London Eye with Kids | Everything You Need to Know

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If you are looking to add a little magic and excitement to your family’s visit to London, the London Eye should definitely find a place on your itinerary. The kids will enjoy the unique experience of getting a bird’s eye view of the city and seeing parts of London which can only be enjoyed from the sky.

What is The London Eye

One of London’s most recognisable landmarks, the London Eye is Europe’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel (think giant Ferris Wheel supported only on one side). Moving at the very slow pace of about 0.9 km/h (or 0.6 mph), its 32 air-conditioned glass pods can take up to 25 visitors at a time. Since opening in the year 2000, the London Eye has become the UK’s most popular paid tourist attraction. It hosts over 3 million visitors per year – and for good reason. The 365-degree views of London are breathtaking. During the 30-minute ride (and on a clear day) you can see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and of course the Thames. If you are very lucky, you might even see as far as Windsor Castle!

Why Visit the London Eye with Kids

Seeing the children’s excited little faces as the pod slowly rises and London comes into view is more than enough reason to book a ticket. Although the adults are likely to focus on London’s famous landmarks, children will delight in seeing boats jetting across the Thames, the London buses on the roads and how small the people become the higher you go.

The London Eye is also a great hack if you are pressed for time, or worried about how little legs will cope with sightseeing across the city. Hop on the London Eye and show the children London’s main attractions without having to traverse the city or face the crowds to visit each individual landmark.

Is The London Eye Suitable for Kids?

Absolutely! You just need to plan ahead to get the best out of your visit (read on for more!).

The London Eye is a safe and comfortable ride for all members of the family, including young babies. Although the ride does not usually stop for passengers to enter, the pods move very slowly and entering/exiting the pods is easy. If you happen to find it tricky for any reason, staff are on hand to help you and keep your family safe. The pods are also air-conditioned so your family will remain comfortable even if visiting on a hot summer’s day.  

If any of your family members are claustrophobic or scared of heights, they can still enjoy a ride on the London Eye. The pods are stable and move very slowly, therefore you will hardly feel any movement (even on a windy day). The pods also feel spacious and have a central bench. Those who are nervous about taking part in the ride can start by sitting on the central bench and then move outwards towards the glass whenever they feel comfortable doing so.

Our Top 8 Tips for Visiting the London Eye with Kids

1) Book your tickets online and save money

Save time and money by booking your tickets in advance online. If you are planning on visiting other Merlin attractions (such as Sea Life, Shrek’s Adventure, Madame Tussauds and The London Dungeons) during your stay in London, consider getting a combination ticket to save even more on your visit. All members of your group will need a ticket, including children under the age of 3 who travel for free. If you forgot to book a ticket for your tiny traveller, don’t worry. You can correct this issue by contacting The London Eye customer support team here. You will most likely be directed to pick up your additional ticket on the day of your visit. Make sure to allocate extra time for this.

2) Learn about the views

Before your visit, talk to the children about what landmarks they are likely to see and why they are important or exciting. For example, The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s London residence. Understanding what they are seeing will help the children appreciate the views. Use our Free Printable activity sheet to tick off the views as you see them.

3) Take a comfort break before your ride

Make sure that your family takes a comfort break before joining the queue to enter the London Eye. Eating and drinking (except bottled water) are not permitted in the pods. Have a picnic at the Jubilee Gardens or enjoy a meal at the many restaurants on the South Bank. Once you join the queue you won’t be able to access a toilet until the end of the ride. Male and Female toilets, an accessible toilet and baby changing facilities are available in London Eye Ticket Office.

4) Prepare to queue

Before you enter the London Eye you will queue outside in the open air. Depending on how busy the attraction is, this could take a while. Check the weather, and make sure that you prepare accordingly. On a hot day, take what you need to keep safe in the sun (water, sun cream, hats, etc.). Similarly, bundle up warm in the winter and pack your raincoats and umbrellas if there is a chance of rain.

