The London Pass can be a great time-saving and money-saving tool for first-time visitors to London, but getting value out of it requires some planning and hustle. Since it includes “60+ London attractions and tours,” it seems like anyone could save money with it. The challenge is that you only have so much time during each day, and most of the attractions are closed at night.
As someone who has visited London more than 20 times and recently lived in the city for 6 months, I feel like an expert on how to get the most out of the shorter London Passes. Below you’ll find my advice for how to see the most and save the most on a 1-day London Pass, as well as the best recommendations for a 2-day or 3-day London Pass.
Which London Pass to get?
The 1-Day London Pass is good value for someone with only one full sightseeing day on their schedule. But since the 2-Day and 3-Day passes cost only a bit more, they are better value for most people. You can often get a discount on the 3-Day pass that makes it almost the same price as the 2-Day pass.
Full London Pass review
For those who are still unsure about the London Pass you should click over to our London Pass Review: Is it worth it article.
Exclusive discount for Price of Travel readers
- Get 6% off 1-day and 2-day London Passes
- Get 10% off 3-day London Passes
- Get 15% off 6-day and 10-day London Passes
Use promo code: POT10 (expires December 31, 2019 – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)
Best 1-day London Pass itinerary
If you’ve only got 1 sightseeing day in London, or only 1 day to dedicate to the London Pass, here are the best and most essential attractions that will allow you to see the best things AND get the best value out of the London Pass.
Do these first 3 things for sure, and then choose from the list below
You can do these first 3 things in about 4 or 5 hours and after this you’ll already have exceeded the price of a 1-day London Pass. Then you’ll still have a few hours to do 1 or more of the things in the list below this one.
Westminster Abbey (£20)
Over 1,000 years old, Westminster Abbey is stunning on the outside but also amazing on the inside. You’ve never seen another church like it. Admission comes with a free audio tour, but the explanations can be long and slow, so don’t get bogged down in listening to all of it.
You should be able to see all the best stuff in 30 minutes. If you are a fan you might spend an hour here and it’ll be worth it. The Abbey opens at 9:30am and it’s best to be here then to get your day started fast.
Hop-on, hop-off bus tour (£25)
The HOHO bus tour starts its route in Victoria Station, and the 2nd stop is a short walk from Westminster Abbey. You first need to show your London Pass at their office in front of Victoria Station and they’ll give you earbuds (which you can keep), a reciept, and a route map. Hop on at the first or second stop and you’ll be at the start of by far the best part of the HOHO bus tour.
The whole loop takes 3.5 hours or a bit more if traffic is heavy, but honestly it’s the first 2 hours that are the most interesting. You should hop off at the Tower of London stop, by which time you’ll be ready to move around a bit anyway. You will have seen 90% of the interesting sights, and if you want to do the rest of the loop later, you can do that.
Tower of London (£22.50)
Another 1,000 year old structure, the Tower of London is really a castle complex with various structures inside, and it’s one of London’s top attractions. Even if it sounds a bit boring, it’s worth spending an hour or so here, especially since you are already right out front. There are free guided tours, but also an included audio tour so you can look around on your own.
The main attractions are the White Tower (in the center) and the Crown Jewels, which has a seperate queue inside even though it’s included. If the Crown Jewels queue is short, get on in there, and you can still be back outside in an hour or so.
After those, do 1, 2, or all 3 of these, or whatever else you fancy
After those first 3 things you’ll be about 5 hours in and already saving money. The three things below are all great choices and are close to the Tower of London. But if you want to do something else such as Windsor Castle (see below), you still have time.
Tower Bridge Exhibition (€9)
After you leave the Tower of London, walk east to the main road and then turn right onto the stunning Tower Bridge. The entrance is on your right beneath the first tall structure. Show your London Pass and skip the queue. You’ll take an elevator to the top where you’ll see various displays about the Tower Bridge itself.
Some of the displays are a bit dry, but if you keep walking you’ll be out over the walkway that connects the two towers, one of which has a partial glass floor. You’ll get excellent views of most of London from here and it’s easily worth the 30 or 40 minutes you’ll spend inside.
Thames River Boat Cruise (£18)
The London Pass includes a hop-on, hop-off boat cruise (with live commentary), and it’s also highly recommended because so much of the city was founded and built along the Thames rather than along the current roads. There is a stop right in front of the Tower Bridge and another very close to Big Ben.
