The world’s 21 best observation experiences

Summit One Vanderbilt in New York City redefines the observation deck experience. This attraction at the summit of the 427-metre (1,401-foot) tall One Vanderbilt building offers a fantastic view of Manhattan’s cityscape. Visitors can see famous sites such as Central Park and the Empire State Building.

The focal point of the experience is Levitation, a sequence of transparent glass skyboxes that extend beyond the building’s edge. These give guests the impression that they are hovering above the city. Furthermore, the mirrored work Air, designed by artist Kenzo Digital, elevates the sensory experience. Summit One Vanderbilt has established itself as a must-visit location, combining state-of-the-art architecture with unforgettable views.

The Summit is changing how people experience New York City. Electrosonic, a global leader in innovative audio-visual technology solutions, was a key player in bringing the project to life. Speaking to blooloop in 2022, Electrosonic’s Brandon Harp, senior experiential technology consultant, described the Air experience:

“The beauty of that is that you’re able to glimpse these amazing views of Manhattan, New Jersey and all the boroughs. But it’s also an opportunity to reflect inward. There’s a place to lie down in the middle, look up and lose yourself in the mirrors, let your mind open up, and freely engage with all this beautiful space has to offer you.”

The experience is, he added, never the same twice:

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or a tourist visiting the city. I’ve been there countless times. Every time I go, there’s always a different moment, a different way of looking at something, a different feeling, or a selfie moment that finds you.”

View Boston, an impressive viewing deck on top of the Prudential Tower, one of the city’s most famous buildings, is another relatively new addition to our list of the world’s best observation towers. It is 228 metres (750 feet) tall and offers 360-degree views of the city’s historic and modern scenery.

View Boston, which opened to the public in 2023, offers an engaging experience that goes beyond sightseeing. The viewing deck features interactive displays and augmented reality features. These let people learn about Boston’s history, architectural landmarks, and lively neighbourhoods. The interactive parts add to the experience by showing how the city has changed and its cultural significance over time.

The outdoor Skywalk gives visitors a unique view of the city, the Charles River, and the distant Atlantic Ocean. There is also a lounge and café on the deck where people can enjoy a drink while enjoying the views.

Several leading companies collaborated to create the experience. This included RWS Global, Electrosonic, and Float4, a multidisciplinary studio that integrates digital experiences in physical spaces. Float4 delivered an accessible series of innovative and captivating interactive media exhibits for View Boston. Each multimedia installation takes them on a unique and personalised journey through the city’s rich history and vibrant culture.

The View from The Shard in London offers an extraordinary experience from the tallest building in the UK. The Shard is 310 metres (1,016 feet) tall. Its viewing decks on levels 68, 69, and 72 offer views of the city‘s famous skyline from all directions. When it opened in 2013, this architectural wonder by Renzo Piano quickly became one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in the capital.

Guests can look over the Tower of London, the famous Tower Bridge, and the winding Thames River. On a clear day, the view can stretch up to 40 miles away to the English countryside. Interactive digital telescopes add to the experience by giving visitors more knowledge about London’s landmarks and rich history. The highest viewing area, on level 72, has an open-air deck.

The Mirador Torre Glòries is housed in one of Barcelona’s most recognisable structures, the 144-metre (475-foot) tall Glòries Tower, designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel. According to Nouvel, the building is intended to recall the shape of a geyser rising into the air.

This next-generation observation deck fuses art, science, technology, and environmental consciousness to allow visitors to reimagine the city from a new perspective. The Mirador Torre Glòries prompts visitors to consider the urban environment around them. The Hiperview, situated at the foot of the tower, is where the adventure begins. Here, visitors can perceive the city as a living organism thanks to multidisciplinary art installations that provide real-time information about it.

A lift then takes visitors to the observation deck, which offers 360-degree city views. Additionally, they can enjoy and climb through Tomas Saraceno‘s sculpture, Cloud Cities Barcelona. This sculpture engages visitors’ senses while encouraging contemplation of cities and the urban environment.

