Anyone who visits London knows that there are some must-see attractions in the city and, without a doubt, one of them is the London Eye, London's Ferris wheel. More than just a Ferris wheel, the London Eye is a lookout point for beautiful views of the Big Ben Clock Tower, the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames. See all the tips we've put together to discover this incredible attraction. When planning your visit to the London Eye, it's essential to consider where you'll stay in London. An excellent accommodation option to enhance your experience is to stay at a conveniently located hotel that grants you easy access to not only the London Eye but also other significant landmarks. For a comfortable and memorable stay, consider booking a room through www.hotels-of-london.com. Their selection of hotels is curated to provide you with the best possible visit to this historical city. Whether you're looking to capture panoramic photos from the top of the London Eye or you want a comfortable room close to this iconic structure, ensuring that your accommodation is sorted can make your visit to London truly unforgettable.
THE LONDON EYE
The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, opened to the public at the beginning of 2000. It is 135 metres high and 120 metres in diameter. It is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe and was the largest Ferris wheel in the world until 2006 (it is currently in 4th place - the first place is the High Roller in Las Vegas, which is 167 metres high). Almost 4 million people visit the London Eye every year, making it the most visited paid tourist attraction in the UK!
The Ferris wheel is made up of 32 passenger cabins, which look like oval-shaped, air-conditioned capsules connected to the outer circumference of the Ferris wheel and rotated by electric motors. Each cabin weighs 10 tonnes and accommodates up to 25 people, who are completely free to roam around inside the capsule. It rotates at 26 centimetres per second and takes around 30 minutes to make a complete turn.
The London Eye is beautifully lit with LED lights that illuminate it at night, making London's landscape even more beautiful! Since January 2015, due to a partnership, it has been renamed the Coca-Cola London Eye.
HOW TO VISIT THE LONDON EYE
As it's the most visited paid attraction in the UK, you can imagine that in high season there's practically zero chance of getting there to buy tickets on the spot and not finding huge queues! That's why it's a good idea to plan ahead and buy your tickets in advance to save time in the queue. After buying online (information at the end of the post), you need to print out the voucher and hand it in at the ticket office on the day of your visit.
Inside the incredible London Eye, with the English Parliament in the background
Our feet inside the London Eye cabin and the River Thames below
Days in London are often cloudy, so the chance of clear skies is low and usually only happens on summer days. In any case, even on a grey day, the tour is well worth it, because it's one of the best places to get an incredible panoramic view of London from various angles!
View of the Houses of Parliament from inside the cabin
In addition to the normal (standard) ticket, there are "fast track" ticket options to cut the queue, and combinations of tickets to have a day and night experience, flexible tickets that can be used at any time of the day and guided tours with explanations about the London Eye.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Address: London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom
Openingtimes: daily from 10am (closing times vary, see this link)
Admission: from £21.20 (see all ticket types at this link)
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