If you start at Tower Bridge it’s best to take the boat going west towards Big Ben instead of east towards the final stop in Greenwich. If you start at Big Ben (right next to Westminster Abbey), the boat only goes east and you should hop off at the Tower of London stop.
London Bridge Experience (£26.95)
This otherwise pricey attraction is really fun for some people, but not others. Essentially it’s interactive theater in a historic building directly below the London Bridge. It’s south of the river, but still only about a 15-minute (interesting) walk from the Tower Bridge or Tower of London.
The second half of the one-hour attraction is essentially a very professional haunted house that is very impressive, even if you aren’t a fan. If you are in a “fun” group and especially with kids, this is great. If not, skip it.
Things to add on Day 2 and Day 3 of a London Pass
You should have done at least 4 or 5 of the 6 attractions above on Day 1, so you should hit the remaining ones on Day 2 or Day 3. However, you might be better off clustering them together in a different way. On one day do the things near the Tower of London, and another day do the things near Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.
Here are more of the top attractions to consider
Windsor Castle (£20)
Perhaps the most famous castle on earth, this Royal castle is located in the north of London, but it’s faster and easier to reach than you might think, and it’s very worthwhile. The train leaves from Paddington Station, which is close to literally hundreds of hotels and it’s pretty central in general. Just show your London Pass and the attendant will let you through the gates.
You want to take one of the express trains that first stops in Slough. That takes only about 20 minutes and you hop off the train at that first stop. Then walk to the left along the tracks and you’ll see the shorter track for the train that goes from Slough to Windsor and back. Hop on and you’ll be at the Windsor station in 5 minutes or so. Once there, follow the crowds and the signs to the castle entrance. The walk is less than 10 minutes, and it takes you through a lovely new shopping center and then a bit of the town.
Churchill War Rooms (£17.25)
If you have any interest at all in WWII or history in general, you’ll enjoy a quick visit to the Churchill War Rooms. They are a short walk from Westminster Abbey, and you can have a great visit in 45 minutes or so, although there is more to see than that if you are loving it.
You get to see the actual offices and living quarters of the generals and commanders who directed the effort against the Nazis while London was being bombed every night.
London Zoo (£25.50)
If you are a zoo person or of course if you are visiting with kids, you’ll want to hit the famous London Zoo. The entrance is fairly close to central London and near a few Underground stations. There is also a bus that stops directly in front. You won’t find a better zoo that is in the center of such a large city anywhere in the world.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (£15)
This restored outdoor theater is on the South Bank of the river, just next to the Millennium (pedestrian) Bridge and the Tate Modern. Even if you aren’t a theatre person, you will find this 1-hour tour interesting because it’s like no theatre you’ve ever seen before.
This is another example of an attraction that might not sound great, but since it’s free with the London Pass and you’ll probably walk by it anyway, it’s worth going in. And you’ll be glad you did.
Also, do at least 1 of these sports arenas and tours
If you have a 3-Day London Pass or if you have a 2-Day London Pass and you have some big sports fans in the group, you should fit one or more of these tours in.
Arsenal Stadium Tour (£22)
Arsenal is one of the world’s most famous football/soccer clubs, and their new Emirates Stadium is easy to reach and very worth a visit. This is a new and quite posh facility, and the 1-hour self-guided tour with a headset takes you into the locker rooms and even the executive suites before taking you down onto the pitch itself.
Emirates Stadium is in north London and it’s faster to reach than the stadiums below, so even if you aren’t a big football fan, this is the one to visit. You’ll be extremely impressed.
Chelsea FC Stadium Tour (£22)
Chelsea FC is another of the world’s most famous football clubs, and this historic stadium is one of the oldest in the league. Since it’s an older stadium, it’s not as slick as Emirates Stadium (above), but it’s still very interesting and you also get to go into the locker rooms, media rooms, and onto the pitch (just the sidelines though).
This stadium is located in Chelsea, near Kensington. It’s closer to the Tube station than the Arsenal Stadium, and if your hotel is closer to this one then this is the one to do. It’s a 1-hour guided tour.
Wimbledon Tour Experience (£22)
Any tennis fan will want to visit Wimbledon, and the only issue is that this place is not very central and requires an Underground ride and then a bus ride to reach by public transport. Still, this 90-minute guided tour is absolutely worth the time if you are a tennis fan or even a sports fan in general.
