I have wanted to do the o2 climb since I saw Jean Slater do it on Eastenders (random I know, but I guess that was what made me aware that this was even an option!).
We booked in advance online where visitors can choose a daytime, twilight or sunset climb. Prices vary slightly depending on what you choose, with sunset being the most expensive. You will also pay slightly more to climb on a weekend. As well as your climb you can pre-book a glass of Prosecco to enjoy at the summit and options to dine in a selection of restaurants onsite, such as All Bar One and Cabana.
We wanted to book a sunset climb however due to other activities we had planned during our stay we couldn’t quite fit it in so instead we booked onto the first climb of the day at 10am. Prices start at £37 per person and this is what we paid for our daytime weekday climb (at the time of writing in August 2025).
Once the online booking is confirmed you are sent a link to a waiver which should ideally be completed before arrival at the venue, however there are options to do this with staff on the day so no worries if you are unable to complete. You are asked to arrive at the ticket office 15 minutes before your climb so we were on the doorstep just as they were opening up at 9.45am.
Once inside your waiver is checked and there is another chance to purchase a drink or other extras. We were offered a choice of beer or a soft drink in addition to the Prosecco which seemed to be the only option online, so its nice that you get more of a choice at the venue especially on Warner days.
Once checked we were issued with a wristband – one per group_ which collects the photos that will be taken during the experience. We were then directed to the waiting area, where there are also toilets available.
In the waiting area we were seated with the rest of our group (maybe 16 of us in total) and introduced to our guide, Faheem. II had already seen positive reviews about Faheem on Trip Advisor so was confident we would be in good hands from the start.
We were shown a five minute video about safety and what to expect during the climb and then shown through to the equipment area to get into the appropriate gear for the climb. The venue provides everything you need, so we were provided with steel toe cap shoes to wear instead of our own. We had the option to wear a gilet with zip pockets so we could take our phones up. It was a very warm day and Faheem told us that our harnesses would have zip pouches for our phones so if we didn’t need to carry anything else then the gilet wouldn’t be necessary. For climbs in the colder months climbers are provided with warmer water-proof jackets with hoods. With the weather due to be touching 27 degrees that day we definitely didn’t need any more layers!
The kit distribution was very well organised. Once our shoes were on we placed our own shoes and coats and anything else we didn’t need or weren’t allowed to carry in a plastic box with a number on. We checked that we were allowed to keep hold of our sunglasses and we were told this was fine.
The boxes were then placed in a larger box and wheeled over the the opposite side of the building to be collected upon exit. We were each given a body harness and clip and asked to stand in a line outside to fit our harnesses as a group. Faheem went through everything step by step and double checked us all in turn before we were allowed to go up the start of the climb.
The roof area is accessed via a staircase with about 4 flights of stairs. Once at the top there is a photographer to take pictures of your group at the start of the climb. He scanned our wristband and positioned us at the bottom of the incline for our first pose. There is an option to have more photos taken than the standard ones but this option must be purchased ahead of starting the climb.
Once every group had been photographed we had a short talk from Faheem about how the harness attached to the centre part of the walkway and how to move it along as you climb. We attached our clips and started the climb in turn and after a few paces up each group was asked to pose for another photo.
After this we were able to start the climb properly and were encouraged to go at our own pace. The clip attaches the lower part of the middle of the walkway and then there is a higher ropethat you can hold onto to help pull your self up on the steep parts/ We were warned to make sure to hold the handrail with one hand and our clip with the other to avoid the clip falling back down onto your hand. This would have hurt as they are quite heavy! You also have to manoeuvre your clip over various checkpoints on the climb, again to prevent you from being able to roll all the way down in the event that you were to fall.
The start of the climb is fairly challenging. The guidance on the website basically says if you are able bodied you should be able to do the climb and I would agree however the first few minutes are at around 30 degrees and you really do feel like you are climbing rather than walking. The path beneath you is a trampoline like material, and it does bounce, especially if the climber in front if you is walking at a decent speed! You are warned not to purposely bounce as it is easy to see that this would unbalance you quite easily if done on purpose. The man ahead of me went off like Speedy Gonzales which caused a sort of ripple effect at times!
