Climb the O2 Arena: What the Rooftop Walk Is Really Like
North Greenwich's skyline landmark hides one of London's strangest attractions: a guided walk straight up and over its own roof. If you want to climb the O2 Arena, here's exactly what 90 minutes on that fabric walkway involves, and how to pick the right slot.
About This Tour
Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Lock in a sunset slot without paying today.
90 minutes, guide-led the whole way up and down.
Climb suit, harness and, in colder months, a jacket are all provided on site.
Daytime, sunset and twilight climbs, with sunset the first to sell out.
Minimum age 8 and minimum height 1.2 metres; weight limits apply, so check at booking.
Check Live Availability & Prices
Sunset departures book out first, so it's worth checking exact dates and times before you plan the rest of the evening around it.
Why Climb the O2
The O2 Arena started life as the Millennium Dome, and for years its tensile fabric roof just sat there over North Greenwich looking impossible to reach. Then someone worked out how to rig a walkway across it, clip climbers into a latch system, and send them up to a viewing platform 52 metres above the Thames. That's the whole idea behind Up at The O2, and it's rarer than it sounds: there is nothing else in London where you walk on the roof of a working arena rather than beside or above it.
The climb itself is a guided group experience, so you're never doing this solo. A guide sets the pace, points out landmarks as you go, and manages the clip-in transitions at each section of the walkway. The incline is steepest at the very start and the very end, up to 28 degrees, with an easier stretch across the middle where most people stop worrying about the bounce underfoot and start looking at the view instead.
It's the kind of experience that works best as a capper rather than a starting point, which is exactly why it slots into the final evening of our two-day London plan: by then you've covered the big landmarks on foot and by river, and this closes the trip on a genuinely different note.
What You'll See
From the 52-metre summit platform the sightlines run in every direction, and on a clear evening the whole eastern half of London opens up below you.
- Canary Wharf's cluster of towers lit up across the water
- The full loop of the Thames curling around the Greenwich peninsula
- The Cutty Sark's masts down in Greenwich town
- The O2's own fabric roof stretching away beneath your feet
- The City skyline on clear days, well beyond North Greenwich
- North Greenwich tube station and the peninsula's cable car line
- Container ships and river traffic moving along the Thames
- The sun setting behind the city if you book the sunset slot
What's Included (and What's Not)
Everything you need for the climb itself is handed to you on site.
- ✓ Guided 90-minute climb over the O2 roof
- ✓ Climb suit and harness
- ✓ Jacket provided in colder months
- ✓ Access to the 52m summit viewing platform
- ✓ Clip-in latch system managed by your guide throughout
Not included:
- ✗ Transport to North Greenwich
- ✗ Food or drink during the climb
- ✗ A lanyard for your phone (buy one on site if you want summit photos)
- ✗ Dinner at the O2's restaurants afterward
How the Climb Flows
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Arrival
Check-in and kitting up
Arrive at the base of the O2 and get fitted for your climb suit and harness, with a jacket added if the weather calls for it.
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Briefing
Safety briefing and clip-in
Your guide runs through the latch system and how the group will move together before the first incline.
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Ascent
The climb up
The walkway rises at up to 28 degrees near the start, easing off through the middle section as you gain height over the arena roof.
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Summit
Time at the platform
Around ten minutes at the 52-metre summit platform to take in the views, with phones allowed on lanyards only.
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Descent
The climb down
The walkway steepens again near the end as the group descends back toward the base.
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Finish
Kit return
Hand back your harness and suit at the base, roughly 90 minutes after you started.
Know Before You Go
Not suitable for
- Children under 8 or anyone under 1.2 metres tall, the harness system needs it
- Pregnant visitors, who cannot take part in the climb
- Anyone outside the operator's weight limits, worth checking at booking
- Anyone with a serious fear of heights, the walkway is fully exposed
What to bring
- Grippy trainers, the fabric walkway bounces slightly underfoot
- A warm layer for evening or twilight slots
- A lanyard, or cash to buy one, if you want summit photos
- Comfortable clothes you can move in under the climb suit
Not allowed
- Loose phones or cameras, only lanyarded devices at the summit
- Handbags or backpacks on the walkway
- Open-toed shoes or sandals
- Alcohol before the climb
Insider Tips
A few things that make a real difference on the day:
- Book the sunset slot one to two weeks ahead, it sells out first and the twilight down-climb over the city lights is the whole payoff
- Wear grippy trainers, not smooth-soled shoes, the walkway has some give in it
- Buy the lanyard or leave your phone in a locker, loose devices aren't allowed past the base
- The steepest sections are right at the start and the end, the middle stretch is genuinely easy
- North Greenwich tube on the Jubilee line sits right beneath the O2, so there's no need to plan extra travel time
- Book a table at one of the O2's restaurants for afterward, you'll come off the roof hungry
Where You're Headed
Who It's For
This climb suits travellers who want something more active than a viewpoint queue.
- Anyone who's already done the London Eye and wants a proper adrenaline hit instead
- Photographers chasing a genuinely different angle on the London skyline
- Couples or small groups looking for a memorable evening plan on the final night of a trip
Not ideal for
- Anyone travelling with young children under the height minimum, who can't join the climb
- Visitors with mobility limitations, since the walkway involves a genuine physical climb
- Tight schedules with no buffer, since kitting up and briefing add time either side of the 90 minutes
Climb the O2 Arena FAQ
How do you climb the O2 Arena?
You book the Up at The O2 rooftop climb, a guided 90-minute walk across a tensile fabric walkway fitted over the arena's roof. You're kitted with a climb suit and harness and clipped into a latch system for the whole route, so no separate climbing experience is needed.
How long does the O2 Arena climb take?
The guided climb itself runs about 90 minutes, including the ascent, time at the 52-metre summit platform, and the descent. Add extra time either side for kitting up and the safety briefing.
Is it safe to climb the O2 Arena?
The climb uses a continuous clip-in latch system managed by a trained guide throughout, so you're always secured to the walkway. There are minimum age and height requirements, and pregnant visitors and anyone outside the stated weight limits cannot take part.
What's the best time to climb the O2?
Sunset slots are the most popular and sell out first, since the twilight descent shows the city lights coming on below you. Daytime slots give the clearest long-distance views if visibility matters more to you than atmosphere.
Can you bring your phone on the O2 climb?
Loose phones aren't allowed on the walkway. You can carry a phone on a lanyard, either bought on site or your own, and use it only once you reach the summit platform.
How do you get to the O2 Arena climb?
North Greenwich station on the Jubilee line sits directly beneath the O2, so it's a short walk from the platform to check-in with no other transport needed.
What Travellers Say
The sunset slot was worth every bit of planning. Watching the lights come on across Canary Wharf on the way down was the best fifteen minutes of our whole trip.
Our guide kept the group calm and moving at a good pace. The middle section is much easier than it looks from the ground, it's really just the start and finish that get your heart rate up.
Loved the views but wished we'd bought the lanyard in advance, the queue for one at the base ate into our kitting-up time. Still glad we did it.