If you are planning a trip to London and want to spend some time admiring great artwork and visiting grand royal palaces, you’ll likely save money and time by purchasing the London Pass.
The London Pass not only allows for free admission to over 80 of the top-visited attractions in London (i.e., Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, The Shard, London Eye), but it also allows you to skip the long entrance lines at several of these attractions and includes a 1-day free Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour ticket and a 1-day River Boat ticket.
In many cases, the London Pass is good value and will save you money; however, in some cases, the London Pass may not be a good deal for you, especially if this is not your first visit to London or you have very limited time in the city.
In this London pass review, we’ll provide all the information you need to know to decide if the London Pass is a good deal for you, decide on which pass to buy, and how to get the most value out of your pass. We’ll also share our own experiences using the London Pass and provide an honest breakdown of our own cost-savings.
Note that many of the images in this post reference a physical London Pass product and guidebook. As of 2021, the pass is only available digitally, using a special code that you can show on your phone or print out. There’s no longer a physical pass or guidebook, but the product remains the same otherwise in terms of what it does.
Table of Contents:
What Is Included in the London Pass?
The London Pass includes free admission to a number of popular attractions in and around London, a sightseeing bus tour, and the possibility to add on a public transportation pass to travel throughout the city. The London Pass also comes with a free very useful smartphone app and downloadable guidebook.
Also if you have a question not answered by the guidebook or their website, you can contact the company during business hours or send them an email.
Attractions Included in the London Pass
London Pass holders are currently granted free admission to over 105 museums, monuments, palaces, castles, tours, and other attractions. These include some of the most popular London attractions such as:
- Westminster Abbey
- Tower of London
- London Eye
- Madame Tussauds
- Kensington Palace
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- View from the Shard
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Tower Bridge
- Hampton Court Palace
- Windsor Castle (afternoon entry only)
- The ZSL London Zoo
- Kew Gardens
Fast track options are available at several attractions, allowing one to enter a faster entrance line designed for pass and advance ticket holders. The London Pass also includes a free Thames River hop-on hop-off cruise, hop-on hop-off bus tickets, canal cruises, and guided city walking tours.
The pass also entitles the holder to a number of freebies at some museums and attractions that already have free entry such as free access to the IMAX 3D theater shows at The Science Museum. You can check out the full list of attractions here.
Note that while the pass ensures general admission, the pass may not cover admission to special exhibits, audioguides, or special events. Also reservations are necessary for some of the attractions, but these are noted on the London Pass website and in the Go City app, along with instructions on how to reserve if necessary.
Note that there are several major attractions in London that are NOT currently included with the London Pass that you should take into consideration. These include Buckingham Palace tours, London Aquarium, and tours of the Houses of Parliament.
There are also a number of excellent free museums and attractions, such as the British Museum, Museum of London, and the Victoria & Albert Museum that travelers should not forget.
For planning resources, the Visit London and Visit Great Britain websites offer tons of helpful information for visitors.
Transportation Options Included with the London Pass
All London Passes come with the option to take a free all-day 1 day Hop on Hop off bus tour of London. Buses stop every 20-30 minutes at over 100 different bus stops in the city.
To get your ticket, you need to simply show your London Pass to the bus ticket seller or staff member before you board the bus at any of the posted stops. You can get on and off the bus as many times as you like in a single day.
The London Pass also includes a 1-day River Roamer pass with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. This grants the holder 1 day access to the river service, which stops at 23 piers across the city.
This is an excellent way to get around parts of central London, plus you get a lovely view from the river as bonus. This ticket can be redeemed from the ticket offices found on the piers between Westminster and North Greenwich.
The London Pass does NOT include any public transportation or options to add a travel card. Until October 2023, the London Pass did include the option to add on a Visitor Oyster Card. This is a physical travel card that can be used on public transit within London. However, you can still buy this travel card separately, just be sure to buy it before your trip.
If interested in using public transport in London, check out our guide and tips for using the Oyster Card to learn more about how it works.
Other London Pass Inclusions?
The pass includes fast-track access to several attractions (e.g., Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, London Zoo) where you get to skip the ticket lines although it does not allow you to skip security lines (e.g., Tower of London).
The London Pass also enables visitors to take advantage of a number of discounts (often 10% to 20% off) on items such as food and drinks, entertainment, theater tickets, massages, walking tours, river cruises, cell phone hires, and souvenirs at specified businesses. These vary, so check the app for any discounts included.
Types of London Passes?
All the London Passes cover the same attractions and are only available as digital passes. There are adult passes (anyone 16 years or age or older) and child passes (children age 5 to 15), as children under 5 get free entrance to most attractions in London.
So really the only decision you need to make is the duration of the London Pass you need for your trip.
In terms of length, the London Pass is currently sold as a 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, 7-day, or 10-day pass. Passes are activated after your first usage and must be used on consecutive days. So if you purchase a 3-day pass with your first visit to an attraction on June 4th, it will be valid from June 4th through June 6th.
Cost of the London Pass
You should check here for the latest prices, but as of July 2024 here are the London Pass prices:
Adults (anyone 16 years of age or older):
- £114 for a 1-day pass,
- £159 for a 2-day pass
- £184 for a 3-day pass
- £209 for a 4-day pass
- £224 for a 5-day pass
- £239 for a 6-day pass
- £254 for a 7-day pass
- £289 for a 10-day pass
Children (any child age 5 to 15 years of age):
- £74 for a 1-day pass,
- £99 for a 2-day pass
- £119 for a 3-day pass
- £124 for a 4-day pass
- £129 for a 5-day pass
- £139 for a 6-day pass
- £148 for a 7-day pass
- £164 for a 10-day pass
It’s also always worth comparing prices between the official site here and GetYourGuide here as sometimes one will be better value than the other. They also might have different cancellation or refund policies.
How do I Decide if the London Pass Will Save Me Money?
First, you should make a list of all the attractions you want to visit during your time in London. Try to come up with a realistic list based on the amount of time you’ll be in London as you don’t want to spend your entire trip going from attraction to attraction.
Next, check the entrance fee cost for each online or using a recent guidebook. Add up the costs to come up with a total.
Note the example below was calculated using July 2024 prices. Prices can vary.
Example: Let’s say I have 6 nights in London and I want to visit the Tower of London (£34.80), Westminster Abbey (£29), Tower Bridge Exhibition (£13.4), Charles Dickens Museum (£12.5), View from the Shard (£37) take a Thames River Cruise (£24.6), Windsor Castle (£33), Kensington Palace (£24), the London Zoo (£41.8), Shakespeare’s Globe (£27) and St Paul’s Cathedral (£25).
I also want to take advantage of the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour (£37) to connect some of these sights on one of my days of sightseeing. The grand total of normal adult entry fees for all these attractions would be £339.1
Next, you’ll need to decide how many days it will likely take you to visit all the attractions you want to visit. Remember it can be easy to be too ambitious and think you’ll take in two art museums, a palace, and two churches in one day, but that will simply leave you exhausted and overwhelmed. Try to be realistic.
Example: I want to do a Thames River Cruise and then travel to Windsor Castle for the afternoon. I think I can combine the Tower of London, View from the Shard, Westminster Abbey, and The Tower Bridge Exhibition in one day. I’ll need another day to visit Kensington Palace and the London Zoo and will also use the Hop-on Hop-Off bus on this day. Leaving another day to visit the Charles Dickens Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Shakespeare’s Globe. This means I would need 4 days.
Now, compare the price of the needed pass (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 days) with your entrance fee total.
Typically, you’ll find that you’ll save money if you plan to visit more than four or five attractions with the pass and the longer the pass duration, the better the cost savings. However, it depends on which attractions you want to visit so use the tips above to figure out if it is worth it for you.
Example: OK, so it would cost me £339.1 as an adult to visit all the places on my list and I think I need 4 full days. A 4-day London Pass is currently £209.
If I visit all the listed attractions in the 4-day period, I’ll have a cost savings of £130.1 and it should also keep me from waiting in ticket lines at some attractions.
I could also opt to spend a little bit more on a 5 day or 6 day pass and give myself more time and flexibility to visit these attractions at any time during my visit without trying to squash them into 4 days which may end up being too rushed.
How to Buy the London Pass?
The London Pass can only be purchased online as a digital ticket, which you can do here from their official website. The London Pass is only available as a digital pass, which can be shown on your smartphone via the London Pass app or printed out.
Where can I buy the London Pass online?
The official website to purchase the London Pass is from the Go City official website for the pass. This is normally the best place to purchase it.
However, you can also check reputable third-party sellers like GetYourGuide online here to compare prices in case one is having a sale. Just be careful that you are buying the official London Pass.
Can I buy the London Pass in person?
No, the London Pass is only available via an online purchase and is a digital pass. You can no longer purchase the London Pass in person. You can purchase it online here.
Can I buy the London Pass as a physical card?
No, the London Pass used to be available for purchase as a physical pass but the physical cards were phased out in 2021. The London Pass is now a digital pass only.
However, after purchasing the digital pass online, you will receive a link where you have the option to print off a physical copy of the London Pass with the pass number and QR code that you can use as a physical pass. We recommend doing this even if you plan to use the mobile version as it gives you a backup in case something happens to your phone.
Can I purchase the London Pass with the Oyster TravelCard?
For many years, the London Pass came with the option to add the Travel Option where a Visitor Oyster Card was included. Unfortunately, Go City decided to stop offering this option at the end of 2023 and the London Pass does not come with any included public transportation options.
You can still purchase the Visitor Oyster Card but you need to do so separately before your trip. You can purchase it online here from the Visit Britain online shop. You’ll want to purchase it at least a week before your trip starts. You can read our guide to using the Oyster Card in London here.
Note that if you have already purchased a Visitor Oyster Card with the London Pass, your card will still work as described and the credit will still be valid. The credit does not expire and you can add more credit to your card if you run out.
How far in advance should I purchase my London Pass?
The London Pass is valid for 2 years so you can purchase it well ahead of your trip if you wish. Purchasing it well in advance can be a good idea if you see a good online sale and already have your trip planned.
However, since the passes have a 90-day guarantee refund policy, where you can get a refund for any reason (as long as the pass has not been activated), it makes sense for most people to purchase it within 90 days of their intended usage.
So I would recommend purchasing the pass between 1 day and 3 months before your trip to London. Then if your trip gets cancelled for any reason (and you can’t reschedule), you can request a refund.
Note that while you should receive the digital pass within a few minutes of purchase, I would not wait until the day you need to buy it in case you have any issues with the pass or the app. I would recommend buying it at least a day or two before you plan to use it.
How to Use the London Pass?
After you purchase the London Pass online, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to the digital pass. You need to download the digital pass (the confirmation email is NOT your pass), and you can then add it to the Go City app, save it to your smartphone, or print it out.
What is the London Pass credits package?
Each London Pass comes with a set amount of credits which is the maximum total value of attractions you can visit with that pass. For most visitors, the credits will be far more than they can use in a day.
The longer the duration of each pass, the more credits are available. The credits cover the total duration of the pass.
As of July 2024, the credit limit for the London Pass is as follows:
- 1-day London Pass credits package: adult 235 max credit / child 200 max credit
- 2-day London Pass credits package: adult 395 max credit / child 330 max credit
- 3-day London Pass credits package: adult 505 max credit / child 415 max credit
- 4-day London Pass credits package: adult 635 max credit / child 500 max credit
- 5-day London Pass credits package: adult 750 max credit / child 570 max credit
- 6-day London Pass credits package: adult 860 max credit / child 630 max credit
- 7-day London Pass credits package: adult 960 max credit / child 685 max credit
- 10-day London Pass credits package: adult 1055 max credit / child 730 max credit
So for example, with a 2 day London Pass, you can use it for two consecutive days to visit attractions worth a total of £395 over those two days. So if you visit an attraction worth £30, that would deduct £30 worth of credit from your pass.
For most visitors the available credit is far more than they will use, so you are unlikely to need to worry about the credits package or how many credits you have left to be honest! You can see the most up to date credit figures here.
How do I download the Go City app to use with the London Pass?
The Go City app (previously called the London Pass app) contains information on how to use the London Pass, information on visiting each included attraction, and digital maps. You can also use it to store your digital London Pass.
You will receive a link to where you can download the Go City mobile app (previously called the London Pass app) in your confirmation email after purchasing the pass. It is available for use with both Android (link here) and Apple smartphones (link here).
After you download the Go City app, you can add your London Pass to it if you want to be able to use it within the app. We recommend running the app and checking you can display the pass before your trip.
Note that you do need WiFi or mobile data to purchase the London Pass and to download the app and your pass initially, but once you do that you can use the Go City app without needing data or WiFi as it is designed to work offline. So if you are traveling in London without phone data, you should still be able to use the app during your trip.
How do I activate my London Pass?
Your London Pass will automatically be activated once you use it at the first attraction you visit or tour you take. Someone at the attraction will scan it or type in your pass number.
The London Pass is activated at first use at an attraction in London, not by downloading it. So you will not activate it by downloading it, downloading the Go City app, printing it out, or making a reservation for an attraction.
Once activated, your pass time will start and it will be valid for the number of consecutive days (not 24 hour periods) that matches the pass you purchased. So if you purchased a 3 day London Pass and activate it on a Monday afternoon, it will be valid for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week.
How do I use my London Pass at each attraction?
All you need to do is present your digital London Pass at each attraction and someone will scan the QR code (or in some cases type in your pass number). Each pass has a unique number and QR code. You can show them your pass’s QR code within the London Pass app, as a digital saved scannable QR code on your phone, or as a printed QR code.
If you are traveling with others, each person in your group will need their own individual London Pass. However, you can save multiple passes in the Go City app if you wish to purchase and keep them together in one place.
Note that you can only visit each included attraction once with each London Pass. So be sure to plan your time accordingly.
How do I make reservations for attractions on the London Pass?
While most attractions included on the London Pass do not require (or even allow) you to make advance reservations, some attractions, particularly tours, do require or strongly recommend reservations.
The first step would be to check the list of attractions that require reservations and note any that require reservation that you want to visit. For instance, at the current time, The Shard, Fuller’s Brewery Tour, Twickenham Stadium Tour, and many of the included London city walking tours require a reservation.
I would then recommend making these reservations as soon as you know when you want to visit to ensure you are able to do so. Instructions for making reservations at each attraction and tour are given at the above linked page.
How do I get a copy of The London Pass guidebook?
This information is now available within the Go City app described above. Most of this information is also available on the London Pass website.
There is no longer an option to get a printed London Pass guidebook.
Do I need to download the Go City app to use the London Pass?
No, you don’t have to download or use the Go City app to use or active your pass.
On purchase, you’ll receive an email with a link and directions to download and use your digital London Pass, as well as a link to a printable version of the pass.
If you want to use the London Pass on your smartphone but not in the app, just download and save the PDF file with the QR code onto your phone so you are able to pull it up and it can be scanned at attractions. Or you can download the PDF and print it to use a paper copy.
Do I need to have a smartphone to use the London Pass?
No, you don’t have to have a smartphone to use the London pass. Whilst a smartphone is beneficial as you get access to the Go City app, you do not need one to take advantage of the pass.
If you don’t want to use your smartphone, you can download and print the printable version of the London Pass using the link in your confirmation email. Just be sure that the print quality is good so it will be easy for people to scan.
Can I print out a copy of my London Pass?
Yes, you can. Just click on the printable download version in your confirmation email and print it.
Even if you plan on using your smartphone to display the London Pass, we always recommend printing out a physical paper copy of the pass in case your smartphone battery dies or something goes wrong with your phone or the app.
Suggested London Pass Itinerary?
The London Pass includes free entry to so many attractions, and of course you don’t want to miss the fabulous free city attractions and other places not covered by the pass. To get you started, you can take a look at the brief 4 day London itinerary mentioned above as well as our experience using a 3 day London Pass below in this article.
Better yet, you can also check out our very detailed 3 day London itinerary or our 6 day London itinerary which includes a day-to-day London itinerary, walking maps for each day, and an example of the estimated cost savings with a London Pass. If you have more or less days in London, you can easily alter the itineraries to fit your needs.
We also have a 1 day London itinerary and a 2 day London itinerary if you have less time in the city.
Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your London Pass
- Plan ahead before coming to London. Do a little research and figure out which attractions are included with the Pass and which ones you plan to visit so you can make an informed choice of whether or not the pass makes sense for you or not.
- The London Pass is going to be of the most value for those coming for longer stays as the longer the Pass duration, the greater the potential value. Those thinking about a 1 or 2 day London Pass may find it doesn’t save them very much money depending on which attractions they want to visit. Similarly, the value multiplies by the number of travelers in your group so even if each person only saves £18, that is a savings of £72 for a family of 4!
- There are often special discounted offers on London Passes purchased online. If you have some time before your visit, you may want to see if you can catch one of these promotions as they often have time-limited deals online for 10% to 20% off passes. Even more savings!
- Prioritize attractions you want to visit with high entry fees if your pass does not cover your full trip to London. Use your London Pass to get you into those places that are more costly such as the Tower of London, View from the Shard, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, London Zoo, and the Hop on Hop off bus to get the most value of your pass. If you don’t have time to visit lower cost places with your pass, then you can always visit them at your own expense later.
- When planning what you want to do in London, be sure to consider attractions that are not covered by the London Pass, such as the British Museum (free!), Victoria & Albert Museum (free!), etc. Plan your days so that you can maximize your London Pass days and visit the rest of the attractions on your list on other days that do not take away from getting the most out of your Pass.
- Be sure to install the Go City app to your smartphone and test it out before your trip. In addition to the information provided about all the covered attractions, the app also includes information about discounts and includes useful maps and tips to help you plan your visit
- One can spend a lot of time traveling from one part of London to another, so try to group together attractions that are near each other or are well connected by public transit lines to get the most of your time. Use the Go City app or Google Maps to help you plan out the most efficient route each day. Also, you might want to choose a hotel which is near a public transit stop or your preferred attractions. See our guide to where to stay in London for lots of options.
- Many of the attractions are not open 7 days a week, and some can close down or change hours without much notice, especially the active royal residences and churches. It is always a good idea to check their website or call ahead before setting out.
- Try to start using your London Pass on the morning of the first day you want to start using it so you can get the get the most of it! Remember that once you first use the pass, the time begins and it is only for good for the next XX consecutive days.
- Be sure to allow enough time to visit the attractions you are most interested in exploring. You can only visit each attraction once with your London Pass. So be sure you have enough time to visit a place before going inside. For instance, you cannot spend 30 minutes in a museum and then come back tomorrow (unless you want to pay full entrance price), as you only get one free entry per London Pass.
- Check ahead in the Guidebook, on the app, or on the London Pass website to see which attractions you plan to visit provide Skip the Line access to pass holders. If you get to one of these attractions and are not sure if you are in the correct line for pass holders, ask a security guard or museum personnel so you can be sure to save time. Note that the Pass does not allow you to fast-track security lines.
- A few attractions require reservations or for London Pass holders to call in advance. So for instance, we had to make reservations to visit The Shard with the London Pass. Most of the walking tours that are included with the London Pass also require or recommend pre-booking. You can check the latest list which require advance bookings online here or within the Go City app..
- Note that the Pass may not be a good value for younger children as they often get reduced entrance fees anyway and some sites grant free admission to children. So if you are traveling with children or adults that qualify for reduced entry fees, check out the prices before buying a London Pass.
- If you plan to utilize public transit (buses, Underground, trams, etc.) very often during your trip, you might consider getting a Oyster Card. The Visitor Oyster Cards are no longer sold as part of the London Pass (as of October 2023) but can still be purchased online separately here.
- If you plan to use the Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing buses or River Boat, we recommend that you start using them in the morning so you can get the most from your 1 day ticket. You can find out more about using the HOHO buses with the London Pass here.
