London Pass Itineraries

How do you get the most from a London Pass without spending your whole holiday rushing from queue to queue? These routes group attractions by neighbourhood, so you can spend more time inside the places you came to see. We have planned a one-day route around Westminster and the Tower, a second day through the City and Covent Garden, and a three-day variation that makes room for Greenwich. The four-day and longer ideas let you slow down or explore further afield.

The day-based London Pass covers attractions across consecutive calendar days once activated. The London Pass Explorer works differently: you choose a number of attractions and can spread visits over a longer period. These itineraries are designed for the day-based pass. Our London Pass guide explains the differences and helps you choose.

Before you set out

• Reserve your timed visits first. In the Go City app, book Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge and The View from The Shard if they are on your route. The London Eye also needs a reservation if you add it. Leave enough space between slots for the actual visit, lunch and the journey.
• Put full visits before quick stops. The Tower of London deserves two to three hours if you want to explore rather than just walk through it. Tower Bridge usually takes about an hour, while a Globe tour is around 50 minutes.
• Use the right river service. The City Cruises ticket included with the pass gives you 24 hours of travel between Westminster, London Eye, Tower and Greenwich piers. Collect it at a participating pier and plan around the sailing timetable. An Uber Boat by Thames Clippers journey is a different service.

One-day London Pass itinerary: Westminster, the Thames and the Tower

This is the route we would choose for a first visit with one full sightseeing day. Four paid experiences form the main route. The stops after that are genuine choices for people who have the time and energy, rather than a second compulsory itinerary squeezed into the same afternoon.

1. Westminster Abbey, morning (allow 1½–2 hours). Begin close to Big Ben with a visit to Westminster Abbey. Reserve a pass entry time in the app. The Abbey is used for worship, so build this route around a day with sightseeing admission; the usual Sunday routine is different.
2. City Cruises, late morning or lunchtime. Walk to Westminster Pier and take the Thames sightseeing cruise to Tower Pier. You see the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and riverside landmarks from the water. Allow for the wait until the next departure as well as the sailing itself.
3. Tower of London, early afternoon (allow 2–3 hours). From Tower Pier it is a short walk to the Tower of London. Spend time with the Crown Jewels, the medieval buildings and the riverside walls. Pass holders normally join the ticket-holder entrance; security and busy periods can still create a wait.
4. Tower Bridge, later afternoon (allow 60–90 minutes). A booked slot takes you inside the towers, across the glass-floor walkway and through the Victorian Engine Rooms. Walking across the public pavement is free; the pass pays for the exhibition inside. If the Tower visit runs long, move this stop to a second day instead of cutting the Tower short.

Starting at the London Eye: you can begin with a reserved morning ride before crossing Westminster Bridge to the Abbey. That is a lovely first view of the landmarks if you want the Eye and can get an early slot. The ride is around 30 minutes, but allow additional time for security and boarding. It moves the Tower visit later, so plan Tower Bridge for another day or skip a longer lunch. In shorter winter opening hours, we would choose either the Eye or Tower Bridge rather than rushing both. The standard London Eye ride is included; Fast Track is a different ticket.

Lunch and a breather: St Katharine Docks, next to Tower Bridge, is a pleasant place to stop. It has waterside places to eat and gives you a break between two substantial visits.

If you have more time near London Bridge

• HMS Belfast: after crossing Tower Bridge, continue along the south bank to this former warship and museum. It is included with the pass and deserves a proper visit, so choose it instead of a long Tower Bridge visit if your afternoon is short.
• The View from The Shard: a booked late-afternoon or evening slot gives you a very different view of the area you have just explored. It is included with the pass; check the day’s opening hours before reserving. We would choose this as the final stop if there is still availability and enough time.
• The Old Operating Theatre or the London Bridge Experience: both add something different to the neighbourhood, but budget for separate admission if you want to go inside; they are not part of the current pass itinerary.

Value check: the Abbey, river cruise, Tower and Tower Bridge are four paid admissions. Compare the price of those four tickets on your chosen date with the one-day pass price before buying. Add HMS Belfast or The Shard to the calculation only if you have reserved or realistically expect to visit it. A slower day focused on just the Abbey and Tower may be better bought as separate tickets.

