Designed by Master Architect Renzo Piano, The Shard is London’s newest and most distinctive landmark which has redefined the city’s skyline to bring it bang into the 21st Century.

Known as the ‘vertical city’, The Shard gets its name from its impressive structure which stands like sharp shards of glass that appear to pierce the sky.

It features office space, multiple restaurants and bars, shops, five-star hotels and luxury apartments.

But that’s not all. The Shard is also home to a popular visitor experience, View from The Shard, which offers the most exhilarating panoramas of the city from the UK’s highest viewing platform, 244 metres above the ground.

Prepare to be astounded as you take the high-speed kaleidoscopic lift to floor 69 to experience unobstructed 360 degree views of one of the world’s great cities which usually only birds and aeroplanes can enjoy.

At the top London appears like a tiny miniature city. You can easily pick out London’s most iconic landmarks below, including Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

Using the 12 state-of the-art digital telescopes you can see London by day and night, and learn more about 200 of the city’s most famous landmarks visible from the top, whilst you can pick up a souvenir picture of you in front of a mesmerising backdrop of London.

But nothing can disturb the views on offer, which on a clear day can stretch as far as Berkshire and Southend, some 40miles in the distance.

If you have a real head for heights don’t pass up the chance to scale to the very top of the building to the open-air viewing platform on floor 72 where you can appreciate its splintered architecture that disappears into the sky above.

A multi-sensory experience that is certain to be a highlight of any coach break to London.