- Don’t try to see all the included attractions (or even half) in one visit! Some people get their London Passes and go down the list visiting as many as they can squeeze into their trip. We certainly know the feeling of wanting to see everything, but if you do this, you are going to be exhausted. London has so much to offer that is not on that list and you’ll want to take time to slow down and soak up the city whether it is lingering over a pub lunch, sitting in a city park, visiting one of London’s many free museums, watching the sunset over the Thames, going to the theater, or dancing the night away at a club. Hopefully you’ll be back again in the future to catch those attractions you miss, but don’t go through London as if it is one big checklist of famous attractions.
London Pass Review: Our Experience Using the London Pass & Our Cost Savings
Laurence and I have actually used the London Pass on many occasions, but I’ll just be talking about a trip to London when we were given two 3-day London Passes in order to explore London and do a review of the passes.
Note that this was when the passes were available as a physical product that could be bought and picked up in person. This is no longer possible as of 2021 as the London Pass is now a mobile-only product. However, the general experience of using the pass is largely the same, other than the pickup experience.
We ordered our passes online and we picked them up in London at the London Pass Redemption Centre Desk (this no longer exists as the passes are all digital now).
We paid for our own travel using our Oyster Cards which we already owned.
During our 3-day London Pass period, we ended up visiting 11 attractions covered by the Pass! This sounds like a lot and it is as we tend to try to cram a lot in as our trips are almost always part work, part pleasure and this trip was not different.
So we got up each morning and often visited sites until 5:00 or 6:00 each evening. However, we didn’t do quick in-and-out visits and did the full tours at almost all the sites we chose to visit.
If you are wanting a suggested day-by-day guide, you can check out this article which details how we would recommend spending 3 days in London for a first time visitor.
While we spent a lot of time in some of the attractions we visited (e.g., Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace), we spent much less time at several of the other attractions either because we’d already visited them before (Westminster Abbey), or they are smaller sites that only take about an hour to visit or do the tour (e.g., Keats House, Apsley House). It was nice to mix major attractions with lesser-known ones such as Apsley House and the Benjamin Franklin House.
Note that attractions are occasionally added and removed from the Pass. Our review reflects our experience at the time we used the London Pass. Some attractions may no longer be covered by the pass, and there may be new sights added in. It is always important to confirm which attractions are covered when planning your trip.
One great thing about the pass is that it is great to be able to re-visit a place to just see a new exhibit or to re-visit a favorite painting without having to pay. It also allowed us to just pop in to less crowded attractions like the King’s Gallery that we may not have visited if we did not have the Pass.
Kensington Palace
Keats House – home of the ill-fated Romantic poet John Keats
Westminster Abbey
Two of the attractions (Kensington Palace and Tower of London) we visited allowed Pass holders to skip the lines with the Fast Track Entry privilege.
However, we visited at pretty quiet times for both of these attractions where there were no long lines so this didn’t help save us too much time. But I imagine at busier times of the year and day this would have been very useful, especially the Tower of London where ticket and entrance lines can be very long.
As far as cost-savings, here is how things worked out for us. Note we did our example trip in 2016, but we have updated the prices to ensure it is still relevant to your trip. Also note that some attractions have variable prices depending on the time of day or time of week.
London Pass Savings Calculator |
|
Attractions |
Normal Entry Cost
|
| Tower of London | £34.8 x 2 = £69.6 |
| Tower Bridge Exhibition | £13.4 x 2 = £26.8 |
| London Transport Museum | £24.5 x 2 = £49 |
| Westminster Abbey | £29 x 2 = £58 |
| Benjamin Franklin House | £12 x 2 = £24 |
| King’s Gallery | £19 x 2 = £38 |
| View from the Shard | £37 x 2 = £74 |
| Kensington Palace | £24 x 2 = £48 |
| Apsley House | £15 x 2 = £30 |
| Windsor Castle | £33 x 2 = £66 |
| Keats House | £9 x 2 = £18 |
Total Cost Without Pass for 2 Adults |
£452.4 |
Total Cost of Two 3-day Passes |
£368 |
Total Savings with Passes |
£84.4 |
So as you can see we ended up with a saving of £42.2 each for a total saving of £84.4. This is definitely a considerable cost savings for three days of sightseeing.
Even if we had a 6-day London Pass and only added one or two sights to these same 11 sights (less than 2 visits per day!), we still would have saved. For an example of a 6 day itinerary and cost savings with a London Pass, you can read our detailed 6 day London itinerary.
We would highly recommend that all visitors to London consider purchasing the London Pass. For the average first time visitor who plans to spend more than 1 day sightseeing, it will probably end up being a good value.
However, the London Pass is not a good fit for all visitors, and travelers on a budget can also easily spend 3 full days visiting free parks, galleries, and museums in London and spend very little money on sightseeing.
We like that the London Pass also includes things like a free day of Hop-on, Hop-off bus sightseeing, a Thames cruise, free and discounted entertainment options, and free walking tours.
These are great experiences that give visitors the option to see things other than museums, art galleries, palaces, and churches. Check it out and see if the London Pass is a good fit for your next trip to London.
We hope our review of the London Pass is helpful to anyone planning a trip to London. Feel free to shoot us any questions you have about the London Pass and we are happy to try to answer them! Have you used the London Pass? We’d love to hear from others who have also used the passes.
**Disclosure: We were originally provided complimentary 3-day London Passes by The London Pass managed by Go City® in order to write a review and provide feedback; however, this article contains only our own honest thoughts and opinions. We specifically chose to visit London and all the stated attractions on our own. Since writing this review we have also purchased and used the London Pass ourselves a number of times as we feel it offers great value **
Jeff Frederick Post author
Some questions:
1. Does the pass allow one to add days once already purchased?
2. I’m confused about this whole points thing. I thought the pass permitted admittance to the listed attractions, each one once, within the number of days purchased. Is there a chance I could be within my days but run out of points to hit certain attractions? And is the number of day pass the only one, or is there an alternative pass option (just points or number of attractions rather than number of days)?
3. On the London sights walking tour included with the pass — it has lots of lots of great stops, like the Tower of London — but does it build in time to actually visit these attractions, or is it just a walk-by and I’d need to return later to actually visit the attractions? Same question for the bicycle tour included with the pass.
4. On the Oyster card — is there a greater benefit to having the card versus using a touchless credit card — or is there no advantage either way? I seem to think that you have some benefits with the actual Oyster card that you don’t have by using your credit card.
5. How often does the London Pass go on sale? Like, today, it’s on “spring sale”, but are these sales fairly regular? If so, are they the same or different?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Jeff,
Sure, happy to try to help answer the several questions you have about the London Pass.
1.) No, I don’t think you can add days to an existing pass or upgrade a pass after purchase. So it is best to plan ahead and purchase the pass that best suits your trip and your needs. Now, if you have already purchased a pass that you have not used yet, you could request a refund (within the current 90 days limit) and could then buy the correct pass. But it is best to not have to do that as it can take a week or so to get the refund and requires a lot more time/hassle on your part.
2.) There has always been a set amount of credits or points associated with the London Pass, but these rarely affect users as it is a pretty high limit. For example, at the moment, a 3 day pass comes with 385 credits which means you can it for up to £385 worth of ticket entries (an average of £128 per day). it is very unlikely that you are going to use over that amount on a 3 day visit to London (we certainly have not and have not really heard this as a complaint from users) so I would not be too concerned about this. As you are planning your time in London, you can of course check to ensure it will cover all the attractions that you have planned that are part of the pass. But even if you did go over the credit limit, you would have already received a very high savings with your pass (like triple the pass costs!)!
Now there is a second pass by the same company, Go City, that is called the London Explorer Pass. Unlike the regular all-inclusive London Pass, you need to choose the number of attractions you want to visit in advance when you buy the pass and then you have up to 60 days to visit them. Some of the attractions are the same between the passes, and some are exclusive to one or the other passes. We generally find the London Pass more useful for most travelers, but the Explorer Pass can be better for those planning to visit fewer attractions over a longer period of time or know exactly what they want to visit. You can see a comparison of the prices and included attractions online here for more info.
3. I think you are referring to the 30+ landmarks walking tour and that is just a walking tour and you see a lot of the manjor attractions and sights but you don’t go inside for a guided tour of any of the museums or attractions, but you walk by and stop to learn about them with views of the outside. You also stop at gardens and parks and also will see the Changing of the Guard if it is taking place that day. Sights include Buckingham Palace (Changing of the Guard), Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament Square, the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace), Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The Shard, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, London Bridge and the Tower of London. Similarly the shorter walking tour (Palaces and Parliament tour) does the first part of this with the Changing of the Guard. So these give you a nice overview of London and its main landmarks which you see from the outside, but if you want to visit the inside, you will need to return. Many of these, but not all, are included on the London Pass.
If you are looking for a walking tour that actually visits places like the Tower of London, you might consider booking a tour such as this one by Walks. If you do this tour, I would do it on a day that you don’t plan to use your London Pass as the tour includes your entry tickets to the attractions it visits (currently Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Thames river boat).
For the bicycle tours of London, yes, those include only exterior views rather than tours inside of museums/attractions although you stop in front of them to learn about them and also have stops and breaks at free places such as gardens/parks/squares. There is both the option for a long 3.5 hour guided bike tour around London (reservations needed) and 2-hour bicycle hire where you can go where you want. The majority of bike tours in London do not included guided visits inside of attractions.
4. The Visitor Oyster Card is nice as it can give you some extra potential benefits (such as discounts on the IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clipper River Bus services). It allows you to load a set amount of credit onto it and if lost of stolen, it is not so much of an issue as a lost or stolen credit or debit card. However, the price capping pretty much works the same on a Visitor Oyster card, regular Oyster card, or contactless card. So the differences are not that big. You can see our Oyster Card review for more info on using it. Just note that as of the end of last year, you can’t buy the Oyster Card with the London Pass, so if you want an Oyster Card, you can either buy the Visitor Oyster Card separately in advance before your trip or buy the regular Oyster Card in person once in London.
5. There is a sale on the London Pass fairly often. That discount is normally 5% to 10% so the current sale you mentioned is pretty typical. You can sometimes can larger discounts on the more expensive ones (e.g., 6 or 10 day passes). The discounts on the 1 and 2 day passes are normally less. So if you are able to buy your London Pass with a discount, that is great as that is even more money savings potential for your trip! We normally calculate savings with the regular pass prices and if we see them on sale, that is an added bonus. The main advantage of buying the pass in advance (once you know for sure you plan to visit) is that you can start booking the tours and attractions that recommend or require advanced bookings.
Hope that helps and just let us know if you have any further questions as you plan your trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Hope that helps, and let me know
Rachel Post author
Your article says that the London Pass includes access to the Hop on, hop off bus and boat. Do you know whether this is still the case and whether it uses any of the credits on my pass? It is not immediately obvious from the go city website how this works. I had assumed that if I wanted to do either the bus or the boat that it would “eat up” my credits. Also, do you know whether it makes a difference if I use the All inclusive versus the Explorer pass? Thank you
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Rachel,
So this specific post is just reviewing the London Pass which is the all-inclusive pass. But there is also the Explorer Pass which I’ll cover at the end of my response, but first I’ll answer about the London Pass. But in short, yes both passes do include the option to do a HOHO bus and a HOHO boat.
Yes, each London Pass comes with the option to get a 1 day Hop On Hop Off bus pass. You can do this with either Big Bus OR Golden Tours (two different sightseeing bus companies in London) and can ride for that full day. Just show your pass at the first stop when you get on and they will give you the pass (keep a hold of it) and a set of earbuds to listen to the commentary. Then you can get on and off at any of the designated stops offered by that bus company.
For the Uber boats on the Thames, you can show your London Pass to a member of the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier staff – either in the ticket booth or at the top of the ramp to the pier – at one of the following four locations during ticket office opening hours (10AM-6PM): Westminster, Embankment, London Bridge, or Tower Bridge. So you can’t just start at any of the piers, you need to start at one of those specific piers to get your pass if using a London Pass. You’ll want to check that the day before your trip for latest times/piers.
Using the London Pass for either the sightseeing bus or bout tours does activate your pass (if first thing you do) and does use up some of your credits. So you have to do the sightseeing bus or boat during your passes day duration. It is the same of any of the other included museums and attractions. You can do both the bus and boat tours if you want, or just one or the other (or neither).
Now for the credits value on a London Pass, the total number of credit depends on the number of days and each £1 = 1 credit. Do a £20 attraction would use up 20 credits.
For the London All-Inclusive Pass credits package the maximum credits values are (as of Feburary 6, 2024):
1-day London All-Inclusive Credits Package: adult 180 max credit / child 145 max credit
2-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 290 max credit / child 230 max credit
3-day London All-Inclusive Credits Package: adult 385 max credit / child 290 max credit
4-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 475 max credit / child 345 max credit
5-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 585 max credit / child 410 max credit
6-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 670 max credit / child 465 max credit
7-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 785 max credit / child 515 max credit
10-day London All Inclusive Credits Package: adult 865 max credit / child 555 max credit
Now with the London Explorer Pass, this gives you the option to choose a certain number of attractions from a list. So if you choose a 3 Choice Pass, you can visit 3 of the attractions on the list. There are not specific purse values or credits, just the number of attractions. So I guess each attraction = 1 credit and you get 3 credits with a 3 Choice Pass. The list of attractions included with the London Explorer Pass is similar but not identical to that of the London Pass. But it includes both HOHO sightseeing buses and boats.
You can see more about that passes and the specific attractions you can choose from here (it tells you under each attraction which pass it is included on). Some are exclusive to the London Pass or London Explorer Pass but most are included with both.
Hope that helps, and just let me know if you have any further questions about the London Pass or your trip to London.
Best,
Jessica
Natalya Post author
Hi, thank you for amazing article about how to use the London Pass! Very usful!!!:)
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Natalya,
Thanks so much for letting us know you found our London Pass review helpful! If you are planning a trip to London and have any questions, just ask!
Best,
Jessica
Stephanie Post author
I read somewhere that the London Pass can also get you free transportation to Windsor via Paddington Station. Is this still true?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Stephanie,
No, it is not. It is true that you used to be able to get to Windsor using your London Pass, but that changed a few years ago. Although you may see it explained in our older comments and on outdated blog posts online. London Pass has told us they would like to add this feature again, but at this time, you should plan to buy train tickets if you wish to go to Windsor.
Trains from central London to Windsor run regularly and the tickets are not too expensive. You can buy in advance or just buy them at the train station that day. We’ve done both and never had an issue.
Just note that with your London Pass, you can only visit in the afternoons (after 1pm). Last time we visited with my parents (all had London Passes) we went over to Windsor and had lunch and then walked over to the castle around 1pm/1:30pm to do the self-guided tour.
Wishing you a wonderful trip!
Jessica
Liza Post author
Thank you for this thorough review. We are coming for a week in October!
I was thinking of getting the 3 day pass for adult and 2 children to see:
Day 1: Windsor castle for afternoon
Day 2: Tower of London, London bridge, Uber river boat to check out Greenwich village and do the IFS cable cars
Day 3: Hop on and off bus tour to see most of the sites in central london, transit museum.
Do you think the value is worth it for these sites?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Liza,
So I would make your list and calculate all the prices and add them up and compare them to the price of a 3-day London Pass. But here is the breakdown for adult tickets if you purchased them from each of those attractions (assuming you do not qualify for any discounts).
Windsor castle – £30.00
Tower of London – £33.60
London Bridge attraction – £31.95
Uber river boat day pass – £23.50
Hop on and off bus tour day pass – £37.00
London Transport Museum – £24.00
So if you total those it would be £180.05 per adult and the current 3 day London Pass price is £129 so you would save £51.05 per person. That would be a savings of £102.10 for just the 2 adults. You can do the same for the children’s passes as well. But you would definitely save money with that itinerary if you visit those attractions with a 3 day London pass.
If visiting Greenwich, there are a few Greenwich attractions that are part of the London Pass attractions, including the Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory so be sure to factor them in as well if you are planning to visit. Of course having the pass gives you the opportunity to visit for free that day if you decide to do so and have the time.
The IFS cable car is not part of the London Pass itself, but if you include the London Transport option when you purchase your pass, it can be paid for using your Oyster Card credit.
Note that for Windsor Castle, you will need to buy train tickets for that trip to get to and from Windsor. You can just buy them same day at the station as there are regular trains.
So my answer would be yes, I think based on your itinerary and time in London, it would definitely be worth buying the London Passes to save money on visiting these attractions. Many of the attractions on your list are pretty pricey and therefore you get good savings with the pass. The London Pass also gives you a bit of freedom to visit places you don’t have a lot of time for but want to pop in and see for a bit without paying while exploring the city since most major attractions (and many minor ones) are included as part of the inclusive London Pass.
You can buy the pass online and check the latest prices for the pass (and individual attractions) online here. It also appears that right now they are offering 10% off certain passes on their website until the end of today so even more savings (but you’ll save anyway at full price even if you don’t get the discount).
Hope that helps and wishing you a wonderful trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Rosana Post author
Hi,
let me explain a problem I had recently with my London Pass. I bougth a London Pass for 4 days but last day, it was not working in any attraction. It says “expired” but it was not right. When I created the claim, they confirm that my pass was for 4 days and that should be active in that moment. They compensate me with a 10% of the price but I coudn’t use the 25% of the time. They said I had to call in that day to fix the problem. I tried it!!!
Be carefull, it can happen.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Rosana,
I am so sorry to hear that you had issues with your London Pass during your trip. It sounds like it worked fine for the first 3 days but then stopped working on the fourth day even thought you had purchased a 4 day London Pass. It sounds like they may have mistakenly loaded a 3 day instead of a 4 day pass onto your account. We have not gotten this complaint before so I don’t think it is that common based on our experience. I hope you are able to get the refund from them.
Again sorry to hear about this issue, and thanks for letting us know. For those reading this, if you ever have a problem like this while using your pass, call London Pass right away to get assistance so they can correct the problem.
Hope that you had a great time in London otherwise!
Best,
Jessica
Nadia Post author
I have ordered 2 London Passes and realized that the Churchill bunker site is not part of it, what would you recommend for that? This is a top must-see fro my husband. Should we buy tickets in advance or are we OK to just walk up? thanks
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Nadia,
Glad you already have your London Passes ready. Yes, the Churchill War Rooms was part of the London Pass in the past, but hasn’t been part of the pass for a few years now. The Churchill War Rooms is a really interesting place and I’d plan to allow at least 2 hours for your visit, especially if your husband is really interested in WW2 and Churchill. There are the war rooms you walk through as well as a museum dedicated to Churchill’s life. If possible, I’d recommend planning your visit on a day you are not using the London Pass.
The attraction does recommend pre-booking your entrance tickets to the Churchill War Rooms, so I would recommend doing that if you know what day you want to visit, and you can do that online here.
But it is not absolutely necessary and they do sell walk-up tickets. A lot of people visit in the mornings so they recommend that if you don’t have a booked slot, to come in the afternoon for the best chance to get walk-up tickets. I think booking is most necessary in the busiest tourist times as sometimes it can be pretty quiet, it just depends on the day and if any groups are booked in or not.
Another option is to consider a tour, there are a few companies offering guided tours that include the Churchill War Rooms, such as this one with Take Walks. Most tours included pre-booked tickets as part of the tour price. We have visited both with and without a guide before, we enjoyed both visits.
Also if your husband is interested in Churchill in general, there are other places in London he may want to stop. We have a very detailed guide to Churchill sights in London that might be of interest.
