The World’s Best and Most Affordable Observation Decks

At Omio, we strive to help our customers find affordable experiences and travel well, even on a budget. Therefore, we conducted a study to identify the world’s best observation decks that offer the best views for the best price.

We researched 70 of the world’s most popular observation decks and analysed their ticket prices to determine which building offers the most height per pound, arguably therefore the best value for money. The result is a carefully curated list of the best and most affordable views for budget-conscious travellers.

Study reveals where cost-savvy travellers get the best views for their money


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Select row	1	South Africa	Johannesburg	Top of Africa	223 m	£1.38	£0.01	1974	Skyscraper
Select row	2	Turkey	Istanbul	Istanbul Sapphire	261 m	£2.22	£0.01	2010	Skyscraper
Select row	3	Brazil	Curitiba	Torre Panorâmica	10 m	£0.94	£0.01	1991	TV tower
Select row	4	Latvia	Riga	Riga TV tower	368 m	£3.28	£0.01	1987	TV tower
Select row	5	Egypt	Cairo	Cairo Tower	187 m	£1.77	£0.01	1961	TV tower
Select row	6	Serbia	Belgrade	TV tower Avala	205 m	£2.31	£0.01	2010	TV tower
Select row	7	Czech Republic	Pilzen	Cathedral of St. Bartholomew	103 m	£1.29	£0.01	1295	Cathedral
Select row	8	Brazil	Rio de Janeiro	Christ the Redeemer	700 m	£11.90	£0.02	1931	Monument
Select row	9	Spain	Barcelona	Torre de Collserola	288 m	£4.97	£0.02	1992	TV tower
Select row	10	Poland	Warsaw	Palace of Culture and Science	237 m	£4.70	£0.02	1955	Skyscraper
Select row	11	South Korea	Seoul	N Seoul Tower	370 m	£10.30	£0.03	1975	TV tower
Select row	12	Germany	Cologne	Cologne Cathedral	157 m	£4.44	£0.03	1880	Cathedral
Select row	13	Japan	Tokyo	Skytree	634 m	£19.25	£0.03	2012	TV tower
Select row	14	Japan	Osaka	Abeno Harukas	300 m	£9.32	£0.03	2014	Skyscraper
Select row	15	South Korea	Seoul	Lotte World Tower	500 m	£15.68	£0.03	2017	Skyscraper
Select row	16	Spain	Madrid	Faro de Moncloa	110 m	£3.55	£0.03	1992	TV tower
Select row	17	Austria	Vienna	DC Tower 1	250 m	£8.43	£0.03	2013	Skyscraper
Select row	18	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Sky 100	484 m	£18.84	£0.04	2010	Skyscraper
Select row	19	Germany	Munich	Olympic tower	291 m	£11.53	£0.04	1968	TV tower
Select row	20	Germany	Frankfurt	Main Tower	200 m	£7.98	£0,04	1999	Skyscraper
Select row	21	China	Shenzhen	Ping An Free Sky	599 m	£23.96	£0.04	2017	Skyscraper
Select row	22	South Korea	Busan	BUSAN X the SKY	412 m	£17.39	£0.04	2019	Skyscraper
Select row	23	Chile	Santiago	Gran Torre Costanera	300 m	£12.69	£0.04	2014	Skyscraper
Select row	24	Estonia	Talinn	Tallinn TV tower	312 m	£13.31	£0.04	1980	TV tower
Select row	25	Germany	Stuttgart	Stuttgart TV tower	217 m	£9.32	£0.04	1969	TV tower
Select row	26	Italy	Bologna	Two towers	97 m	£4.44	£0.05	1100	Monument
Select row	27	Australia	Sydney	Sydney Tower Eye	309 m	£14.12	£0.05	1981	TV tower
Select row	28	UAE	Dubai	Burj Khalifa	828 m	£38.04	£0.05	2010	Skyscraper
Select row	29	Italy	Turino	Mole Antonelliana	168 m	£7.98	£0.05	1889	Monument
Select row	30	Italy	Milan	Torre Branca	109 m	£5.32	£0.05	1933	Monument
Select row	31	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	Kingdom Centre	302 m	£15.18	£0.05	2002	Skyscraper
