It’s hard to imagine South Bank without the London Eye (officially named the lastminute.com London Eye after its current sponsor), the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, which began twirling in 2000 to mark the turn of the millennium. It was originally a temporary attraction, intended to be dismantled after five years, but its unceasing popularity has ensured its longevity. Standing 135m tall in a fairly flat city, it has fundamentally altered London's skyline and is visible from various viewpoints.

　　Views from the top of the London Eye can stretch as far as 25 miles © FenlioQ / ShutterstockA ride – or "flight" as it is called here – in one of the wheel’s 32 glass-enclosed eye-shaped pods takes a gracefully slow 30 minutes and, weather permitting, you can see 25 miles (as far as Windsor Castle) in every direction from the top. Don't let poor weather put you off: the close-up views of the Houses of Parliament, just across the river, are the highlight of the ride. Interactive tablets provide multilingual information about landmarks as they come up in the skyline.

　　The London Eye is the focal point of the capital's New Year's Eve fireworks, for which it is rigged with thousands of fireworks.

　　There are 32 glass pods on the London Eye © Tasan Phatthong / Lonely Planet

London Eye tickets and other practicalities

　　Tube stations Waterloo (Northern, Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines) and Westminster (Jubilee, Circle and District Lines) are both within five minutes' walk of the London Eye.