A list of the world’s best observation towers would not be complete without Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

It is the world’s tallest structure, rising to a dizzying height of 828 metres (2,717 feet). The Burj Khalifa has dominated the Dubai skyline since it was finished in 2010. Created by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is a testament to human ambition and inventiveness.

Two observation decks provide visitors to the Burj Khalifa with breathtaking views. The first, on the 124th and 125th floors, has floor-to-ceiling glass walls that offer 360-degree views of the city, desert, and ocean. Meanwhile, the tallest observation deck in the world, the At The Top SKY deck, is located on the 148th floor at a height of 555 metres (1,821 feet).

The desert flower Hymenocallis and Islamic architecture inspired the Burj Khalifa’s design. Aluminium, textured stainless steel spandrel panels, and reflective glazing combine to create a shimmering façade that catches light in striking ways.

ECA2, a leading creator of high-quality multimedia shows, has created a spectacular New Year light and laser show for the Burj Khalifa for the last three years.

360 Chicago is on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan Avenue, a 100-storey, 344-metre (1,128-foot) supertall skyscraper. It offers a unique perspective of the Windy City. Visitors can experience a 360-degree view of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. When the building, formerly known as the John Hancock Center, was topped out in 1968, it was the second-tallest building in the world after the Empire State Building in New York City. It was also the tallest in Chicago, a record it held for just four years.

One of 360 Chicago’s main draws is the TILT attraction. This moving platform tilts guests outward from the skyscraper and provides an exciting and unusual viewpoint above the city’s Magnificent Mile district.

360 Chicago also offers interactive displays exploring the city’s history and architecture, as well as a bar called 94, where visitors can drink and admire the view.

Top of the Rock, the second of three New York City observation towers on this list of the world’s best, sits atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, part of the Rockefeller Center complex. The 70th-storey observation deck opened in 1933 and is 260 metres (850 feet) above street level. Visitors have unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline. From here, they can spot landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, and Statue of Liberty.

A multimedia display outlining Rockefeller Center’s construction and history opens the experience. After being whisked to the summit by high-speed lifts, guests can explore three distinct viewing decks, each providing different vistas and photo possibilities.

The newest addition to Top of the Rock is The Beam experience. This allows visitors to recreate the iconic 1932 photo depicting 11 ironworkers lunching precariously on a steel beam 69 storeys high.

The Žižkov Television Tower, also called the Prague TV Tower, is a distinctive landmark in the Czech capital city. At 216 metres (709 feet), it is the highest building in Prague and provides sweeping views. Designed by structural engineer Jiří Kozák and architect Václav Aulický, the tower was completed in 1992 and has a futuristic appearance that contrasts dramatically with Prague‘s historic architecture.

The tower also features a series of enormous, faceless baby sculptures crawling up its sides. These sculptures were originally a temporary work by Czech artist David Černý. Thanks to their popularity, they have since become a permanent addition.

At 93 metres above the ground, the observation deck offers guests 360-degree views of Prague and the surrounding area. The tower also has a restaurant and bar at 66 metres high, providing a distinctive dining experience. The One Room Hotel, a private luxury room perched high in the tower, was added to the Prague TV Tower in 2013.

The Empire State Building is among the most well-known buildings worldwide, earning a place on our list of the world’s best observation towers. Designed by the architectural company Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, it was completed in 1931 and, until 1970, was the highest building in the world. The 102-storey structure, which includes its antenna, stands at a height of 443.2 metres (1,454 feet) and is a magnificent example of Art Deco architecture.

The Empire State Building has two observation decks. The 86th-floor main deck offers a 360-degree open-air experience with city views, including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square, while the glass-enclosed 102nd-floor observatory provides an even higher vantage point.

Completed in just over a year during the Great Depression, the Empire State Building has since come to represent ingenuity and resiliency. It has been a staple of popular culture, appearing in countless films and television series.

