The London Eye has done for London what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris. This giant Ferris wheel serves both as a radical shake-up to London’s skyline and as the city’s tallest public viewing platform. At 135 metres (443ft) high and built to celebrate the new millennium, it was, for a time (in 1999) the world’s largest observation wheel, but inevitably has since been trumped (by Singapore); on a clear day, it offers 20 miles’ visibility. 32 glass eggs each hold up to 25 people; the ‘flight’ takes 30 minutes, and both champagne and, in summer, Pimm’s flights are available (though this does mean one glass only). For thirstier types, whole pods can be booked out for champagne flights, which can on request take a second rotation, giving you an hour to get high.