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Olympic Park

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park & ArcelorMittal Orbit Tour

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Enjoy views of London from ArcelorMittal Orbit, often known as Orbit Tower, the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom. Located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the looping sculpture is the city’s lasting symbol from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. This admission ticket gets you access to the viewing galleries for panoramic photo ops of London.

Well if you missed the London 2012 Olympics and were not able to support your country’s team in the 2012 Olympics, you might as well visit the Olympic park from now on, because the British government has officially opened the Olympic park for the general public on 4th April 2014. Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the biggest parks opened in the city after a very long time. The Olympic Park was a place of high energy and vibe during the London 2012 Olympics.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

How to reach Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

As I am in London, I grabbed this opportunity to go and have at this marvel myself. I wanted to know what’s the fuzz about and whether it holds the reputation of the next big public park. As I have been living in East London, I will explain to you my journey to Elizabeth Olympic Park, what I saw and its key features. Travelling to the Olympic Park was not a big issue, I took the District line from East Ham towards Hammersmith and then changed at West Ham to catch the Jubilee Line towards Stanmore. You need to hop out of Stratford tube station. It is then a 10 mins walk to the Westfield Shopping Centre. The Queen Elizabeth Park is on the southeastern side of the Westfield Stratford shopping centre. To reach the park all you have to do from the Stratford tube station is to follow the arrows towards the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. You will be guided through the shopping centre.

Stratford Tube Station guide to the Olympic Park
Stratford Tube Station guide to the Olympic Park

Weekend Delight for Family time – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

This park is perfect for Sunday brunch and family hangouts. The park is indeed huge when you enter. On your left-hand side is the London Aquatics Centre and in front of you is the Podium. When you walk across the bridge on your left-hand side you will see this tall famous landmark building named Arcelor Mittal Orbit created by Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond. The orbit is also one of the tallest sculptures in the UK. The views get better and better ahead.

Knowing I came to the park for the first time, I wanted to go to the Arcelor Mittal Orbit. I looked around the Aquatic Centre and looked here and there and walked towards the orbit. Then I came across interactive water fountains, where I saw kids playing with water and getting drenched and enjoying. Though I must say it was very cold. Brave kids and their eagerness to play in the water made them forget it was a chilled day.

London Aquatics Centre
London Aquatics Centre

ArcelorMittal Orbit view

The view of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit was getting even better and better and gigantic with every step I was taking towards it. The area had nice wooden-finished seating and grippy turf to walk on. On the right-hand side of me, there was a nice restaurant named EastTwenty Bar and Kitchen and just opposite was the ticket counter for the entry to the Orbit. You will be surprised to know the price of an adult ticket to go to the top of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit. The admission price to go to the top of the Orbit was a staggering £ 12.50 per adult, children 3-16 years £ 7.50 and the family ticket for 2 adults, and 2 children was GBP 32. I was simply taken aback by the ticket price to have a look at the orbit. We went to Emirates Air Line London’s First Cable Car and paid £ 3.50 and the orbit admission fees are sky high as the orbit itself. The hard decision I made was not to go inside the orbit as I was running tight on budget. So, I walked around took some pictures and hung out there for another half an hour in the park. Below are the ticket prices for the Orbit Skyline views:

ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline Views
ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline Views
ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline Views

ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline views Tickets

Ticket Type Advance Booking Ticket Office
Adult (17 years) £ 11.50 £ 12.50
Child (3-16 years) £ 5.50 £ 7.50
Senior/Student* £ 8.50 £ 10.50
Family** £ 32 £ 34

BOOK TICKETS

The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit
The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit

Skyline Views and Ride the Slide Combo

Ticket Type Advance Booking Ticket Office
Adult (17 years) £ 16.50 £ 17.50
Child (8-16 years) £ 10.50 £ 12.50
Senior/Student* £ 13.50 £ 15.50
Family Ticket** £ 52 £ 54

BOOK TICKETS

The park was massive and a great place to relax when the sun was out. I hope the Orbit Admission cost comes down and then I will go explore it one day. For sure, families who are looking for a day out and tourists who are looking at some remarkable views of the city must go and enjoy the views. Make sure you go to the park on a sunny day. I went on a cloudy day and it does not do justice to the park’s beauty. A park is also a nice place for cyclists. If you are short on food supplies Westfield Shopping Centre is right behind you to grab the snacks and treats.

ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower and water Fountain
ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower and Water Fountain