The London Eye With Kids: Is It Worth A Visit?

“Are we nearly at the top,” my daughter exclaimed as we glided upwards in London’s iconic wheel. I’ve seen my home city from various viewpoints over the years, from the Tate Modern and Shard to St Paul’s Cathedral. But we’d never experienced the most obvious, The London Eye, on the south bank of the River Thames. How would The London Eye differ from other vantage points and is it worth the price tag? Read on to find out about our experience of the London Eye with kids.

The London Eye was never intended to be a permanent structure. It was built in 1999 to commemorate the Millennium and was due to be dismantled after five years. But its popularity meant it remained in place and has become an iconic fixture on the London skyline.

As a treat for my daughter’s sixth birthday, I booked tickets. She had often looked up at the giant wheel as we’d passed and wistfully noted “I wish I could go up there”. This time, as we drew closer, I excitedly confirmed that “yes, we would be!”.

Booking tickets to the London Eye

I waited until the day before to check a clear day was forecast before booking tickets online (which saves you 10%). There were still some available and we got a timed slot. Although it saved us waiting to buy tickets, we were still in a queue with everyone else. It did move quickly though.

Visiting The London Eye with Kids

We waited for around 20 minutes and as we got closer to the entrance, music played out keeping us occupied.

“This is exciting,” Mrs T smiled as were almost at the front. Soon we were set to go on. As you’d expect, the management of the London Eye is a well oiled machine. The ferris wheel continues to turn as you get on and off, preserving the experience for everyone in the 32 Capsules.

The air-conditioned pods are large (big enough for 25 people and room for pushchairs). There’s a bench in the middle – which didn’t get much use. For the duration of the ride, passengers were mostly pressed up against the windows taking in the views and recording and capturing the experience on camera. We made a beeline for the right-hand side of the capsule to see the east side of the Thames emerge as we climbed higher and higher.

We went above the towering fairground ride which Mrs T thought fascinating (we agreed she could go on it when she’s 12). St Paul’s Cathedral began to emerge and then the skyscraper buildings of the City came into view.

As we took in the views, I pointed out some of the buildings. My daughter enquired: “Where’s Tower Bridge mummy?.”

I had a feeling this question may arise. Tower Bridge features on an episode of her favourite Cbeebies show, the travel-based cartoon Go Jetters. Unfortunately, the curve of the river means Tower Bridge isn’t visible from the London Eye. She wasn’t disappointed for long those as there was plenty more to view from the London Eye.

Moving to the middle of the capsule, we took in the views on the north-side of the Thames. Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade and the trees of St James’ Park and Green Park can be seen. You can see for miles.

Looking towards central London the BT tower was clear to see and much more, stretching towards north London and the green hill tops beyond.

We shuffled around to the left-side of the capsule as Westminster came into view. The scene over the River Thames is quite a sight (although Big Ben was only just recognisable to my daughter under all its scaffolding).
Battersea Power Station could be viewed and my daughter was very keen to see our house. Perhaps a little too far but we got a brilliant view down the river and over Waterloo station as the journey neared the end.

Just enough time to take some more selfies.

After half an hour, we had completed the rotation and were back on solid ground.

As we descended out of the capsule,we rounded off the trip with an overpriced ice cream on the South Bank. Well, it was her birthday after all. Who can argue with that smile?

Is The London Eye worth visiting?

The London Eye is more than just a vantage point, it is an experience which can be enjoyed by all ages. The excitement my daughter felt as the capsule climber higher and higher was palpable whilst spotting the London landmarks (except Tower Bridge) proved an education. Tickets are on the pricey side so I am glad I kept it for a special occasion.

How much does it cost to visit The London Eye?

We pre-booked online and paid 10% less. Adult tickets start at £24.30 on the website (on the day they are £27), children aged 3-15 cost £19.80 (£22). Under threes go free. If you want to skip the queues, you can buy Fastrax tickets at an extra cost.

There’s also various options to purchase London Eye tickets along with other Merlin attractions including The London Dungeons, SEA LIFE, Shrek’s Adventure and Madame Tussauds.

If you want to do see London in style, then you can book a VIP champagne experience.

You can get a taster of the views from free by watching the short film below of our experience.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you can download it as an app – along with other London articles – with GPSmyCity.

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