Are you planning a trip to London and wondering is The London Pass worth it?
You’re in the right place because I’m always looking for ways to cut travel costs and spend wisely on a trip. As a veteran traveler, I learned a long time ago that one of the best ways to save on city sightseeing is to get a pass that lets you bundle the cost.
Plus, actually having been to London several times, I’ve already done all The London Pass math to know whether it’s worth it or not.
This is the London Pass review with all the information you need (including the numbers!) to help you decide whether this sightseeing pass makes sense for your trip to London.
Is The London Pass Worth It?
In an effort to share all the best tips about planning a trip to London, I’ve put together this guide about The London Pass. I’ve crunched all the numbers and have done all the homework, so you don’t spend more money than necessary. After all, London is an expensive destination and every bit saved helps!
So if you’re in a hurry and just need the answer to your question...Is The London Pass worth it?
Yes. The London Pass is worth it! With it, you can save up to 50% when compared to buying tickets for top attractions individually.
The London Pass is the right bundled sightseeing pass for you if the included sights are part of your London itinerary, and how could they not?! The London Pass includes entry to over 80(!) sights, activities, and tours.
Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, or with family, The London Pass will save you money and time if you’re planning full, consecutive days of sightseeing. I’ve personally saved money with The London Pass and have recommended it to my own family and friends, as well as readers who reach out with questions about planning their trips to London.
Plus, The London Pass gives you skip-the-line privileges that’ll help you save a lot of time by avoiding long queues. This is no small perk when you consider that tens of millions of people visit London every year and lines can be very long depending on when you travel.
If you keep reading this review about The London Pass, you’ll find all the details about the pass and a breakdown of the math.
What is the London Pass?
The London Pass is a London sightseeing pass that helps you save money by bundling entry costs for London’s most popular sights and major attractions into one discounted price. It also comes with added perks and benefits, most notably the ability to (in many cases) skip the line, as well as in some places audioguides and/or discounts at attraction gift shops.
The bestselling London Pass includes free entry to any of the included London sights and activities for however long your pass is valid. You purchase The London Pass for the number of days you need, from 1-7 or 10 days.
Once you make your London Pass purchase for the number of days you’d like, you’ll receive a confirmation email. From there, download the Go City App (or print it at home if you prefer a hard copy). Using your confirmation number, you can add The London Pass to the app on your phone.
After this, check to see if any of the London sights you want to visit require a timed-entry reservation. Most don’t, but some do like The View from the Shard, Kensington Palace and some of the tour offerings. If needed, make those reservations as soon as you know the day and time you would like to visit.
Your London Pass activates when you use it at the first attraction you visit or activity that you do and is valid for the number of consecutive days you purchased. Plan to activate the pass at the start of the day so you’re able to take advantage of the full day.
The London Pass doesn’t run in 24-hour cycles but by the day. So even if you activate your pass at 3 p.m., it counts as Day 1 of your pass’ validity.
You’ll pay between £89 (about $110 USD) for a 1-day adult pass, and £199 (about $245 USD) for a 10-day adult pass. Children’s passes range from £54 (about $67 USD) for a 1-day pass, to £114 (about $140 USD) for a 10-day pass.
(Please keep in mind the USD conversions are based on averages and do fluctuate. It’s best to check the actual currency conversion between Pounds and Dollars whenever you’re reading this.)
TLDR; The London Pass will save you money and time, both of which you could always use more of in London. The information and examples below show exactly what you’d save.
The London Pass Attractions: What’s Included?
The London Pass includes free entry to 80+ top attractions, activities, and experiences in London. This includes popular places on many visitors London itineraries like the:
There are also popular tours and activities, as well as hidden gem museums to help you create a well-rounded London itinerary all at a bundled, discounted cost. These include things like the:
The London Pass includes a 1-day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour which you can use to tour the city or just to get around. With this access, you’re able to hop on and off as many times as you want in a single day at over 100 bus stops around London.
Additionally, The London Pass also comes with a one-day River Roamer pass with Uber Boats by Thames Clippers. Get your day pass by showing your London Pass at Westminster, Embankment, London Bridge, or Tower Bridge Pier. After that, you can use that ticket to hop among 23 piers along the River Thames.
The London Pass Attractions: What’s Not Included?