The tennis facility here is really amazing to see in person, and you also get to tour the media rooms and TV production studios. It takes an hour each way from central London, so it may not be a wise attraction for 1-day London Pass holders.
Twickenham Stadium Tour (£20)
If you are a rugby fan then you know about Twickenham and the World Rugby Museum that is part of this tour. This is where England plays its home rugby matches and it’s one of the larger stadiums in the UK. The downside is that it’s located southwest of central London, so getting here and back takes some time.
Wembley Stadium Tour (£19)
This stadium is the largest in England and it hosted the 1948 Olympics as well as the 1966 World Cup finals. Still, it’s a good bit north of central London, and it’s more important to British people than it is to most tourists. The stadiums above are a better choice for most people.
More top attractions to consider on a 2-day or 3-day London Pass
Do as many of the things in the top lists as you can, and also visit at least one stadium tour. After those, these are the most interesting and best-value options to use see with your London Pass.
Kensington Palace (£16.30)
Located in Kensington Gardens, which is the western section of Hyde Park, Kensington Palace was built in 1605 and it’s where Princess Diana lived and where William and Harry still live. You don’t see the residences, however, so don’t visit for that. There are exhibitions of many of Diana’s most famous gowns and outfits. Aside from that, this place is a bit dry inside, and not recommended unless you are a Diana fan.
Hampton Court Palace (£19)
Hampton Court Palace is where Henry VIII lived and ruled. It’s really an amazing complex and it would be a MUST-SEE attraction if not for the fact that it’s an hour southwest of London by train. True history buffs will make it out here for sure and they’ll be glad they did. But those on the fence and trying to get the most use out of a London Pass might save this one for another day or future trip.
The palace itself is huge and interesting. Kids and immature people like me will find the famous hedge maze to be worth the trip by itself. It’s more challenging to get out than you might expect.
Beefeater Gin Distillery Tour (£12)
Beefeater has only one gin distillery in the world, and it’s in south London. To be honest, the tour itself isn’t great and this place is a bit out of the way. However, if you are a gin fan or a Beefeater fan with a 2-day or 3-day London Pass, this could be a good way to end a sightseeing day.
The tour doesn’t really take you through the distillery itself, and it’s mostly displays and distant looks at the equipment. The best part is that you get a tall glass of Beefeater and tonic on ice in a little bar at the end of the tour.
Exclusive discount for Price of Travel readers
- Get 6% off 1-day and 2-day London Passes
- Get 10% off 3-day London Passes
- Get 15% off 6-day and 10-day London Passes
Use promo code: POT10 (expires December 31, 2019 – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)
I’m in London for 1.5 days. Earlier I was thinking that London Pass is not worth for 1 day but your itinerary seems to have changed my mind. Thanks.
I am planning a trip to London and I will be there foe 5 days, I would like to do sight seeing for 3 days can you suggest which London pass would be better for me.
Subnash,
If you are planning on three pretty intensive sightseeing days, the 3-day London Pass will obviously be the best bet. You can get 10% off that pass with the code on my site as well. The itineraries in this article should help you figure out which things are most important to you, and I’d suggest trying to do your top picks on the first day. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
do you know if the pass allows pre-booking of any of the football stadium tours. I know those can fill up quickly.
Thanks !
Giovanni,
Unfortunately you can’t pre-book the stadium tours with the London Pass, it seems. But I’ve done both the Chelsea and Arsenal tours (which are both great and quite different from each other). I went on pretty popular days and from the time I walked in until the time my one-hour tour was underway was 30 to 45 minutes. There was a pretty long queue to get my ticket, but the tours leave at least twice an hour and they seem to be pretty good at keeping up with the demand. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Good day. My family and I are coming to London in March of 2019, I am interested in seeing some sights with my wife and the kids 16 (boy), and 18 (girl). My son and I want to see the Chelsea stadium and maybe Arsenal as well. We are looking at a 3 day London pass. (Do you get to do both if you want or just one ? We are staying in Kensington and want to see many of the main attractions from your Guide.. (I would like to go to the pubs–but will do my best).. My daughter would like to see a theater performance live) any recommendations– we are staying March 19-22 2019. We want to take one day trip to Wales as well. Since we are staying in Kensington, what is the best way to travel to Cardiff and then back to Kensington? Excited !!