In February 2021, Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory, spoke to blooloop about reimagining the visitor experience. Talking about the aims of the project, he said:

“Everyone aspires to come to the Empire State Building before even arriving in New York City. All our polled customers put the building on their “must-do” bucket list. When this project started, our initial step was to find out what our visitors thought of their Empire State Building experience. Everybody acknowledged they had an emotional connection with the building and wanted more. They were looking for unique ways to connect with it. They wanted to be insiders, but not quite experts.”

Squint/Opera, the creative studio, worked beside Thinc Design and Antfood to create a new permanent immersive digital exhibition, part of the reimagined top-to-bottom Observatory Experience.

At the time of writing, Toronto’s CN Tower is the 10th tallest free-standing structure, at 553.3 metres (1,815.3 feet) high. The CN Tower held the record for the world’s tallest free-standing structure for 32 years, from 1975 until 2007 when the Burj Khalifa surpassed it. It was the world’s tallest tower until 2009, when the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China, overtook it.

The Canadian National Railway Company initially constructed the CN Tower as a telecommunications tower. It has since become a popular tourist attraction.

The CN Tower offers several observation experiences. The LookOut level, at 346 metres (1,136 ft), has floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of Toronto and Lake Ontario. At 342 metres (1,122 feet) high, the Glass Floor offers a dizzying perspective of the ground below. Visitors can stroll or lie down on translucent panels.

The SkyPod, at 447 metres (1,465 feet), offers an even more fantastic view of the city and its surroundings. When the sky is clear, guests can see nearly 160 kilometres (100 miles) in all directions, providing a glimpse of New York State and Niagara Falls.

The EdgeWalk, the world’s highest full-circle, hands-free stroll, is one of the tower’s most daring attractions. Participants, who are safely secured, can have a thrilling and distinctive perspective of the city below when they walk along the 1.5-meter-wide (5-foot) ledge that circles the tower’s main pod at 356 metres (1,168 feet).

It is also home to the 360 Restaurant, which rotates once every 72 minutes. An LED lighting system powered by the tower generates a breathtaking visual display at night that is frequently themed for special occasions and events.

Next on our list of the world’s best observation towers is Sky100 Hong Kong. This is located on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre (ICC), the highest structure in Hong Kong and the 13th tallest building in the world.

At 393 metres (1,290 feet) tall, Sky100 provides stunning 360-degree views of Victoria Harbour, far-off mountains, and Hong Kong’s famous skyline. Sky100 opened to the public in 2011. The trip starts with a fast lift ride that takes about 60 seconds to reach the 100th floor. Guests are welcomed by large floor-to-ceiling windows that offer unhindered views.

Sky100 offers many experiences and is more than just an observation experience. Visitors can learn about Hong Kong‘s history, culture, and monuments through interactive multimedia exhibitions and augmented reality (AR) displays. These instructional components make the visit interesting and enlightening.

In addition, Sky100 hosts regular events, such as cultural performances, seasonal exhibitions, and unique themed decorations. The ICC is also home to the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which held the record for the world’s highest hotel from 2011 to 2020.

The iconic Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most visited paid monuments, welcoming up to seven million tourists each year. Almost 300 million visitors have come from around the world to see it since its opening in 1889.

Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel, it was initially the entrance arch for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair). At 3,24 metres (1,063 ft) high, it is still the highest building in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower has three levels that are open to visitors. At 57 metres (187 feet), the first level has an interactive exhibit area. This includes a presentation about the tower’s history and construction, as well as a glass floor. At 115 metres (377 feet), the second level offers even more breathtaking views and is the location of the Le Jules Verne restaurant.

Finally, at 276 metres (906 feet) and reached by a lift with glass walls, the top level provides a panoramic view that stretches up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) on a clear day. Here, guests can see Gustave Eiffel’s meticulously restored private office.

Every evening, the 20,000 light bulbs adorning the tower also come to life, drawing many people to witness the nighttime illuminations.

Auckland’s Sky Tower is 328 metres (1,076 feet) high. This makes it the second-tallest freestanding building in the Southern Hemisphere, after the Autograph Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, knocked it off the top spot in 2022. It is also currently the 28th-tallest tower globally. Because of its height and unique design, the Sky Tower has been a notable feature of Auckland’s skyline since it was completed in 1997.