Aside from the attractions, activities, and experiences listed above, there are 60+ more included with The London Pass. However, your London Pass won’t include some London sights that may be on your itinerary. These include places like:
In addition, many of London’s top museums are free to visit, excluding special ticketed exhibitions. These include popular museums like the:
Obviously, if you’re coming to London only wanting to see and do the above sights, then The London Pass isn’t right for you. However, for most people, this isn’t the case. And travelers who’ve purchased and used sightseeing passes in other cities know that no pass is likely to align perfectly with everything on your itinerary.
This is why it’s important to do the math to understand what your potential savings would be based on what you want to see and do in London.
London Pass Math: Numbers Don’t Lie
The real truth is in the numbers because what they reveal adds up to you spending less on London sightseeing. In fact, The London Pass is so confident that you’ll save money by using the pass they offer a savings guarantee.
Let them know within 14 days of the last day of your pass that you’ve used your London Pass at least 3x each day for the pass duration. Then, provide screenshots of the entry costs from the attractions themselves or any travel website that shows the combined cost would have been less had you purchased your entry tickets this way. All claims are reviewed within 7-10 business days.
With that, let’s take a look at some of the most popular London attractions included with The London Pass. The comparison chart below shows what you would pay if you purchased individual entry tickets.
| London Pass | VS. | Individual Entry Tickets |
| Included | Tower of London | A: £33.60 C: £16.80 (ages 5-15) |
| Included | Westminster Abbey | A: £27 C: £12 (ages 6-17) |
| Included | Tower Bridge | A: £12.30 C: £6.20 (ages 5-15) |
| Included | St. Paul’s Cathedral | A: £23 C: £10 (ages 6-17) |
| Included | The View from the Shard | (Up to) £37 per person |
| Included | Royal Mews | A: £15 C: £9 (ages 5-17) |
| Included | Hampton Court Palace | A: £26.30-£29 C: £13.10-£14.50 (prices depend on peak & off peak times, ages 5-15) |
| Included | Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour | A: £25 C: £18 (under 18 years of age) |
| Included | Kensington Palace | A: £25.40 C: £12.70 (ages 5-15) |
| Included (after 1 p.m. entry only) | Windsor Castle | A: £30 C: £16.50 (ages 5-17) |
First of all, if you wanted to visit all of the places in the chart during your trip to London, it would cost £254.60 for an adult with individually bought tickets for each attraction. The longest duration London Pass of 10 days only costs £199.
So even if you wanted to use your London Pass to only see these sights and buy the maximum number of days regardless of how long your trip is, you’d save £55.60.
But let’s say you planned a 5-day London itinerary that included these sights. The London Pass would cost £164 for an adult and add up to £90.60 in savings. And these savings don’t quantify the value of being able to skip the line or use a Fast Track entrance.
Not to mention if you also took advantage of either or both the 1-day pass for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers (a £23.50 value) or the 1-day Hop-On-Hop-Off bus (a £37 value) to help get around the city, you’re savings on the 5 day London Pass go up even more!
London Pass Price & Savings Example
You don’t need to trust my opinion or anyone else who says that The London Pass is a great value. When it comes to truly calculating the value of this card, it just takes a little math homework!
When comparing just how much you specifically will save, you need to plan your day-by-day London itinerary. But for the sake of this London Pass review, let’s look at the example itinerary below.
3-Day London Itinerary Costs
| Tower of London | £33.60 | Included |
| Tower Bridge | £12.30 | Included |
| Borough Market | Lunch! | |
| St. Paul’s Cathedral | £23 | Included |
| Sky Garden | Free | Not Included, Reservation Required |
| (Optional) Monument to the Great Fire of London | £6 | Included |
Start the day as soon as the Tower of London opens. Try to visit on a day when the Tower of London opens at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. You’ll likely need about 2 1/2 hours for your visit. The Crown Jewels could have a line later on so start there. The Yeoman Warder Tours which are part of the Tower of London experience are fun, very informative, and run every 30 minutes starting at 10 a.m.
Afterward, visit Tower Bridge. With glass floors and panoramic views over the River Thames. From there, make the 15-minute walk to Borough Market for lunch. It’s an eclectic international food market with something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
Head to the opposite side of the river via London Bridge to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Along the way, you’ll pass the Monument to the Great Fire of London. If you have the time, climb the 300+ steps to the top of the monument for beautiful city views.
If not, go directly to St. Paul’s Cathedral where you can tour one of the most famous buildings in London. The High Altar and the Dome are highlights, along with the crypt. Be mindful of hours. St. Paul’s Cathedral is a functioning church with events in the evening. The Cathedral isn’t open for sightseeing on Sundays.
