Three Free Rooftop Bars in the City of London

Three rooftop bars in the City of London that don't charge entry. Sky Garden, The Garden at 120, and One New Change. All free to walk in, all open to the public, all have proper City skyline views from the kind of heights people normally pay £25 to access.

What you get

Sky Garden, 43rd floor of the Walkie Talkie, 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 8AF. Tropical plants, three bars, full City panorama including the Shard, Tower of London, Canary Wharf. Free entry with booking. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-9pm. Drinks from £7. Book three weeks ahead at skygarden.london.

The Garden at 120, 15th floor of 120 Fenchurch Street, EC3M 5BA. 85 Italian wisteria trees, fruit trees, water feature with koi. Free entry, no booking under 12 people. Mon-Fri 10am-9pm summer (Apr-Sep), 10am-6:30pm winter.

One New Change Rooftop, on top of the shopping centre at 1 New Change, EC4M 9AF. Glass walls, full Shard-to-Gherkin panorama, St Paul's dome below you. Free entry, no booking. Mon-Sat 6am-midnight, Sun 11am-6pm.

How to claim each

1. Sky Garden: book three weeks ahead at skygarden.london. Free slots open daily at 10am. 2. The Garden at 120: walk in, public lift to floor 15. Groups of 12+ contact via building site. 3. One New Change: walk in, escalators up past the shops, lift to top floor. 4. ID rarely asked. Bring it if you're under 25 and ordering drinks. 5. Sky Garden gates close at scheduled slot end, don't linger past your time.

What's worth knowing

Sky Garden books out fastest. Slots release daily and the 5-7pm sunset window goes within minutes. Set a calendar reminder for three weeks before the date you want.

The Garden at 120 is the walk-up alternative. No booking, faster to access, fewer crowds. The view isn't as high as Sky Garden but the wisteria peak (May-June) makes it the better one for the season.

One New Change is the easiest to combine with a meal. The shopping centre has restaurants on lower floors, you can grab dinner then go up for a drink.

Best time across all three: weekday afternoon 2-4pm. Empty bars, soft light, no influencer queues. Weekends and after-work hours pull crowds.

Drinks aren't the bargain. Sky Garden's gin and tonics run £10-13. The Garden at 120 does coffees from £5.50. One New Change cocktails £10-14. You're paying for the view, not the drink.

Stack all three in one day. Tube to Monument, hit The Garden at 120 first (open earliest), walk three minutes to Sky Garden if you've got a slot, end at One New Change for sunset.

FAQ

Do I need to book Sky Garden? Yes, free slot booking required. Walk-up is rejected at the lifts.

Are the others walk-up? The Garden at 120 and One New Change, yes.

What about food? Sky Garden has restaurants on the same floor, expensive. The Garden at 120 is drinks only. One New Change has the shopping centre below.

Best one if I only do one? Sky Garden for the height, Garden at 120 for the wisteria, One New Change for sunset over St Paul's.

Quick facts

Sky Garden: 20 Fenchurch Street EC3M 8AF, free with booking The Garden at 120: 120 Fenchurch Street EC3M 5BA, walk-in free One New Change: 1 New Change EC4M 9AF, walk-in free Closest tube: Monument or St Paul's