The View from The Shard is a new, premium visitor experience that will provide an unparalleled encounter with The Shard and the opportunity to experience London like never before, with spectacular 64km (40 mile), 360 degree views of the city, 244m (800ft) above the capital.

Tickets go on sale at 0900 hrs (BST) on 6 July and The View from The Shard opens on 1 February 2013. Advance tickets cost £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children.

The View from The Shard is the highest vantage point from any building in Western Europe and almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London.

Designed by Master Architect Renzo Piano. The name ‘Shard’ comes from the sculpted design, which consists of glass facets that incline inwards, open to the sky at the top to allow the building to breathe naturally. London church spires and masts of ships which once anchored on the River Thames inspired the elegant building.

The View from The Shard is the new, visitor experience that will provide an unparalleled encounter with The Shard taking guests on a multi-sensory journey from street level up to 244m (800ft)  in two high-speed ‘kaleidoscopic‘ lifts that take just 30 seconds each to reach Level 68. From there to the triple-height, light-filled, Level 69 where the view is revealed. Here, in the sky above London, guests will have the most astonishing view over the city and beyond. There are multimedia displays and installations such as high tech digital telescopes that take the viewer deeper into the story of London.

Guests can choose to go even higher to the full 244m:  Level 72, the highest public level of The Shard. Here, you are exposed to the elements and sounds of the city beneath, as well as the chance to look up to the shards of glass that form the top of this sculptural building as they disappear upwards further into the sky.

Tickets can be purchased from www.theviewfromtheshard.com or via the box office hotline: +44 (0)844 499 7111 (a handling fee applies for telephone bookings only).

The View from The Shard will be open from 0900 – 2200hrs daily (except 25 December)

Follow the progress of The View from The Shard with updates, pictures and the chance to win tickets on Twitter @shardview, (hashtag #shardview) and also on Facebook at and Pinterest.