A Complete Guide to The London Pass® | What it is, What’s Included and Whether it’s Worth Buying

It’s no secret that London is an expensive city to spend time in. If you want to visit many of the attractions of this exciting city, then it may well be worth buying one of the London Passes to use throughout your stay. 

These London city passes give you entry to so many of the city’s top attractions. A hop-on, hop-off bus tour is also thrown in with the London Pass Plus. As the pass isn’t activated until you first use it, you also get maximum mileage from it. 

But of course you’ll need to know more than that about what the London pass attractions are before buying. As well as how many days it lasts for, how to get hold of one – and perhaps the most important question of all. Is the London Pass or London Pass Plus really worth it? 

This guide covers the answers to all these questions – and more. We’ll show you what each pass for London is really like, so you can make an informed choice about whether or not it’s right for you. 

Continue reading to find out all about the London sightseeing pass you (might) really need. Including what the differences are, what attractions you can enter as a pass holder, how it works and the key features. 

Ready to buy? Click here to purchase your Londoon Pass or London Pass Plus

What are the London Pass and London Pass Plus?

Key points

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days
• Entry to many attractions and activities
• See big city sights or uncover hidden gems
• Saves time and helps you budget for your stay
• The London Pass Plus adds 4 extra attractions, including the London Eye

The London Pass is a sightseeing pass for visitors to London. There are two versions – the London Pass® and the London Pass® Plus. The latter simply adds on entry to four of the city’s most popular attractions. 

Whichever you buy, each pass lasts for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days. Once you’ve paid for the pass, you can enter many of London’s top attractions for that duration without paying at the gate. 

People buy the London Pass or London Pass Plus because it’s a simple way to see the best of the UK capital. It’s cost-effective and saves time, and covers numerous leading attractions. Once you’ve paid for the pass, you don’t need to set aside money for entry fees – which in a costly location can be a real bonus!

Big sights like the Tower of London, the View from the Shard, London Zoo, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral can be covered by the passes. But it can also introduce you to lesser-known London gems like insider tours of famous football stadiums, a boat trip on Regent’s Canal or the ArcelorMittal Orbit as seen during the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Whether you want a whistle-stop tour of the highlights or want to delve deeper on a second, fifth or tenth visit to the city, buying one of these London Passes could mean having it all at your fingertips. (Quite literally, as it’s stored digitally on your smartphone.)

If you want to buy the pass at the last minute, don’t despair. It can be sent to your smartphone instantly, and the London Pass app makes it easy to manage your time. 

The London Pass and London Pass Plus attractions

So what attractions do the London Passes cover? Though the London Pass and London Pass Plus are often sold as offering entry to 80+ or 90+ attractions, the truth is that more have been added on an ongoing basis, and now it’s over 100!

Direct from the London Pass website, here’s an up-to-date list of some of the star attractions you can visit with the London Pass or London Pass Plus. Don’t forget – this list is not exhaustive! It covers just 35 – around a third – of the attractions that the passes include.

Attractions – London Pass Plus only

The London Pass Plus includes some star attractions that are not covered by the standard London Pass. These are as follows:

• The London Eye | Usual cost £42 per person
• Big Bus London | Usual cost £39 per person
• The View from the Shard | Usual cost £38 per person
• Madame Tussauds | Usual cost £45 per person

Attractions – London Pass and London Pass Plus

Historical sites

• The Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• The Old Royal Naval College (Greenwich)
• The Royal Observatory (Greenwich)
• The Cutty Sark (Greenwich)
• The Golden Hinde
• Great Fire of London monument

Museums

• Household Cavalry Museum
• London Transport Museum
• Charles Dickens Museum
• Florence Nightingale Museum
• The Garden Museum

Palaces and castles

• The Royal Mews (Buckingham Palace)
• The King’s’s Gallery  (Buckingham Palace)
• Kensington Palace
• Hampton Court Palace
• Windsor Castle

Churches

• Westminster Abbey
• St Paul’s Cathedral 
• Southwark Cathedral

Attractions, activities and experiences

• The London Eye
• Madame Tussauds
• The London Bridge Experience
• The View from the Shard
• London Zoo
• The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Curzon Cinemas

Tours

• Shakespeare’s Globe theatre tour
• Royal Albert Hall tour
• Wembley stadium tour
• London bicycle tour
• Fuller’s Brewery tour

Transport

• 1 day hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour
• Thames Clippers Uber boats
• Jason’s Original canal coat trip
• London bicycle hire

London Pass and London Pass Plus prices

Your London Pass or London Pass Plus price is calculated according to how many days you buy it for. The shortest option is one day, and the longest 10 days. Do note that the Pass Plus includes a one day hop-on, hop off bus tour of London, so you may like to allow time to use that. 

