London Eye

The wheel was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, who entered a newspaper competition for a millennium landmark in 1993, saw it end with no winner at all, and built it anyway with backing from British Airways. It opened in March 2000 with planning permission for five years and has since been made permanent. At 135 metres it was the tallest observation wheel in the world until 2006. It is cantilevered, supported on one side only, which is why it appears to lean over the river, and it turns continuously at about a quarter of a metre per second so passengers step into the moving capsules. A rotation takes thirty minutes. On a clear day the view reaches forty kilometres, though London air rarely delivers that.

The main sights

• The thirty-minute rotation - a slow continuous turn in an enclosed capsule.
• The cantilevered structure - support on one side only, leaning over the river.
• The Westminster view - Parliament and the Abbey directly across the water.
• The night version - the wheel and city lit after dark.

When to go

Year-round; sunset slots are the most sought and cost more. Clear winter days give far better visibility than summer haze. Booking a timed slot online avoids the standby queue, which can exceed an hour.

Practical notes

Capsules hold up to twenty-five people and are shared unless a private pod is bought at a large premium. Prices are high and rise sharply for flexible or fast-track tickets. Reflections in the glass make photography awkward.

Nearby

Westminster and the South Bank arts centres are alongside; Waterloo station is behind.

Key facts