Is the London Pass worth it?

If you’re planning your visit to London, you might be wondering if the London Pass is worth it for your itinerary. At Let Me Show You London, we offer private guided tours of London at a variety of attractions, so we’re keenly aware of the time, cost, and practicality of getting the most out of your Pass. 

Depending on what you want to do in London and how much time you have in the city, the London Pass could offer you incredible savings. But it isn’t the most cost-effective system for other types of visitors.

We thought we would share some of our insights to help you decide for yourself either way!

How does the London Pass work?

The London Pass is a digital pass you can purchase in order to access over 80 attractions in and around London. The Pass is valid for a set period of time (1, 2, 3, 6, or 10 days), based on how much you pay. 

Note that the pass is valid for the day, not for a 24-hour period. So you’ll want to get an early start each day to truly take advantage of all the savings!

As with any such system, the London Pass is worth it if you research ahead of time and plan your visit to maximise the savings. You’ll want to compare the attractions that are included in the Pass with places you definitely want to see. If you have lots of overlap, then you will probably save by buying the Pass!

Since some attractions in London are included and some are not, you’ll want to plan to visit the included attractions during the validity of your pass. Save any others for the days your pass is no longer valid. We’ve listed some top London attractions in both categories below.

You’ll download the Pass to your phone to gain entry to the included attractions. Just make sure you bring your charger out with you during the day so you don’t miss out on an attraction due to a dead battery!

How to Maximise the London Pass

You purchase the London Pass for a set period of time, so it’s important to plan those days accordingly. Getting the most out of the Pass means seeing multiple attractions each day of its validity. 

You’ll want to start early. We suggest trying to be at an attraction at 9am rather than waking up at 9am for a nice breakfast and a later start. 

If you prefer a slower start in the morning and a leisurely pace, then you may not really maximise the savings potential with the Pass. If, however, you do start early and see two or three attractions in a day, then you could save quite a bit by using the Pass.

Since London is so vast, you’ll also maximise the Pass if you plan to visit a few attractions in the same area on the same day instead of wasting time (and money) traipsing across the city back and forth. 

The London Pass is worth it if you plan ahead and maximise the savings.

Attractions Included in the London Pass

There are currently over 80 attractions and places of interest included in the London Pass. To give you an idea of what you could do with your Pass, here are some of those attractions. 

The ones with an asterisk (*) are where we also offer tours. If you join us, you’ll have a Blue Badge Guide showing you around the location on a private tour, offering in-depth insights and tonnes of fun information!

Historic Buildings Included in the London Pass

1. *Westminster Abbey
2. Apsley House
3. Wellington Arch
4. Benjamin Franklin House
5. Windsor Castle
6. *St Paul’s Cathedral
7. Hampton Court Palace
8. Jewel Tower
9. Keats House
10. Kensington Palace
11. Eltham Palace
12. The Monument to the Great Fire of London
13. Royal Observatory Greenwich
14. Tower Bridge
15. Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House
16. Old Royal Naval College
17. *Tower of London

Museums Included in the London Pass

1. Cartoon Museum
2. Charles Dickens Museum
3. Fan Museum
4. Florence Nightingale Museum
5. Household Cavalry Museum
6. London Canal Museum
7. Handel & Hendrix London
8. London Museum of Water and Steam
9. The Postal Museum
10. The Guards Museum
11. Science Museum IMAX
12. The Foundling Museum
13. Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
14. Pollock’s Toy Museum
15. Freud Museum London
16. London Transport Museum

Other Places of Interest Included in the London Pass

1. ArcelorMittal Orbit
2. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
3. Chelsea Physic Garden
4. Golden Hinde
5. London Bridge Experience
6. Kew Gardens
7. London Zoo
8. Cutty Sark
9. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour
10. The View from The Shard

There are lots of other inclusions, which you can peruse at your leisure in the London Pass full list of included attractions.

Which attractions are NOT included in the London Pass?

There are several very popular London attractions that are not included in the London Pass, which you’ll want to consider when planning your visit.

These popular London attractions are NOT included in the London Pass:

• London Eye
• Buckingham Palace
• London Dungeon
• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
• London Aquarium
• Tours of the Houses of Parliament

If you have your heart set on any or all of those attractions, you’ll want to plan your time in London accordingly. Don’t visit one of these excluded places on a day when you’re using your Pass! You can plan to visit before or after your Pass is valid instead.

London also has a plethora of free attractions! You don’t need to break the bank every day with everything you do. In fact, a wide variety of museums offer free entry. We also have some ideas for the Best Free Attractions in London, if you want to take a look.

A sample of the many free attractions in London include the following:

• *British Museum
• Tate Modern Museum
• Museum of London
• *National Gallery
• *Victoria & Albert Museum
• Speakers’ Corner
• Hyde Park
• Watching the Changing of the Guards

At Let Me Show You London, we offer private guided tours in London at a variety of locations, including some of these free entry museums. Those with the asterisk (*) above are linked to our tour information so you can see the benefits of having a Blue Badge Guide take you around on a private tour.

Are there other benefits with the Pass?

Yes, you can also skip the queue at a handful of attractions if you purchase the London Pass. That alone can make it worthwhile for lots of visitors! There’s nothing worse than standing in a long queue on a hot summer day…or on a London rainy day!

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Related: Our recommended Things to Do in London on a Rainy Day

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While not all the included attractions offer a skip the queue option, those that do are often the busiest spots. This is certainly an added bonus for Pass holders.

Is the London Pass worth it for families?

If you’re visiting London with kids, you’ll want to plan in advance as best you can. London is vast and it’s filled to the brim with fun things to do. But it can also be overwhelming and busy! You might want to start with our guide on Top Things to Do in London with Kids to plan your visit more thoroughly.

Knowing what you want to do, how to get there, how to minimise time spent in queues and maximise time spent having fun — we think that’s crucial for families coming to London. 

We think the London Pass is worth it for families with kids who are old enough to be interested in lots of museums, attractions, and activities. 

If you’re coming to London with a toddler or baby, you probably want to plan fewer activities and lots more flexible time in your trip for naps and jet-lag adjustments.

For families with kids who plan to be active and see as much as possible whilst in London, getting the London Pass could offer huge savings. You’ll also enjoy the added benefit of skipping the queue — and the inevitable complaints that would ensue!

Is the London Pass worth it for solo travellers?

If you’re travelling to London solo, the London Pass might or might not be a good idea for you. You’ll want to consider which places you definitely want to visit and compare that list to the list of included attractions for the Pass. 

Since London also has loads of free attractions and you’ll be on your own time and schedule, you could find that buying the Pass would be more expensive than simply paying upon arrival.

This is entirely up to you and your style of travel, so be sure to review the included attractions before you purchase!

So, what do you think? Is the London Pass worth it for you? If you have more questions or want clarification on using the London Pass in conjunction with our private guided tours, do feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to help visitors get the most out of their trip to London.