached the 22 Bishopsgate building, there was a staff member checking tickets. You can show pretty much any proof of booking i.e. a confirmation email or saved QR code from the email booking.

On the first visit, we were running late and had already passed our allotted arrival window. I considered cancelling and turning back, with the intention to try book another day. But alas, we got lucky and were allowed to head right in.

Next step is a security checkpoint. This checkpoint was like any airport security area. You pass your luggage through an Xray scanning machine and walk through a scanner yourself.

After that, there are clear directions leading to the lift area. The time on the lift going up to Level 58 was quite awe-inducing. Took us less than a minute and you don’t really feel the movement – though my ears did feel some pressure.

On arrival at the top, they maintain a set flow of traffic between those arriving and leaving. The guards requested people not to stop on the stairs and head directly to the viewing gallery.

Voila! We arrived and were immediately wow-ed by the view. We tried to walk the full span of the viewing gallery to take in different views of the city. London somehow looks both different and very familiar from up there – we had some fun trying to spot various places!

There is also a small café up there, offering soda, tea, coffee and pastries among other snacks. My partner S got an Americano for £3.50, so you can expect reasonable prices that are not artificially hiked.

There was no time limit to your visit, but I’d say we spent a little over an hour from arrival to departure. It didn’t help that we went on a gloomy day, so we were trying to catch any possible clear views during the visit!

What You Can See from Horizon 22

A visit to Horizon 22 guarantees you views of London’s most iconic landmarks.

Thanks to the clear open views across central London, you should be able to spot landmarks clearly visible on a good day. You can spot St Paul’s Cathedral, the curve of the River Thames, and even Tower Bridge and The Shard in the distance. Oh, you can also see Sky Garden – the other famous viewpoint – from higher up. Because the viewing platform is indoors and glass-fronted, the experience feels quite spacious and expansive and the height makes London look more like a map than a maze of streets.

To illustrate, some pictures from different vantage points during our visits there.

Horizon 22 vs Sky Garden (My Take)

If you’re looking for free viewpoints in London, you’ve likely come across both Horizon 22 and Sky Garden. I’ve visited both, and here’s my comparison to guide you to pick which to prioritize. If you have time and tickets for both, that’s even better.

Be on the lookout for my in-depth review of SkyGarden!

Views & Height:

Sky Garden offers 360-degree views of landmarks like the Shard, Tower Bridge, and St Pauls. Horizon 22 offers 300-degree view of the same landmarks – I felt like I had a more ‘wow’ sense of scale of the London skyline here, and looked down on Sky Garden!

Both offer their panoramic view through floor to ceiling glass, however, SkyGarden’s open air terrace stands out in providing a small outdoor viewing vantage – but from people’s experiences, it’s often closed.

In terms of numbers, Sky Garden is situated approximately 155 to 160 metres above ground whereas Horizon 22 is 254 metres above ground level.

Atmosphere & crowds

Sky Garden felt much more touristy and busier…I’d say it’s generally more well-known and offers amenities like cafes and bars that encourage people to stay longer. Whereas Horizon 22 was this no-frills experience where it’s just about enjoying the view. There is a tiny café and way less seating (I sat on the ground). The cafe at Horizon 22 was cheaper than Sky Garden, with more ‘regular’ prices.

The lush plants at SkyGarden stands out in terms of uniqueness. I love any greenery so experiencing it so high up is a lush experience. Horizon 22 has a more clean office-building (but relaxed) experience.

Booking difficulty

Sky Garden feels like it’s more well-known, so getting tickets might be slightly harder as they go much faster.

Horizon 22 is still competitive, but I found it easier to secure a slot last-minute, especially on weekdays.

My verdict

Simple, stress-free, uncluttered viewing experience with less crowds, choose Horizon 22

Social atmosphere with drinks, relaxation and greenery, Sky Garden makes more sense.

They’re both worth visiting though.

Is Horizon 22 Worth It?

Yes, I would say a trip to Horizon 22 is worth it.

Horizon 22 offers almost 360-degree view of the sprawling and bustling city that is London. As someone who makes it a point to get a birds-eye view of whatever city I visit, I still felt like Horizon 22 offered something fresh

It’s much less well-known so it was fulfilling experiencing a place before you find a million pictures or videos of it online. Which means you are guaranteed a superior, less-crowded alternative to London’s other viewpoints.

And well, it’s free and you get to experience Europe’s highest viewing gallery for free, so why not. Worst case is you lose a couple hours and still see London from a new perspective.