Finish the day at the Sky Garden, preferably in time for sunset to see the horizon turn orange over the city skyline.
Without The London Pass, you’d pay £74.90 for entry to the 4 included activities in this example itinerary.
| Changing of the Guard Tour | £10 | Included |
| Royal Mews | £12.30 | Included |
| Westminster Abbey | £27 | Included |
| Churchill War Rooms | £27.25 | Not Included |
Spend the day in Westminster beginning with a Changing of the Guard Tour to take in the pomp of this royal ceremony with the help of an expert guide. Afterward, visit the royal stables where the horses are cared for, as well as the historic carriages and coaches that are still used to transport the King and other royals.
Make your way to Westminster Abbey, both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous sights in all of London. It’s also the place where British Kings and Queens have been coronated since the 11th century.
Afterward, take the opportunity to visit the Churchill War Rooms. These were the secret headquarters and bunker for Winston Churchill during World War II. The rooms have been preserved as they were in what feels like walking into a time capsule.
With time left over in the day, you could choose to take a ride on the London Eye (not included) or head toward Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden home to many museums and London’s theatre district. Or even use the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers that is included with your London Pass to cruise along the River Thames and see the city from a different vantage point.
If you followed the itinerary as listed above (no Uber Boat), you’d pay £49.30 in admission fees without The London Pass. If you opted to get out onto the water, add £23.50 to your sightseeing costs, which would be included if you had The London Pass.
ProTip: Alternatively, you could choose to watch the Changing of the Guard on your own but join the popular Palaces and Parliament Tour instead. This is valued at £19, nearly double the price of the Changing of the Guard Tour but included with The London Pass.
| Kensington Palace | £25.40 | Included |
| (Optional) Royal Albert Hall Tour | £17.50 | Included |
| Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park | Free | |
| Windsor Castle | £30 | Included (after 1 p.m. entry) |
Windsor Castle is an amazing sight that shouldn’t be missed. With The London Pass, you can get free entry after 1 p.m. By basing yourself for the morning near Kensington Palace and Hyde Park, you’ll be close to Paddington Station where the trains run to the Windsor-Eton train station.
Start your visit to Kensington Palace when it opens. You’ll spend the morning at this royal residence which was once home to Queen Mary, Queen Victoria, and Princess Diana. In fact, it’s where she lived while raising her young sons.
It’s important to make reservations for a timed entry at Kensington Palace. The more in advance you do this, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to start your visit when the Palace opens.
With any extra time before catching a train to Windsor for the afternoon, stroll through Hyde Park and the Kensington Gardens. Both are adjacent to Kensington Palace and are free and open to the public.
Alternatively, you could opt to include a tour of Royal Albert Hall located just next to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The tour is an hour long and provides the opportunity to see this historic performance space and learn of its royal connections.
If you were able to visit all 3 of the included sights in today’s itinerary, you’d pay £72.90 without The London Pass.
ProTip: Windsor Castle is open for visits from Thursday through Monday. Be sure to plan accordingly when planning your trip to London.
What The London Pass Numbers Say
If you did all of the attractions, including the 2 optional activities on Day 2 and Day 3, you’d spend £197.10 on individual tickets for all of them. Without the 2 optional activities, the cost would come down to £173.60 for individual tickets.
However, the 3-day London Pass regularly costs £137. Even if you skipped the optional activities on the sample itinerary above, you’d save £36.60 by purchasing The London Pass. You’d save even more by including the optional activities and/or adding in something else like the Uber Boat ride along the River Thames.
What’s more, you could even purchase a 4 or 5 day London Pass (£149 and £164 respectively) to give yourself more time and still save money on the above itinerary.
The numbers in this case prove that The London Pass is a fantastic option for any visitors looking to save some money on sightseeing costs. It’s also worth pointing out that the money saved on this itinerary is enough to cover the cost of riding the London Eye.
Who is The London Pass right for?
If it’s your first time in London or you have a full sightseeing itinerary, The London Pass makes sense because it can save you money and time. Of course, the attractions included with The London Pass have to also be on your itinerary in the first place but that is very likely given it includes 80+ attractions and experiences.
With that, I also recommend The London Pass even if you’ve been to London before. If you’ve seen places like the Tower of London or Westminster Abbey already, there are so many more things to do in London that are also included with The London Pass. If these included sights line up with your itinerary, there’s money and time to be saved!
