London Pass Review: Is the London Pass Worth It? (Updated for 2023)

As I planned my first trip to London – way back in 2011 –, I was nervous. It was my first international trip, and while I was excited too, there was just so much to learn, plan, and do. I was also paying for the trip with gift money and wanted to make it last as long as possible.

I was on the lookout for any way to visit London on a budget (Stay in a cheap hostel in Canary Wharf, literally miles from everything I wanted to do? Check!). Then I learned about the London Pass, and how much it can save. As a first-time international traveler, I was uncertain about dropping $100+ for a discount card, but I decided to take the leap – and my gosh, I put that first London card to work on that trip!

Over a decade later, I decided it was time to try using the London Pass again to see – is the London Pass still worth it? Does it still save you money, or do you end up running yourself ragged in an attempt to save a few quid? (Quid, as the Brits use it, being shorthand for pounds – a bit like “Bucks” in the U.S. or “Loonies” in Canada.)

Based on my two experiences, I’ve put together (and updated) my London Pass review to help you understand whether the investment is worth it and how much you might save by purchasing a London Pass for your trip.

This post was originally published in January 2021, and was updated most recently in March 2023.

What is the London Pass?

If you’re reading London Pass reviews, you probably already know what the London Pass is. But in case you don’t here’s a quick explanation:

The London Pass is a digital card you can use to receive free admission to London attractions for a set number of consecutive days.

While the London Pass used to come as a physical card, it is now only available via the digital London Pass app.

You can purchase the card for a number of different days (more below) and it will grant you free admission to London attractions (also more below) as well as discounts and deals at other attractions.

Let me break it down with more specifics.

Attractions included in the London Pass

The main value of the London Pass is in providing free access to almost 90 attractions across London (and in the surrounding countryside); if you consider the cost of admission compared with the London Pass, they claim you can save up to 55%. There are also special benefits at other attractions that either already have free entry or offer a discount/special offer for London Pass holders.

Based on my list of must-see London attractions, here are some of the most popular attractions you can access for free with the London Pass:

• Westminster Abbey
• The View from The Shard
• Tower Bridge
• The Tower of London
• The Monument
• St. Paul’s Cathedral
• The Royal Observatory Greenwich (including The Prime Meridian)

But that’s obviously not 90 attractions, so here’s the full list of all other attractions offering free admission through the London Pass as of March 2023.

Some of these attractions also offer fast-track (skip-the-line) access in addition to free admission. While the London Pass doesn’t cover every attraction in London, it definitely covers many of the most popular and more than enough to fill your entire London itinerary, no matter the length.

Which Length of London Pass to Book

When you purchase a London Pass, you choose the number of consecutive days you want it to be active. As of March 2023, the options for the length of your London Pass are 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days, 4 Days, 5 Days, 6 Days, 7 Days, or 10 Days.

This is a huge expansion of the options they used to offer when I bought my first London Pass a decade ago; back then, I bought a 3-day London Pass, and I think it might have been the longest pass they offered at the time!

In terms of deciding which length of London Pass to buy, it’s sort of a personal decision based on your London itinerary. I recommend planning your itinerary, then looking at the London Pass list of attractions to see which ones you’ll visit each day.

You might discover that you’re visiting 7 attractions over three days, and another one the following day; maybe you could squeeze in that final attraction and just book a 3-day London Pass (instead of paying for the 4th day). Or you might determine that the timing and admission for that final attraction don’t make sense on day 3, so you buy a 3-day London Pass and just pay admission on day 4.

How Much Does the London Pass Cost?

Here is a breakdown of the price for an adult London Pass:

Finally, you can choose to add on an Oyster Travelcard when you purchase a London Pass. While this might seem unnecessary since you can buy an Oyster card at any of the airports on your arrival to London, but purchasing it in advance with the London Pass means you won’t have to queue up to purchase it from those oft-frustrating machines at Heathrow with everyone else.

(Note: I can’t seem to figure out the prices for Oyster travelcards on the London Pass site and will update this post once I get this info.)

While these prices might seem steep, the London Pass will almost always save you money if you plan it out and use it to visit a few attractions per day for the duration of the pass. Let’s look next at a few examples that show how much money the London Pass can save you.

How Much Can the London Pass Save You?

Obviously, the primary value of the London Pass is in saving you money. While your own itinerary will surely be unique, it might help to see a few examples of London itineraries that use the London Pass, to see how much you could save.

