There is no single best sightseeing pass for every London visit. The choice depends on which paid attractions you actually want to enter, how many you can comfortably fit into a day and whether you need a reservation. We compare the main options below, then show how to check whether a pass saves you money.
London sightseeing passes compared
| Option | How it works | Worth considering when |
|---|---|---|
| The London Pass | Choose a number of consecutive sightseeing days; the pass has a credit allowance. | You have several eligible paid attractions planned on those days. |
| Go City London Explorer Pass | Choose a number of attractions and use the choices within the operator’s validity period. | You want to spread a few visits across a longer stay. |
| London Eye multi-attraction tickets | Choose a specific combination of London Eye and other attractions. | Your plans centre on two or more of those particular venues. |
Prices, included venues and advance-booking rules change. Use the linked official listings for your travel dates, and compare like-for-like ticket types rather than a promotional “up to” saving.
The London Pass
The London Pass is a digital sightseeing pass for a set number of consecutive calendar days. It uses a credit allowance and lists a wide range of attractions. The current catalogue includes the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and river experiences, but some attractions need a booking. Check the version of the pass and each attraction’s entry rules before purchase.
What would we include in a day-based route?
For a first sightseeing day, Westminster Abbey, the Thames cruise, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge fit a route from west to east. Allow a proper Tower visit and book Abbey and Bridge entry before planning the rest. A second day could group St Paul’s Cathedral, a Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour and London Transport Museum. The pass also lists attractions farther away, including Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens and London Zoo; a full-day trip to one of these cannot be treated like three quick central-London visits.
Our detailed London Pass guide covers activation and reservations, while the London Pass itineraries set out one-, two- and three-day routes. The pass does not pay for the Tube, ordinary buses or the train to Windsor; budget separately for travel.
Check current London Pass prices or use the site’s existing booking link below.
Go City London Explorer Pass
The Explorer Pass lets you choose a set number of attractions rather than a set number of sightseeing days. The operator currently offers choices from two to seven attractions and gives you 30 days after the first use to finish them. The live attraction list and reservation requirements matter: some venues ask you to book ahead and show both a reservation and the pass.
Who benefits from choosing attractions rather than days?
For a long weekend that includes free museums and a relaxed afternoon in a park, choose two or three paid highlights and compare their separate tickets with a small Explorer pass. Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, London Eye and London Transport Museum are examples from the current selection. Choosing more attractions upfront may reduce the cost per visit, but only if your party genuinely uses every choice within the validity period.
The Explorer route can be especially appealing when you do not want to stack admission slots into consecutive days. A child’s ticket or family bundle can change the calculation, so compare the total for the whole group, not just the headline adult price.
London Eye multi-attraction tickets
The London Eye operator sells multi-attraction tickets pairing the Eye with venues such as Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE London, Shrek’s Adventure! and the London Dungeon. Choose the particular venues you intend to visit and check the booking slots and validity of that product. This is different from a Merlin Annual Pass.
The five-attraction combination includes the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE London, Shrek’s Adventure! and the London Dungeon. Smaller combinations let you choose a subset. You select a first visit and arrange the others within the stated validity window; these venues each take time, so two on one day and the rest on later days may work better with children. Check each venue’s age guidance before purchasing. Our London with kids ideas include free and lower-cost alternatives too.
Older pass names you may see
Older guides sometimes refer to the London City Pass and an iVenture Card. Those listings, attraction lists and old prices are not reliable for a new purchase. If you find a similarly named product, confirm its current seller, validity and included venues before paying.
How we would choose
- Write down the paid sights you genuinely want to enter, with separate adult and child ticket prices.
- Check availability, booking rules, travel time and what each pass includes on your dates.
- Compare the final pass or bundle price with the total for individual tickets. Include free museums and outdoor time in your itinerary without counting them as “savings”.
Example: a family with two sightseeing days
Suppose you want the Tower of London and a Thames cruise on day one, then the London Eye and London Transport Museum on day two. All four appear in current pass selections, but the Eye needs a time slot, and the family may want several hours in the transport museum. Price the four visits individually for each person, then compare the day pass for two days with a four-attraction Explorer pass. If you drop the Eye to spend day two in free museums, recalculate before paying for either pass.
If instead your children chiefly want the Eye, SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds, compare the operator’s three-attraction combination with both sightseeing passes. The combination may be simpler because it is built around exactly those venues. If you only want two paid visits, buy the appropriate two-attraction product or separate tickets rather than stretching a pass to fill it.
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.
1 Comment
For the city passes, once purchased can you use the pass to purchase a particular attraction in advance, i.e. particular day and or time?