Select row	32	China	Shanghai	Shanghai Tower	632 m	£33.05	£0.05	2015	Skyscraper
Select row	33	Czech Republic	Prague	Prague TV tower	216 m	£11.53	£0.05	1992	TV tower
Select row	34	Australia	Melbourne	Eureka Skydeck	297 m	£15.95	£0.05	2006	Skyscraper
Select row	35	United Kingdom	Liverpool	St. John's Beacon	138 m	£7.53	£0.06	1965	TV tower
Select row	36	Australia	Gold Coast	Q1 SkyPoint	323 m	£17.65	£0.06	2005	Skyscraper
Select row	37	Saudi Arabia	Mecca	Royal Clock Tower Hotel	601 m	£33.00	£0.06	2011	Skyscraper
Select row	38	USA	Chicago	Willis Tower	442 m	£24.79	£0.06	1974	Skyscraper
Select row	39	New Zealand	Auckland	Sky Tower	328 m	£18.42	£0.06	1997	TV tower
Select row	40	USA	Las Vegas	The Strat	350 m	£19.83	£0.06	1996	TV tower
Select row	41	Canada	Toronto	CN Tower	553 m	£32.91	£0.06	1976	TV tower
Select row	42	Thailand	Bangkok	Mahanakhon Skywalk	320 m	£19.31	£0.06	2016	Skyscraper
Select row	43	Czech Republic	Prague	St. Vitus Cathedral	97 m	£5.88	£0.06	1344	Cathedral
Select row	44	Austria	Vienna	Donauturm	252 m	£15.97	£0.06	1964	TV tower
Select row	45	Germany	Berlin	Berlin TV tower	368 m	£24.40	£0.07	1969	TV tower
Select row	46	China	Beijing	China World Trade Center	330 m	£22.71	£0.07	2010	Skyscraper
Select row	47	VAE	Abu Dhabi	Etihad Tower	305 m	£21.38	£0.07	2011	Skyscraper
Select row	48	USA	New York City	One World Trade Center	546 m	£39.04	£0.07	2014	Skyscraper
Select row	49	Netherlands	The Haag	Het Strijkijzer	93 m	£6.65	£0.07	2017	Skyscraper
Select row	50	USA	Chicago	875 North Michigan Avenue	457 m	£33.35	£0.07	1969	Skyscraper
Select row	51	Singapore	Singapore	1-Altitude Viewing Gallery	278 m	£21.03	£0.08	1986	Skyscraper
Select row	52	France	Paris	Eiffeltower	324 m	£25.11	£0.08	1889	Monument
Select row	53	Netherlands	Rotterdam	Euromast	185 m	£14.67	£0.08	1960	TV tower
Select row	54	France	Paris	Tour Montparnasse	210 m	£16.86	£0.08	1973	Skyscraper
Select row	55	Sweden	Malmö	Turning Torso	191 m	£15.49	£0.08	2005	Skyscraper
Select row	56	United Kingdom	Portsmouth	Spinnaker Tower	170 m	£14.81	£0.09	2005	Monument
Select row	57	Netherlands	Utrecht	Domtoren	112 m	£11.12	£0.10	1382	Cathedral
Select row	58	United Kingdom	London	The Shard	310 m	£32.13	£0.10	2013	Skyscraper
Select row	59	Sweden	Stockholm	City Hall Tower	106 m	£11.10	£0.11	1923	Monument
Select row	60	United Kingdom	Blackpool	Blackpool Tower	158 m	£16.57	£0.11	1894	Monument
Select row	61	France	Paris	Grande Arche	111 m	£13.31	£0.12	1989	Monument
Select row	62	Netherlands	Amsterdam	A'dam Lookout	100 m	£12.86	£0.13	1971	Skyscraper
Select row	63	United Kingdom	Brighton	Brighton i360	138 m	£18.02	£0.13	2016	Monument
Select row	64	Spain	Barcelona	Torre Jaume I	107 m	£14.64	£0.14	1931	Monument
Select row	65	USA	New York City	Top of the Rock	259 m	£35.98	£0.14	1933	Skyscraper
Select row	66	USA	New York City	Empire State Building	443 m	£65.27	£0.15	1931	Skyscraper
Select row	67	Italy	Milan	Milan Cathedral	108 m	£17.74	£0.16	1386	Cathedral
Select row	68	USA	Seattle	The Needle	184 m	£31.05	£0.17	1961	TV tower
Select row	69	USA	New York City	Statue of Liberty	93 m	£20.08	£0.22	1886	Monument
Select row	70	Italy	Pisa	Leaning Tower of Pisa	57 m	£23.51	£0.41	1173	Monument