At the beginning of the ascent there are raised canvas borders on either side of the pathway so you feel enclosed and not at all like you could fall off.
Once the steep part was out if the way everything was a bit more gentle and it probably took us around 15 minutes to get to the top. On the gentler parts the canvas borders are lower and more parallel with the walkway so that you can see your surroundings. By this point you are close to the roof material of the building so you don’t feel high up as the incline is so gentle. I have vertigo (migraine related) and am not always great with heights however I was completely comfortable at all times during the climb, I think due to the fact that the dome is spread out underneath, you don’t experience that vertigo feeling of falling because you don’t feel high up.
Once at the top, we were able to detach our clips and have a wander round the 360 degree viewing platform. At this point, if you have ordered a drink you can collect it with your voucher. There is a display around the edges that tells you the buildings that can be seen from the top but I would say this is slightly mis-leading as the placement doesn’t relate to the direction the landmark as would usually be the case when we have visited similar attractions such as the London Eye.
The view is pretty spectacular. Highlights include the Old Royal Naval College, the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture and Helix Slide (which we have been on and would highly recommend)and the iconic Canary Wharf buildings. You cant see the more familiar buildings of the Central London skyline at all as they are hidden by the Canary Wharf ones so this is a good chance to see the buildings of East London that aren’t always visible from other viewpoints in the city.
You can see the Emirates Cable Cars which have just had an upgrade to include glass bottoms. If you are in the area these are worth a go for more views, including London City Airport. We did this a few years ago and I believe they cost around £8 using the usual pay and go contactless system that is used for the underground. I was terrified but I cable car is my least favourite form of transport. My daughter assured me the trip was enjoyable on her part. They do move pretty quickly and smoothly compared to others I have been on to be fair.
We spent around 20 minutes on the viewing platform and towards the end of our time at the top Faheem gave us a overview of the buildings we could see and a little bit of info about each one which was great. Prior to our visit I was not aware of the significance of the building’s dimensions – 12 yellow spikes on the roof to represent the 12 months of the year, 52 metres high to represent the weeks and 365 metres in diameter to represent the days. A very neat tie-in with one of its near the neighbours The Royal Observatory and home of Greenwich Mean Time.
We then made our descent on the opposite side of the dome. Once we got back down towards the quite steep part at the bottom it was a little hard on the knees but other than that not too strenuous. I would advise you to take your time so you don’t build up a momentum you don’t necessarily want! The guides are with you every step of the way if you need help.
We stopped to pose for another photo on the way down. Once at the bottom we got out of our harnesses and followed the instructions to return them the relevant area.
Our boxes were waiting for us at the bottom and we played a sort of box bingo to retrieve our belongings and return our shoes. Faheem made us aware of a survey we could do that entered us into a prize draw to win 2 tickets to a concert at the o2. As avid concert goers (our trip to the capital was based around us seeing Coldplay at Wembley that same evening) we were all over that. There were also various other QR codes to scan to get discounts at other attractions in the venue. We are really interested in the indoor sky diving so that might be one for next time.
Overall, a well organised and enjoyable experience. The guides spend time speaking to every group on the way up and down so that everyone feels included. I felt extremely safe and secure throughout and this was mostly down to the fact that everyone we came into contact with was caring and professional.
The only slight criticism I have is that at the end everyone wants to wash their hands, and although there are 3 toilets, not everyone wanted to use the toilet, we just wanted sinks, so a row of sinks for non-toilet users would speed up the process of getting out after the event particularly as there are also toilets outside the arena that are open to the public.
On the way out you walk through the gift shop where you can return your wristband and have it scanned to view your photos. I hate looking at photos of myself- I’ve usually got hair over my face, eyes closed or just a generally gormless expression – but a couple of these were surprisingly quite good, so I bought the fridge magnet and key ring combo for £15. There are various other options available for purchasing your photos as well as the usual type of gift shop wares to commemorate your experience.
Afterwards we had a wander around the shopping area and managed to find a gluten free sandwich in what appeared to be a totally unmanned WHSmith.
We will definately return, hopefully for a sunset time slot as I imagine the view is even more stunning at night.
compass and coaster 
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