Anyway, hope that helps and wishing you a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Wes Post author
thank you for sharing such concise and helpful information, and secondly, I can say that your information has helped us so much in London!! Keep up the great travel writing!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Wes,
You’re very welcome, and happy to hear that you had a great visit to London!
Best,
Jessica
Maroof Post author
THANK YOU FOR SHARING SUCH AMAZING INFORMATION ABOUT LONDON PASS!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hello Maroof!
Glad you enjoyed our review of the London Pass, and just let us know if you have any further questions about the London Pass or about planning your trip to London!
Wishing you happy travels,
Jessica
Simon Post author
Hi there, many thanks for the useful information you provide.
We are looking at getting a London pass for our visit on 14-17 August. One of the places we would like to visit is Windsor Castle. The London Pass website says that entry to Windsor Castle with the London Pass is only available after 1PM and is always subject to availability on the day.
The RCT website Visit Windsor Castle (rct.uk) says that tickets for Windsor Castle must be booked in advance.
Can you book in advance with a London pass, and if you can’t, is there a chance there will be no places available when we go?
Thanks for any advice,
Simon
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Simon,
Yes, that is correct, with the London Pass you can only visit in the afternoon and you cannot currently make a reservation in advance. The reason for only in the afternoons is that Windsor Castle is normally the busiest in the mornings and tends to be quieter from lunchtime onwards.
We recently visited Windsor Castle again using the London Pass with my parents and we had no issue. We got to Windsor about an hour early, had lunch and then went over and had no issue. I would definitely recommend visiting eariler in the afternoon rather than later. I would say that normally you would not have any issues but there is of course a small chance they are already too busy and they could deny entry (July and August are a busy period). But they have separate spots (unreserved ones) for those with passes/memberships so as long as you go earlier in the afternoon you should be able to get same day tickets. I wouldn’t worry about it too much but there are of course no guarantees.
When visiting Windsor Castle from London, just be sure to take into account the travel time there and back by train.
Be sure to check latest opening days and times before you head to Windsor Castle as the castle can close unexpectantly for royal/government events. If you want to visit St. George’s Chapel (this is where Queen Elizabeth II is buried), please note St George’s Chapel is currently open on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But it sometimes closes early to visitors on Saturdays.
Anyway, hope that helps!
Jessica
Simon Post author
Many thanks for the reply Jessica, very helpful!!
Gaurav Post author
Hello great article and very useful..can you please advice on the following. We plan to buy a 2 day pass (family of 4 with 2 kids ). We can use the pass Fri mid day to whole of Saturday and we plan to see the following through the pass :
Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Tower Bridge, Windsor Castle, River Cruise.
1) Can you help us plan which day we take the hop on hop off and what all we cover on that day vs next day etc. and if we should include anything else too please in this which is included in London pass
2. I know the pass does not include Big Ben and Buckingham Place but we have Monday free and plan to cover then unless you advice we should cover it above with the travel pass.
Looking forward to you advice. Many thanks
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Gaurav,
I think that this is probably too many things to try to do if you only have 1.5 days and a set of 2 day passes, especially if you are visiting with children. For example Windsor Castle you should allow for at least 4 hours as it is about a 1 hour journey to get there and back (so 2 hours total), plus I’d allow 2 hours for your visit to the castle. It is also a nice town to visit and have a meal here. So I would recommend trying to do this over 3 days instead of 2.
So Day 1 you could maybe go visit Windsor Castle since you can only visit in the afternoon with the London Pass anyway. In addition to the castle, Windsor is a nice town to visit and has a town museum and park (Windsor Great Park / Long Walk is well worth a visit if weather is nice) as well as a number of places to eat so you can easily spend a full afternoon here. Note you will need to buy train tickets to Windsor as this is outside of London.
Then on Day 2, you could do the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus ride (I’d allow about 2.5 hours to do the full sight seeing loop), visit Westminster Abbey, see Big Ben (just part of UK Parliament building next to the abbey), and Buckingham Palace (perhaps visit the Royal Mews which is included on the pass). If you want to do a tour of the UK Parliament or Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) these need to be booked in advanced and the Tower does not allow children under age 12 I believe. So probably you’ll just view from outside but you can get great views of Big Ben from Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, and across the Thames by the National COVID-19 Memorial. All of these places are within walking distance. You could also probably fit in Kensington Palace and Gardens today but if not, you can do it tomorrow.
Then on Day 3, you could visit Tower of London, visit Tower Bridge, do a river cruise, and then head over to Kensington Palace (if haven’t visited already). The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and river cruise stops are within walking distance, but you’ll want to take public transit over to visit Kensington Palace in the afternoon.
So the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus can be used to get from one place to another if it works for your schedule. But we find it works better to just use it as a good orientation to the city and to see sights and hear information. Its a relaxing ride. But since it only follows a set route and it can be awhile between buses, it can be trickier to plan to use it like public transit. So I would probably use your Oyster travelcard for when you need to get across the city and use the Underground trains (Tube) and buses instead.
No the London Pass does not cover Buckingham Palace (only open for pre-booked visits on a limited number of days each year) or Big Ben (only opening to reserved visits). But most visitors to London just view these from the outside and you can see them pretty much any time. They are both close to Westminster Abbey so easy to see on the day you plan to visit the abbey.
So again, I’d recommend either cutting a couple places out of your schedule or getting 3 day London Passes. Just note that you would need to visit all the places covered by the pass over 3 consecutive days, once you activate the pass, the time starts.
Hope that helps, and let us know if you have further questions as you plan your visit to London!
Best,
Jessica
Susan Halasz Post author
I loved your three days in London post! I want to share some feedback about the London Pass, which I can’t find any warnings for elsewhere: London Pass fixes their app to ensure you can’t get a refund for any unused passes. I purchased 4 passes and at the last minute, one person cancelled so I was careful to only use the first three passes each time we visited an attraction. However, I didn’t know the app rearranges the passes every-time you open it! So, when I went to get a refund for the unused pass, I was informed it was used! I asked them to show me the use and it’s clear only three people used the passes but they refuse to acknowledge the sneakiness of the app and refund my money for the one pass! I tried to get a refund three times but they did not address my concerns. I suggest advising readers that if you purchase multiple passes, order them individually, in case you need to cancel one. The pass savings are good if you plan carefully. It’s a shame their business practices are rather shady and they are not honourable about their refund process.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Susan,
First, glad you enjoyed our London itinerary and London Pass articles and glad that you enjoyed your visit to London. However, sorry to hear about your issues with getting a refund from the London Pass for the fourth unused pass after one for the people was not able to use it.
So for those reading this, if you buy multiple London Passes in the same order/purchase, each one has a separate confirmation number and barcode, but the order numbers will be the same. So if using the digital passes in the London Pass app, it can be very difficult to tell them apart if you are trying to keep them separate.
Two ways around this if you want to keep the passes separate (e.g., if people are going to be using them on different attractions or they are of different lengths), is to either buy them in separate orders or print out the PDF version of the pass with the number and barcode. We normally print ours out on a sheet of paper before using them and then just use the paper copy as they can scan the barcode from this. Even if you don’t use the paper copy, it serves as a great backup if your phone dies or the app crashes.
Now, the other thing is that you need to request any pass refunds within 90 days of purchase based on the current policies. You can’t refund a pass that has been used. However, if you did not save money with the pass or accidentally used it, you can check out the new savings insurance guarantee as if you only used it mistakenly a few times, you probably will qualify for the Savings Guarantee refund. You just need to claim this within 14 days of the last use of the London Pass. So perhaps you could go back to them and do that if you did not get savings value out of each of the 4 passes that you had purchased?
Sorry again for the issues in getting a refund and confusing with the app. And yes I hope that your feedback and experience can help future readers planning to use the London Pass!
Best,
Jessica
Susan H Post author
Thanks! The advice is good. I’m still working with them on the issue – hoping they fix the app so this doesn’t happen to others as well.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Susan,
Yes, it would be good if each pass is tied to either a name or a distinctive and easy to check number or “Ticket Name”. Otherwise it is very hard to tell which is which in the app itself. For most people, this probably makes little difference but in your case it was obviously a big issue. Hoping you are still able to get a refund from them.
Best,
Jessica
Nivin C Todd Post author
I plan on using the 1st two days of your 3-day itinerary. Would you recommend the London Pass?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Nivin,
So the 2-day London Pass may save you money but it depends on which specific attractions you actually plan to go inside and visit/tour. So for example, if you only want to see Westminster Abbey from the outside or do you want to go inside to visit? I would also look at your specific dates you want to visit as some attractions are closed on certain days to visitors (e.g., Westminster Abbey on Sundays).
So I would make a list and then see the total prices it would cost to buy advanced individual tickets versus the current price of the 2-day London Pass. Sometimes you can get the London Pass when they are running a discount, and then it is usually almost always worth it if you plan to visit more than a few of the included attractions.
Happy to help if you have further questions as you plan your visit to London.
Best,
Jessica
Lisa Post author
4/13/23
Do you know where I can buy a physical hard copy 2021 London pass guide book? I searched but could not find anyone selling one.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Lisa,
So when you buy the London Pass now, you’ll receive a link to most of the information that used to be contained in the London Pass guidebooks as a PDF. It is designed to be used digitally but you could of course print it if you wanted. This has been done both so they could update them more quickly with changes and to save on paper. All the information about using the London Pass and the included attraction information, etc. can also be found within the London Pass app.
You can also request the digital London Pass guidebook online here.
In terms of the old bound and printed London Pass guidebooks, these are no longer made and the information in them is now out of date as there have been quite a lot of changes in the London Pass since the last printed copies of the guides were given with the passes. Since they are now outdated and have no real value as actual guides, I am not sure where you would find them for sale but could maybe put a request in online Wanted forums for this kind of thing. We actually probably have a couple of the printed guidebooks in boxes somewhere so if you can’t find one and really want to buy one (not sure which years we have), feel free to contact us directly by email.
Hope that helps,
Jessica
Dawna Yokoyama Post author
Hi Jessica,
Your information is very helpful!
We will be in London during the Coronation week and the Pass does not allow us to make an advance reservation at the Tower of London. Do you know if they will allow us to still get in when we show up with no advance reservation, despite it being sold out, as I noticed that it is already selling out the day before on many recent days. We planned to arrive in the morning, but if it is sold out a day or two before, then that won’t work it appears.
Thank you, Dawna
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dawna,
You’re very welcome. So normally we have always been able to just walk into the Tower of London with a London Pass. As you note, there is no way to currently make a timed reservation with the London Pass.
Here is the official info from the website: “London Pass customers do not need to book Tower of London tickets in advance but please be aware that at busy times, you may be asked to wait for the next available time slot.”
However, since as you know things will be very busy during Coronation Week, there could be a wait. Going early and getting in line before it opens is probably a good idea to ensure you get there at the beginning of the day. However, we’ll contact London Pass & Tower of London directly with this question and will reply with what they say. So will reply to this comment thread once we get a response.
Also, as you probably know, London will be crazy busy during Coronation Week and most attractions will be closed on May 6th and many will also be closed the day before and/or after so be sure to check hours and plan accordingly. Also it will likely take longer to get from place to place during this period so best to allow extra time when planning out your sightseeing.
Here are some of the closures:
– Westminster Abbey: April 25 to May 14
– Hampton Court Palace: May 6 only
– Kensington Palace: May 6 only
– Tower of London: May 6 only
– Queen’s Gallery: May 6 only
– Royal Mews: May 4-6
– Windsor Castle: May 6-7
– Guards Museum: May 6-8
Anyway, hope this helps and will send along any further information as we get it. And just let us know if you have further questions as you plan your trip to London.
Best,
Jessica
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dawna,
So we’ve asked this question of both GoCity (which sells The London Pass) and The Tower of London. They both replied with a similar response that the “sold out” message on the Tower of London ticket calendar is for the allocated pre-sold tickets but there are other same-day tickets available for walk-ups and pass holders. So the messaging doesn’t relate to availability for the London Pass holders; however, it is an indication that the attraction is going to be very busy that day so best to arrive early to ensure you get a ticket, and pass holders will be allocated the next available time slot if there are already too many people inside the attraction at the time.
But the Tower of London does have a large capacity so can hold a fairly large number of visitors but the Coronation is going to see a huge number of visitors in the city all at once. So going first thing in the morning is probably a good idea as planned.
Here is the actual response from London Pass:
“So, the majority of attractions, including Tower of London, have an allocation for pre-booked tickets and walk-ups. The ‘sold out’ messaging almost always applies to pre-bookings. That said, it’s a good indication that it’s going to be a busy day, so walk-ups, including London Pass/Go City, will – as always – be subject to availability.”
Hope that helps, and wishing you a great visit to London and the Tower of London!
Best,
Jessica
Karen Post author
Thanks so much for this incredibly useful information! I’ll be celebrating my 60th birthday with 4 nights/3 days in London, followed by the same in Paris. Currently at $119 for a 3-day London Pass, it seems like this is a great value. However, for the life of me, I can’t find an option to get it with the travel card also. Can you help direct me!
Thanks!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Karen,
Yes, normally after you select the pass length, it gives you a checkbox option to add the travel card. I am also not seeing it at the moment on my laptop and will message them as it seems like it is an issue with their website. But it does seem to be working on mobile as I was able to do it on our phone. I am using a Chrome broswer on an Apple laptop so it may be a browser issue. I would recommend trying it on another browser and/or device.
I’ll contact the London Pass and let them know that it does not seem to be working on some browsers or devices. I would recommend contacting them as well if you are not able to get the travel card added to your order.
I think the current sale is on until tomorrow evening.
Best,
Jessica
Karen Post author
Thanks so much! I’m amazed by how much time and effort you put into your site and email replies. Very helpful!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Karen,
You’re very welcome, were you able to book the London Pass online using your phone or other browser? We are still awaiting a response but since it is the weekend, things are slower.
Best,
Jessica
Karen Post author
Yes, was able to book using Chrome on my Android phone with no problem. Thanks!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Karen,
That is great to hear. We did hear back from London Pass and I guess they have been doing website testing which has been affecting the pass ordering, specifically the travel card option.
If anyone else is experiencing this same issue and you are trying to order the London Pass + Travel Card, I would recommend trying from a different device, broswer, or VPN. If you are not able to get the Travel Card option to appear when placing your order, I would call London Pass to order via phone.
Best,
Jessica
Tatiana DeMauro Post author
Hi Jessica
me again. I got the London Pass. when I use the big bus that activates the daily passes? or should I receive a separate pass for the bus?
Laurence Post author
Hi Tatiana,
Yes, I believe they do activate your pass when you pick up the Bus pass. So you would just want to pick up the bus pass the day you plan to use it. We recommend morning so you can get the full day worth.
Best,
Laurence and Jessica
Tatiana DeMauro Post author
thanks Jessica. 🙂
Tatiana Post author
Thanks for all the information. I’m traveling with my 3 daughters for 4 1/2 days to London.
The first day is a 1/2 day that I thinking to go to Windsor Castle – looks like is included on London Pass- do I need a reservation? I was thinking to get a 4 day pass with the oyster card. I’m really confused with so many information. I’m trying to make an itinerary as my kids are not into a museum but more “street walking.
We also want to go to Bath – do you have any recommendations on how we could include Bath?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tatiana,
Yes, Windsor Castle is included on the London Pass and you don’t need reservations with the pass (you can’t currently make reservations with the pass for Windsor). However, you may need to wait until the next available time slot if its busy. To get to Windsor, note you need to leave London so will need to buy train tickets to and from Windsor.
Yes, I think buying the London Pass or not will depend on how many of the included places you plan to visit over the 3 or 4 days in London. The ags of your kids can also matter if they are under 18. I would recommend drafting an itinerary and list of attractions and see if you think the pass would be helpful or not for your trip.
Lots to see when walking in London, so planning a mix of visited attractions and time wandering around the streets and parks is a good idea so that everyone gets to do a bit of what they want. Walking tours can also be a good way to see London.
Bath is easy to reach via train from London. It normally takes about 1.5 hours on most train journeys to get between the two cities. Once in Bath, you could definitely plan a day out, walk around, visit some attractions, and then return to London by train in the late afternoon or evening. Bath is a pretty easy city to walk around and there is also a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus you can take as well. Or you can join a bus tour that leaves from London and it will take you to Bath (many also visit Stonehenge or Oxford as well).
If you put together a drafted itinerary, happy to take a look. It sounds like you just don’t want to try to do too much on your trip so you are not too rushed but still have a chance to see the things you want to see.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Jessica
Tatiana Post author
Hi Jessica. Thanks so much. I read your blog few times as we are also going to Paris and Rome. If you can give a tip will be great. I changed the iteneray frew times. we will be in London from Saturdas (1/2 day) leaving on a Thursday. here is what I have after changing many times as some places close on monday/tuesday. I feel I’m missing something.
Saturday: portobello, tamys river, London eye – was thinking maybe windsor
sunday: hop on bus, kinsington, royal mews – windsor?
Monday: tower london, tower bridge, shakspeare , millennium bridge
tuesday:westminster, Buckingham, big be, picadilly, st pauls
Wednesday: bat
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tatiana,
Oh, we are just in Rome again about a week ago.
In terms of London, I think that is reasonable, except for trying to visit Windsor Castle plus the other places on your half day on Saturday. I doubt you would have time to visit Windsor Castle if you only have a partial day in London and will be traveling/checking into hotel etc.? It amy feel rushed, especially if you have any delays. If you are planning to get a London Pass, I would suggest maybe just get it for 3 days and use it for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday – then use Saturday to do anything you are interested doing that is not included on the pass such as the London Eye, shopping, walking around neighborhoods, etc.
Also note that the Royal Mews are right next to Buckingham Palace so if planning to walk around Buckingham Palace and Westminster on Tuesday, it would probably make sense to do that on the same day. Just be sure to check opening dates/times.
I am assuming on Wednesday you are going to do a day trip to Bath?
Best,
Jessica
Tatiana DeMauro Post author
Hi. Thanks for the reply. Yes. 3 days passes and trying to go to Bath Wednesday. Do you think the Sunday itinerary including Windsor is reasonable?
Not sure if I’m missing some fun activity for the girls. Are any of the walking tour worth? My kids are into music a lot.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tatiana,
Yes, I think you could probably do Windsor on Sunday. Just remember you need to buy train tickets (not with Oyster Card) to Windsor. I think the afternoons are the least busy time to visit so I’d head there at lunch time or later. The mornings tend to be very busy there with groups and ticket holders.
I am not sure if any of the tours would be a must-do, especially since you have limited time and already a lot of places you want to see. But the London Pass does give you access to Brit Music Tours so that may be something to look at. However, it would depend on how much you specifically enjoy British music – we haven’t done that specific tour.
One thing you should do is just search what music events are happening in London during your visit. Just type in “London music events” and month of visit into Google and you should get a lot of London event websites like Time Out. Many people enjoy the West End performances which includes lots of musicals and plays, but there are often also concerts and loads of other music events happening in London. It just depends what types of music you and your girls enjoy. Most things do require tickets, but there are often free music events in parks in the summer and smaller bands playing in pubs and clubs.
Best,
Jessica
Snehal D. Post author
Your website is excellent and full of very useful information!
On a previous version of this article, there was a section that stated the london pass includes travel to and from Windsor Castle, but I don’t see that anymore after your update on May 1st and also do not see it on the london pass website Windsor Castle attraction page. Can you verify if travel to Windsor is still included?
Also, We will be traveling from the United States with two children, ages 10 and 12 and flying into Gatwick airport, staying for 7 days. My understanding is that my 10 year old will need to buy a ticket for travel to and from Gatwick-London, but otherwise can travel free in London including to Watford Junction as long as he is with an adult with an oyster card. Is that correct?
