Greatest Observation Decks and Viewpoints

Burj Khalifa – At the Top

At 555 meters up on level 148, 'At the Top SKY' is the highest observation deck on Earth, turning Dubai's skyline into a mirage below. It became the benchmark against which every other tower now measures itself, a title it has held since 2010. The lounge, the outdoor terrace, and

Deck Height: 555 mYear Opened: 2010Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 2 MTicket Price: $115Visitor Rating: 9.2/10

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Tokyo Skytree

Rising 450 meters over Tokyo, the Skytree's Tembo Galleria spiral walkway and glass corridor make the descent as memorable as the view itself. Built as Japan's answer to the digital-broadcast era, it instantly became the tallest structure in the country and a fixture of the Tokyo

Deck Height: 450 mYear Opened: 2012Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 4 MTicket Price: $28Visitor Rating: 9/10

added by IJRTokyo Skytree

Empire State Building

Since 1931 the 86th-floor deck has been the definitive New York view, immortalized in countless films from King Kong to Sleepless in Seattle. It was the tallest building in the world for four decades, and its Art Deco spire remains a symbol of American ambition. Nearly a century

Deck Height: 320 mYear Opened: 1931Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 3.5 MTicket Price: $44Visitor Rating: 9.1/10

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Top of the Rock

Perched atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, this deck's signature move is the view it offers back at the Empire State Building itself, something the Empire State can't do for itself. Reopened in 2005 after decades as a private lounge, it quickly became the connoisseur's choice for Manhatt

Deck Height: 260 mYear Opened: 1933Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 2.5 MTicket Price: $40Visitor Rating: 8.9/10

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One World Observatory

Built atop the Freedom Tower on the site of the World Trade Center, this deck carries the emotional weight of a city's resilience alongside its 386-meter views. The 'See Forever' theater and glass Sky Portal floor disc add theatrical flourishes rare among American observation dec

Deck Height: 386 mYear Opened: 2015Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1.6 MTicket Price: $44Visitor Rating: 8.7/10

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CN Tower

Toronto's concrete needle held the title of world's tallest freestanding structure for over three decades, and its glass floor panels — strong enough to hold 14 elephants, as the marketing famously claims — remain a rite of passage. The EdgeWalk lets thrill-seekers step outside e

Deck Height: 346 mYear Opened: 1976Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1.5 MTicket Price: $35Visitor Rating: 8.8/10

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Shanghai Tower

The observation deck on floor 118 sits 561 meters up, making it the highest deck in mainland China and one of the highest anywhere. Completed in 2015 as the crown of the Lujiazui skyline, its twisting glass form was engineered to withstand typhoon winds while offering vertigo-ind

Deck Height: 561 mYear Opened: 2016Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 2 MTicket Price: $29Visitor Rating: 8.6/10

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Willis Tower Skydeck

Chicago's Skydeck is famous for The Ledge, glass boxes that jut out from the 103rd floor with nothing but air and city 412 meters below your feet. Formerly the Sears Tower and once the world's tallest building, it turned an already dramatic view into a genuine dare. Locals still

Deck Height: 412 mYear Opened: 1974Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1.7 MTicket Price: $30Visitor Rating: 8.7/10

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The Shard

Renzo Piano's glass spire gave London its first true skyscraper viewpoint, with the View from The Shard occupying floors 68 to 72 above the Thames. Opened in 2013, it offers a 360-degree panorama that stretches to Windsor Castle on a clear day. It transformed London Bridge from a

Deck Height: 244 mYear Opened: 2013Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 1 MTicket Price: $32Visitor Rating: 8.5/10

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Petronas Towers Skybridge & Observation Deck

The 170-meter Skybridge connecting the twin towers was once the highest two-story bridge in the world, and the deck above it on floor 86 offers a view unlike any single-tower skyscraper can. Completed in 1999, the towers made Kuala Lumpur an instant icon of Southeast Asian modern

Deck Height: 370 mYear Opened: 1999Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 1.5 MTicket Price: $30Visitor Rating: 8.6/10

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Space Needle

Built for the 1962 World's Fair, Seattle's Space Needle became the futuristic emblem of the Pacific Northwest almost overnight. The 2018 addition of The Loupe, the world's first rotating glass floor, gave the aging landmark a jolt of modern spectacle. Mount Rainier, Puget Sound,

Deck Height: 160 mYear Opened: 1962Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1.3 MTicket Price: $30Visitor Rating: 8.4/10

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Victoria Peak

No man-made deck can match the drama of Hong Kong's harbor as seen from Victoria Peak, reached by a funicular tram running since 1888. The Sky Terrace 428 platform adds a modern viewing deck to a viewpoint that's been essential since the colonial era. It remains the single most-v

Deck Height: 428 mYear Opened: 1888Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 7 MTicket Price: $15Visitor Rating: 8.9/10

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Sky Tower Auckland

New Zealand's tallest structure gave Auckland its defining silhouette, with glass floor panels on the main observation deck letting visitors look straight down 220 meters. Opened in 1997, it doubles as a bungy jump platform for those who want the view with an adrenaline chaser. O

Deck Height: 220 mYear Opened: 1997Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1 MTicket Price: $25Visitor Rating: 8.3/10

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Tokyo Tower

Before the Skytree stole its thunder, Tokyo Tower was Japan's tallest structure and its main observation deck has watched the city rebuild and transform since 1958. Its red-and-white lattice frame, modeled loosely on the Eiffel Tower, remains a beloved retro counterpoint to Tokyo

Deck Height: 250 mYear Opened: 1958Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 2 MTicket Price: $15Visitor Rating: 8.2/10

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Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

The 340-meter-long SkyPark perched atop three hotel towers gives Singapore its most Instagrammed silhouette, anchored by the world-famous infinity pool. Opened in 2010, it turned a hotel amenity into a genuine tourist landmark rivaling any purpose-built tower. The public observat

Deck Height: 191 mYear Opened: 2010Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 2 MTicket Price: $23Visitor Rating: 8.5/10

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N Seoul Tower

Sitting atop Namsan mountain, this tower's effective viewing height combines the hill and the structure to survey all of Seoul at once. Since opening to the public in 1980, it has become a romantic pilgrimage site, its fences covered in thousands of padlocks left by couples. The

Deck Height: 236 mYear Opened: 1980Glass Floor: —Annual Visitors: 2.5 MTicket Price: $12Visitor Rating: 8.3/10

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Canton Tower

Guangzhou's sinuous tower features a Ferris wheel and glass-floored 'bubble tram' near its 488-meter summit, making it one of the most architecturally daring viewpoints anywhere. Completed for the 2010 Asian Games, its twisting form was designed to evoke a dancer's waist. The 4D

Deck Height: 488 mYear Opened: 2010Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 3 MTicket Price: $25Visitor Rating: 8.1/10

added by IJRCanton Tower

Grand Canyon Skywalk

This horseshoe-shaped glass bridge extends 21 meters out over the canyon rim, suspending visitors roughly 1,200 meters above the canyon floor with nothing but transparent glass underfoot. Opened in 2007 on Hualapai tribal land, it swapped a skyscraper for raw geology and turned t

Deck Height: 1,200 mYear Opened: 2007Glass Floor: ✓Annual Visitors: 1 MTicket Price: $25Visitor Rating: 8.4/10

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