Several observation decks offer 360-degree views of Auckland and its surroundings, including the Hauraki Gulf and far-off mountain ranges. At 186 metres (610 feet), the primary observation level has glass floors that allow visitors to look down at the city streets below. At 220 metres (722 feet) high, the Sky Deck offers an even more immersive experience.

Visitors can also participate in the SkyWalk. They can walk around the tower’s small outside walkway with a harness but no handrails. Meanwhile, the SkyJump offers an even more exhilarating activity. Participants can take a controlled base jump from the tower, descending 192 metres (630 feet) to the ground at up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 miles per hour).

The Sky Tower offers various dining choices, such as the Orbit 360° Dining restaurant, which rotates once every hour, or the more casual Sky Café. A dynamic lighting system that can be themed around different holidays and special occasions also illuminates the tower at night.

The UFO Tower, sometimes called the UFO Observation Deck, is a unique monument. The 95-meter (312-foot) tall tower is on top of the Most SNP (Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising), one of the world’s longest cable-stayed bridges with a single pylon. The bridge and tower opened in 1972. At the time of its creation, the UFO was one of only two buildings designed in this way worldwide.

The UFO Tower offers views of Bratislava and the surrounding area, including the Danube River, the Old Town, Bratislava Castle, and, on clear days, the far-off Carpathian Mountains and portions of Austria and Hungary. A high-speed lift takes guests to the observation deck.

The Skywalk Experience invites guests to walk around the observation deck’s outside edge while safely restrained and accompanied by a professional instructor for stunning views with an extra adrenaline rush. The UFO Tower is also home to the UFO Restaurant.

Standing at 184 metres (605 feet), the Space Needle is one of the world’s most famous observation towers. Created by Edward E. Carlson and John Graham Jr., it was finished in 1962 for the World’s Fair, which had a space exploration theme.

At 160 metres (520 feet), the observation deck provides sweeping views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, Seattle’s cityscape, and sometimes even Mount Rainier. High-speed lifts whisk visitors to the summit in forty-one seconds. The world’s first and only spinning glass floor, found on the observation platform known as the Loupe, offers a remarkable perspective of the earth below. There are also floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

In 2018, the Space Needle underwent a significant makeover known as the Century Project. New features, such as a renovated interior and improved viewing opportunities, were added. The goal was maintaining the tower’s historic charm while offering visitors a cutting-edge, captivating experience.

Located in the Pudong region of Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl Tower, designed by architect Jia Huan Cheng, is 468 metres (1,535 feet) tall. Completed in 1994, its futuristic design has become an iconic part of Shanghai’s skyline. Eleven different-sized spheres connected by columns make up the tower’s distinctive shape, which has been likened to “twin dragons playing with pearls.”

Numerous observation platforms offering outstanding views of Shanghai are open for visitors to explore. The most popular viewing platform is 263 metres (863 feet) high and has a transparent glass floor. At 350 metres (1,148 feet), the Space Module is the Oriental Pearl’s highest observation deck.

The tower is also home to the Shanghai History Museum, where guests can learn more about the city and its heritage. At 267 metres (876 feet), there is a revolving restaurant, and the tower is lit up at night.

At 634 meters (2,080 feet), the Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world. It is also the third tallest freestanding structure after the Burj Khalifa and Malaysia’s Merdeka 118. Created by the architectural firm Nikken Sekkei, it combines state-of-the-art technology with traditional Japanese design. Inspiration includes the concave curve of a Japanese sword and the elegance of a five-story pagoda.

The Tokyo Skytree opened in 2012 and is home to two observation decks. At a height of 350 metres (1,148 ft), the Tembo Deck provides a 360-degree panoramic view of Tokyo, encompassing famous sites like Mount Fuji and Tokyo Bay. Large glass panels offer unobstructed views, while an interactive screen highlights different points of interest.