For the 12 year old, I understand that we would also need to purchase a ticket for travel to and from Gatwick-London, and can purchase an oyster card and have staff add a young visitor discount for 50% off fares in London. Would this discount apply to fares to Watford Junction? Would we be able to purchase the oyster card and add the young visitor discount at Gatwick Train station, or would we need to do this once in central London? Would we be better off purchasing a 7 day travelcard? Would the travelcard include travel to Watford Junction?
Thank you
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Snehal,
So glad you are finding our London article helpful!
So yes, that is correct in that travel to Windsor Castle used to be free with a London Pass (you just had to follow certain rules). However, that is no longer the case and you can’t use the London Pass itself to travel to Windsor. They just changed that recently which is why we updated our article. So you will need to buy separate train tickets if you plan to visit Windsor Castle (the Oyster Card currently also does not work there as it is outside the zones).
You are correct that your 10 year old will be able to travel free on journeys to and from Watford Junction when traveling with an adult (source: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/national-rail-fares-beyond-zone-9)
We believe that the young persons discount should apply to the fare to Watford junction for your 12 year old as well. You should be able to have staff apply the young visitor discount at Gatwick, there should be a ticket office at the underground station where a member of staff can do it. But you may want to double check with the TfL as they should be able to tell you for certain.
In most cases a 7 day travelcard won’t be beneficial, as there is both daily and weekly capping. It would definitely not make sense to buy one that includes Watford Junction as you have to buy a travelcard that is based on zones, and so buying one which covers all the zones all the way out to Watford Junction would be quite costly compared to the one-off fare.
A 7 day travelcard only really makes sense in some situations where you will be using public transport a lot in a consecutive 7 day period. Most visitors find that the daily and weekly cap system works fine.
Hope that helps, and wishing you a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Tricia Post author
We a trip to London planned in a few weeks, and are planning to get the 4 day London Passes for our family. But was wondering if you could clarify the difference between buying a timed ticket at an attraction (say, Kensington Palace) vs using the London Pass? Specifically, on the Kensington website, it’s lists certain days as possible to sell out of timed tickets. Will we run a risk of not being admitted using our London Pass if an attraction is “sold out” for the day? Or is the pass an automatic admission? Thanks!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tricia,
So the London Pass acts as your ticket. But it normally does not guarantee you a specific time slot to an attraction. But it allows you to skip the ticket lines. But as with any ticket holders, you do need to wait in the security line. The timed tickets at attractions often guarantee you entry within 30 minutes of a specific time, but the London Pass does not do that. So you may have to wait longer than that.
The London Pass, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, did offer fast-track entry at some attractions. But I think all that had to be removed with the restrictions imposed by COVID as attractions were no longer able to guarantee that. Hopefully, they will return in the future.
For Kensington Palace, the London Pass serves as your ticket and you do not need reservations. Normally, the lines aren’t too huge here; however, certain exhibitions (the Princess Diana fashion exhibit held here a few years ago) can cause it to be a bit crazy here and during that specific exhibition it was much harder to get in without a specific ticket. We do recommend going to the most popular and busy attractions in the morning if you can. Here is the official info from Kensington about using the London Pass: “London Pass holders need to bring their Pass with them to show our Admissions team on arrival on the day of your visit. Whilst we cannot pre-book your free space, we will admit you on the next available timeslot when you visit. As we are operating with a limited capacity please note that you might have to queue, and we appreciate your patience if this should happen.”
A few of the attractions and the majority of the walking tours do require (or highly recommend) reservations with the London Pass, and you can see a list of those here and they give instructions on how to make the reservations once you have your pass.
Hope that helps, and feel free to reach out if you have further questions as you plan your visit to London!
Best,
Jessica
Leanne T Post author
I am so happy I just found your blog, there is so much detailed information it is wonderful!
My husband and I will be traveling to London the week after the Queen’s Jubilee this coming June, probably not the best timing, but it is part of a bigger itinerary of travel that has been rescheduled from 2020. I purchased a London Pass 2 years ago, when we were originally supposed to travel & they are honoring the London Pass due to Covid, so I am working with them to get everything updated to use in June.
My question is given the timing of our travel to London and the crowds expected at that time, does the London Pass truly get you Fast Tracked through the lines? My concern is showing up at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London only to have to wait in horrible lines. Would you recommend going ahead and purchasing timed tickets for these places, I would love to know your thoughts.
Many Thanks,
Leanne
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Leanne,
So happy that you and your husband have been able to resechedule your trip to London. And that your London Passes that you purchased for that trip will still be honored – they have been good about extending the passes.
I am not sure if you have a digital pass and/or the physical passes, but if you were mailed the physical cards, I’d exchange them for the digital passes just as they have phased out the physical passes in 2020. But even if you have a digital pass, we recommend having the app, the QR code and info saved on phone (not in app), and a physical printout. This way if there is no phone reception or your phone battery dies, they can scan the code on the piece of paper. So you always have your information.
Now, yes, this is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year and there are events scheduled throughout the year. But the main events in London will be held between June 2 and June 5th. It is good that you won’t be there on those particular dates as there will no doubt be disruptions and crowds. Things should not be so bad the week after; however, it will likely be busier and summer is always a busy time for tourist attractions in London. So that is just something to keep in mind. For any place that recommends or requires reservations, whether it be a tour, an attraction, or a restaurant, it will be a good idea to do so in advance of leaving for your trip.
Yes, so booking timed tickets could get you in a bit faster (many such tickets guarantee you can enter within 30 minutes). As with the London Pass, you get to skip the ticket line (and may be able to join a priority line if they have one) but you still have to wait in the same security line. We have visited all three of those attractions with a London Pass in the past year, and the wait times have all been OK (although visitor numbers have been lower even in high season due to COVID).
We recommend either visiting the most popular attractions early (get there before opening) or go later in the afternoon to visit (a couple of hours before closing for example). We particularly recommend visiting the Tower of London in the morning early (we always get in line before it opens) and then head directly to Crown Jewels before exploring rest of the site, you can see our guide to visiting the Tower of London for more tips.
I think if you can time it well, then lines tend to move pretty fairly quickly as these are all large attractions which can accommodate a lot of visitors. But if you think you are going to be visiting at a less than ideal time, then it may make sense to you to pay extra for the time tickets if you don’t have a lot of time to spare.
Just note that not all attractions are open every day, and Westminister Abbey in particular is closed on Sundays and for special events/masses. So just be sure to plan your itinerary accordingly and to check attraction websites a couple of weeks before your visit so you can double check that there are no new closures or entry time changes.
So anyway, it is a hard question to directly answer. We generally recommend the London Pass as it saves people money and since you already have purchased it, it means no extra cost for you. So we personally would not buy the timed tickets if we had Passes, but I think you have to decide what is best for you given your time, budget, and itinerary.
Hope that helps, and wishing you a wonderful trip to London. Just let us know if you have any further questions as you plan your visit to London.
Best,
Jessica
Leanne T Post author
Thank you so much for your response Jessica! Our London Passes were digital to begin with, so I am working with them to get an updated digital pass. I really appreciate the tip to print out the QR codes, genius!
I think for Westminster and Tower of London I will go ahead and purchase timed passes, it just seems to make sense for the time of year we will be visiting. The Tower of London has a special exhibit called Super Bloom this summer for the Queens Jubilee, so you can get a timed ticket to see that and then your timed entry into the Tower of London is 1 hour later. So we won’t be first into the Tower and will have to pack our patience to see the Crown Jewels! Hopefully I have set aside enough time to spend at the Tower.
Best,
Leanne
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Leanne,
You’re very welcome. Yes, when my brother visited over the summer and we used London Passes to visit places in London with him, we mainly just used the print outs for scanning as it was just easier in general for us. But they are good to have as a paper backup regardless if you think you will use them or not.
I think the time tickets definitely makes sense for the Tower of London if you want to see the Super Bloom exhibit. My husband has gone to see it when they had the poppies and it was really beautiful. I would probably recommend allowing at least 3 hours at the Tower, perhaps 4 if you are doing the Super Bloom so you don’t feel rushed. There is a lot to see and do there, but it just depends how much you want to see on your visit. You can also take a break for coffee or lunch here at the on-site cafe.
Enjoy!
Best,
Jessica
Leanne T Post author
Thank you so much Jessica for all of your wonderful and very helpful travel advice, I am so happy to have found your blog!
Warmly,
Leanne
Anke S Post author
Hallo Jessica & Laurence,
Thanks for all your great posts on London and on all these details on buying and using the London Pass. I am wondering if it is still possible to get a physical London Pass as shown in some of your photos? If so can you tell me how as I see lots has changed with COVID since last time I looked up the information. My husband and I share a mobile phone when we travel so are worried that we will have issues using it.
Thanks for your help in advance!
Anke
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Anke,
So happy you are finding our London blog posts and tips helpful! For many years, the London Pass has been available both as a mobile and physical pass. But as of 2021, the London Pass (and many other city pases) is no longer available as a physical pass, only as a mobile pass. The guidebook is also a digital product now.
But you shouldn’t have any issues if you just have one mobile phone. After you purchase the passes, you can have both of the passes in the same London Pass app and they can scan both from the same app, you’ll just need to bring up both. So you can just use the same phone as long as you are both together. You can also have the pass QR codes and numbers saved on your phone (not in the app) to show and scan if you are not using the app or having issues with it.
But actually, you can still use the London Pass even without a smartphone. You can print out the QR codes and pass numbers to be scanned to get into attractions. So even if you don’t have a mobile phone, your phone is dead, or you are having issues with the app, you will still be able to use your pass. This is also a good idea if you think one of you may visit an attraction without the other. That way you both would not need to have the phone.
We’d recommend that everyone consider printing out the QR codes in addition to having them on their smartphones. This way you always have a back-up in case something happens with one’s smartphone (e.g., batteries die, app crashes, etc.). Just make sure it is a decent quality print so it can be easily scanned and the pass number read.
Hope that helps, and just let us know if you have any other questions about the London Pass or traveling in London!
Best,
Jessica
Heather S Post author
Hi, Thank you so much for this great write up! My 12 year old son and I are due to travel to London in August, staying for 10 days. I have taken a detailed look at your amazing 6 day itinerary. We do intend to do a few day trips, but will likely use your itinerary for the other days in between. We may be able to spread your itinerary out a bit, but is it realistic to do all of those stops each day? Specifically Days 1 and 2, seem quite full. I should add that my son is a mature, history loving 12 year old, who asked to go to London as a special trip with just he and I. I am an experienced traveler. Thank you,
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Heather,
10 days is a good about of time to explore London! I think a 6 day or 10 day London Pass would probably be a great deal if you plan to visit a number of the included attractions. Just note that many places currently require reservations (and may still do so in August) due to the pandemic restrictions and limited numbers.
The itinerary is just to give you an idea of what you could do in 6 days. It is possible to do all those things (depending on the day of course), but it is definitely a busy full-day itinerary. I would definitely recommend personalizing it to you and the things that you and your son are most interested in doing. Some places you may be happy to just see from the outside and others you may want to visit and spend a lot of time exploring. Slowing down and spreading it out over more days makes sense in your case since you have more than 6 days. Especially with your son, I’d add more breaks and downtime so the two of you don’t feel rushed or too tired.
Leaving some unplanned time gives you flexibility so with 10 days, I’d recommend leaving some unplanned and flexible time here and there. Then you can see how you are feeling, and do things that come up while exploring or go back and re-visit places you may not have had time to see earlier in your trip.
Hope that helps, and wishing you a wonderful trip to London!
Jessica
Heather Post author
Thank you so much again! Your itinerary has been so helpful as we plan our time there. The maps especially, are extremely helpful in being able to quickly see where the attractions are in relation to each other and to our hotel. It has saved me so much time! Now, fingers crossed the 10 day quarantine is lifted before then! Safe travels, and I look forward to learning more from your experiences.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Heather,
You’re very welcome and happy to help. Just shout if you have further questions as you plan your trip.
Yes, I hope the quarantine is lifted by then as well. My brother from the USA is supposed to visit us at the end of August. Right now, things are easing for us residents but there are concerns about the Indian variant which is increasing in certain areas of England right now which could push back the easing of further restrictions as planned in June. There should be a much clearer picture by the middle or end of June.
If you want to keep in touch with us and our travels, we put out a free monthly travel newsletter which you can read more about here.
Best,
Jessica
Amy Fitzwater Post author
Hi! So my girls and I are going to be staying in Oxford in July with my husband who is attending a month of school there. I plan to buy a 2-day London Pass, and definitely want to do the big bus tour as a part of that…do you think I would need to buy an Oyster card in addition? I’m really confused about public transportation in England so would love any input! Do kids under 12 travel for free for the most part, or is that only in London with an oyster-holding adult? Thank you so much!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Amy,
So the Oyster Cards only work on London’s public transport system and some of its suburbs. So you can check all the Oyster Card guidelines but those, of course, will only apply to when you are traveling in London with your Oyster Card. If you are buying a Visitor Oyster Card as part of your London Pass, then you can just top it up if you plan to visit London for more than a couple of days.
If you are only planning to be in London for 2 days and don’t plan to take public transport at all, or very often, and plan to use the hop on hop off bus part of the time, then you might not want to purchase the Oyster Card. It just depends on whether you think you will be taking public transit or not. If you only plan to do it once or twice, it will be less expensive to just purchase individual tickets.
We have a separate post about the Oyster Card and also a post about London public transit options that may be useful. Just note to always check conditions as some things may have changed with various passes and transit due to pandemic.
But for traveling around the rest of England (and the rest of the UK), you’ll need to purchase the appropriate tickets/passes for train, bus, etc. You can buy individual tickets or you can buy passes, and it will just depend on how much you plan to travel. It also depends on the mode of transport and the age of the kids for whether they can travel for free, discounted tickets, or full price. For national trains for example, most children age 5- 15 get a 50% discount, whilst those under five travel free.
Hope that helps. If you have specific questions as you plan your trip, feel free to ask!
Best,
Jessica
Amy Fitzwater Post author
That is super helpful. I have been a bit unsure about purchasing anything right now since things are kind of up in the air a bit with things just opening up, but the passes are are sale and seem to be a good price. I do want to do the hop on/hop off bus tour, as my children are 4, 6, and 9 and I think that will be very helpful. My 15 year old niece will also be with us. So I just didn’t know if we would need to do a lot of public transit or not. The oyster card is something we can get pretty easily once there if we don’t purchase one now?
We will largely be in the Oxford area with some excursions to Haworth, The Lake District/Bowness-on-Windemere, things like that for some literary sites. So I’m wondering if individual tickets will be the easiest since we our kids will be 50% off or free.
Thank you so much for your time!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Amy,
Since you don’t know how much you’ll be in London and using public transit, I think individual tickets might be best for you.
If you do decide to go with the Oyster Card, you can purchase it once in London. So the Visitor Oyster Card you’d want to purchase before you arrive if you wanted that one (it is very difficult to buy once in London), but the standard Oyster Card is easy to purchase once you are in London in person. You can find it available in the Underground ticket machines in many stations or you can purchase from ticket offices.
And yes for the rest of your travel in England, I think individual tickets will probably be easiest for you as you can just book for the trains or buses once you know your dates. You can book those online easily once you know your dates.
Wishing you a great trip!
Jessica
Rosa Post author
Is there a recommended hotel or area that would be best when using a 6 day London pass. Or a recommended tube station to find a hotel near to when using the pass?
Charlie Post author
Hey Rosa, that really depends where you want to visit. London is such a massive place but it’s easy to get anywhere using the public subway ‘tube’. Somewhere central like The City of London area would be a good bet. Really depends on your budget too though.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Rosa,
Sorry for the delayed response!
We would recommend just choosing a place that is in central London to avoid too much time spent traveling to and from central London and the main tourist attractions. So some central areas to consider include Westminster, Hyde Park, City of London, St. James, Kensington, Lambeth, Mayfair, Covent Garden, etc. are all good areas to consider. You can save a bit of money by staying outside of central London, but will spend more time commuting, but this can fine if you choose a place with good public transit connections to the center.
I’d take a look at our 6 day London itinerary which includes a section at the beginning with a list of suggested hotels across a range of budges in central London. For example, Point A Hotel in Westminster is a good budget hotel option, some midrange options include the Premier Inn, 4 star Hilton Tower Bridge, and Nadler Victoria Hotel. Luxury options include Lord Milner B&B, the Savoy, and Brown’s.
Hope that helps, and let us know if you have any more questions as you plan your trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Aimee Malo Post author
Hello Jessica and Lawrence
I appreciate the effort it takes to write a blog, but all of a sudden all the information is giving me a little anxiety!
I am traveling tomorrow to London for 8 days, with my daughter. Yes tomorrow! We have absolutely not had much opportunity to plan! She did a summer study program there, so at least we have that!
The London Pass, I assume, covers the general admission entry fee, not including any guided tours? I’ve seen many attractions that guided tours can be purchased for. I assume this would be like paying twice for tickets to one site, if in addition to the LP. Not good. While I wouldn’t want to overkill the guided tours, there are times that so much is learned over self-guided. Also, I’ve learned that there are enhanced tours to Buckingham Palace State Rooms which allows access above and beyond the general admission. Would you recommend that at all, as it is at a cost of $45 pp, but cannot be accessed without a scheduled tour?
I feel like the LP is definitely worthwhile, but wonder what the balance of general admission and guided tour tickets is. Can you offer any guidance please?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Aimee,
The London Pass, like most passes, just covers the standard entry fees and whatever comes with normal entry if you purchased a standard admission ticket to the museum or attraction. So it does not normally include extra guided tours that may be offered so you would need to pay for those yourself.
If you book a guided tour offered at the attraction by the attraction’s staff (as opposed to an outside tour company), the guided tour is a fee in addition to the admission price in most cases, so you would not be paying twice. The London Pass would allow you free entry, but you just have to pay extra for optional guided tours as you would at most attractions. But you would need to look at the specific guided tour and attraction to see how it works.
Note that some attractions as part of the London Pass are guided tours only and these are included, such as the Benjamin Franklin House visit and obviously all the included walking and bus tours. At some attractions, an audioguide is included and in other places, it is not. These details are noted in the London Pass guidebook.
Buckingham Palace is not included in the London Pass and is generally only open about 8 to 10 weeks each summer. We enjoy the royal palaces in the UK, but whether it is worth it to you or not, only you can say! Just note that I would book your time slot in advance and no photography is allowed inside the palace.
So yes, the London Pass is usually worthwhile if you plan to visit several of the included attractions in London. It helps to plan ahead so you can use the pass as efficiently as possible.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
carol cravens Post author
Thank you for telling me about the London and Oyster pass which I purchased together. However when I arrived
in Gatwick my oyster pass slipped out of my hand and when I went to board the train to London It was gone . I traced my
steps but someone had already found it. I had to purchase another pass at the station. Can I get a refund on the one
that I lost ? I did not even use it. I have kept my other pass as I plan to return to London someday. Where can
I email to give the company all the information of both numbers on the lost pass as well as My present pass. I will
appreciate any advice you have to give. Thank you
Carol Cravens
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Carol,
Sorry to hear about the loss of your Oyster Card. Normally you cannot get a refund for an Oyster Card unless you have it in your possession or it is registered. But you will need to call the company you purchased it from to confirm.
If that was the London Pass (you purchased the Oyster Card with the London Pass), you can contact them at 020 7293 0972 (UK contact number) or +44 20 7293 0972 (overseas number). The London Pass offers a 30 day money back guarantee but it requires sending them back the unused passes. If you would rather email them at info@londonpass.com or by using the contact form on their website.
But if you have lost the Oyster Card and replaced it with a new one, you can still of course use the London Pass since the two are not connected.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Debra J Conley Post author
i just need a y es or no answer to this: can i purchase a one day London Pass at Heathrow Airport?
