London Pass: Is It Worth Buying?

The London Pass is a prepaid attraction card that covers entry to over 80 London attractions — sold in 1-day, 2-day, 3-day and longer formats. Whether it saves you money depends entirely on which attractions you plan to visit and how many days you have. Here's the honest breakdown.

What's Included

The London Pass covers a wide range of paid attractions: Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, the View from the Shard, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, Banqueting House, Apsley House, the London Dungeon and dozens more. It does not include the London Eye (which is separately priced), most free museums (British Museum, Natural History Museum etc. are free anyway), or most West End shows.

When It Saves Money

The maths work in your favour if you're planning three or more significant paid attractions in one or two days. The Tower of London alone (~£37) plus St Paul's (~£23) plus Tower Bridge (~£11) adds up to ~£71 — a 3-day London Pass costs around £79–89 at typical prices, so adding Kew Gardens (~£22), Hampton Court (~£29) or others tips it into clear saving territory for intense visitors.

When It Doesn't

If you're doing a mix of free museums (which most smart visitors will include heavily) and only one or two paid attractions, the maths rarely favour the pass. A visitor who spends days at the British Museum, Natural History Museum and Tate Modern — all free — and visits the Tower of London once has no use for a pass. The pass also creates subtle pressure to "use it up" which can push visitors into attractions they wouldn't otherwise have chosen.

Tips

• Add up the specific attractions you definitely plan to visit before buying — only purchase if the total exceeds the pass price.
• The 2-day pass is often the best value for visitors who want to pack in paid attractions.
• Some attractions within the pass require separate timed-entry booking even with the pass.
• Check the current included list on the official London Pass website — it changes and this guide may not reflect the current version.

Prices and inclusions change — check the official London Pass website for current pricing.