BEST OBSERVATION DECKS
The highest and most striking viewpoints
Sky decks, rooftops, and tower platforms with views that justify the climb.
Australia
Sydney Tower Eye
Sydney, Australia
The golden-topped tower that is Sydney's tallest structure, in the central business district. Its deck and open-air Skywalk overlook the harbor, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge.
Eureka Skydeck
Melbourne, Australia
The observation deck near the top of the Eureka Tower in Southbank, overlooking the Yarra River and Melbourne. Its glass cube, The Edge, slides out beyond the building's face.
Brazil
Mirante do Vale (Edifício Itália)
São Paulo, Brazil
One of the tallest buildings in the historic center of São Paulo, with a rooftop terrace long open to visitors. It overlooks the seemingly endless expanse of the city's high-rises.
Canada
CN Tower
Toronto, Canada
A concrete communications and observation tower that defines the Toronto skyline. Its decks include a glass floor, and the EdgeWalk lets visitors circle the outside, overlooking Lake Ontario.
Chile
China
Top of Shanghai Observatory
Shanghai, China
Occupying the upper floors of the twisting Shanghai Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings, the deck overlooks the Lujiazui financial district and the Huangpu River bend below.
Oriental Pearl Tower
Shanghai, China
A distinctive TV tower of stacked spheres in Pudong, a symbol of Shanghai. Its observation levels, including a glass-floored deck, look across the Bund and the Huangpu River.
Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck
Hong Kong, China
An indoor deck near the top of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, offering a 360-degree panorama of Victoria Harbour and the towers of Hong Kong Island opposite.
Victoria Peak (The Peak Tower)
Hong Kong, China
The highest hill on Hong Kong Island, reached by the historic Peak Tram. Its terraces frame the classic view over the skyscrapers, Victoria Harbour, and Kowloon beyond.
Canton Tower Observation Deck
Guangzhou, China
A slender, twisting observation and telecommunications tower on the Pearl River, its outdoor decks and open-air rides look out over the Guangzhou skyline and the river below.
Macau Tower
Macau, China
A convention and observation tower overlooking the Pearl River Delta, with glass-floor sections. It is known for its adventure attractions, including one of the world's highest bungee jumps.
France
Eiffel Tower
Paris, France
The wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars, built for the 1889 World's Fair and the emblem of Paris. Its upper platform surveys the Seine and the whole of the city.
Tour Montparnasse Observation Deck
Paris, France
A lone dark skyscraper on the Left Bank whose rooftop terrace is prized because its view includes the Eiffel Tower, unlike the Eiffel's own decks. It surveys the Paris rooftops in every direction.
Germany
Berliner Fernsehturm
Berlin, Germany
The television tower at Alexanderplatz, Germany's tallest structure, built in the former East Berlin. Its sphere holds an observation deck and revolving restaurant above the whole city.
Iceland
Hallgrímskirkja Tower
Reykjavik, Iceland
The tower of Reykjavik's tallest church, whose basalt-inspired form dominates the skyline. A lift carries visitors up for a view over the colorful rooftops, harbor, and surrounding mountains.
Italy
Japan
Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck & Tembo Galleria
Tokyo, Japan
A broadcasting and observation tower in the Sumida district, among the tallest structures in the world. Its two decks survey the vast Tokyo sprawl, with Mount Fuji visible on clear days.
Tokyo Tower Main & Top Deck
Tokyo, Japan
A lattice tower in Minato modeled on the Eiffel Tower and painted orange and white. Its two decks overlook central Tokyo, with the Skytree and Mount Fuji visible in clear weather.
Abeno Harukas 300
Osaka, Japan
Set in one of Japan's tallest skyscrapers above Tennoji, the three-story glass observatory wraps the top of the building, overlooking Osaka Bay and, on clear days, distant Awaji Island.
Malaysia
Petronas Towers Observation Deck & Skybridge
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The twin stainless-steel towers are Kuala Lumpur's icon. Visitors cross the double-decker skybridge linking the towers, then reach an upper observation deck over the city center.
KL Tower Observation Deck
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A telecommunications tower rising from a forested hill, giving it added height over the city. Its decks and a glass Sky Box look across Kuala Lumpur, including the nearby Petronas Towers.
Mexico
Torre Latinoamericana
Mexico City, Mexico
A mid-century skyscraper in the historic center, famous for surviving major earthquakes on soft lakebed soil. Its open-air deck overlooks the vast basin of Mexico City.
Netherlands
New Zealand
Sky Tower
Auckland, New Zealand
A telecommunications and observation tower that is the tallest structure in New Zealand. Its decks, with glass floor panels, overlook Auckland's harbor, and visitors can walk or jump from the top.
Portugal
Miradouro de Santa Luzia & Portas do Sol
Lisbon, Portugal
Two adjacent terraced viewpoints in the Alfama district, decorated with tiled panels and pergolas. They overlook the maze of old rooftops descending to the Tagus River.
