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Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth – Tips for your Visit

At the weekend we visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard staying for the weekend in Portsmouth and went up the Spinnaker Tower. Portsmouth is a great day out with kids as there is so much to do. We quite often stay for the weekend. One attraction which the boys always stare at in amazement is the Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower. Located in Gunwharf Quays it is impossible to miss the focal point. Built to resemble a spinnaker sail, hence how it got its name. The previous Emirates Spinnaker Tower is now owned by Portsmouth City Council. We really enjoyed our visit although it was a bit spontaneous, in hindsight these Spinnaker Tower tips would have been helpful!

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Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth – What to expect

There is not a huge amount to the Spinnaker Tower it is after all an observation deck first and foremost. Having recently visited The Shard and The Sky Garden I was interested to see if the stunning 170-metre icon of the South Coast lived up to our expectations. Your tour of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower will consist of:

A short video on a curved screen with some seating. That illustrates the well-known people in Portsmouth’s history
Lift to the first viewing deck which has an amazing glass sky walk. The view deck also has breathtaking views across the city of Portsmouth, the historic dockyards, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior. On a clear day, you can see across the channel to the Isle of Wight.
You can then take the lift to the next floor to the Clouds Cafe, where you can partake in a Spinnaker Tower afternoon tea (see below). The cafe can also be reached by stairs
Before ascending a short set of stairs to the highest level which is the open-air deck. With its fake grass, benches and photo opportunities.
You will exit through the gift shop where there is a wide selection of gifts

How long do you need to visit the Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower?

If you are looking to tie in a visit with other activities then I would suggest leaving an hour. This will give you enough time to get up and down and take in the views even if it is busy. When we visited on Sunday morning around 10.30 am there was hardly anyone there. Although it did feel to be getting busier as the day went on and by the time we left there were a lot more people on the main viewing deck.

Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth – Tips for your Visit

Here are our Spinnaker Tower tips for your visit:

Spinnaker Tower tickets

If you are planning on visiting and know when then it pays to book your tickets in advance. Especially during busy periods as you will be able to miss some of the queues and get the time you want. It will also save you money since prices on the Spinnaker Tower website are a few pounds cheaper. There are discounts available for local residents.

It can get hot

Depending on the time of your visit, you may want to consider wearing layers that can be easily removed. Since the viewing deck with the glass floor and the café do not have air-conditioning. So if the sun is shining it does get very hot due to the amount of glass. We visited in September and it was still really hot.

Don’t forget to look down

On the first viewing deck, you may want to walk on the glass floor and look around the three sides of the building. However, while doing this make sure you look down at the floor. Each side of the building has a plaque showing what you can see. Everything is numbered so it is easy to navigate and identify.

Reserve a table at the cafe

If you want to eat in the Cloud Café, then you will need to book this in advance. They have a Spinnaker Tower afternoon tea package running called High Tea. This means that most of the restaurant was fully booked late morning. Which was a real shame as it looked very appealing with blush pink, velvet seats, and turquoise teacups. We also came across the afternoon tea in the lift and it looked very good. The cafe also makes a stunning venue and it is possible to hire it for a special occasion or private functions. They also hold a number of great evening events.

Car Parking

The closest car park to the Spinnaker Tower is Gunwharf Quays. However, if you’re looking for a cheaper option then you may want to consider Portsmouth historic dockyard car park which is a bit of a further walk around ten to fifteen minutes depending on how fast you walk. For how many little legs you have with you.

If you are looking to keep costs down then you will be pleased to know there is a park-and-ride option which costs £4. This includes parking and a return bus for up to seven people. You can find more information on fares and ticket options on the Portsmouth City Council website. The park-and-ride service is located at the M275 entrance to the city and operates from Monday to Saturday. The service runs every 12 minutes and takes around 15 minutes to reach the city centre. This is especially recommended during school holidays and running up to the festive season. If you do want to park in Gunwharf Quays then it is likely to be very busy, so best to arrive early.

Make sure you get the best view

Our Spinnaker Tower top tip. If is possible to buy a type of Spinnaker Tower ticket which will allow you to return as many times as you want within a day. Looking online these are the only ones that you can buy in advance. Although at the ticket office, you can buy a single ticket. They do cost slightly more with a family of four ticket costing £51. But it does mean that you can return throughout the day and therefore if you are hoping to either catch sunset or the weather visibility has not been good when you first went up. Then you’ve got more chance of seeing the stunning views.

Lifts are unavailable for the last deck

A lift will take you up to the first viewing area. From here you can have the option to either take the stairs to the café or to get back into the lift to go up to the café. To get to the third-floor viewing area you will need to go up a set of stairs. However, these aren’t too steep and it’s probably only around 20 or 30 in total so it’s not too strenuous. However, the top deck cannot be reached by lift.Toilets and Baby change are located on the ground floor and buggies must be left by the entrance.

Abseiling the Spinnaker Tower

If you have adrenaline junkie kids like my two then the first thing they will ask to do is to have a go at the abseiling. It really does need to be booked in advance as it’s extremely popular so it is unlikely you will just be able to have a go on the same day without booking. The minimum age is 14, with prices starting at £110. Charlie is desperate to give it a go so we are hoping to return future. I can imagine it is a real hair raising experience and quite an adrenalin rush in the energising sea breeze.

Food options

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat then there are numerous restaurants in Gunwharf Quays, although the majority of them are chain restaurants. If you’re looking for something a little bit more unique then you will need to go further into Portsmouth and the old town. When we visited, we ate in the custom house which is a Fuller’s pub located right next to the Waterside and just around the corner from the Spinnaker Tower.

Have you visited the Spinnaker Tower? I would love to know your thoughts. Perhaps you got some other tips that I missed let me know in the comments below.