To determine the observation decks that offer visitors the most view for their money, 70 of the most popular observation decks were initially selected. Only commercial observation decks that charge an admission fee were chosen. It had to be a building, monument, cathedral, or television tower. Viewpoints such as mountains, volcanoes, or hills were not considered.

All admission prices as well as the heights of the buildings, monuments, and TV towers were carefully researched and verified for plausibility. The stated admission prices apply to the price of one adult ticket. Family tickets, group tickets, or special rates were not taken into account. If necessary, admission prices were converted from local currencies to Pound Sterling. The average exchange rate in February 2023 was used.

The ranking was based on a simple division of the admission price and the height of the building, monument, or TV tower (price per metre). The observation deck with the lowest price per metre offered visitors the best view in value for their money, while the observation deck with the highest price per metre offered visitors the least view in value for their money.

The study was conducted in March 2023.

The world’s best observation decks on a budget

Observation decks and rooftops are among the most popular tourist attractions in almost every city. The view into the distance gives travellers a better idea of the city they are visiting and an amazing impression of the surrounding landscape.

Skyscrapers, hotels, TV towers, and historical monuments with observation platforms, can be found in almost every major city in the world, allowing visitors to enjoy stunning panoramic views. The tourism industry has recognised travellers’ desire for lookout points, and in many cases, owners charge high fees for access to the top floors. However, the observation decks at the top of our ranking do not do so; they offer the best and most beautiful views on a budget.

Top of Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa

The “Top of Africa” is an enclosed space on the top floor of the 223-metre, 50-story Carlton Centre skyscraper that allows tourists to enjoy an exciting panoramic view of Johannesburg in South Africa. With an entrance fee of just £1.38, the observation platform offers a view as far as Soweto and beats all other surveyed observation decks in the price-per-metre category (at 0.01 pounds per metre).

Flights to Johannesburg

Istanbul Sapphire in Istanbul, Turkey

The observation deck of the Sapphire skyscraper arguably offers the best view of the Turkish metropolis on the Bosphorus Strait. With a ticket price of around £2.22, visiting the 261-metre tall skyscraper won’t put much of a dent in your holiday budget. Located on the European side of the city, the Sapphire of Istanbul skyscraper opened in 2011 and is the only observation deck that provides a view over two continents.

Flights to Istanbul

Torre Panorâmica in Curitiba, Brazil

Visitors can ascend many television towers around the world as operators respond to the human fascination with height and the expansive view over cities and landscapes. The most affordable television tower in our research is the Torre Panorâmica in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. The 110-metre-high panoramic tower, as the name translates, provides a 360-degree view of Paraná’s landscape. A lift ride to the top costs about £0.94 per person.

Travel to Curitiba

The Riga Radio and TV Tower in Riga, Latvia

The European TV tower that offers the best value for money is the Riga TV tower in Latvia. The entrance fee to the highest freestanding structure in the European Union is around £3.28. From the observation deck located at 368 metres, visitors to the Riga TV tower can enjoy a unique view over the Baltic Sea. The cost-effectiveness of this experience becomes even more evident when compared to the platform fee at St. John’s Beacon in Liverpool. A ticket for the UK’s most popular TV tower costs £7.53 but only offers a view from 138 metres.