At the time of writing, an adult London Pass for one day costs £79, and the London Pass Plus costs £109 for a day. Children’s passes cost £39 or £79 respectively (more on that below). At the other end of the scale, a 10 day London Pass is £194 for adults and £104 for kids aged 15 or under. A London Pass Plus for 10 days costs £284 for adults and £184 for kids. These prices are given for guidance only, and are subject to change at any time.

As you can see from these figures alone, the pass becomes better value when you buy it for longer. Our top tip is to plan your London itinerary carefully before travelling – and purchasing your pass. You don’t want to waste money on unused days, so don’t forget to remove days for any trips you’ll take from London. 

For all the days you will spend in the city, though, we’ve found that the pass is the best way to budget for your stay. When you have the London Pass or London Pass Plus at your fingertips, there’s always lots to do. As well as some less famous sites and experiences to discover!

Click here to check the current London pass price

London Pass and London Pass Plus child prices

If you’re travelling with kids in tow, then the London Pass discounts for kids are really good news. Anyone under 15 pays less than an adult. 

Children aged up to and including four years don’t require a pass at all, for starters. For their older siblings, child discounts apply to ages five to 15. So even when you have teens to entertain the pass can come in handy (though we cannot help with those hormonal mood swings, sorry!)

How to buy your London Pass or London Pass Plus

We highly recommend buying your London Passes via Get Your Guide. If you do that, you can receive a full refund if you need to cancel up to 24 hours before using the pass. This free cancellation policy is a godsend when you need to change your plans at the last minute – for any reason. 

You can buy your London Pass by clicking here. This takes you straight to the listing for the London Pass on the Get Your Guide website. 

Once there, you can skip the blurb as we’ve told you all you need to know about the pass 😉 You can then choose the duration of the pass that you’d like. Don’t forget to exclude any days that you’ll leave London, such as for full day trips. 

The pass does offer better value for money when you buy more days, however. Purchasing that extra day could mean uncovering a secret London gem that turns out to be the highlight of your trip. Who knew about that side of city life you can see by taking a boat trip on Regent’s Canal, for instance, or what a major football club keeps in their dressing room?

London Pass reservations

In many cases, you don’t have to pre-book with the London Pass or London Pass Plus. But reservations are advised for some of the most popular attractions. This applies to tours in particular. 

London Pass provides a complete and up-to-date list of which tours and attractions require pre-booking here. The most popular of the activities which do require a reservation, for example, are The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and The View from the Shard – all of which are available to London Pass Plus holders. 

With other popular places, booking can be wise, especially at peak times. For the Tower of London, for example, reservations aren’t strictly necessary, but they are recommended. If you don’t book, you might have to wait for an available time slot when it’s especially busy there. If in doubt, check the individual attraction page on the London pass website. 

If you’re visiting in summer, close to Christmas, or on a weekend, we’d always advise pre-booking your slot at any popular London attraction. The same applies when you’re on a tight schedule.

7 benefits of the London Pass

So the London pass reviews are positive. It can also show you more of the city while saving you time and money. What other London Pass advantages might there be? 

1. Entry to 100+ attractions (not 80+ or 90+)

Though third parties sometimes list 80+ attractions, it’s now over 100. We got that from the horse’s mouth – and new attractions can be added all the time.

2. 1 to 10 days’ duration

You can buy a pass for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days. This gives you plenty of time to explore London fully. 