Can I purchase a one day London Pass (for visiting attractions) at St. Pancras or Kings Cross?
Thank you.
Debra
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Debra,
You can see list of the places you can purchase the pass in the article above and on the London Pass website. I believe those are all listed, so yes, you should be able to purchase the London Pass at those locations.
Best,
Jessica
Rahul Poddar Post author
Thanks for writing such a detailed post. I am convinced that I think the London pass would suit me. I am reaching June 9 and will be in London till June 15. I just need some assistance on the no of days for which I should take the pass. Here is the below itinerary I jotted down to make the best of it:
Day 1: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, View from Shard
Day 2: Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, Thames cruise in evening
Day 3: Wimbledon and Kew gardens OR Do the Little Venice and Camden tour and Wembley stadium
Things which we may not cover in London pass even though we will go there: most importantly Windsor Castle (however the transport options in Windsor, do not allow us to see the change of guard)
We have already booked an evening harry potter tour for Day 4, so maybe we do the Windsor castle in the morning that day. Between Day 5 and Day 6, we plan to do a day tour to maybe Bath or Brighton.Again, not sure of the London pass duration
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Rahul,
It sound like either a 3 Day London Pass to do see what you want to see on Days 1 to 3 or possibly a Day 4 London Pass if you want to use it for Windsor Castle entrance on Day 4. You can of course still use the Windsor Castle entrance part even if you don’t use the free transport.
The 3 Day Pass is available on the London Pass website, but the 4 Day Pass is currently only being sold on GetYourGuide and you can buy it here.
If you are doing day trips and not sure about Day 5 and Day 6, then you probably don’t need the London Pass on those dates. There are lots of great free things to do in London that you could visit on those days (e.g., British Museum, National Gallery, V & A, parks, etc.) though if you are in the city.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
RAHUL PODDAR Post author
Thanks so much. Did not realise there is actually a 4 day pass…this helps
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Rahul, Yes the 4 and 5 day London Passes are currently only available via GYG. Just so you know they are mobile only so you’ll need to use a smartphone for each pass and show the QR code to get into each attraction and to get your HOHO bus tickets. The guidebook is a digital copy.
There is no option to get a physical pass or to add the Travel part of the pass with the London Passes sold on GetYourGuide. But they work the same as the mobile London Passes sold on the company’s website.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Jane Post author
Hi! Thank you for writing such a detailed post on the London Pass! I have planned to buy the three days one, but my itinerary leave no time to do the hop on hop off bus tour and the river boat. Is it possible to do those at later date e.g my 4 or 5th day, even if I only have 3 days London pass?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Jane,
No, unfortunately, you have to use the tickets the same day and you can only get them while your London Pass is valid. But you can easily do the hop on hop off bus tour and river boat ride on the same day, so I’d probably recommend a 4 day London Pass for you, which is only sold online here.
Just note that the 4 day London Passes are mobile only, so you will need to be sure to have your smartphone on you and charged throughout your trip. The mobile passes don’t include the Travel Card options. However, you can always get an Oyster Card separately if you plan to use one.
Another option might be to take a look at the London Explorer Pass where you can choose 7 attractions from a list of about 20 to visit while in London. It includes many of the top attractions from the London Pass and includes the HOHO bus ride and Thames cruise. I’d recommend taking a look as it is valid for 30 days so better if you need to spread out the attractions more. I’d take a look to see if it covers all the main attractions you want to visit and then compare prices against the 4 day pass. You can learn more about it here.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Emily Hong Post author
I’m from Malaysia. I will go London on 13th May’2019.
I would like to know if I purchase Oyster Cards online today 25/4/19, when I can receive it?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Emily, You will need to check the international shipping times on the website for the card you want to buy. Are you trying to buy a Visitor Oyster Card (can purchase here) or a London Pass with Travelcard which includes Oyster Card (you can purchase here).
You should have enough time to receive either by standard mail to Malaysia before your trip, but I would order now to be sure as shipping can take up to 2 weeks. If you are concerned, you can pay a little extra to have them mailed via express mail.
Best,
Jessica
Emily Hong Post author
Did Heathrow Airport got sell Visitor Oyster Card? Where the shop location? What time the shop open?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Emily,
According to the Tfl website, you can purchase a Visitor Oyster Card at the Visitor Centre at Terminals 2 & 3 at Heathrow Airport at the Underground Station. The listed hours are Monday to Sunday and bank holidays: 08:00-18:00.
Best,
Jessica
Patrice lyons Post author
Great article, thank you. I checked the reviews on the London Pass website and there are many negative ones complaining about longer lines and separate queues for LP holders vs. online single ticket buyers. I am Traveling May 2019 and would like to know if this is true. I do not want to spend all of my time in line because I bought a London pass. Even if I save a lot of money, if I don’t get in many attractions because I’ve waited in lines all day, I would rather purchase individual tickets. Please advise if any of this is true.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Patrice, We have never had issues with the London Pass and have used it several times. But that said, we don’t normally visit during high season or over holidays. If you visit during the holidays or a particularly busy time of year (e.g., July/August), then there are going to be lines no matter what you buy. The London Pass is the same as buying an online ticket in most cases. The London Pass allows you to skip the ticket line and at a select number of attractions (as noted on the website), it allow for fast-track/priority entrance. However, if there are certain attractions you want priority entry that are not included with the London Pass, then you may want to book those separately if there are priority tickets sold by the attractions. Some attractions in London do not offer priority tickets. Best, Jessica
Menaka Post author
hi Jessica,
I’ve heard 5 year old and under kids do not require a London pass or it’s cheaper to buy it at individual attractions but also wondering if its worth buying discounted tickets for kids if we have to stand in long lines to buy the ticket?
your thoughts?
thanks
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Menaka,
For children under 5 years of age, I would not recommend a London Pass as they often get in free, so it would be unlikely to save you money and will likely cost you extra money you don’t need to spend.
Now for the 5 year old, it depends. The child London Passes are designed for children 5 to 15. But you will usually save less with a 5 year old than a 15 year old as many attractions in London offer discounts for younger children. It really varies though. For instance at Westminster Abbey, those 5 and under are free whereas they pay the same price as a 15 year old visitor at London Zoo. So I would look at the main London attractions you plan to visit and see if it will save you money or not.
And yes, a London Pass will save you time rather than buying individual tickets, so something to consider as well if you plan to buy passes for the adults in your family as you would still need to wait in line for discounted child tickets if they do not get in free.
If you do purchase a London Pass, do not purchase the travel card option for a 5 year old. Children of that age travel for free on almost all public transit options within London so it won’t save you any money.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Jessica
Susan Jerrott Post author
A few questions as I’m so confused. Thank you first for your great article:
1. I keep seeing some people say not to get the London Pass because there are 2 for 1 offers at all the places that they cover. What’s your opinion on that – it is through some sort of travel card?
2. Is there a maximum number of places you can visit with the London pass per day, or per pass? Or, hypothetically, can I do as many as I want?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Susan,
Glad our London Pass article was helpful and happy to try to provide some help.
1. I am not aware of any card or regular 2 for 1 discounts on most of these London attractions. I am sure you might find such a deal with a coupon on an attraction or two in London, but most of the attractions on the London Pass are expensive premium attractions (e.g., Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens, Queen’s Gallery, Kensington Palace) that would rarely offer such a deal. We recommend the London Pass to most people who plan to visit London for at least 2 full days and want to visited several included attractions, but you should definitely do some quick calculations to make sure it is a good fit for you and your trip. The longer the time and pass length, the more potential savings and value.
2. There is not a maximum number of places, but there is a maximum purse value. Which means you can’t visit as many attractions as you want, but people rarely would go over the purse value. For example with the 3 Day London Pass you can visit as many attractions as you want up until a £370.00 value.
Here is a breakdown of the credits value for each Adult London Pass (as of March 2019):
1 Day: £ 195.00
2 Day: £ 295.00
3 Day: £ 370.00
6 Day: £ 625.00
10 Day: £ 925.00
Hope that helps and let us know if you have further questions.
Best,
Jessica
Anna Post author
Hi Jessica,
Your blog has been a huge help for getting me started, and organizing things in a way that doesn’t overwhelm when planning!
Just wanted to note the Days Out website with the 2 for 1 deals, which does have a lot of locations.
The London pass is totally worth it, I think, for someone traveling alone or an odd number group. But now the 2 for 1 deals have thrown a wrench in my calculations to buy/not buy London pass XD
I think the downside of the 2-for-1 is that you have to sign up for each one? And it requires taking a train (needs train ticket proof) to that location. Also, some of the deals are time limited and may not continue on to the next year.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Anna, Yes, the Days Out 2 for 1 deals change and are often time limited and are designed for people who live in the UK and are popping into a city like London for the day by National Rail trains. So it is not really comparable to the London Pass and I would definitely recommend the London Pass over those deals unless you are coming into London each day using National Rail as you have to have a valid train ticket for that day to get the deal. Best, Jessica
Roopa Post author
Hi Jessica,
This is such a wonderful post. This whole post along with the questions and answers is like a mini guide. We are planning to travel to London during May 2019. I see that there are some offers going on for London Passes now. Can I buy the passes now in March 2019 and use them in May 2019?
Thanks a ton..
Roopa
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Roopa, Yes, indeed, purchasing now would be a good idea if the London Pass is on sale now. The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. So if you purchase it online on March 16, 2019, it would expire on March 16, 2020 if not used. Best, Jessica
Kathryn Marsh- Clutton Post author
Hi there, very informative article so thank you. We will be in London for 5 days in December 2019. I read somewhere that the hop on hop off bus does not run during that time so hoping you can confirm this. Thanks Kathy
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kathryn, Currently with the London Pass, you have the choice of using either the Big Bus London or Golden Tours for 1 day with any London Pass. Both bus companies run all year long, so you should have no issue using the buses in December. It is possible that they may not run Christmas Eve/Christmas Day so I would check on that if you need to take it on those dates. Best, Jessica
Dan Post author
Hello Jessica,
Thank you so much for the helpful and informative blog! We’re travelling to London in July. I have purchased the London Pass.
Is it possible to reserve ahead tickets for a specific time slot in some of the busiest attractions (Madame Tussaud)?
Thanks,
Dan
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dan,
For the most part, no, you can’t reserve in advance for most attractions with the London Pass. There are a couple things that you can (and should if planning to visit) book in advance with the London Pass like the Ben Franklin House tours and the walking tours, and these details are noted in The London Pass guidebook.
For the busiest places (e.g., Tower of London), it is best to try to visit early or late in the afternoon. But the London Pass includes fast track entry for a number of popular attractions which currently include St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Zoo, and Hampton Court Palace.
We were not aware that Madame Tussauds was added to the London Pass. I just took a look at the London Pass website and it says that “Entry valid until 31 March 2019”. I have sent a message to London Pass to better understand what this means for those traveling past March, but you may want to contact them as well as it may be that this attraction may longer be covered by the pass after March. I will let you know what I hear.
For attractions not included on the London Pass, like Buckingham Palace or the London Eye, then it is a good idea to book in advance, especially if traveling in the busy month of July.
Best,
Jessica
Dan Post author
Jessica,
I was not aware that the entry to Madame Tussauds is valid until 31 March 2019 – So thank you for the important information.
I will also contact London Pass team.
Thanks again,
Dan
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dan,
Here is the response I received:
“Currently entry to Madame Tussauds has been added for a limited period only until the 31st March 2019. It may be that this will be extended but at this stage I could only suggest checking the website nearer your intended visit date.”
So it looks like it has been added on a trial basis so it may continue for the rest of the year, but I would check before your trip to see. If it is not still included this summer, you can usually save a little money (and time) by pre-booking tickets for Madame Tussauds online.
Best,
Jessica
Maricar Post author
Hello!
I find your blogs very informative and entertaining. Thank you for sharing. I will be traveling to Bristol, UK next month and would want to do a 1 day visit to Stonehenge and 1 day trip to London most preferably a DIY kinda trip. Any tips on how to go about it? Is it necessary to buy a London Pass for 1 day trip?
Thanks in advance for your time!
Maricar
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Maricar,
I don’t know of any day tours from Bristol to Stonehenge so I would recommend taking a train or bus there or driving. There’s a shuttle bus that goes directly from Salisbury train station to Stonehenge so you may want to connect there if going by train.
For London, I’d take the train to and from and then you can see our 1 day London itinerary for tips for what to do. I would probably not get a London Pass for just a partial day there and would recommend perhaps taking a walking tour such as this one to get the most of your time.
To be honest, I would consider a closer day trip from Bristol as you won’t see a lot in London with such limited time and will spend at least 4 hours of your day on the train.
Best,
Jessica
Cindy Dunlap Post author
My daughter and I are visiting London and Paris in May for 6 days. We will be there Sunday through Saturday. However, one day we will be traveling to Paris (Wednesday) and one day we would like to visit Stonehenge. My question is, would a 2 day London Pass + Oyster card be the best for us? Also, do you have an itinerary idea for us for two days, perhaps Monday and Tuesday? Since this is our first time to London we want to cram as much of the top sites into our time there. Unfortunately I don’t believe we will have the opportunity to visit there again. Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I loved reading your blog and found it truly beneficial. Thanks! Cindy
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Cindy,
Yes, I think the 2 day London Pass may work best for you since it has to be used on consecutive days. The Oyster Card will come with a set amount of credit and you can always just add more as you need it for the rest of your trip. It does not expire.
Here are a couple of London itineraries to take a look at for planning inspiration:
-2 day London itinerary: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/two-day-london-itinerary-essential-sight-seeing/
-3 day London itinerary (consider picking just 2 or these days): https://independenttravelcats.com/3-days-in-london-itinerary/
-If you only have the London Pass for 2 days and will have about 4 days total in London, I’d try to group the activities that come with the pass for those two days, especially the more expensive places you want to see (e.g., Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, London Zoo, Churchill War Rooms, Windsor). Then you can visit the free, inexpensive, and non-included sites and activities on the other days you have.
-If you are planning a day trip to Stonehenge, you can read our tips and experiences here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/stonehenge-bath-cotswolds-day-trip-from-london/
If you are visiting Paris for sightseeing, here is a suggested 1 day itinerary and an Eiffel Tower guide. You may need to remove some places if you don’t have a full day and evening there.
For both London and Paris, since you have limited time and want to see as much as possible, I’d consider doing some walking tours or sightseeing bus tours to try to fit more in. Take Walks is a company we have used a lot and they offer tours in both cities.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
siti nur aishah jaafar Post author
Hi, thank you for your amazing tips! I would like to ask if I need to buy London pass for my 1years old baby? From the information above I confirmed that no need to purchase the Oyster card for baby but then about the London pass I’m little bit confused. And one more thing , I’m planning to go to oxford university by bus, can I use the Oyster card? I would appreciate if you can advice on this matters. Thank you
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Siti,
So glad you found our London Pass tips and info helpful in planning your trip to London. Yes, you don’t need an Oyster Card for a baby as young children travel free when accompanied by an adult.
I would not recommend buying a London Pass for a child 4 years of age or younger as most London attractions offer free entry for children under age 4 or 5. There may be a few attractions that may charge, but that vast majority of attractions in London, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, London Zoo, and Churchill War Rooms allow free entry for children under 4 who are accompanied by a parent. So you will save money by NOT purchasing a pass for your baby.
No, you cannot use the Oyster Card to visit Oxford (it only works in London with a few exceptions), you will need to purchase a regular train ticket. We’d recommend buying one in advance (such as online on Trainline) as they are normally less expensive but you can also purchase them same day at the station.
You can read our day trip to Oxford article for more information on what to do and see in Oxford.
Best,
Jessica
Meg Bhuiyan Post author
Hello there. I’ve learned so much from your blog about London Pass and decided to buy 2 (3 days pass) London pass for myself and my daughter . We are traveling on Mar 28- Apr 3 and the reason of my entry here is to make sure you get the credits. I know it’s a lot of hard work putting this blog together and you deserve every penny. More power to both of you.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Meg! So happy you found this post helpful in researching London Passes. We greatly appreciate you wanting to ensure we get credit, if you use the links in the article we do receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) on the sale. But no worries either way, as our main goals is to help people decide if the London Pass is worth it for them and their trip.
Wishing you and your daughter a wonderful trip to London!
Jessica
Adeline Post author
Hi. I came across your blog while searching for London pass/stonehenge… I bought 5 (6-day) London Pass without travel pass for our visit next month..(3 adults and 2 kids) however, Stonehenge is not included in the attractions listed. I saw day trip to stonehenge with windsor and bath but cannot find stonehenge alone. I believe windsor is already included in the london pass.. what can you recommend? We want to go to Stonehenge, we’ll be staying in kensington south area.
I hole for your response.
Thank you in advance!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Adeline,
Yes, Stonehenge is not really near London and so is not something that would be included on the London Pass. But Windsor Castle, located just outside London in Windsor, is indeed included. The transport to Windsor is also included on the London Pass if you follow the transportation guidelines (take the correct trains) given by London Pass to reach Windsor – you don’t need to use travel card for that trip just your London Pass.
For Stonehenge, most tours are full days with stops to break up the journey in places like Bath or the Cotswolds as you have seen. But if you want the quickest tour with no other stops, I’d recommend looking at this express tour which takes about 6 hours in total. That is about as quick as you can do a tour to Stonehenge as it is a 2 hour or so drive there and back. There is no tour guide on this trip but you’ll get an audioguide at the visitor center that will guide you around the site.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
Cheryl Post author
Our Family is planning on visiting London in March 2019. My question about the London Pass is the reservation/audio tour options. If I already have the London Pass can I add the audio tour at London Tower? Also St Paul’s cathedral has tour times, can we get those with the London pass? Thank you!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Cheryl,
OK, so first, very generally if the London Pass only includes entrance to a museum or attraction, other options like audioguides/tours/guidebooks can almost always be added for an additional fee on-site.
I don’t think the Tower of London audioguide is included with entrance to the Tower of London, but you can purchase it (I think it is £5 for adults) upon arrival on-site from the Shop. The audioguide is really good and has a number of tours and tracks you can listen to for different parts of the Tower and one designed for children and families. There are also usually free short daily tours available for visitors focused on a specific part of the Tower as well.
St. Paul’s Cathedral entrance with the London Pass comes with a free included multimedia guide (available in several languages) if you want to do a self-guided tour. You also can join one of the regular guided daily tours for free if available, you’ll just need to register on arrival for the tour time that you want. So I’d just recommend checking the tour times for the date you want to visit and showing up early to put your name down for that tour.
Hope that helps, and wishing you and your family a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Brandon S Diamond Post author
I ordered London Pass online, and made sure to click submit only once. They then charged us 3 times and sent us 3 pairs of London Passes. According to the records, all three orders were submitted at the same minute of the same day. We contacted the vendor and said that there is no reason for 2 people to need 6 passes, and we would like our money back. It took a few days for them to respond each time we emailed them. They said that would give us our money back if we pay to send them back, but they would not give us back the $10.16 each for shipping, which means we would be out about $41 in round trip shipping. This was not our mistake, and now has us wondering if they did it intentionally, since they admit it is probably a website error, but are still trying to have us pay for round trip shipping if we want a refund. We have not even gotten to London and already regret working with this company.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Brandon, I am sorry to hear that! That is frustrating and it probably was just a website error. I have never heard this complaint before and we get a lot of reader emails and comments related to the London Pass, and have purchased a number of passes ourselves through the Leisure Pass websites. You booked directly through the London Pass website correct?
If you did NOT purchase them from the London Pass, then you will have to deal with the issue from the reseller. We only recommend and have direct experience with London Pass.