At 450 metres (1,476 feet), the second observation deck is called the Tembo Galleria, the “world’s highest skywalk.” It is made up of a glass-enclosed spiral ramp that rises to the highest point of the viewing deck and enables visitors to feel like they are suspended above the city

Tokyo Skytree also offers many food and shopping options. The Tokyo Solamachi complex on the lower levels has over 300 stores, restaurants, a planetarium, and an aquarium. At night, Tokyo Skytree puts on a light show with frequently changing themes.

The world’s seventh-tallest tower at 421 metres (1,381 ft), the KL Tower is a well-known landmark in Kuala Lumpur. It was completed in 1995.

The observation deck is 276 metres (906 ft) above the city. With its 360-degree perspective, visitors can appreciate Kuala Lumpur from all sides. Meanwhile, the Sky Deck, an open-air platform at 300 metres (984 ft) high, offers an even more exhilarating view. The Sky Box, a glass cube that protrudes from the tower, provides guests an incredible view below their feet. Atmosphere 360, a rotating restaurant, is situated directly beneath the observation deck of the KL Tower and rotates completely every 90 minutes.

The KL Tower is home to several attractions. Family-friendly entertainment and educational opportunities are available at the KL Tower Mini Zoo, Blue Coral Aquarium, and KL Tower Eco Park, which has a canopy walk. The tower also holds events, exhibitions, and cultural performances throughout the year and is illuminated at night.

Next on our roundup of the world’s best observation towers is Taipei 101. This is currently the tallest building in Taiwan and the eleventh tallest building in the world. Measuring 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall, it was classified as the world’s tallest from its opening in December 2004 until it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa in 2010. C.Y. Lee and associates designed the tower, and the shape of a bamboo stalk, which represents development and wealth, served as inspiration.

Taipei 101 has two observation decks. The enclosed observatory is on the 89th level and offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. Thanks to high-speed lifts, among the quickest in the world, travellers can go from the fifth to the 89th level in just 37 seconds. Visitors can also enjoy an open-air viewing experience at the 91st-floor outdoor observatory.

The tower hosts a retail centre, eating establishments, and office space. Vibrant LED displays transform Taipei 101 into a visual spectacle during important festivals and events. Thousands of people watch the tower’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

At 368 metres (1,207 ft), the Berlin TV Tower is Germany’s tallest structure and the European Union’s third-tallest structure. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) government built the tower in 1969 to represent modernity and communist strength. The Berliner Fernsehturm, created by Hermann Henselmann and a group of architects, blends futuristic, streamlined design with practical building.

At 203 metres (666 feet) above the ground, the observation deck offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Berlin. Many of the city’s most notable sights, including the Reichstag, the Berlin Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhoods, are visible. On clear days, visitors can see up to 42 kilometres (26 miles).

MAGNICITY takes visitors through the city’s history with the 15-minute-long Berlin’s Odyssey VR experience. A new VR experience, ‘The Berliner TV Tower Discovery,’ also opened in 2023, exploring the technological challenge of the tower’s construction.

Above the observation deck, the Sphere rotating restaurant is 207 metres (679 feet) high. It completes a full rotation every thirty minutes. Frequent light shows honour special events and occasions.

The final entry on our list of the best observation towers is Seoul’s Lotte World Tower. At 555 metres (1,821 feet), it is the sixth tallest building in the world. Designed by the global architectural company Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, its tapered and gently curved shape is inspired by calligraphy brushes and ancient Korean ceramics.

There are several observation decks at the Lotte World Tower. The Seoul Sky, located on the 117th to 123rd floors, offers panoramic views of Seoul and its surrounding areas. On the 118th floor, the SkyDeck is the world’s tallest glass-bottomed observation deck. The tower is also home to the fastest double-deck lifts in the world. These can carry passengers from the basement to the 121st story in under a minute.

The Lotte World Tower has several other features and attractions besides its observation decks. The tower is a self-contained vertical metropolis with upscale apartments, offices, shops, and entertainment venues. At the foot of the building, the Lotte World Mall offers a wide range of culinary options, a cinema, an aquarium, and worldwide brands. Connected to the neighbouring Lotte World Adventure theme park, the mall and tower complex provide a comprehensive entertainment destination.