*We were provided with this experience for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.
At the weekend we went to Brighton for the day, one of my favourite places, and were invited to experience the Brighton i360. We’d actually taken the children on it once when they were much younger but they couldn’t remember it, so we were all excited to go again.
The i360 Brighton is hard to miss. Situated right next to the West Pier and the Upside Down House, it’s just a fifteen minute walk from the Brighton Palace Pier, has parking nearby and is easily accessible from the town centre too.
What is the Brighton i360?
Originally known as the British Airways i360, the Brighton i360 is an observation tower that gives 360 degree views of Brighton seafront, 138 metres in the air. The observation deck is a doughnut-shaped glass pod that acts as a lift and a viewing platform, carrying you up and down the tower while providing unobstructed panoramic views from start to finish.
Our i360 experience
It’s a bit of a running theme that if there’s a view to see, something to climb or a tower to go up, we’ll go on it as a family. And so the i360 was a natural experience to enjoy together.
Once your tickets are booked you are told to arrive twenty minutes before your time slot. Your tickets are checked and you go through airport style security before taking a seat in a waiting room that doubles up as an exhibition, with information boards to read about how the i360 was built and video on a loop showing the other i360 experiences – Walk 360, Climb 360 and Drop 360.
It’s then time to board the pod. With glass from floor to ceiling and a rail to hold onto or lean against, there are unspoilt views in all directions. On the inner side of the pod there are seats all the way round as well as the Nyetimber Sky Bar, the south coast’s highest bar!
Nyetimber Sky Bar
The bar gives you the opportunity to have a cocktail or drink champagne at 450ft high in the sky, a great addition to the experience. They also sell snacks.
The i360 views
The view from the Brighton i360 is fantastic. You can see all across the city of Brighton, the South Downs National Park, the UNESCO Biosphere and a good chunk of the south coast – all the way to the Isle of Wight on a clear day!
The i360 experience lasts for about twenty minutes – ten minutes until you reach the top and ten minutes coming back down. That doesn’t sound like much but it’s plenty of time to take in the view, read the information boards dotted around and move around the pod, making sure you’ve seen everything from every direction.
We know Brighton quite well and it was lovely to point out familiar buildings, spot artwork on the roof of tower blocks and hotels and just admire the beach from above. It was such a fantastic family experience.
At the end of the trip, you exit through the gift shop. This has typical souvenirs like magnets and keyrings but also a lot of Brighton artwork and gifts that are lovely to browse.
The Brighton i360 is also home to the West Beach Restaurant Bar and West Beach Café Bar with great menus and afternoon tea available. There are so many ticket packages on offer – and even the opportunity to dine in the i360 pod! You can see all the package options here.
We had a great time on the i360 and it was a fantastic way to start our day in Brighton. It’s something different and something that we’ll talk about as a family for years.
Find out more about the Brighton i360 over on their website and for reference, their address is: Brighton i360, Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN
Maria Hughes says
Amazing views! Lily and Mike would love that.