If you did purchase them from London Pass directly, I am guessing that the London Pass would be willing to exchange your passes for free in London once you arrive at their London Pass Redemption Centre Desk (centrally located) if you bring them in person. I would ask for this so it will save you the return shipping fees. If they agree, get it in writing, and then print the email and have it with you to show when you want to get the refund. It may be past your money back guarantee so make sure this is noted.
I would call the London Pass or Skype them for a quicker response, they are open every day during business hours (UK time). You can also ask to talk to someone who might be more able to help with this issue.
Best,
Jessica
Brandon D Post author
Yes, we did order directly from their website. I was thinking we would bring them to return in person, but that is a great idea to get an email in advance. However, we would still be out $20 in shipping because of their mistake.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Brandon, I would call them, it is possible that someone could authorize the shipping refund because of the error but I am not sure. But either way, I hope you have a wonderful trip to London – it is am amazing city and there are so many great places to visit with the London Pass! Best, Jessica
Abe Post author
Going in September this year (2018). Can anyone verify/confirm whether or not roaming data and/or access to WiFi has to be available on a mobile device if one were to choose the mobile option? We typically turn off our data (and don’t pay for extra data) when we travel internationally, so I was just wondering if the mobile app still works with data turned off. Thanks!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Abe,
For the London Pass mobile ticket – you do of course need a data connection to download the app. But once you have done that and set it up on your device, it should work offline without a data connection. So you will want to download the app before your trip (or in London using free WiFi somewhere which is easy to find).
The London Pass websites states the “Mobile London Passes can also be retrieved without a data connection by clicking on ‘Your Mobile London Pass’ within the London Pass App.” You can read more about the app and the process of installing and using it here.
The London pass mobile ticket takes the form of a QR code, which attractions will scan from your phone screen using a special reader. It’s kind of like a mobile boarding pass. The app does have a number of other features like maps and so on, which may require an internet connection to work, but the most important part is the mobile ticket which doesn’t need internet access.
We didn’t have any issues. However, as a backup, what we did so we didn’t have to rely on the app was just to screenshot the pass on our phone. That way, even if for some reason the app stopped working (it didn’t, but you never know!), we could still show the ticket as the saved image on our phone screen for validation.
The other option of course if you don’t want to have your smartphones on you is to just get the standard London Pass physical passes and use those. You can have these mailed before your trip or pick them up for free once you are in London.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Laurence
Desirae Post author
Me and my daughter Leave for London & Paris in 2 weeks. Our very first time ever. We will only be in London for 3 days so I was thinking of doing the 2 day London pass. Purchasing these now is a little more expensive with the exhange rate on my card. Do you suggest I get them as soon as we arrive at the airport along with an oyster card. What would be the best option and $ saving in your opinion and then I can download the app for the London guide.
Also is it best to get spending money converted here in the US ahead of time for each place we visit?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Desirae,
Very excited to hear about your first trip to London & Paris – I am sure you and your daughter will have such a wonderful time!
The exchange rates change all the time but are unlikely to be that different in 2 weeks. Your best bet is to purchase it with your credit card as that will normally give you the best rate. Also I’d recommend purchasing it online as the pass prices on the website are generally the lowest possible prices and they sometimes have discounts going.
-If you want the mobile version of the London Pass, you can purchase it now or wait until you are in London. But note that the mobile version does NOT include the Oyster Card. So you would need to purchase the Oyster Card separately (so can buy it at airport after you arrive) if you purchase the Mobile version.
-If you want the regular (physical) version of the London Pass, I’d recommend purchasing it online now and pick it up for free once in central London (you can’t pick up at airport, but the office is centrally located in London near the National Gallery). You can purchase the London Pass + Travel card if you want the Oyster Card included. However, if you want to start using your Oyster Card right away, you can purchase the London Pass at the airport once you arrive.
In general, the best (and safest) way to purchase items is normally to use your credit card. When making purchases at a cash register, ask for the transaction to be done in the local currency to avoid extra currency exchange fees. If you have a credit card that does not have foreign transaction fees, be sure to use that one.
For needed cash, I’d take out money at a ATM at the airport or find one attached to a bank in London (and Paris for euros). You’ll need an ATM card or debit card with a 4 digit pin. Check with your bank concerning international charges. Here is a list of the transaction fees for some of the major banks.
Also, before your trip, I’d call your bank(s) and have them add a travel alert to your account. They’ll just need to know a few details of your trip (dates, cities you plan to visit) and that you plan to make transactions in the UK and France. Otherwise they might think it is fraud and deny your transactions until they hear from you.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any further questions!
Best,
Jessica
i_am_a_crafty_mama Post author
Thank you for this comprehensive post. We will be travelling to London in the late summer for 7 days. We will be taking a pre-booked Harry Potter bus to the Studios and another bus tour that includes Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath. We will be visiting the museums, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. We have 2 children that will be traveling with us one under 11 and one over.
Based on our anticipated traveling patterns a 1 week travel card seems the best option.
I am unsure if the London Pass for 2 days will be worthwhile. Perhaps, you could provide some input.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Crafty Mama,
Glad you found our tips on using the London Pass helpful!
Sounds like you already have a lot planned. For the travel piece, if you are getting Oyster Cards, your youngest (under 11) can travel for free with an adult with an Oyster Card on most forms of public transport within London so shouldn’t need a travel card. You can see our article on the Oyster Card here: https://independenttravelcats.com/tips-for-buying-using-the-oyster-card-in-london/
Since you are going out of London for 1.5 to 2 days, I’d probably recommend either the 3 day (or 6 day) London Pass if you will be in London on at least 3 consecutive days. You’ll generally save more money with the longer cards than the shorter ones (3 day versus 2 day). The Tower of London is included as are almost 50 other sites in London. We really love those cards as they will save you money if you plan to visit a number of attractions in London, but it does of course depend on your itinerary. I would buy them without Travel in your case since you are getting separate travel cards and your one child would not need it at all.
Hope this helps and let me know if you have further questions. Wishing you a wonderful trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Tracy Post author
Hi! I found your article so informative! My sister and I are traveling to London this upcoming Friday. I think I want to purchase the London Pass since we will be there for a full week. Do you know what attractions require reservations ahead of time? How do you make a reservation if you purchased a London Pass? Does it make more sense to purchase a London Pass online now or when we get Heathrow Airport? We are coming from the U.S.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tracy, So happy you found our London Pass review helpful 😉 There are only a few attractions in London with the London Pass that require (or recommend) a reservation and these change (so do check the London Pass guidebook and website) but currently they include the Benjamin Franklin House tour, the bike tours, and the walking tours. Also if you are interested in the offered discounted theater tickets, you’ll want to book those in advance. But you don’t normally need to book far in advance, a few days or a week will usually be fine. The information about booking or recommended reservations is included on The London Pass guidebook and on the London Pass website.
There’s a really good sale on London Passes at the moment with 15% off 6 day passes (check prices here) so I’d book online in advance to save money on the passes as there aren’t discounts available on the in-person purchases. Then you can pick it up the card at the redemption center for free once you are in London or use the mobile version (if you are not getting the Transport option).
However, if you want to also want to buy the Transport option and want to start using it from Heathrow, you might want to then get it at Heathrow since you probably don’t have enough time to have it mailed to you before you trip. But I’d probably still recommend booking online and just buying a Underground ticket from Heathrow for the most cost savings given the current sale.
Hope this helps! And if you are in London for a week, we recommend checking out our 6 day London itineraryy which should give you some good ideas of where to use your Passes 😉
Wishing you and your sister a wonderful trip to London!
Jessica
Michelle Post author
The amount of helpful information in this blog is endless! Thank you so much. Heading to London with my daughter in just a few weeks! We can’t wait!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Michelle, Thanks for taking the time to comment, we are always happy to hear that we’ve helped someone prepare for a trip. If you have any questions as you plan for your trip to London, just let us know! Wishing you and your daughter a wonderful time in London! Best, Jessica
Darlene Post author
Hello, I see that “skip the lines” are at a few attractions. But doesn’t the pass actually save time at all attractions? You don’t need to stand in line to purchase a ticket do you? Your post are very informative and helpful, thank you!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Darlene, Yes, in general the pass can help you save time anywhere there is a ticket line. So you can skip the ticket lines at most attractions. However, there are also sometimes lines to just get in and you get to skip those or be in a separate faster line just for pass/ticket holders at the busier attractions. It does not allow you to skip security lines. Hopefully that helps! Best, Jessica
Allison Johnson Post author
Hi there!!!! Thank you so much for such a helpful review! I will definitely use all of your info while planning our trip of a family of 4 in June. One quick question…..I want to purchase the London Pass and travel to Windsor. I understand that I need to follow the specific travel directions listed in the guide book for the traveling price to be included. It looks like we would leave from the Paddington Station, change trains in Sloth (???), and continue to the Windsor Station. What should we estimate the travel time to be if we do this? Thank you!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Allison, Yes, that is correct. You’ll want to check the latest London Pass guidelines in the guidebook or on their website for the free travel to Windsor. But has normally been from Paddington Station via Great Western Railway with a platform change at Slough station and then onto Windsor. So Paddington Station to Slough and then Slough to Windsor. The journey takes about 30 to 35 minutes from Paddington to Windsor (of course you also will need to take into account your time getting to Paddington Station).
Just be sure to have your London Passes to show as you go through the manned wide aisle gate at Paddington and again to show the conductor as you get on the train at Slough. Don’t buy train tickets or swipe your Oyster Cards here if you have them as you don’t want to use your credit since the journey is included as part of your London Pass. Hope that helps clarify everything! Best, Jessica
LKay Post author
Hello, I enjoyed reading your London Pass experience. My question is about the 30 day from purchase refund policy, should I purchase my Pass 30 days before my trip but go ahead and make reservations at the sites that require one? (which are those?) Does the guidebook come with the tickets if they are mailed? I would think getting the Oyster card included would be one less stop to make in uncharted territory!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi LKay,
Glad our London Pass review has been helpful to you 😉
The passes are valid for 12 months from purchase so if you needed to reschedule your trip, then you could still use them later. But if you think that there is a decent chance that you may need to cancel your trip for some reason, then I would do the 30 days before you plan to leave or buy the extra protection that will be offered when you order online (the trip protection is valid for 12 months). Of course if you have travel insurance, this may also cover travel pass purchases if you need to cancel your trip. You can read more about the money back guarantees for the pass here.
The guidebook does come with the London Pass and will be mailed to you if you order the London Passes online. You can check the guidebook or latest info for each attraction on the London Pass online to see which recommend or require reservations. Most of the major attractions do NOT require any reservations and most don’t allow you to make reservations. Those attractions that do recommend reservations change over time, but reservations at the Benjamin Franklin house and some of the walking tours were recommended when we last used the London Pass. You can make any needed reservations as soon as you have your pass details. If you are interested in booking discounted West End theatre tickets with the London Pass, you may also want to book these in advance if that is of interest.
Yes, if you plan to use the Oyster Card, then I’d get the London Pass with the transport option so that you don’t have to get it separately. Then you can start using both as soon as you arrive in London.
Hope this helps and wishing you a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
LKay Post author
Thank you so much for the helpful answer!
Johnny Post author
Hi Jessica, We (6 of us including 4 children) are doing a stop over in London for a day in July. Our arrival time is around 10AM. and departure is at 8AM next day. We want to do a quick sight seeing and have booked a hotel at Terminal4 for the night. Our #1 choice is London eye and #2 the London bridge and if time permits to see other attractions. Also want to use the Hop on and Hop off bus for a quick tour as well. Can you please suggest best options to utilize our time properly? We have more time in the afternoon and evening and I see most of the attractions close by 5 or 6PM. Can you tell us how to get to this places from the airport without taxi and back? Is it worth buying the London pass?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Johnny,
I am not sure which of London’s airports you are arriving from and leaving from (there are 6 major ones!), but I am guessing Heathrow as it is the largest. Here is a guide to the transport options for getting into London from each of the London airports.
In terms of what to do and see – the London Eye is actually open late so you can save that for the end of the day so you can spend more time exploring other spots. I would start at the London Bridge since that is a priority and then maybe get the hop-on, hop-off bus at a nearby stop after you visit the London Bridge. Then after the bus tour, I’d get off the bus around Parliament Square in Westminster. Here you can see view some of the city’s most famous building including the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. If you have time, you can visit Westminster Abbey. You can then walk across the River Thames towards the London Eye. Along the way (it is only a 10 to 15 minute walk) are a few family friendly attractions (Sea Life London Aquarium and Shrek’s Adventure) that may be of interest. Then you can do the ride of the London Eye before heading back to your hotel.
In terms of whether to buy a London Pass or not, it really depends on how much you will have time to see given that arriving/baggage collection/transit will cut into the amount of time you will have in the city. Also it will depend on how many included attractions you want to visit. In the above scenario I wrote about the following are on the London Pass: London Bridge, Westminster Abbey & Hop-on Hop-off Bus. You might also want to check out the London Explorer Pass (7 attraction version) which includes from the above: Westminster Abbey, Hop-on Hop-off Bus, SeaLife London Aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure, and London Eye. I would do the cost calculations for each pass once you have a better idea of where you want to go and see if either will save you money/time or if you are better off just purchasing individual tickets.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Jessica
Raihan mahmud Post author
This is a very helpful post on using the London Pass. According to my plan, it’s awesome. We want to travel to Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Kensington Palace, and HMS Belfast with my family. We are also visiting free parks, galleries, and museums in London there is any suggestion for me. Are these all open 7 days a week. There are three members on my journey and his is a special trip to London for me, probably first and only time.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Raihan, So happy that you found our post helpful, and the London Pass can help you save money and the included guidebook that comes with the pass will give you the opening hours for each attraction. Most the of the main attractions in London are open daily but I would also double check the attraction website’s though for any irregular closings before your trip. I wish you the best and I would check our 6 day London itinerary post to help you plan out your days and you might consider an Oyster Card to help you move about London. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Best, Jessica
Raj Post author
Hi Jessica, well done for the great article, very informative and a must read article to anyone who is visiting London for the first time. I will be travelling to London on the 19th Jan’18 till 22nd Jan’18. Since my travel is during winter season, do you think purchasing London Pass is worth it? Should I consider only the top attractions and purchase the tickets separately (purchase online), due to the weather condition?
Thanks.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Raj, I am glad that you have found our London Pass article helpful. Almost all the attractions in London are open year-round and a large number are open daily. The winter weather in London, although it can often be cold and rainy, rarely leads to anything being closed although you may want to focus on indoor attractions more than outdoor ones, especially if you are visiting from a warm weather country. Just be prepared by bringing along warm clothes you can layer, a hat, a pair of gloves, a coat, a rainjacket or umbrella, comfortable walking shoes, and you will be ready for winter London weather. But I think that you’ll still get value out of a London Pass no matter the season, London is always a popular and busy destination and you can save a lot of money (and time) if you plan to visit several of the included attractions. I would of course do a bit of research to calculate if it would indeed be worth it for you.
I would also recommend checking out our London public transportation guide and our suggested 2 day and 6 day London itineraries to help you decide plan your time sightseeing in London. Wishing you a wonderful trip to London later this month and do let me know if you have any further questions!
Best, Jessica
Tahura Nahar Post author
Wow, this is an amazing review of the London Pass, best I have read online! Your tips are amazing, looking forward to my trip to London and using the pass to visit so many of these great places like Windsor Castle, the Shard, and the London Zoo.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tahura, Glad you found it helpful and just let us know if you have any questions about the London Pass or your trip. Depending on how long you are in London our 6 day London itinerary may be helpful in helping you to plan your trip to London! Best, Jessica
Sneha Jajodia Post author
Hi, I was planning to visit the Stonehenge but I couldn’t find any online site to book prior entry tickets . I hope you can tell me about it
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Sneha, Tickets can be booked in advance via the official English Heritage Stonehenge website: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times I am not sure there are priority tickets, but you can save time if you book in advance as you will not have to wait in the regular ticket line or you can book a bus tour that will include the entry tickets in the price. It is obviously not included on the London Pass as it is about 2 hours (driving or tour bus) from London, a bit more by public transit. Best, Jessica
Millie Post author
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for your helpful and complete information! I’m going to London with my boyfriend on August 16th and we took the London Pass and Oyster Travelcard for 3 days. I tried to plan an itinerary and it looks like the following: DAY 1 – Windsor Castle and Hampton Court, DAY 2 – Tower of London, Tower Bridge exhibition and St-Paul’s Cathedral, DAY 3 – Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace and London Zoo. Do you think it’s doable and also enjoyable without any rush? We also have plan to spend a whole day doing attractions and visiting places that aren’t covered by London Pass, such as the Natural History Museum, the Borough Market, the Hyde Park, the Big Ben, the London Eye, etc… I feel like time will fly and there’s so much to see…! Anything you would recommend to not miss? Also, any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂 Thanks a lot!!!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Millie, Sounds like you have a fun trip to London planned and I think you will definitely save some money on attractions with a London Pass after looking at your drafted itinerary. Now, I do think you can see all those places, but I would suggest reorganizing the itinerary a bit.
For Day 1, I would suggest going first to Windsor Castle (follow the transport instructions to get free transit with your London Pass, then you do NOT need to buy a train ticket) and then visiting London Zoo. These are much closer together and also you don’t have 2 out of central London places in one day. Other places you may want to see if you have time after the zoo that are within walking distance is Camden Market (fun place to walk around & eat), the Jewish Museum (free with London Pass), and Jason’s canal boats (free ride with London Pass). Day 2 – Today I would consider using your Thames River cruise hop-on, hop-off ticket as all these locations are walkable from the river. I would start early with the Tower of London (try to arrive right when it opens or a little before – lots to see but it can get crowded), then go to the Tower Bridge exhibition, then St. Paul’s, and then I’d head to Westminster Abbey (and of course take a look at next door Parliament/Big Ben for some pics). That is a lot, but if you still have time/energy the Churchill War Rooms nearby are fantastic. Day 3 – Head to Kensington Palace in the morning so you get there around opening (the park and gardens also worth wandering around) and then head out to Hampton Court Palace.
For your free day, those are all great places, although you should be able to get great views of Big Ben on Day 2 and might want to try doing the London Eye on the evening of Day 2 as it runs pretty late (great time is a little before and during sunset). On your free day, I’d also recommend the British Museum but only if you have extra time. I think going in with a planned itinerary is good, but don’t feel like you need to stick to it or see everything – enjoy your vacation, have fun, and don’t forget to just enjoy the city 😉 Best, Jessica
Millie Post author
Hi Jessica! Wow, words cannot express how really grateful I am to your reply! Thank you so so much for your suggestions and ideas, I’ll definitely consider everything you said and make the most out of my time in London! Thanks for your time and kindness, it is much appreciated! 🙂
Laura bohachevsky Post author
Jessica,
We are a family of five. We are traveling to London July 2017. Our children are 15 ,14 and 10. I have purchased the London pass/travel pass together. It will be coming in the mail. My question is. Do I need to activate the children’s oyster pass, as I think they might have paper pass.
Does it cover the Heathrow airport to London tube transport?
Thank you,
Laura bohachevsky
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Laura, Sounds like you will be heading to London soon! So if you have the London Passes with the Travel, then for adults you’ll have the Oyster Visitor Cards. These you can start using whenever you wish and you can add more credit to them if needed. You can also keep them for a future trip as well.