Flights to Riga

Cairo Tower in Cairo, Egypt

A visit to the Cairo Tower in Cairo, Egypt, allows visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the impressive Nile Delta without breaking the bank. The entrance fee is just £1.77 for 187m. Unlike most TV towers, the Cairo Tower is a solid construction tower, which also impresses with its floral appearance, reminiscent of lotus flowers. The tower easily catches the eye of tourists, and it’s even better that you can go up for a low price.

Flights to Cairo

Greatest observation decks in Europe

Six out of the top ten observation platforms where travellers get the most value for money are located in Europe. In addition to the Sapphire in Istanbul and the TV tower in Riga, the Avala TV tower in Belgrade (entrance fee: £2.31 for 205m), the St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral in Plzeň, Czech Republic (£1.29 for 103m), the Torre de Collserola in Barcelona (£4.97 for 288m), and the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw (£4.70 for 237m) are also convincing options.

Belgrad

Flights to Belgrade

Pilsen

Travel to Pilsen

Barcelona

Flights to Barcelona

Travel to Wasaw

Flights to Warsaw

The five best observation decks in the United Kingdom

The study also examined several observation decks in the UK, including London’s The Shard, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, St. John’s Beacon TV tower in Liverpool, the Blackpool Tower, and the Brighton i360.

The observation deck of St. John’s Beacon in Liverpool offers the best value for money, with an entrance fee of around £7.50 for the 138m-high building that offers a stunning 360° view of the city.

The Brighton i360 observation tower offers the most expensive view, with visitors paying up to £18 to enter the mobile tower. With its unique technology, the tower is one of a kind in the world and takes people up to 138m.

London’s The Shard has the highest viewing deck in the UK at 310m, with a ticket costing travellers around £32 in total. The observation deck of the Blackpool Tower offers a similar price in value at £17 for 158m. The Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth is also worth a visit, with a ticket costing £15 for 170m.

Travel to Portsmouth

Coaches to Portsmouth

Travel to Liverpool

Trains to Liverpool

Travel to Brighton

Trains to Brighton

Greatest observation decks in the United States

The USA is known as the birthplace of skyscrapers. These tall buildings have long been regarded as symbols of prosperity and growth. It didn’t take long for savvy business people to realise that instead of renting out the upper floors and rooftops, they could attract tourists to further increase their revenue. Perhaps the most iconic skyscraper observation deck is at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City.

However, as this study shows, visiting a sky deck in the USA can be comparatively expensive. Visitors pay at least £20 for The Strat in Las Vegas to enjoy a view of the glittering metropolis.

The most expensive ticket is for the observation deck of the Empire State Building, costing about £65 per person in order to reach the 102nd floor of the building (optional: £35 for the 86th floor main deck). However, New York also offers plenty of alternative options. The One World Trade Center’s observation deck costs around £39, and the Top of the Rock observation deck costs about £36.

The best value for money, however, is located in Chicago. A visit to the Willis Tower’s top floor costs £25 for 442m.

Las Vegas

Flights to Las Vegas

New York

Flights to New York

Chicago

Flights to Chicago

Top of the Rock

From London to New York

Greatest observation decks in Asia

In the 21st century, record-breaking skyscrapers are rising in cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In most cases, exclusive observation decks and public rooftops are already part of the initial plans.

One of the world’s most iconic tall buildings is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Standing at 828 metres, it is the tallest building in the world. Its observation deck, located on the 124th and 125th floors, offers a panoramic view of the Emirate of Dubai and the Persian Gulf. Visitors can reach the deck via the lift in just 60 seconds for approximately £38.

In Asia, the N Seoul Tower in the trendy city of Seoul, South Korea, offers the best value for money. This skyscraper measures 370 metres, and admission costs around £10. Another good deal for travellers is the Skytree in Tokyo, which stands at a massive height of 634 metres. Its observation deck is located on the 350th floor, and the entrance fee is around £19.