London Eye

London Eye – the most important information

London Eye was formerly known as Millennium Wheel, and it is a revolving observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom.

About the London Eye

London Eye is 135 meters tall, making it the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in Europe, and it has a diameter of 120 meters. This Ferris wheel was built in 1999, and opened to the public in 2000. It was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world until 2006, when it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang in China. The London Eye has 32 ovoid capsules that carry 25 passengers each. The capsules represent the 32 boroughs that constitute Greater London. The wheel moves two revolutions per hour, which means it doesn’t have to stop for boarding or disembarkation of passengers, except for those with disabilities.

London Eye experiences

You can make your London Eye visit more special by upgrading to one of their VIP experiences, which are:

Champagne Experience – ticket for this experience includes a glass of chilled Pommery Brut Royal Champagne and a priority Fast Track entrance with which you can skip the queue.
Pub Pod – with this ticket you can have the ultimate festive Pub experience 135 meters above London with up to 2 drinks per person, including one signature Absolut Christmas Cocktail and a selection of craft beers and wines. You can also skip the line with the Fast Track priority entrance.
Private Pod – this experience grants you an access to an entire pod privately for 2 to 25 guests and a Fast Track boarding through a dedicated entrance.
Cupid’s Pod – this experience includes a private pod for 2 guests, a bottle of Pemmery Rosé Champagne, a luxury box of Hotel Chocolat Pink Champagne Truffles, a personal London Eye host, and a priority boarding.

You can see the prices and book the tickets on the London Eye official website.

Tickets and opening hours for the London Eye

Tickets: there are different types of tickets. The standard ticket is £33.50 per adult if you get it on the day, or £27 per adult if you book it online. Get the tickets online for a cheaper price.
Opening hours: the London Eye is open daily from 11 am to 6pm.

How to get to the London Eye?

You can get to the London Eye by:

Underground – the closest tube station is Waterloo, at about 5 minutes walking distance. The lines that go there are Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, and Waterloo & City.
Train – the closest rail stations to the London Eye are Waterloo and Charing Cross.
Bus – numbers of buses that go to the London Eye are 211, 77 and 381.

What should you know before visiting the London Eye?
You should get in early because the queues always get massive; get the Fast Track to skip the queue. And lastly, try to get in the pod quickly so you can get the best spot.

London Eye trivia
Here are some fun facts about this Ferris wheel:

London Eye was actually not the first Ferris wheel in London. There was The Great Wheel at Earls Court that was open for the public from 1895 to 1906.
It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe; at first, it was planned as a temporary structure.
One of the capsules was named the Coronation Capsule on the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.