Singapore
Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
Singapore
The boat-shaped deck spanning the three towers of Marina Bay Sands. It overlooks the bay, the central business district, and Gardens by the Bay from its cantilevered observation platform.
South Africa
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
Cape Town, South Africa
A rotating cable car climbs the flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town. The summit gives 360-degree views of the city, Table Bay, and the peninsula down to the Cape of Good Hope.
South Korea
Lotte World Tower Seoul Sky
Seoul, South Korea
Perched atop South Korea's tallest building in the Jamsil district, the deck features glass-floor sections and sweeping views across Seoul and the Han River.
N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower)
Seoul, South Korea
A communication and observation tower atop Namsan hill, reached by cable car. Its deck gives a full panorama of Seoul, and the base is known for its railings of love padlocks.
Taiwan
Taipei 101 Observatory
Taipei, Taiwan
Set in the landmark bamboo-shaped skyscraper that was once the world's tallest, the observatory overlooks the Taipei basin and houses the giant tuned mass damper that steadies the tower.
Thailand
King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk
Bangkok, Thailand
Set atop a pixelated skyscraper in the Silom business district, the deck features a rooftop terrace and a glass-floored tray projecting over the edge, overlooking the Chao Phraya River city.
Turkey
Çamlıca Tower
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul's tallest structure, a broadcasting and observation tower on Çamlıca Hill on the Asian side. Its decks and restaurants overlook the Bosphorus and both halves of the city.
Galata Tower
Istanbul, Turkey
A medieval Genoese stone tower rising over the Beyoğlu district, one of the city's oldest landmarks. Its balcony gives a wide view of the old city, the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus.
United Arab Emirates
At the Top, Burj Khalifa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The observation decks of the world's tallest building overlook downtown Dubai, the Dubai Fountain, and the surrounding desert and coastline that stretch to the horizon.
Ain Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
One of the world's tallest observation wheels, set on Bluewaters Island. Its enclosed cabins rotate for elevated views of the Dubai Marina skyline, Palm Jumeirah, and the Gulf coast.
Observation Deck at 300
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
A lounge-style deck high in the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers complex on the Corniche, overlooking the Persian Gulf, the seafront, and the Abu Dhabi city skyline.
United Kingdom
The View from The Shard
London, United Kingdom
The observation floors of the pyramidal glass Shard, western Europe's tallest building, near London Bridge. Its part-open upper deck overlooks the Thames and the sweep of central London.
London Eye
London, United Kingdom
A giant cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. Its enclosed capsules give slowly rotating views over central London.
Sky Garden
London, United Kingdom
A public landscaped garden and terrace crowning the Walkie-Talkie building on Fenchurch Street. Its planted atrium and open-air deck overlook the Thames and the City of London.
United States
Empire State Building Observatory
New York City, United States
The Art Deco Midtown landmark, long the world's tallest building. Its 86th and 102nd-floor decks overlook Manhattan, Central Park, and the surrounding boroughs and rivers.
Top of the Rock
New York City, United States
The observation deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, prized for its head-on view of the Empire State Building and a clear look down over Central Park to the north.
Edge at Hudson Yards
New York City, United States
A triangular open-air deck that juts out from a tower at Hudson Yards on the West Side, with a glass floor and angled glass walls overlooking Manhattan and the Hudson River.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
New York City, United States
An immersive observation experience near Grand Central, lined with mirrored rooms and glass ledges. Its decks overlook Midtown Manhattan, including the nearby Chrysler Building.
One World Observatory
New York City, United States
The observatory near the top of One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It overlooks Lower Manhattan, the harbor, and the Statue of Liberty.
Skydeck Chicago (Willis Tower)
Chicago, United States
The observation deck of the Willis Tower, long the tallest building in the United States. Its glass-floored Ledge boxes extend from the facade over the streets and Lake Michigan.
360 Chicago (John Hancock Center)
Chicago, United States
The observatory high in the former John Hancock Center on the Magnificent Mile, known for its Tilt feature that leans visitors outward over Michigan Avenue and the lakefront.
Space Needle
Seattle, United States
The saucer-topped tower built for the 1962 World's Fair and the symbol of Seattle. A 2020 renovation added glass floors and walls overlooking the city, Puget Sound, and Mount Rainier.
STRAT SkyPod
Las Vegas, United States
The observation pod atop the STRAT tower at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, the tallest freestanding tower in the country. It overlooks the Strip and surrounding desert valley.
High Roller
Las Vegas, United States
A giant observation wheel at The LINQ just off the Las Vegas Strip. Its enclosed cabins complete a slow rotation, overlooking the Strip's resorts and the surrounding valley.
Vatican City
Vietnam
Landmark 81 SkyView
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The observation deck near the top of Vietnam's tallest skyscraper, whose bundled tower shape recalls bamboo. It overlooks the Saigon River and the sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City.