London Eye – Merry-go-round in the London style

If you are planning to get an unforgettable 360-degree breathtaking view of the London city, head to the London Eye. Located in the heart of the London city and rotating over River Thames, the Millennium Wheel will put you in awe. The Giant Wheel is known all over the world as an engineering and design marvel. It is one of the global icons and a major attraction in the city of London. The wheel is 443 feet in height and 394 feet in diameter, offering a view of the city till about 25 km when on the capsule. With a total of 32 capsules, the 30 minutes exhilarating merry go round experience pulls about 3.5 million people per year. Any visit to London is not complete without taking a ride on the wheel or posing for a picture before the rotating beauty.

History of London Eye

The most loved London attraction, London Eye was commissioned and built between 1998 and 2000. The attraction was planned to be a temporary one, for five years, but in the year 2002, the Eye was granted a permanent license. The London Eye was opened for public in the year 2000, since then it has become a symbol of the British capital. Each capsule offers outstanding views of the London skyline. The engineering marvel resembles a huge spoked bicycle wheel. In the year 2006, the wheel was given a new finish, by attaching LED lights, which were digitally controlled. Indeed, lighting up the Eye is a highlight, because, the eye is often lit up in different colors to mark special occasions.

Architecture and Design of London Eye

There are 32 capsules in all and they are numbered from 1 to 33.

Oh, wait…Intrigued why there is an extra number?

Due to superstitious reasons, there is no capsule numbered as 13. And that’s why there is an extra numbered capsule. Each capsule weighs about 10 tons. One rotation of the London Eye takes about 30 minutes, each capsule travels leisurely at 0.6 miles per hour. This slow rotation helps passengers board and disembark without stopping the wheel’s rotation. The other highlight of the slow rotation is that it enables any viewer to enjoy the spectacular city views. In 2013, the second capsule was named as the Coronation Capsule to mark the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

London Eye – Visitor Information 

• Although varying throughout the year, the attraction opens at 10 am and closes between 6:00 pm and 08:30 pm. 
• A Flexi standard ticket allows you to take the 30-minute ride in any one of the 32 capsules and entry to the 4D cinematic experience. 
• There are also other combo tickets available to combine other attractions with the London eye.
• The London Eye is also closed for a couple of weeks for maintenance. You can check the website once before you plan a visit.

So, why wait for this experience, plan an itinerary to the most fascinating city in Europe and add the London eye experience to it. Head to the Pickyourtrail website and customize your London travel. You can find amazing travel packages to Paris on the website. Go up above and once you are at the top of the Ferris wheel, enjoy the spectacular views of the city. For an added alluring experience, you can choose to hop on a 40 minute London eye river cruise along the beautiful River Thames and enjoy London in style!