London Eye

The London Eye stands on the South Bank of the River Thames, beside County Hall and opposite the Houses of Parliament. It was built as a project to mark the new millennium, was formally opened on 31 December 1999 and took its first public passengers in March 2000.

The wheel was designed by the husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield, with engineering by Arup. It was planned as a temporary attraction, but its popularity led to a permanent permission. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and has carried more than three million visitors a year.

At 135 metres high and 120 metres across, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world when it opened. Unlike a traditional wheel, it is supported by an A frame on one side only, so it leans out over the river. Its 32 sealed, air conditioned glass capsules each hold up to 25 people, and they are mounted on the outside of the rim so the view is not blocked by the structure.

One rotation takes about 30 minutes, slow enough that the wheel rarely stops for boarding. On a clear day the view takes in the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and the towers of the City and Canary Wharf. The wheel is also the centre of London's New Year's Eve fireworks display.

Tickets are sold for timed slots. A standard adult ticket costs from £29 online against £39 at the counter, children aged 2 to 15 pay from £26 online, and the Flexi Fast Track ticket with priority boarding starts at £49. Waterloo and Westminster Underground stations are each a short walk away. Arrive early for security checks, and choose a clear day for the longest views.

How does the wheel work?

The London Eye turns at about 26 centimetres per second, roughly 0.9 kilometres per hour, which lets passengers step on and off a moving capsule. At that speed the wheel can carry about 1,600 people an hour. Each capsule weighs 10 tonnes, and they are numbered 1 to 33 with no number 13.

The wheel cost about £70 million to build. It was assembled lying flat over the Thames and then raised by strand jacks at 2 degrees an hour, paused for a week at 65 degrees, and lifted the rest of the way. It began as the Millennium Wheel and has carried the names of several sponsors, including British Airways until 2008, EDF Energy from 2011, Coca-Cola from 2015 and lastminute.com from 2020. More than 85 million passengers had ridden it by 2025.

On 2 June 2013 one capsule was named the Coronation Capsule to mark 60 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Most tickets include a four-minute 4D film shown in County Hall, added in 2009, which follows a seagull over London with wind, snow and scent effects. On the day of writing the official site listed the wheel's hours as 11 am to 6 pm, and hours vary by season, so check before you go.