5) Dress for a security check

As one of London’s top attractions, security is taken very seriously by the London Eye. For the safety of all passengers, you will go through a security check before entering the pod. Prepare to be checked with a metal detector wand, and your bags will be inspected too. Don’t take anything which could be confiscated or which might alert the security team (leave the Swiss Army knife at home). Just like when dressing for an airport security check, limit the metal items on you (such as belts with metal buckles, spare change in pockets etc.).

6) You will need to fold your pushchair or pram

All pushchairs (prams, buggies, etc.) will need to be folded before you enter the pod and will need to remain closed for the duration of the ride. Keep this in mind when preparing for your day. Limit how many bags you have with you and think about how you will carry your little one during the ride. After 30 minutes your little one will start to feel heavy (no matter how little they are!). Consider taking a baby carrier with you so that you and your baby are comfortable for the duration of the ride. This will also enable you to keep your hands free so that you can take those all-important pictures!

7) Arrive in style

Located on the South Bank, the London Eye is easily accessible by The London Underground, by bus, by taxi, and even by boat! The nearest underground stations are Waterloo (a 5-minute walk), Westminster Station (10-minute walk) and Charing Cross or Embankment which are both about a 15-minute walk. Our favourite route is walking from Westminster Station and crossing the Thames over Westminster Bridge. This route enables you to see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament up close on your way to the London Eye.

Alternatively, add to the excitement by crossing the river by boat. The London Eye Pier is located just beneath The London Eye. It can be reached from O2, Bankside, Embankment, Blackfriars, London Bridge, Tower, Canary Wharf, Hilton Docklands, Masthouse Terrace, Greenwich, Royal Arsenal Woolwich, St. Katherine’s or Westminster Piers.

Visit here for more details on how to access the London Eye.

8) Plan to visit other activities nearby

A rotation of the London Eye only takes 30 minutes, and the full experience should take no more than an hour, leaving you with lots of time to add other activities to your itinerary. There are plenty of fun activities nearby including:

• A large adventure playground at the Jubilee Gardens (you will see it from the top of the London Eye)
• Walk down the South Bank and treat yourselves to food from the stalls along the way
• Visit another Merlin attraction such as Sea Life and Shrek’s Adventure
• Ride a boat from The London Eye Pier to another London attraction such as the O2
• Visit UK Parliament (you can take a tour). Find out more here.  
• Visit another of London’s main sites such as St Pauls’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe or the Tate Modern.

Whether you have a day or a week in London with kids, the London Eye should top your itinerary. The ride is safe, comfortable, and will provide the kids with unique views of London. Make it a day to remember. Located on the South Bank, the London Eye can easily be combined with a visit to other London landmarks.

Our London Eye Experience

We planned a trip to London as part of our family’s Jubilee celebrations. As we were developing the itinerary, we asked our daughter “what would make a trip to London special?”. Her response was to see the London Eye and Big Ben. Well, we felt we could do one better and decided to take the kids on the London Eye.

At the time of our visit our children were four years old, and three months old. Our daughter loved seeing London from the sky. She explored the pod from all angles and had lots of questions about the sites she was seeing. Meanwhile, our son enjoyed the sights and sounds. This was one of his first big outings and we were surprised by how interested he was in the world around him and how much he got out of the experience.

Our ride was straightforward, we didn’t queue for long, the pod was comfortable and didn’t feel crowded. However, we were a little bit surprised that we would need to fold our pram before boarding. In addition to a sleeping baby, the pram isn’t easy to fold and was carrying all of our bags, coats, snacks etc. After a bit of reshuffling and consolidating bags, we folded the pram and were ready to board. We didn’t have the baby carrier with us so we took turns holding him, and showing our daughter the sites.

We made fabulous memories that day and we look forward to taking the children back onto the London Eye in years to come. I am sure that every ride will be different.

Photos from our ride on the London Eye – June 2022 – Adventurous Kids Travel