Example: My First London Trip

As part of writing the first version of my London Pass review, I went back into my old files and blurry/bad photos from my first London trip in 2011. I looked through my super-detailed, highly-planned itinerary and used that to come up with a list of the London Pass attractions I visited, and how much they cost today (adult/child):

• London Bicycle Tour – £38.95/£28.95
• London Bridge – £11.40/£5.70
• Royal Observatory Greenwich – £16/£8
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – £23/£10
• Thames Boat River Cruise – £21.20/£10.60
• The Monument – £5.80/£2.90
• Tower of London – £29.90/£14.90
• Wellington Arch – £6.60/£4
• Windsor Castle – £30/£16.50

That savings is not quite the 55% that the London Pass claims, but still a significant amount – enough for a nice dinner with a few pints or an extra attraction/tour that isn’t included in the pass. It’s also worth noting that my savings calculation doesn’t count several attractions and experiences I did that were part of the London Pass but aren’t anymore (Like the Jack the Ripper Walking Tour I did with London Walks.)

Example: 5 Days in London w/ 4-Day London Pass

If you have five days in London (or longer), the London Pass is a great option. My suggested itinerary includes the following London Pass attractions (and their normal admission price):

• Buckingham Palace (The Queen’s Gallery/Royal Mews) – £17/£9 & £15/£9
• London Zoo – £30.50/£19.85
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – £23/£10
• The Monument – £5.80/£2.90
• The View from the Shard – £32 (no child price)
• Tower Bridge – £11.40/£5.70
• Tower of London – £29.90/£14.90
• Wellington Arch – £6.60/£4
• Westminster Abbey – £27/£24

Cost without the London Pass: £205.70
Cost of 4-day London Pass*: £134
Savings: £71.70 (35%)

*You’ll only use the London Pass on Day 1-4 of my suggested itinerary, not on Day 5.

Example: 10 Days in London w/ 4-Day London Pass

On my popular 10-day London itinerary, I suggest visiting the following attractions that are part of the London pass on four of the days in the 10-day itinerary:

• Buckingham Palace (The Queen’s Gallery/Royal Mews) – £17/£9 & £15/£9
• Cutty Sark – £16/£8
• Kensington Palace – £25.40/£12.70
• Royal Greenwich Observatory – £16/£8
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – £23/£10
• The Monument -£5.80/£2.90
• The Shard – £32 (no child price)
• Tower Bridge – £11.40/£5.70
• Tower of London – £29.90/£14.90
• Wellington Arch – £6.60/£4
• Westminster Abbey – £27/£24

Cost without London Pass: £214.40
Cost of 4-day London Pass**: £134
Savings: £80.40 (38%)

**You’ll need to rearrange my suggested itinerary to put Day 3, Day 7, Day 8, and Day 9 in consecutive order to use a 4-day London Pass.

Tips to Make the Most of Your London Pass

Once you’re committed, here are a few more tips to help you make the most of your London Pass. As I mentioned at the beginning, I am a cost-conscious traveler, so I don’t want you to spend money on the London Pass then not get as much out of it as you can!

1. Start Your London Pass in the Morning

Your London Pass is good for the set number of consecutive calendar days you purchase. That means that “Day 1” starts on the first day you use it – whether that’s 8am or 6pm. Day 2 begins at midnight in either case.

To make the most of your first day, be sure to activate your London Pass first thing in the morning (i.e. go to a London Pass attraction in the morning of your first day). You’ll then get the most out of Day 1 on your pass, no matter the length of your London Pass.

2. Add-On the Oyster Travelcard if it’s Your First Trip to London

If you’ve never visited London before and don’t already have an Oyster card, I recommend choosing the Oyster Travelcard add-on for your London Pass. There’s a £5 fee to purchase/activate any Oyster card (which explains the prices above, if you were doing the math), and it’s much more convenient to just receive your Oyster card in the mail with your London Pass.

If you already have an Oyster card from a past trip or friend/family who gave you theirs, you can skip the Travelcard add-on and just reload your Oyster card once you get to London.

3. Double-Check Admission Prices when Traveling with Kids

One last tip: while I didn’t break down the London Pass price and savings for a family with children above, if you are visiting London with kids I recommend double-checking whether the London Pass will save you money for kids. Almost all attractions offer reduce admission for children and this may end up being roughly the same or potentially less without the London Pass.

Once you’ve picked the attractions you want to do, it’s worth doing the math for children’s admission (and adult’s too, though you’ll almost always save with a London Pass) to ensure you don’t end up paying extra for your kiddos.

Where to Buy the London Pass

If you’re sold and wondering where to buy a London Pass, the answer is simple: online!

While you used to be able to purchase the London Pass online, in-person (an office in London), and through some retailers like Costco, now it’s all simple in one place. You can purchase the London Pass through the official website.

When you purchase, you can decide whether to receive your pass digitally (on your phone) or by mail. I prefer to receive physical goodies, so I recommend receiving your pass and accompanying guidebook by mail.

Still have questions about purchasing the London Pass, or what I’ve shared in my London Pass review? Let me know in the comments below!