Your London Pass is valid for the number of days you purchase starting the first day you visit one of the included attractions. The pass runs in consecutive days.
So, you have to be ready to make the most of your days to get to all the things you’d like to see and do that are included with the pass. And for efficiency’s sake, you’ll want to strategically plan your London itinerary by grouping the things you want to do by where they are in the city to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
London Pass Intangibles
As someone who travels a lot, I know firsthand what it takes to manage travel costs. Everyone’s travel style and budgets are different, but London is hardly a budget travel destination. Even with some London museums being free, hotels, theatre tickets, and dining out add up quickly.
When you choose The London Pass, the money you save can make other things possible during your trip. For couples and families, this could easily amount to hundreds of dollars saved.
By doing so, maybe you’ll be able to afford a nicer London hotel. Or perhaps, it becomes possible to plan a couple of days outside of London in places like Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Cotswolds, or even a visit to Warwick Castle.
As a seasoned traveler, I’ve seen from my own travels how sightseeing passes like The London Pass have helped me save a lot of money that I can choose to keep in my pocket or use to enhance my trip.
Questions About London Pass
Are you wondering what the catch is? Or do you just have some questions about the value of The London Pass?
Below, you’ll find some of the most common questions I’ve been asked from readers who are planning their London trips to London.
Should I Purchase a Visitor Oyster Card Before my Trip to London?
London’s Oyster Card and contactless payment systems are a great way to save money when using the London Underground, buses, and other forms of public transportation. They cap the amount you’ll pay in a given day so that the more you ride, the cheaper each ride works out to be.
However, getting the Visitor Oyster Card ahead of time really has no added benefit. In fact, you have to wait for the Visitor Oyster Card to arrive via snail mail, which takes weeks. Why stress over whether something is going to arrive in time for your London trip when there are easier options?
Instead, plan to use the contactless payment system with your smartphone or contactless credit card. Otherwise, buy an Oyster Card from any Tube station in London.
Is The London Pass worth it for kids?
If your child is 4 years old or younger, there is no need to buy a London Pass for them. Likewise, they will be able to enter many of London’s top sights for free.
A lot of London Pass attractions offer reduced-price individual tickets for kids typically between the ages of 5 and 15. The price of the child London Pass considers these lower ticket prices and offers a reduced-cost pass for children compared to the adult pass price.
However, it’s important to add up what it would cost for your child’s admission to the exact sights you want to see. In some cases, The London Pass may not be worth it for a child.
For example, let’s say you want to buy a 3-day London Pass for a child at its typical price of £79. During that time, you plan to visit the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace, and Windsor Castle. Purchased as individual tickets for a child, this would cost £74.60, a few Pounds cheaper than The London Pass.
But if you committed to getting to these attractions in 2 days, the £64 price tag on the 2-day London Pass would save 10 Pounds. Not to mention, this would be an extremely active 2 days given that Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle require a bit of travel to reach.
Yet, if the adults are using a London Pass to save money and get Fast-Track entry, it could be worth getting a London Pass for a child if the price is the same as individual tickets. You’ll get the convenience of all the tickets in one app and ensure that everyone in the group can skip the line.
Is there a maximum number of places I can visit per day per London Pass?
Each London Pass does have a maximum credit value. 1 credit is worth £1 and credits are redeemed when you enter attractions based on the standard price of entry for that attraction.
For example, when you purchase a 4-day London Pass, the price is £149 and the pass comes with a total of a 475 maximum credit. Then when you use your pass to tour Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, your credits are reduced by 25 because it costs £25 to enter the theatre for the tour.
Knowing this, now consider that the overwhelming majority of London Pass attractions cost less than £30. You could technically take advantage of 4 London Pass offerings each day that cost £25 and still have a credit of 75 left over.
Having bought The London Pass for myself and my family members, as well as being a traveler who is known to sometimes put together very full itineraries, I never once worried about running out of credits while in London.
If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can check the maximum value credit for each pass and then add up the entry costs for each attraction on your list. But also know, that you’d have to be choosing a combination of the highest-priced activities while also sightseeing from sun-up to sun-down to likely exceed the number of credits allotted to your pass.
Does The London Pass include Buckingham Palace?
No, London Pass does not include Buckingham Palace tours because these tours are typically only offered in the summer. Additionally, it’s important to know that London Pass also does not include the London Eye either.
What London Pass attractions require a reservation?
