London Eye

Conceived by husband-and-wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield as a late entry to the competition for London's Millennium landmark, the London Eye opened to the public in 2000 and quickly outlasted its original five-year permit to become a permanent fixture of the skyline. It was, in fact, meant to come down after just a few years of operation, but its runaway popularity with both Londoners and visitors made the case for keeping it far stronger than any argument for removing it.

At 135 metres it was the tallest observation wheel on the planet when it opened, and although several taller wheels have since been built elsewhere, none occupies a riverside setting quite like this one, spinning slowly opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben across the Thames — a pairing of old and new London landmarks that has become one of the city's defining views.

Thirty-two sealed glass capsules, one for each of London's boroughs, carry passengers through a rotation lasting around thirty minutes, moving so gradually that the wheel almost never fully stops — boarding and disembarking happen while it continues its slow creep forward, timed to the pace of passengers walking on and off.

On a clear day the view stretches for up to 40 kilometres, taking in St Paul's dome, the towers of the City and, on the very best days, Windsor Castle far to the west — a range that makes the London Eye one of the few spots in the city offering genuine long-distance views rather than just a close-up of the immediate skyline.

A full rotation takes around 30 minutes, and each of the 32 capsules holds a fair number of passengers, so even at busy times the ride itself never feels crowded within your own capsule. Booking ahead online is strongly recommended, especially for sunset slots, which sell out well in advance in the warmer months.

The wheel sits directly on the South Bank, an easy walk from Waterloo station and directly across the river from the Houses of Parliament, making it simple to combine with a wider South Bank stroll taking in the Southbank Centre, the Sea Life London Aquarium at its base, or a riverside walk toward Tate Modern and the Globe.