The children will receive paper off-peak Travel Cards as part of the Child London Pass + Travel packages. They will receive the same number of tickets that corresponds to the number of days of your London Pass (so 3 paper travelcards for 3 days per child) that are good for zones 1-6 of London. 1 day travel cards (off-peak) can be used from 9.30am Mondays to Fridays, all day Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, on each day of validity and for any journey that starts before 4.30am on the day following the expiry date. Please also note that delivered travel cards are date stamped on issue so you should have already provided the dates for when they will be valid when you ordered them at checkout. Further credit cannot be added to the travel cards. So you do not need to activate them but you do need to use them on the dates they are stamped. Note that if you are traveling with a 10-year-old, they travel for free on public transport in London when traveling with an adult holding a valid Oyster Travelcard so your 10-year-old should not need a ticket as long as you are with them and have your Oyster Card.
The cards and tickets do both include Underground (Tube) travel to and from Heathrow Airport.
Hope this helps, and have a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Angie Post author
Thank you so much for all the helpful information. Our family of four will be visiting London 29th May – 8th June, 2017 and are considering purchasing the 10 Day London Pass along with the travel cards. Our children are 16 and 19 and I believe we’ll need to purchase adult tickets for them? We will be staying in an apartment in Chelsea so I’m sure we will be using public transport a fair amount. Also have tickets to HP Studio and should be able to use travel cards for that transportation as well? (Any advice on public transportation route to get to the HP Studio from Chelsea area?) One concern we had was getting tickets to Kensington Palace as it appears online sales are getting sold out during the time of our visit. I know entry in to Kensington Palace is included but is there chance we could not get in because there are no tickets available or it is sold out? We are also considering a day trip to Stonehenge, Bath, etc. and are debating between a tour or going on our own? Possibly even a day trip to Brighton? Any suggestions you have to offer would greatly appreciated.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Angie,
Glad you found our info on the London Pass helpful. Sounds like you will be in London for a while and the 10 Day London Pass can be a great value – the longer the duration the more you can get out of the London Passes.
For the transportation to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio, this is just outside London but you can use an Oyster Card to pay for your travel there by train. Take a bus or Tube from Chelsea to London Euston rail station and then take a train to Watford Junction station. Then a shuttle bus from Watford Junction train station is available to the attraction. The shuttle bus costs £2.50 per person (cash only) and a valid booking confirmation or Studio Tour ticket is needed to board the shuttle.
Kensington Palace is not normally sold out and tickets are usually easily available at the office on most days. The current issue is there is currently a 2-year exhibition of Diana’s clothing that is very popular and the palace is much more busy than normal because of it. Over the summer months in particular, it might be wise to book an advanced ticket if you really want to visit as yes it could be sold out. However, the website says that a limited number of tickets may be available each day even when tickets are sold out online – I would advise getting there just before it opens on a weekday (avoid weekends) and you’ll probably get in as it is not normally busy until a bit later in the morning with peak time in the early afternoon. Also since you have a lot of days in London, I would try early in your trip and then if sold out, you can try booking a ticket or coming back later in your trip.
I think it depends on how much time you want to spend in each place on your day trip, if you want a lot of leisure time, I’d advise taking trains or buses and doing it yourself. If you just want to see the highlights and don’t want to worry about the logistics, there are loads of group bus tour and private tours available. You can read about our day trips to Stonehenge and Bath and our day trip to Oxford and the Cotswolds here for some general options. But there are loads of options no matter if you choose to do it on your own, with a bus tour, or hire a private car/van. I have not been to Brighton yet so can’t personally advise on it but options are same as above although less popular as a day tour than above, it is about a 2 hour train journey from London.
Hope the above helps and have a great trip to London!
Best,
Jessica
Barbara Kneer Post author
Really appreciated your helpful information! Is it possible to check your balance on an Oyster Card before getting to the turnstiles? I don’t want to add unnecessary credit, but don’t want to be caught at the entry and have to go top up , delaying our journey. Thanks so much. Barbara
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Barbara, Glad this was helpful! Yes you can check the balance of a Visitor Oyster Card. If you go to a ticket machine in a tube station, if you touch your card to the yellow reader, it should give you your balance. You should also see your balance when you use the card although it flashes quickly. If you have any problems, staff members can also assist. Enjoy your time in London. Best, Jessica
Kyung Post author
Hello,
I am ordering the London Pass/Oyster card via Online website. Can you tell me if the pass/travel card comes already activated or I have to find a ticket window office and get it activated? This is my first time visiting London and I am purchasing 3-day pass.
Thank you,
Kyung
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kyung, You just need to order them here online and then they will either be delivered to your home or you can pick them up once you arrive in London at the pass office. They become activated on your first use (you do not need to go anywhere specific for them to be activated). So the first time you visit an attraction, the London Pass 3-day time starts. Remember for the London Pass it is good for 3 consecutive days (not 72 hours) so start using it in the morning if you can of your first day. For the Oyster TravelCard, you can use it at any time and it will have a set amount of credit on it and you can use that credit anytime (you can also add credit to the card). Using the Oyster Card does not activate your London Pass or vice versa. So they do not have to be used together, although of course most people use them at the same time. If you have remaining credit on your Oyster card, you can keep using it or use it on a future visit to London. Hope this helps and enjoy your visit to London! Happy travels, Jessica
Debbie Post author
Hello,
My husband Tom and I will be arriving in London on Easter Sunday. We have reserved the London 3 Day pass. If we were to pick it up on Sunday or Monday I understand I can start using it on Tuesday. My question is, however, that it dies come with a hop-on hip-off pass. If I pick up the pass early does the hop- on pass start that same day? Or, can I get the hop-on pass on the day I want to start my pass.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Debbie, Yes, you can pick up the London Pass and then start using it later in the week, that is not a problem. I would however, check to make sure the ticket office is open on Easter Sunday as it is a holiday. Yes, all passes come with the hop-on, hop-off bus which is valid for 1 day. You need to collect the hop-on, hop-off bus ticket at a ticket collection spot or bus stop (there are about a dozen places) using your London Pass and it DOES activate your pass if you haven’t started using it. So my advice would be to just pick up the ticket the day you plan to use it in the morning and use it to get to places you want to visit with your London Pass. Hope this helps and happy travels to London! Best, Jessica
David Shefter Post author
Thanks for the tips
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Here is our 6 day London itinerary for those readers who are also interested in a detailed itinerary for visiting the highlights of London and have 5 days to a week in London: https://independenttravelcats.com/2017/08/28/london-itinerary-6-days-in-london/ It includes a number of sites included on the London Pass as well as free sites and some other highlights. Best, Jessica
David Shefter Post author
Thanks for all of your helpful information regarding London Pass. I purchased the 6-day pass for myself and 14 year-old daughter. We are visiting June 27-July 3, so I got the 6-day pass with travel since we are staying near the London City Airport and will be traveling by DLR and Tube each day into London to visit all of the attractions. Wanted to know about discounts on tours not covered by the Pass, specifically Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes since my daughter loves both and we plan to do those tours along with many of the popular attractions covered by London Pass. We have six days in London so there should be ample enough time to get the most out of our pass. It cost $350 for the two of us with travel.
Would you have a recommended itinerary to do all of the popular attractions within a six-day window. We also do plan to visit the London Eye, which I know is not covered by London Pass.
Thanks
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi David,
Sounds like you will also be using the Oyster Card a lot as well during your visit so good that you have that sorted out as well. Yes, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is good for that area as well as of course the Tube and buses.
For Sherlock Holmes or Harry Potter, you shouldn’t have any issue finding a walking tour as the London Pass gives discounts on a few walking and bike tours with several companies. I would check out London Walks and Brit Movie Tours as both offer both Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes walking tours and you receive discounts on tickets with the London Pass. Just be sure to check the schedule in advance of your trip as most tours are only offered on certain days of the week so you can find one that works with your schedule.
A couple other places of interest that are not covered by the pass that you might want to consider are the Sherlock Holmes Museum and the WP Studio Tour London. If you want to visit the WB Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (located outside London in Watford, England) you’ll want to book now as they sell out sometimes months in advance. There are no London Pass connected discounts and there aren’t a lot of normal discounts offered for these tickets as they are quite popular.
I do not yet have a 6-day itinerary but I am actually working on doing some itineraries in London over the summer. But not soon enough for your visit I am afraid.
Hope this helps and happy travels to London.
Best,
Jessica
Jane Kim Post author
Hi Jessica,
Thank you so much for your time and effort on this post. It really helped me and I bet it will continue to be on my trip!
I am a solo traveller, and will be travelling to London next month, and will have two full days and a half day before my flight to another country.
I have read your post in addition to others regarding the London Pass, but still am unsure of whether purchasing a London Pass and Oyster Card will be of more value to me than not purchasing one. I do want to see most of the sites included in the Pass, yet many of which I want to see are also already free.
As of the moment, what I have in mind are: Tower of London, HMS Belfast, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tate Modern Art Gallery, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kensington Palace, Victoria and Albert Museum, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, and the National History Museum.
I wonder if, I can do all this in two and a half days, adding the fact that I am planning to catch at least one and possibly two musicals in the evenings, and also if I would be saving some money purchasing the London Pass and the Oyster Travel Card, or perhaps only one out of the two.
Your help would mean so much to me.
Hoping to hear back from you!
Jane
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Jane,
Glad you found our article on the London Pass helpful! Now, regarding your question, first I think you need to break down what is free, what is covered by the London Pass, and what is not free but not covered by the London Pass to figure out if it is worth it or not.
Out of your list, the Tower of London, HMS Belfast, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral (new after April 1, 2017!), Kensington Palace, and the Tower Bridge Experience are all included with free entry. You can’t visit Buckingham Palace state rooms next month (only in July/August) but the London Pass includes free entry into both the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. Entry to the Tate Modern’s permanent collection is free, but with the London Pass you get a free audioguide. So if you purchased a 2 day London Pass (£85 for a 2-day pass as of March 2017) you would definitely save money if you visited all of the above. You can specifically go through and calculate the entry costs versus the amount for the London Pass if you wish. Also it allow you the option to pop into other places along the route that you may not have considered and may also save you time since pass holders get fast-track entry at some of the attractions you are interested in. I would try to see all the London Pass specific places in a 2 day period and then do the rest on your half day. You also have free access to the Hop-on, Hop-off bus for one day with the pass which should get you to any of the places you on your list, which may save you a day of not needing to use public transit depending on where you are staying.
Now, whether you have time to visit all these plus the rest on your list and go to one or two musicals, I am not sure. You probably can if you don’t mind heading out early each day and having a full itinerary with only short breaks for lunch – just plan your route ahead in advance. Having a Visitor Oyster Card will definitely save you money on public transport if you plan to use it, but whether you buy the card in advance or on arrival, the prices are the same. You can read this article for more tips on using the Oyster Card.
Hope this helps and happy travels!
Jessica
Samantha Baker Post author
Hi Jessica,
Thank you so much for such a great post! Our family of 4 is spending 7 days in London in September and we are seriously considering the London Pass, but I have a few questions if you wouldn’t mind answering them?
1. If I purchase my London Pass in advance, can I then use it online to book attractions that require reservations? (Buckingham Palace, Royal Mews, Westminster Abbey, etc.)? I can’t seem to find that answer anywhere, and I know that several attractions require advance reservations or you won’t get in. How does this work with a London Pass?
2. Because we are there for 7 days, we are planning to do a 7 day travel card that covers zones 1-3. We are staying in Highgate and I just don’t think we will need anything past zone 3, correct?
Thank you so much!
Samantha
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Samantha,
Of course, happy to try to help and so happy to hear that our post was helpful to you in planning your trip to London.
1. You actually don’t need reservations for most attractions including the Royal Mews and Westminster Abbey, and your London Pass acts as your ticket in most cases. There are a few sites where you should book in advance (such as the Benjamin Franklin House) and you will need to book most walking tours, bike tours, and discounted theatre tickets. However even for the tours you don’t need to make an advance reservation very far in advance (normally 48 hours is sufficient although earlier the better in case they book up) and you should be able to use your London Pass once you have the number to book the theater tickets in advance (there is information on the appropriate phone numbers/emails in the helpful guidebook that comes with the pass). So basically for most attractions, you don’t need a reservation and the guidebook with the pass will tell you when a reservation is needed or recommended and how to do it.
NOTE: You should indeed purchase tickets in advance for Buckingham Palace if you want to tour the State Rooms (they are only open for 2-3 months of the year) but it is not included as part of the London Pass so you will need to book those tour tickets separately. Note that The Queens Gallery is part of the London Pass and it does not require a reservation but tickets are subject to availability so I would advise going early in morning to ensure a ticket if you are visiting it while the State Rooms are open as it is the busiest time of year for the gallery.
2. Most people spend most of their stay within Zones 1-3 so that is probably the same with you and for most things you want to see, they will be covered. There are a few things outside the zones you may want to visit (covered by an Oyster Card or you’ll need to buy an additional ticket) such as Hampton Court Palace (Zone 6) and the Harry Potter studio tour (Zone 9; take train to Watford Junction station to connect to studio shuttle). Windsor Palace is outside London, but travel is free with the London Pass if you follow instructions in the guidebook (and noted above in the article). Here is a guide to public transportation options in London that might be helpful if you haven’t traveled in London before.
Hope this helps! For many families the London Pass can save them money (and time), but it obviously depends on where you want to go. Just let me know if you have any further questions.
Best,
Jessica
Lina Post author
One thing that’s always confused me about the pass is if I get the pass + travel option and opt to have the pass through mobile, what happens to the oyster card? Do I have to pay to get the oyster card shipped to me or do I pick it up somewhere?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Lina, As noted in the article there is no mobile version currently available for the London Pass + Travel option. So if you want to buy that package, you will need to purchase the London Pass with Oyster TravelCard is online in advance (and have it delivered or pick it up) or you can buy it in person at the London Pass Redemption Centre Desk located at 11a Charing Cross Road London. The other option is to buy the mobile pass and then purchase the Oyster Card separately. You can read our guide to buying and using the Oyster Card if you do decide to purchase it on its own. Hope that helps! Jessica
Sintha Post author
Hello Jessica,
Really great post full of important information . My son and I are going to London on April. After reading your post, I cancelled my tour that I had book since December Last Year and just getting the London Pass instead. Quick Question, is the date for the London Pass starts on our arrival day as stated in our confirmation or, its really flexible? We are not arriving to London until 8:00 PM at night so, I would not want to use the ticket right away.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Sintha, Great glad this post helped you plan your trip to London. The London Pass begins as soon as you first use it. So the first time you enter a museum or attraction is when your first day begins. So if you are arriving on 8PM, I would wait to use it the next day to get the most of your time. So it is flexible in that sense, but once you activate it, the time starts and the days are consecutive and cannot be split up. Now if you also purchased the Travel Option, then the Oyster card credit can be used at anytime to travel (isn’t linked to the London Pass) and if you have child travel passes with dates, then those do need to be used on the dates you noted when booking (they should be on the tickets). Hope this helps and have a great time in London! Best, Jessica
Kristina Post author
I am excited to purchase the London pass for our first time visit later this year. I was wondering about the discounted theater tickets as one of the special offers. How far in advance can you purchase tickets, and does purchasing tickets activate your card?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kristina, The London Pass is particularly great for first time visits! So for the discounted offers, these can change regularly. For the theater tickets, it depends on what shows are playing and on offer when you visit. We did not use this discount, but there were four shows discounted during our visit (e.g., Stomp & Thriller Live) and the discounts were about 50% off the normal ticket price. Once you have purchased The London Pass, the included guidebook will give you a concierge phone number and email that you can use to make the bookings. I think that you could probably start booking after you have completed the purchase and received the pass although it may depend of course on the specific shows. They’ll need your name and pass number to make the booking. This should not activate your London Pass. I’d love to hear more about the process of using the London Pass for the theater tickets so feel free to report back with your experiences. Wishing you a fantastic trip to London! ~ Jessica
Dan Post author
Hi I just bought for all my family (5) 3 Day London Pass + travel. As we are coming from abroad I decide to pick them up at the store in centre of London. Now, reading the comments, I would have bought just the London Pass and left the Oyster cards and buy them once in St Pancras railway station; now the fact is done. Can I do something to the order to cancel just the Oyster card keeping the London Pass alone, what do you suggest?
thank you
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dan, I am excited to hear that you are taking your family on a trip to London. I am guessing that you are reconsidering because of the limitations on the travel cards for the children? The ones for adults are the same Visitor Oyster Cards you’d purchase in London but there are some limitations for kids. There is no way to cancel only the Oyster card portion of the order online; however, you can get your money back if you have purchased them in the past 30 days online (or 12 months if you bought the protection at check-out). You’ll need to email the London Pass team and I would explain that you don’t want a full refund but need to change your order and need a refund for the difference.
Email them at info@londonpass.com with your full name, your London Pass order reference number, and details of your request. Let them know what you previously ordered and how exactly you would like to change it. It sounds like you had asked for pick up in London rather than delivery but if anything was mailed to them, you’ll need to mail it back at an address they will provide to you. They should then process any due credit to you.
Please let me know if you have any issues and I hope you have a great trip to London.
Best,
Jessica
Dan Post author
Many thanks for your prompt reply Jessica, I appreciate that.
Well, one of the reasons that make me think about the possible cancellation of the transportation piece is child travel limitation but also the fact that we will be 6 days in London and we need also to move on buses/tubes/etc the rest of the days we don’t have the London pass. Furthermore we arrive late evening at St Pancras railway station first day then I will need to buy a new Osyter card since seems to be more conveninet that individual ticleks or Travelcards (hope I can buy using my International VISA credit card in Tube front desk there at: King Cross underground,station, do you know what time they close?) and at the end of our stay we will have nine (9) Oyster cards in our hands….I have contacted LondonPass (I bough the package days ago and is between the 30 days) and seems they are willing to refund, so I’d think and most probably next week I will ask for the reimbursment…..
You know I have the same scenario for PAris Pass, and I would be doing the same, I think.asking for refund the transport piece and buy it locally when we arrive.
Thanks for your help !!!
Dan
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Dan,
Glad you got in contact with them and I am sure they will refund you if you decide to do so within the 30 day limit. Just know that for the adult Oyster cards included with the London Pass, you can just add money to them, you won’t need to buy any new cards after the 6 days are over as you can top it up/add credit. This doesn’t work for the kids though.
For St. Pancras, there is a staffed ticket office and it is open fairly late but I would check their hours here. They can sell you tickets or Oyster cards. Most London automated machines will only take cards with chip technology now but the ticket office should be able to run most credit or debit cards. If the office is closed, you can also pay in cash for tickets and I there is a cash machine/ATM in the station. If you are only doing one ride, I’d probably get an individual ticket or just get your Oyster Card if you have it – I would not buy more than one Oyster Card per person. Note that if you want to get Oyster Cards for your kids, to check the post and the TFL website for guidelines depending on your kids ages as you may want to apply for one of the child Oyster photocards.
Note that the Paris Pass is a bit different as there is no travel option, the travelcard is included in all purchases. The Paris Pass comes with three separate passes plus a 1-day hop-on, hop-off bus voucher per person. You can of course purchase the Paris Museum Pass, Paris Visit Card, and transit card separately if you wish. But if you are interested in all of these anyway, you will probably save time purchasing them as a bundle. However, if you only want one or two of the cards, then you are better off purchasing them separately.
Hope this all helps!
Happy travels,
Jessica
Michelle Flaherty Post author
Hi. I will be traveling to London with my family. Total of 5 of us. We will be in London for 4 full days with a day visiting the Warner Bros Studio in Watford. I was thinking of purchasing the 3 day pass and Travel. I do have a 12 year old. If I were to purchase the child pass with travel will I be able to add money to the child travel card? Can she use the travel card for more then 3 days? On the London Pass website it says hers is a paper travel card only good on off peak hours. Is this different then the travel card the Adults receive?
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Michelle, Sounds like you have a fun trip to London planned.