3. Hop-on, hop-off bus tour included with the Pass Plus

Your pass includes a sightseeing bus tour of London that you can use for a full day. Jump on at Tower Bridge or Trafalgar Square, and off at Buckingham Palace or Piccadilly Circus. With this kind of ticket you’re free to explore each area for as long or as little as you please!

4. The pass can be bought in advance…

If you’ve booked your flights and hotel and want to pay upfront for visiting London attractions, then paying for your pass before you travel is the ideal way to budget. Remember, you’ll need far less spending money when all your activities are covered! As the pass is activated by the first use, you have nothing to lose by buying ahead of time. 

5. …or at the last minute

Because the London Pass and London Pass Plus are digital, you can buy and download it instantly. Imagine standing in the queue to get in, and buying it right there before you pay the entry fee. It really is that quick and easy.

6. Famous London landmarks…

All the big name attractions you might want to experience are included, especially with the Pass Plus. From royal palaces and ancient churches to all the sights of Greenwich or super fun activities, everything you want to do in London should be covered by this London visitor pass.

7. …and lesser-known sights

Famous London tourist attractions aren’t the be all and end all, especially perhaps for repeat visitors. If you want to discover new things about London, see somewhere you’ve never been or are even stuck for ideas, this is the London sightseeing pass to go for. While no one can surely tick off over 100 in 10 days, choosing which to visit is all part of the fun!

London Pass and London Pass Plus FAQs

What are the main advantages of the London Pass and London Pass Plus?

A London Pass saves you time and money, and is also a great way to budget for your trip to the big city. 

Once you have a pass, you can access so many of London’s top attractions, including the likes of London Zoo and the Tower of London with the standard London Pass, and The View from The Shard and the London Eye with the Pass Plus. Over 100 attractions are covered, including some incredible lesser-known experiences too.

What is the difference between a London Pass and an Oyster Card?

A London Pass primarily works like a ticket to London attractions and activities, while an Oyster Card is used to pay for journeys made by London Transport. 

Though some transport options like boats, bikes and a hop-on, hop-off bus tour may be covered by the London Pass, you may well need to use public transport to visit the attractions spread across the city.

Does the London Pass include the London Eye?

The London Eye is covered by the London Pass Plus, but not the standard London Pass. London Eye tickets currently cost from £37 per adult and £33.50 per child (aged 3 to 15). You can buy these in advance of your visit here.

How much could you save with a London Pass?

If you visited the following 10 central London attractions over 3 days, you could save over £250 by buying a London Pass!

Attraction	Adult price	With London Pass
Hop-on, hop-off bus tour	£37	Included
The London Eye	£45	Included
Madame Tussauds	£47	Included
Tower of London	£35	Included
The View from The Shard	£37	Included
London Zoo	£42	Included
The Dare Skywalk	£45	Included
London Bicycle Tour	£45	Included
Sherlock: Official Live Game	£49	Included
London Bridge Experience	£33	Included
TOTAL	£415	£164 for 3 day pass

TOTAL SAVING £251!

London Pass vs Go City Explorer

Entry to all of the attractions listed above is also available with the Go City Explorer Pass.

London Pass	Go City Explorer
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days	2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions
96 attractions	106 attractions
Click here to buy or find out more	Click here to buy or find out more

The London Pass is the best choice when you want to see a lot in a short space of time, such as if you’re a first-time visitor, as passes last for a consecutive number of days. 

The Go City Explorer is number one for those who want to visit between two and seven attractions over a longer period. You pick your number of attractions, then have 60 days to use the pass. 

Both passes are owned and operated by Go City, so the list of attractions is very similar. It’s really all about the number of attractions versus the duration you want.

Is a London Pass worth it?

So when all’s said and done – are the London Pass and London Pass Plus worth it? We think so. Of all the attraction packages for London, we chose this for our recent UK visit – and will buy one again when we next head to London.

Paying for all your London attractions tickets in advance in this way really helps you to budget for your trip. There’s less spending money to worry about when you’ve already paid for something to do each day. 

The fact that it’s digital and activated by the first use also makes it a doddle to get to grips with. Whether you opt for a 1 day London sightseeing pass or a longer duration, these London Passes can save you time as well as cold, hard cash. What’s not to love?

Click there to buy your London Pass or London Pass Plus right now!