Two-day London Pass itinerary: add St Paul’s, the Globe and Covent Garden

Day one: follow the Westminster, river cruise and Tower route above. If you prefer a longer Tower visit, save Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast or The Shard for a different slot. Your City Cruises ticket is valid for 24 hours from collection, which may give you another river journey the following morning, depending on when you first collect it.

Day two: start at St Paul’s Cathedral (allow about 1½–2 hours). Explore the main floor and decide whether to climb to the galleries; the climb needs more time and energy. Sightseeing hours differ from service times, particularly on Sundays. Then cross the Millennium Bridge towards the South Bank and take a Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour. The pass covers the guided tour, which lasts about 50 minutes; a theatre performance is a separate ticket. Pass holders do not need to book the tour in advance, but may wait for the next available departure.

For lunch you can continue towards Borough Market or return towards Covent Garden. In the afternoon, London Transport Museum works particularly well with children: historic buses, Underground carriages and hands-on displays make this a substantial stop rather than a quick tick. It is in Covent Garden and included with the pass, with entry subject to space on the day. Leave time afterwards to explore Covent Garden itself.

Alternative for a family or waxworks fan: begin day two at Madame Tussauds with a pass reservation, then take the Tube towards St Paul’s. This replaces a long Covent Garden museum visit; it does not fit naturally between the Cathedral and Globe. If you choose London Transport Museum instead, start in Covent Garden, then travel to St Paul’s and finish across the Millennium Bridge. The two museums are alternatives for a comfortable day, although a very full sightseeing day could include both.

Golden Hinde: this reconstruction of a Tudor ship near London Bridge is included with the pass. It is a short visit compared with the Tower, and can be paired with a walk between Borough Market and the Globe when it is open. It is particularly attractive to families interested in ships and maritime history.

Other options: the Monument to the Great Fire of London fits a City-focused morning and is included with the pass. The Guards Museum fits better with a Westminster afternoon; travelling across town solely to add it to the St Paul’s route would waste time. Churchill War Rooms and the Old Operating Theatre are worthwhile museums if they interest you, but allow for separate tickets rather than counting them as pass savings.

Value check: this second day adds St Paul’s, the Globe tour and London Transport Museum to the paid stops on day one. Compare the combined separate-ticket total with the two-day pass price; do not treat the free walk through Covent Garden or across the Millennium Bridge as an extra saving. A family that spends half the second day in the transport museum may still have a better time than a family that races to three more venues.

Map for the one- and two-day routes

Red markers show the Tower day, green markers show the second day, and blue markers are nearby alternatives. Choose stops from the map to match your booked times.

Three-day London Pass itinerary: Greenwich, the Tower and central London

With three days, Greenwich is far easier to enjoy. This route groups nearby places: the river and Greenwich on day one, the Tower and London Bridge on day two, and the City plus one afternoon neighbourhood on day three. The 24-hour cruise ticket is useful for a return journey on the day you travel to Greenwich.

Day one: Westminster Abbey and Greenwich

1. Visit Westminster Abbey at a reserved time, then board City Cruises from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier. This is a longer river journey than the Tower Pier leg, so allow a generous part of the morning.
2. Step aboard Cutty Sark, the historic tea clipper a short walk from Greenwich Pier. Explore above and below the ship rather than rushing straight up the hill.
3. Walk through Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory and Prime Meridian, if it is open for pass admission on your date. Allow time for the hill and the exhibitions. The pass listing flags a temporary closure from 1 November 2026 until spring 2027; for those dates, make the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College your paid Greenwich stop instead.
4. Finish around Greenwich Market and the free National Maritime Museum if time allows. The pass also lists a complimentary museum souvenir guide; free museum admission itself is not a saving created by the pass. Return by river while your cruise ticket is valid, or use separately paid public transport.