I was not 100% sure of the answer to all of your questions so I checked with London Pass to be sure. Adults receive a Visitor Oyster Card to use and children age 11-15 receive a paper off-peak travel card, which can be used within zones 1-6 of London. The 1 day travel cards (off-peak) can be used from 9.30am Mondays to Fridays, all day Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, on each day of validity and for any journey that starts before 4.30am on the day following the expiry date. So they do have restrictions as you can’t use them before 9:30am on weekdays. So if you purchased a 3-day London Pass you’d receive 3 1-day off peak travel cards for your daughter. Please also note that delivered travel cards (for children) are date stamped on issue, so please ensure you have selected the correct start date when ordering as your travel cards will have the date you selected and must be used on these specific dates. Also, you can also not add any credit to them, so if you wanted to make additional travel, you would need to buy a ticket or new travel card. So given the above, you may want to consider buying your daughter’s travel card or pass separately to make sure you can use it at all times and for your entire stay in London.
You can however, use the Oyster Cards or travel cards separately from the London Pass as using the travel cards or passes does not activate the London Passes.
Note about the Harry Potter Studio Tour – you can use your Oyster Cards to pay for that travel if you go via train to the Watford Junction station (then you can catch the HP tour shuttle to the studios). But the kid’s tickets only cover Zones 1-6 so they’ll need child fare tickets for that day.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Jessica
Morgan G Post author
I am traveling in London for about 5 days on my own. Will the London pass be a good deal for me on my own? And will it be worth it to get the 6-day pass even if I only get 5 days’ use out of it? Would I be better off seeing the more expensive sights on the 3-day pass and seeing the other sights on the days I don’t have the pass?
Thanks!
Morgan
travelcats Post author
Hi Morgan, First, the London Pass is just for one person to use so you’ll get the same benefit whether you are traveling alone or in a group, so yes, it is likely a good deal for you even if you are traveling alone. For the second question about the # of days, I would make a list of the places you definitely plan to visit on the 5 days that are included on the London Pass and then see if it makes better sense to get the 3 day or 5 day pass. If you can fit all of the visits comfortably into 3 days, then I’d do that. If not or you are not sure, I’d got for the 6-day pass as it will give you a lot more time to visit the attractions and room to add more. Let me know if you have any further questions and have a great time in London! Best, Jessica
Lisbeth Holm Post author
Thanks for a very nice site of your experience. But everywhere I look online it only says that you will get your oyster Card – but can’t find anything about HOW to get it. I plan on order the London pass online and for the mobile device, but then what about the travel Card?
travelcats Post author
Hi Lisbeth, I am glad you found the article useful. As it says in the post, if you want to purchase the London Pass with Oyster TravelCard, you have to either purchase it online in advance (then have it delivered to your home, hotel, or pick it up in person) -OR- or you can buy it in person at the London Pass Redemption Centre Desk located at 11a Charing Cross Road London, WC2H 0EP. You can not buy it for a mobile device at this time as the Oyster Card is a physical card. Another option would be to purchase the mobile London Pass and then just purchase the Oyster Card separately (either once you arrive in London or beforehand online from Transport of London to have it mailed to you before your trip). Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions. ~ Jessica
Gary Carpenter Post author
Hi there.
We had a trip to London planned and I brought a 6 day London Pass. But unfortunately my trip has been cancelled and I won’t be able to visit London by the time the Pass expires.
It hasn’t and won’t be activated.
Can I get a refund on what paid for the Pass?
travelcats Post author
Hi Gary, Sorry to hear you will not been able to make it to London this year; I hope you are able to visit next year. Yes, you can get a money back refund for a London Pass as long as your purchased it directly from the London Pass website (not a third party seller), have proof of purchase, and it has not been used/activated. It automatically comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, so if you purchased it within the past 30 days, you’ll get a 100% refund. However, if you purchased it more than 30 days but less than a year ago, you can still get your money back for any unused London Passes but they do charge a 2.5% transaction fee. You can check out details here (https://www.londonpass.com/how-it-works/london-pass-insurance.html) for both options, but you just need to directly contact London Passs via email. Email them at info@londonpass.com with your full name, your London Pass order reference number and details of your request so they can process the refund. Hope this helps! ~ Jessica
Laurence Post author
Loved the London Pass – so handy for our trip 🙂
travelcats Post author
Indeed, the London Pass is very helpful if you are visiting a lot of attractions in London! ~ Jessica
Curt Post author
I enjoyed reading your experience with the London Pass. We are traveling as a family of 6 to London next month and have our London Passes and Travel cards already. My question is regarding the travel from Windsor back to Paddington as the website and book only state travel TO Windsor is included. So travel back from Windsor is definitely included? Just show the London Pass the same way as travel to Windsor? A round trip rail fee to and from Windsor is £14 each. This can also be included in the cost / benefit analysis. Much thanks – Curt
travelcats Post author
Hi Curt, Glad you enjoyed our article on the London Pass. Yes, indeed, both travel TO and FROM Windsor Castle is included with the London Pass, whether you have the Travel Card or not. It is not as clear as it could be on the London Pass website. You do have to travel to and from the castle using the stated stations and follow instructions, but yes you should not have any issues if you do that going both ways (we didn’t have any problems).
You are right, the London Pass provides a great extra cost savings if you are traveling to Windsor. I did not include it on our cost/benefits because a lot of people won’t be visiting Windsor and it is hard to determine the exact cost savings depending on where people are starting from and the type of ticket (off-peak day return, anytime day return, etc.) But yes, about £11 – £20 would be the cost savings if someone was purchasing regular day tickets to travel to Windsor Castle and back. This perk definitely makes the London Pass even more worth it for those planning to travel to Windsor Castle!
Hope that answers your questions and thanks for signaling out the cost savings for the travel as it will likely help future readers!
Best, Jessica
scott Post author
Does using the pass to travel to windsor activate the pass? everything i am reading says to “show” it to the person at the gate. Do they just let you through without activating it?
travelcats Post author
Hi Scott, Yes, you are correct. At the station, if you are traveling to Windsor Castle and show staff the London Pass, they’ll just look at the pass and let you through the barrier. They won’t scan the pass but they may check to make sure it is valid. If Windsor Castle is the first place you are visiting with the London Pass, then it won’t be activated until it is scanned at Windsor Castle. Just be sure to travel along the correct train route to Windsor as outlined on the website and guidebook if you want to travel for free with the London Pass. Best, Jessica
Liz Post author
My hubby and I are coming to London for 8 days in July. One of the days we are going to Seven Sisters cliffs, one evening for an event we are going to Highclere Castle, and another afternoon-evening we are doing the Harry Potter Tour. So that leaves us with 5 full days and two half days in London. I was going to purchase the London Pass at a discounted rate of 110 pounds. We want to see Hampton Court, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Windsor castle, Churchill war rooms, Charles dickens museum and do the hop on hop off bus and or river cruise. We also want time to wander around. Is all of this doable in our timeframe and if so is the London pass worth it? Thanks
travelcats Post author
Hi Liz, Yes, you are spending quite a bit of time outside central London (the Highclere Castle, cliffs, Harry Potter tour) but I think 5 full days plus a little extra would be enough time to do the things on your list.
Most of the places on your list are very high value so the London Pass would likely be a very good deal for you if you go to all the places on your list and do the Thames boat ride and/or Hop on Hop Off bus. You would probably need the 6-day London Pass given your time in London. I would just be organized and do your research beforehand about opening days and times and try to fit together the places you want to see by area.
So Windsor Castle is outside London but you can go in the morning and return in the early afternoon to do more sightseeing or take a break. Just remember that travel to and from Windsor Castle is included on the London Pass if you follow the directions in the London Pass book/website.
For, the Warner Brothers Making of Harry Potter Studios tour, you can use the Oyster Card to travel by rail to the Watford Junction station (to then connect with studio shuttle), just be sure to book your studio ticket well in advance. Hampton Court is on the outskirts of London (Zone 6) so that will also take at least half a day to get there, tour, and return.
Tower of London gets very crowded (especially in summers) so it is best to try to see when it opens and from that area you can also catch the boat or bus from there to take you to some of the other places on your list such as Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms. Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms are very close together (about a 10 minute walk or less).
Best of luck on your trip to London and do let us know if you have any other questions! ~ Jessica
Liz Post author
Thank you! I looked at a map and planned out days that way. Ex:day 1 hop on/hop off bus. Get off at Buckingham palace. See Westminster Abbey, Churchhill war rooms, Kensington palace. Finish bus at end of day. On day 2: I planned the attractions near Tower of London followed by the boat cruise. I’m not sure if that is too much in one day or not but my husband and I get around fairly quickly on our trips. Thank you for your advice!
travelcats Post author
Hi Liz, I think you should be able to cover all those things as you have planned (assuming you are not touring Buckingham Palace on Day 1, but just viewing it from the exterior). But it really depends of course on how much time you spend at each attraction and such. What we do which I think is a great travel tip is to just leave a day at the end unplanned so you can always do the extra things you missed or didn’t have time for on that day. You can also use it to do new things you heard about once you arrived or to just wander around and relax. We find this really helps and makes us feel a bit less rushed as we know we have some extra time at the end of our trip to fit in anything that we ran out of time for earlier in the trip. Enjoy your time in London! ~ Jessica
Sophie Post author
Hey Laurence and Jess, how long do you reckon it would take to visit all the attractions? London looks like a fantastic destination! Thank you for bringing attention to the value of these passes instead of just getting bus pass and paying full fares for the attractions.
travelcats Post author
Hi Sophie, London is probably one of a handful of cities in the world that can easily entertain just about anyone for at least a week. To visit all the attractions we listed in our chart, we did them all in 3 days although we’d been to some of the attractions before and our time was very busy, so I would recommend a 6-day pass for that many attractions. I am not sure how long it would take to visit all the attractions included on the London Pass, you’d need at least 2 weeks probably although some would likely not be of interest to everyone. I would just make a list of all those of interest to you and figure out approximately how much time you’d like to spend at each and how far it will take to travel to each and then roughly estimate what London Pass would be the best fit for you. If you are coming to London for the first time, I’d recommend spending 5-7 days in the city to see a number of the top attractions and have some leisure time to just explore then city. I’d also consider planning a day trip outside the city (e.g., Oxford, Stonehenge, Cambridge, or Bath) if you have more than a week in London to see some sights beyond London. Best, Jessica
Bridgett Wright Post author
This is a great post! Thank you. We are currently in London and I have downloaded and synced all three of our tickets on my mobile device. However, my husband will be going to certain attractions while my son and I will be visiting different locations at the same time. I have read the website, messaged and called the company, searched the app and googled for a solution but I haven’t been able to sort this out yet. I appreciate any help you can offer. Thank you in advance!
travelcats Post author
Hi Bridgett, Glad you found this post helpful, we are just leaving London at the moment actually:) OK, so you have purchased the mobile tickets (3 of them) and want to use them at different attractions at the same time, correct? Do you have a second mobile device that you can download them onto? I think the solution would be to have them on more than one device if possible. If you can’t for any reason, I would recommend calling them (you can find the London Pass contact numbers and hours here) or going in person to the London Pass Redemption Centre Desk located at 11a Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EP so they can sort this out. They may need to issue paper tickets if you don’t have a second device. Best of luck and please let me know how it turns out to help other readers. Enjoy London, Jessica
travelcats Post author
Hi Bridgett, I messaged London Pass and here was their response: “I can confirm that the only way to do this would be to screenshot the individual passes and the send them via MMS to each person.” So you will just need to take a screenshot of each pass and then send that screenshot image via messaging (text the photo) to the other phone or mobile devices each person will be using. Then you should be able to use the passes even when you are visiting separately. For those planning to order London Pass mobile passes and plan to use them separately, it may be wise to purchase them on separate mobile devices to avoid this step, or to just purchase the regular passes. ~ Jessica
Suze Post author
I didn’t realize that you could get into so many attractions with this pass, thanks for the useful summary!
travelcats Post author
Hi Suze, Yes, the London Pass includes over 60 attractions, including walking tours, movies, bowling alleys, canal and river cruises, and a hop-on hop-off bus! I was surprised it covered so much as well! ~ Jessica
Michelle Post author
Hi Jessica, great and detailed write-up on the London Pass! I’ve been to London many times (lived there for 6 months, actually), but never thought about getting one of these. It’s a great point you make about introducing tourist attractions that are slightly off the radar for most travellers – I’ve never actually heard of the less well-known ones you mentioned!
I did get the Seville equivalent, though, for a brief 3-day visit and I don’t think I actually saved that much money because I like to linger in places and take my time. I did enjoy being able to get into the Cathedral without having to queue up though!
travelcats Post author
Hi Michelle! Yes, one of the things I do really like about this pass is that while it includes some of the biggest attractions in London (e.g. Westminster, Tower of London), it also includes a lot of attractions that most visitors (and locals) don’t normally visit such as the Banquet Hall, Keats House, Apsley House, Wellington Arch, Benjamin Franklin House, Florence Nightengale Museum, Cutty Sark, London Motor Museum, etc. etc. I think having the London Pass introduces people to these lesser known places and then encourages them to visit since it is free to do so with the Pass. I don’t know anything about the Seville pass but it is not one of the passes owned by the Leisure Group (which also includes the Dublin, Paris, and Berlin Passes) so it probably has a different formula. With other passes, I’ve found some to be very worthwhile (big fan of the Bavarian Castle Pass & Paris Museum Pass for example) while others are not a good value. But it really does depend on what you plan to visit in any city – Laurence for example would probably get poor value from a city pass if he was traveling on his own as he’d just spend his time taking photos of the outside of all the buildings:) ~ Jessica
Anda Post author
This is an EXCELLENT post, Jessica. I wish I would have read it when I went to London, some years ago, but it wasn’t written then (LOL!) It has so much useful information and it’s so detailed. I am going to bookmark it for future reference. I hope to go back to London next year and if I do I’m surely going to need to read your post again. Thanks for sharing it, Jessica.
travelcats Post author
Thanks Anda! Hope you get a chance to visit London again next year and this post proves useful! ~ Jessica
Arnie Post author
We often get city passes, and recommend them whole heartedly, As you say, it just depends on how many sights you want to experience. Like you we like to get out early and fill our day.
travelcats Post author
Hi Arnie, Yes, we often save money when we get the city passes, but it really depends on the pass as some are rarely worth the money. We found with the London Pass that for most visitors, especially those staying 2-3 days or more, that it is generally quite a good value and will generally save them money. But of course it depends on whether you plan to see a lot of sights or not. Going out early is always a good tip for passes like this! ~ Jessica
Lyn Post author
Thank you for posting this as I’ll know exactly where to find this useful information when I finally get to book a trip to London, which I hope will be in the not too distant future. Can you believe despite Steve coming from UK I have never been there yet? The Oyster card sounds like a great purchase and will be sure to get one.
travelcats Post author
Hi Lyn, I know you’ve been to Europe so I am quite surprised you’ve never been to the UK since Steve is from there. Although I have to admit I only first went once meeting Laurence about a year and a half ago. You’ll have to go as London soon and yes the Oyster Card is a must if you plan to take public transit. I have come to really like London, but I still prefer visiting the smaller cities and countryside in the UK. Some very great historical places and excellent museums throughout the UK. ~ Jessica
Esther Post author
That is a very thorough write-up on the London Pass. I would like to inquire………
1..my family and I (a total of 4) will be arriving at Heathrow Airport on an early morning. Is it worth it to use the Oyster card to travel to the city of London?
2. Does the oyster card have to be used on consecutive days, like the London Pass once it’s activated? Or is it on a per-day basis?
Thanks……..
travelcats Post author
Hi Esther,
Thanks, I am glad you found our article on the London Pass through and useful!
1. Yes, using the Oyster Cards to pay for your transport is probably worth it as it will save you money on buying individual tickets.
2. Once activated, the Oyster Cards last forever so they do not expire and are not tied to your London Passes even if you buy the two of them together as a package. The Visitor Oyster TravelCards do not need to be used on consecutive days and you could use any leftover credit a year from now if you wanted as they do not expire so they are good to keep even after your trip. You can add additional credit as needed at the machines at the Underground stations. If you are coming from the UK, the shipping is quite inexpensive for the London Passes and Oyster Cards so it is a good idea to just have them shipped to your home in advance. If you are coming from outside the UK, I would just purchase the London Pass (no travel) and you can purchase the Oyster Cards at the station from the Heathrow Airport Tube station. You’ll just exit the airport and follow the signs for the Underground. You can purchase an Oyster card at the cashier window. The Oyster Cards are currently 3 pounds each, and then you add whatever amount of credit you want to them – the suggestions is to start with about £7 per day per person. Then you can add more if needed. Once activated, the Oyster Cards last forever so they do not expire and are not tied to your London Passes even if you buy the two of them together. They do not need to be used on consecutive days and you could use any leftover credit a year from now if you wanted as it does not expire so they are good to keep.
If you are traveling with children under age 11, they travel for free on public transport in London when traveling with an adult holding a valid Oyster Travelcard (or if they have a 5-10 Zip Oyster Photocard).
Hope this helps and happy travels to London!
Jessica
April Yap Post author
Wow! London pass includes free travel:) Thanks for the information, because we are going soon in London and this blog is such a great help for me.
travelcats Post author
Hi April, I am glad that the post was useful to you and you should definitely consider a London Pass if you are planning a trip to London, especially if it is your first visit. The London Pass includes free entry to about 60 attractions in and around London. The London Pass + Travel Option does include a Oyster Travelcard but you do pay for the card but it gives you the ability to travel much cheaper on public transit than if you bought individual tickets. Before your trip, I would go through and calculate your estimated cost and saving from buying the London Pass as I illustrated in the example and see if the London Pass is a good deal for you or not. Just let us know if you have any questions! ~ Jessica
Mary Müller Post author
Hi We are staying near Green Park Rd and wish to use the hop on off bus tour. Can you tell me where to pick up the tickets to activate our mobile London pass?
Thanks,
Mary
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Mary, The free ticket hop on hop off bus tour ticket can be collected from any of the Golden Tours bus offices OR from any of the bus stops (there are about 60). Just show your London Pass to the ticket seller/bus staff member before or as you board the bus. As you noted, if this is the first time you are using your London Pass, this will activate your Pass and count as your first day of use. I am not sure where Green Park Road is, perhaps you mean near the Green Park Station at the end of Green Park? If so, there are several of bus stops near and around Green Park, including 3 stops in Piccadilly, including one right next to Green Park Station, as well as one near Buckingham Palace and one near the Horse Guard Parade. Here is the website that has the most updated stop map & service info: https://www.goldentours.com/hop-on-hop-off-bus-tour-24-hour-ticket Enjoy your time in London with the London Pass! Best, Jessica
Raymond Kong Post author
Very informative and my wife and I shall really take note of your good tips on purchasing the London Pass. We will certainly get one at least for 3 day duration. Perhaps you could enlighten us on the minimum number of hours we need to visit each tourist attraction, especially those that require more time. Then we can plan our itinerary better and zero in on those places that need a longer time to visit.
travelcats Post author
Hi Raymond, Glad you found our tips useful in buying and using the London Pass. The time it takes to visit each London attraction varies widely and also really depends on your interests, walking speed, and how long you wish to spend. Two attractions I would plan about half a day to see if you are intersted in visiting are Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle as they require a train ride out of central London to reach and then are quite large with lots to see. Other attractions that I would allow at least 2 hours to see (3 hours+ if you like to take your time) are The Tower of London (go early when it opens if you can to avoid crowds), the London Zoo, Kensington Palace, Churchhill War Rooms, and the National Gallery (free entry, but pass gives you free audioguide). If you have a question about a specific attraction, let us know and we’ll answer it if we can! Enjoy your trip to London. Best, Jessica