ArcelorMittal Orbit

Choose Orbit 360 if your priority is skyline views, mixed-age flexibility, or a low-pressure first stop in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Choose Helix only if the thrill is the point, and everyone in your group is happy with the age, height, and footwear rules. Picking the right format first saves you from on-site second-guessing. Book now.

Use Stratford Station as your main anchor unless another line makes more sense for you. The walk into the park is straightforward and takes you past the London Aquatics Centre, which is a helpful mental checkpoint if it is your first time in this part of east London. Once you set that route, the attraction feels much less tucked away.

At the top, you have three moods: lift back down, the 455-step spiral, or Helix. Families and first-time visitors often enjoy the stairs if the weather is good, because the soundscape and changing angles make the sculpture feel more like an experience than a viewpoint. If energy is low, take the lift and keep the visit easy.

The neatest continuation is Olympic Stadium, because it keeps you inside the same London 2012 landscape without adding more travel. If you are not chasing another attraction, a waterside wander and a drink at Riverside East is often the smarter move. One follow-up stop is plenty here, so you can actually enjoy the park.

Best for first-time visitors, mixed-age groups, and anyone who wants the skyline without pressure. From 80 m (262 ft), you can scan across London Stadium, St Paul's Cathedral, the Shard, and the park itself, then choose the lift or the long spiral staircase on the way down. This is the format that works in almost any weather and almost any itinerary. Book now.

Choose Helix if you want movement, speed, and a brag-worthy east London story rather than a quiet lookout. The enclosed slide drops 178 m (584 ft), loops 12 times, and reaches up to 24 km/h (15 mph), so it feels far more intense than the polished viewing-platform branding suggests. It is great for older kids, friends, and repeat visitors who already know the park. Book now.

The full version of this stop is simple: look first, slide second. Starting with the platform helps you enjoy the sculpture, the mirrors, and the park layout before the adrenaline rush changes the mood, and it also makes the visit feel more complete. If everyone meets the slide rules and the weather is clear, this is the most memorable way to do it. Book now.

The story starts in 2009, when the idea of a landmark sculpture for the Olympic Park took shape, and the structure was unveiled in 2012 ahead of the Games. That origin still matters on site: you are not visiting an observation tower dropped into a random skyline, but a piece of the London 2012 legacy built between London Stadium and the London Aquatics Centre.

From the ground, the looping red steel can look almost chaotic. Up close, the design by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond becomes more playful: the mirrors flip the horizon, the stair route keeps changing your angle on the park, and the sculpture feels less like a backdrop and more like something you move through. That is why walking at least part of the way down is worth considering.

The addition of Helix in 2016 turned the Orbit from a pure viewing stop into something stranger and more memorable. Belgian artist Carsten Höller threaded a 178 m (584 ft) slide through the sculpture, which means the art is no longer just around you, but physically part of the ride. It is one of the rare places where a public artwork and a thrill experience genuinely share the same frame.

The venue reopened on February 14, 2025, with a new operator and a more adventure-led presentation. The core appeal stayed the same, but the current format makes the visit easier to understand: views, slide, or both. That clarity suits the bold setting in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park much better.