Is a city pass worth it in London?
London doesn't do cheap tickets — the Tower of London alone runs £34.80, and most headline sights sit above £25. The London Pass is built for fast movers who can hit three or more attractions a day; the Explorer Pass suits a slower, pick-your-own-pace trip instead. Neither includes public transport, so budget for that separately.
🎡 Passes available in London
What each one costs, covers, and who it’s actually for.
Top attractions & single-ticket prices
The walk-up prices we compare every pass against.
Run the numbers for your London trip
Your dates, your travelers, your attractions — one clear verdict.
Two passes, two speeds
Go City sells two different products for London, and confusing them is the most common mistake visitors make.
The London Pass is a day pass: buy one to seven consecutive days — from £89 for one day up to £214 for a week — and enter as many included attractions as you can fit in, as many times a day as you like. It rewards fast movers. Visit the Tower of London (£34.80), Westminster Abbey (£29) and St Paul’s Cathedral (£25) in a single day and you’ve already covered £88.80 against an £89 one-day pass.
The London Explorer Pass is credit-based instead: buy a block of 2 to 7 attraction credits — from £69 for two up to £159 for seven — and spend them on any day, in any order, over a longer window. It suits a slower trip: a couple of sights a day, spread across a week, with no pressure to move fast.
What’s included — and what isn’t
The two passes don’t cover quite the same ground:
- The London Eye and Madame Tussauds are excluded from The London Pass entirely.
- The London Explorer Pass includes both, alongside the Tower of London, The Shard, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, ZSL London Zoo, Kew Gardens and a Thames river cruise.
- Neither pass includes public transport. That’s on top of whatever the pass costs.
- Some attractions need a timed booking no matter which pass you hold — Churchill War Rooms always requires a reservation.
How to decide
London attractions are among the priciest in Europe, so a pass can pay off fast — if your itinerary matches how it’s built:
- Three-plus paid attractions most days, no interest in the Eye or Tussauds → The London Pass.
- Want the Eye and Tussauds, or prefer a slower, spread-out pace → London Explorer Pass.
- Only planning two or three stops in total → check single tickets first; they sometimes still win.
Compare both against your actual list on the calculator before buying — the break-even point moves with every attraction you add or drop.
Head-to-head
Which should you buy?
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions about London passes
Which London pass is the best value?
It depends on your pace. The London Pass typically pays off if you're visiting three or more paid attractions a day — a single day of Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral already covers most of its one-day price. Slower trips often do better on the Explorer Pass. Run your list through the calculator to confirm.
Does any London pass include the London Eye or Madame Tussauds?
The London Pass excludes both entirely — no discount, no partial entry. The London Explorer Pass includes both, which is often the deciding factor between the two.
Do London passes include public transport?
No. Neither The London Pass nor the London Explorer Pass covers the Tube, bus or Oyster fares. Budget for an Oyster card or contactless pay-as-you-go on top of whatever the pass costs.
Do I still need to book time slots with a London pass?
Yes for some attractions. Churchill War Rooms requires a timed reservation regardless of which pass you hold, and if you use the Explorer Pass for the London Eye or Madame Tussauds, both need a booked slot too. The London Pass doesn't include those last two, so its own reservation list is shorter.