London is a very fascinating city! The new and the old co-exist harmoniously. An old church does not seem out of place amidst a group of buildings built in steel and glass. Neither does a 36 storey building right across from the The Shard!

20 Fenchurch Street, or the more adorable name for it locally, the walkie-talkie tower, rises unassumingly among a group of short storied buildings. A well-known landmark in the new and changing skyline of central London, it opened it’s top floor to the public just over a year ago. 

A dedicated entrance at the back of the building welcomes visitors to the restaurants and the viewing gallery at Sky Garden. A quick scan of the bar code on the pre booked tickets, an airport style security check and a super fast lift whisks you up to the 35th floor.

A large indoor area with cafe style tables and lounge style couches welcomes you on the 35th floor. There’s a cafe selling expensive coffees and drinks. However your eyes are soon distracted by the view outside the supersized windows.

The Francis Golding terrace (closed during inclement weather) beckons you for unrivalled views from Canary Wharf to the Wembley Stadium and everything in between. And if you time the visit right you can marvel at the awe-inspiring vision of the sun setting over the roof tops of London.

After gaping at the views from the terrace it’s time to head back inside and climb the stairs to access the 36th floor. If you’re wondering about the garden from “Sky Garden” you’ll notice it now! The stairs on the extreme left and right are flanked by lush greenery – a garden in the 35th floor indeed, though I doubt if anyone would visit to see the garden!

It’s now time to see the cheese grater and the space shuttle or more formally known as Tower 42 and The Gherkin from the bar and viewing gallery at the 36th. 

Once you’ve marvelled at the views here, a stair just behind the bar takes you to the top floor of the building – the 37th. It’s a terrace off the Fenchurch restaurant and offers you, well, even more views!

It’s now time to walk down the stairs on the other side and try and spot all the points of interest marked on the glass windows. From St. Paul’s to Tate Modern to Tower of London to the London Eye, Westminster and everything beyond!

If you dawdle long enough you can also catch lights sparkling across the streets of London.

And also in the Sky Garden