Spinnaker Tower

This 170m landmark tower in Portsmouth is located in Portsmouth Harbour close to Gunwharf Quays. The tower was opened in 2005, and owned by Portsmouth city council. I always thought it has a vague similarity to the famous hotel Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Funny coincidence or what, the Spinnaker tower is now sponsored by Dubai’s Emirates airlines and the tower is renamed to Emirates Spinnaker tower in 2015.

Key facts:

• Spinnaker Tower is one of the tallest towers in the UK
• To get to the top of the building, you can either use the internal lift or climb 570 steps!
• There are three observation desks on the top from where you can view up to 23 miles on a clear day. Also, you can enjoy the panoramic views of Portsmouth and Portsmouth harbour, Solent and Isle of Wight.
• On the first observation desk, there is a glass floor which is 100meters above the sea level, if you are not faint- hearted, take a walk across it !(you have to remove your shoes first)
• Guided tours, souvenirs and personalised photographs etc are all available at the ground floor
• The tower is wheelchair friendly but needs prebooking (cannot access the top desk)

Address: Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth PO1 3TT

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm

Ticket price: £10.50 for an adult ticket (£8.93 for an online ticket if you book 24hours in advance). Children under 4 years of age go free and there are discounted rates for senior citizens, students and family.

Tips:

• Portsmouth harbour train station is quite nearby if you are using public transport.
• There are plenty of parking available at Gunwharf Quays but be warned that it is really expensive. There are few streets nearby where you can park for less but it takes about 10-12min walk to get to the tower. If you want to find more affordable parking, use the site Parkopedia which will give you the cheaper nearby options.
• There is a lovely café on the second desk of Spinnaker Tower where you can enjoy a hot drink and cake with some amazing views. It can get fully engaged at times if so, there is another cafe in the ground floor as well.
• You don’t need more than 40min maximum to see the tower; Gunwharf Quays is a popular retail destination with many outlet shops, restaurants, cinema and bars so perhaps treat yourself afterwards (High price alert). You can also have a nice stroll through the harbour.
• Pick a sunny day for your visit to get the best of the views.