Day two: Tower of London and the south bank

Go to the Tower of London early and give it a full morning. Book Tower Bridge for after lunch, then cross to HMS Belfast. For an evening finale, reserve The View from The Shard, a short walk from London Bridge station. This can be a full day even with just three admission stops. The Old Operating Theatre and London Bridge Experience remain interesting nearby choices for visitors paying separately; Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour can replace one stop if its departure time suits you better.

Day three: St Paul’s and one afternoon area

Start with the Monument to the Great Fire of London if you enjoy a short climb, then visit St Paul’s Cathedral. From there, choose the afternoon that fits your interests:

• Royal London: travel to the St James’s and Buckingham Palace area. The Royal Mews (seasonal), The Guards Museum and Household Cavalry Museum are pass options when open. The King’s Gallery has changing exhibitions, so confirm its current admission arrangement before adding it to the day. Churchill War Rooms is nearby but requires a separate ticket.
• Covent Garden and the South Bank: take a Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour if you did not use it on day two, then visit London Transport Museum and enjoy Covent Garden at your own pace. A free riverside walk and market browsing make this a less demanding family day.

Value check: Greenwich adds two or three paid venues depending on the Observatory’s availability; the third day is strongest for pass value when you also visit St Paul’s and one or two paid stops in your chosen afternoon area. Add up only the admissions you truly expect to use. If you want long, unhurried visits and free museums, the Explorer pass or individual tickets may fit better.

Map for the three-day route

Red markers cover Greenwich, green markers the Tower area, yellow markers the City, and the other colours offer two alternatives for the final afternoon. The Observatory closure and your booked times may change which Greenwich and South Bank stops you choose.

Four days or longer: build in space for the places you most want to see

Start with the three-day route, or divide the Tower and Greenwich days if you prefer slower sightseeing. There is no need to use every pass day for a long list of venues. These area-based additions are easier to plan than another circuit across central London:

• Windsor Castle: treat Windsor as a separate day trip. The castle is included when open, but the train from London is a separate cost. Check for closures connected with royal events and allow for travel both ways.
• Hampton Court Palace: give the palace, gardens and journey their own day. This is a strong choice if royal history interests you more than stacking several short attractions in central London.
• Kensington and west London: pair Kensington Palace with a Royal Albert Hall Tour if tour times align. The museums of South Kensington are a good addition to the area, although their free permanent collections do not increase the value of your pass.
• Regent’s Park and the canal: combine London Zoo with Jason’s canal boat trip between Little Venice and Camden, subject to the boat’s seasonal timetable. The Camden markets are enjoyable without a pass.
• Frameless immersive art: if you are staying near Marble Arch or visiting the West End, this indoor art experience is an included option that works on a rainy day. Give it time to enjoy the different galleries rather than treating it as a quick stop between distant attractions.
• Kew Gardens or a football stadium tour: these deserve a half or full day depending on your interests and travel time. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham stadium tours are pass options, but match days and events affect availability.

How the pass credit works: Go City sets a total credit allowance for each pass duration. Attractions use some of that allowance when you scan in; there is not a fixed limit of five attractions per day. The maximum and each attraction’s credit value can change, so the Go City app shows the useful balance for your own pass. Your real constraints on these routes are also opening times, reserved slots, travel and how long you want to stay inside each place. A longer list on paper does not guarantee savings if you cannot visit it.

For a longer pass, compare each additional day’s cost with the admissions you would genuinely use on that day. Windsor or Hampton Court can justify a day for someone who wants to visit, while a day of free museums, parks and markets usually gives little financial reason to extend the pass. Keep travel and meals in your budget; the pass is for listed attractions, not a general public-transport ticket.

See the London Pass options and current prices and build your own route around the visits that matter most to you.

Alberto & Amy

Hi, we are Alberto and Amy, the London locals behind PlanTrip London. We’ve lived in London since 2010 and have spent every year since exploring the city, from its famous landmarks to the markets, pubs, parks and hidden corners most visitors never find. Over the years we became the go-to trip planners for friends and family visiting London, so we created this site to share the same first-hand, tried-and-tested advice with you. Every itinerary, tip and recommendation here comes from our own experience with our two children, so you can plan a London trip that’s easier, better value and far more memorable.