After purchasing your London Pass, you’ll need to make reservations for some of the included activities. This is done to maximize everyone’s overall experience by staggering entries to limit the number of visitors at any one time. I recommend reserving time slots as soon as you can to get the days and times that work for your itinerary.
London Pass highlights all the information you need to make your reservation, including direct links to a reservation page when necessary. For some popular tours like the Changing of the Guards Walking Tour, you might want to check the next available date to see if there’s availability during your time in London.
As of writing this and according to The London Pass website, you must reserve a day and time to visit the following tourist attractions.
As you can see, many of these attractions requiring a reservation are tours which is understandable in terms of having a manageable-sized group.
What happens if I change the date of my trip to London or can’t use my London Pass?
The good news is your London Pass is valid for 2 years from the time of purchase. So if your travel dates change, you haven’t lost the value of your pass. Although, you’d need to cancel or change any reservations you may have made for the attractions that require them.
If it turns out you won’t be traveling to London due to some unforeseen circumstance, you can get a full refund on your London Pass within 90 days of purchase.
Is The London Pass the best sightseeing pass to get?
The London Pass is one of the most popular sightseeing passes among travelers heading to London. With 80+ included sights and experiences, plus a savings guarantee, you can be confident that you’ll save money and time as you sightsee around London.
One of the most common hesitations about The London Pass among travelers heading to London is the requirement to use the pass on consecutive days.
If this feels like too hectic of a pace for your liking, the London Explorer Pass may be better for you. Instead of choosing a pass duration, you can choose the number of activities you want included. You’ll then have 60 days to visit that number of attractions.
The London Explorer Pass is a great way to save money with plenty of time to see several attractions at a more leisurely pace.
London Pass Tips
Here are some ways to help you get the most value from your London Pass based on my own London trips.
1. Save More on a Longer Duration Pass.
If you’re staying in London for a week, it could be a better value to go from a 6-day London Pass to a 10-day London Pass.
The price difference is just £30 but you’d get extra days to take advantage of the pass where you could offset the extra cost with just 1 admission entry depending on the sight or activity. Of course, this makes the most sense if you’re in London to sightsee and take in as many sights as you can during your visit.
Diving deeper into the numbers, the 10-day London Pass costs £199. If you split that value over 7 days, it works out to be about £28.50 a day. You could use this value and more on consecutive days for the entire week. Or plan some busier days than others so that you have a couple of days that are more leisurely, all while still getting great value from your London Pass.
2. Plan a Strategic London Itinerary.
It always makes sense to group sights and museums you want to see when you’re planning a city sightseeing itinerary. You don’t want to waste time crisscrossing and backtracking.
This is all the more true when you are trying to get the most value from a sightseeing pass like The London Pass which is valid only for a set number of consecutive days. Not to mention, having a streamlined itinerary creates a much more pleasurable sightseeing experience by not adding to the pace with the stress of having to travel across the city.
3. Use the London Tube.
London’s Underground is extensive, fast, and reliable. It can take you to nearly everywhere you’d want to go, all the while avoiding the crush of London traffic at street level.
By using an Oyster Card or simply the same credit card at the contactless payment points, you’ll never spend over a specific capped amount each day. So you can ride the Tube as many times as you’d like without worrying about busting your travel budget.
So, Is London Pass Worth It?
The bottom line is you want the best deal for your London trip. The London Pass helps you do that by saving you money on bundled sightseeing costs and time by giving you Fast Track Entry access at many attractions.
But if you’re still not sure, let’s just go back to the math in another quick example. (It’s the teacher in me…I can’t help it!) For the sake of this example, let’s imagine you have only 2 days in London and you want to cram in as many of London’s best attractions as you can.
Let’s plan to visit the:
This adds up to £139 in admission fees. Yet, the 2-day London Pass costs only £124 and includes skip-the-line privileges. Individually bought tickets don’t always come with this privilege. And the £15 saved with The London Pass could pay for the London Underground as you hop around the city for 2 days.
The London Pass Review Bottom Line
As you’ve seen in this guide, The London Pass is worth it!
The itinerary examples show The London Pass cost is less than what you would spend if you purchased individual entry tickets for the top London attractions included in the sightseeing pass. Plus, you’ll get Fast Track Entry which can help you save a lot of time, especially in peak travel seasons!
As a result, The London Pass is the best way to save money and time on your London trip costs when you plan to do consecutive days of sightseeing.
Once you’ve purchased your London Pass the only question that remains is what will you do with the extra money and time you save during your London trip!
What other questions do you have about The London Pass?
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