London Eye
The London Eye stands on the South Bank of the Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge — a cantilevered observation wheel held up on one side only by an A-frame steel structure, with no mirror support on the other side. The rim is pulled into shape by tension cables arranged like the spokes of an enormous bicycle wheel. It rises 135 metres, with a 120-metre diameter, and was the world's tallest Ferris wheel when it opened in 2000. Originally called the Millennium Wheel and intended as a five-year temporary landmark, it became one of London's defining silhouettes and the UK's most visited paid attraction, with over three million visitors a year. Thirty-two sealed, climate-controlled capsules carry passengers through one full rotation in about thirty minutes, lifting you effortlessly above the city. The story of how it was built — and why it stayed — is worth a closer look.
United Kingdom · 2 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
London Eye (Waterloo) Pier
At the foot of the observation wheel, beside the Queen's Walk, a floating pontoon extends into the Thames — this is the London Eye (Waterloo) Pier, originally known as Waterloo Millennium Pier. It was born the same year as the London Eye: funded by the Millennium Commission in 2000 as part of the Thames 2000 project, it opened alongside four other new piers at Blackfriars, Millbank, Tower Bridge, and Westminster. Its first purpose, though, was not passenger boarding — it was built as a collision-protection structure for the wheel's hub, a buffer between the river and the base of the London Eye itself.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · thamesclippers.com · en.wikipedia.org
London Eye Pier
A few steps from the base of the observation wheel toward the river sits London Eye Pier — a floating boarding point set directly on the Thames. The boats that call here are not tourist cruises but the city's actual river commuter services: the London River Services routes operated by Thames Clippers and City Cruises. You can arrive or leave the London Eye entirely by water, without touching the Underground — hand the last stretch of your visit over to the Thames itself.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside London Eye?
London Eye (Waterloo) Pier, London Eye Pier and more — 2 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the London Eye guide free?
All 2 guides are free.