Welcome to part twelve of our series on ‘Family-friendly days out’. How many of you have been up The Shard?  The “Vertical City” in London. The Shard was conceived as a building with multiple uses: a vertical city where people could live, work and relax. It comprises world-class offices, award-wining restaurants, the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel, exclusive residences and the UK’s highest viewing gallery, The View from The Shard, offering 360-degree views. Well-connected and comprehensively serviced by central London’s transport infrastructure, facilities and amenities, The Shard is a timeless reminder of the power of imagination to inspire change.

“THIS IS MY VISION: I FORESEE THE TOWER AS A VERTICAL CITY, FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK IN AND ENJOY, AND FOR MILLIONS TO TAKE TO THEIR HEART.”

What to expect:

• You can pre-book your time slot which is advisable as you will pay less and be guaranteed a specific time slot
• Join the queue to collect your tickets on arrival or go to one of the auto booths
• There is pushchair parking behind the desk – you will not be able to take your pushchair up The Shard so take a baby carrier if you need one
• You will have to pass through security after the ticket barrier similar to that in an airport
• You will join a queue for the first lift and then move onto the second lift
• You will be able to walk around on that level and admire London in all its glory
• There is a bar if you want to admire the view with a drink on your hand
• The last part of the climb is done by foot up three flights of stairs
• Once at the top you can go outside
• You will need your coat on at the top as you are actually outside
• You can feel some movement at the top so if you aren’t keen on heights you might struggle
• There is another bar on this level
• You can make your way down when you are ready
• Exit is through the gift shop

What they have spot on:

• The views are spectacular and you get an amazing perspective of London
• Views are good even on a cloudy day
• The interactive information telescopes are brilliant
• Reasonably child friendly
• Lots of staff
• Pushchair parking
• Enables children to have a different perspective on things
• Lots of great photo opportunities
• Children under four go free
• A great learning opportunity for children

What they need to think about:

• The security seemed rather inconsistent and lapse, at the scanning section some people were being asked to remove coats and others were not
• Expensive for children, so take advantage of the ‘kids go free’ on half term periods – this is running during February Half Term
• The stairs at to the top are tricky if people are coming down as well as going up
• Quite expensive but no more so than other London attractions
• Exit is through the gift shop which is always a little frustrating
• There are the normal overpriced superposed photos available to purchase

We give The Shard a Mummy Fever rating of 3.5 out of 5 – you can find out more about the Kids Go Free in Half Term offer here.