Jimmy,
This sounds like a great trip. You can do all of the stadium tours offered through the London Pass (including Wimbledon and the rugby stadium), but each one only once. If you are fans of the Premiere League then visiting both would be a thrill. The Chelsea stadium is pretty easy to reach and it’s very historic, while the Arsenal stadium is almost new so it’s got more luxury features and things to see. I lived in Notting Hill for six months recently (that’s north Kensington) so I know the area well. There are pubs all over, but look for the Churchill Arms in Kensington for a real treat. It’s the most photogenic pub in London and the Thai food is surprisingly good.
For theater performances you can buy tickets online for all the “West End” shows. The hit shows are very expensive, as you’d imagine, but if you are mainly after the West End experience you can go to Leicester Square to the TKTS office to get half-price tickets to shows that night. The big hits are usually sold out well in advance, but some older shows (including many famous ones) will have available half-price seats on the day of the show. All of the theaters are within a short walk of Leicester Square, and you can probably get half-price tickets online as well.
London has 7 major train stations and trains to different destinations leave from a specific one (for the most part). Lucky you, the trains from London to Cardiff leave from Paddington Station, which is also the closest station to Kensington. It’s only a few underground stops away. The high-speed train takes about two hours in each direction, which is faster than I was expecting. The thing is though, those train tickets will be very expensive if you don’t buy well in advance. I’d buy them soon and you can lock in a surprisingly low price. If you were to buy them when you got there they would cost a small fortune. Cardiff is really nice with some cool stuff to see near the city center, so that should be a fun trip. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll be happy to try to help. -Roger
So I’m not clear on this–if you buy a 3 day pass, do you get access to HOHO for 3 days as well? Or still just one day? Is HOHO the recommended way to get from one attraction to another? If not, it seems it would require quite a bit of research to figure out how to get to different attractions, if relying on public transportation. Going to London in a few weeks for the first time, unsure how we will get around. Thanks for any tips.
Janeen,
The HOHO bus is only a 1-day pass no matter the length of the London Pass you buy. And it’s a calendar day rather than 24 hours, so start early in the day. In some cities the HOHO buses can be a decent way of getting between some attractions, but in London they don’t work that well because there is usually so much traffic that they are a slow way of getting around. The main London route takes four or sometimes five hours if you ride it all the way around and back to the starting point. In my opinion the first three hours or so are really enjoyable and worthwhile, but the last hour or two aren’t worth it. Basically you should start at or near the first stop by Victoria Station and then ride it all the way to the Tower of London. You can get off there and visit the Tower as well as the Tower Bridge attraction and a few other nearby things. After that the bus goes south of the Thames and doesn’t go by too many interesting things as it’s going back to Victoria Station again.
For the most part you’ll want to get around on the Tube/Underground. There are stations at or near all of the main attractions and you can get almost anywhere in 30 minutes or less. If you took a taxi or Uber you’d be in traffic and it can take two or three times as long to get across the city. The tube system is a little confusing until you get there and use it, but after that it is quite easy. The Oyster Card that comes with the London Pass is a big help and it should have enough credit for most or all of your sightseeing. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Thanks for the itinerary. We were planning to visit Windsor palace on 19 July, however realized that state apartments will be closed. Is Hampton Court Palace a good replacement.. What is your suggestion? We will be in London 17 july evening and leave on 20 July early morning. Request you to give suggestions for 17 evening please…no theatre. We have bought London Pass for 2 days.
Rashmi,
That’s a shame about the State Apartments being closed, but I’d still consider it if I were you because there are many other things to see. Windsor is also fast and easy to reach from central London, and the transportation is covered by the London Pass. Windsor Castle is historic, but it’s also quite fancy and the Royals actually live there part of the time. Hampton Court Palace is also interesting, but it’s more remote and requires a pretty long tube ride and then a bit of a walk. It’s where Henry VIII was based and it’s more like a museum to that time period, so it’s not posh and no one lives there. The hedge maze in the garden is fun. If you had more days in London I think Hampton Court could be good, but visiting would take at least 4 or 5 hours including transportation.
It’s hard to suggest what someone I don’t know should do in the evening or even during the days. Personally I like to enjoy the pubs in London, but that isn’t for everyone. There are many shopping areas that are really interesting to see in the evening and I think my favorite is Covent Garden, which is a short walk from busy Leicester Square. I hope this helps. -Roger
Thank you Roger — Yes, you answered my question. I was pretty much feeling the same but wanted to get your take on it to reassure myself of which way to go. Appreciate so much your reply and your blog!
Hi Roger, Thanks again for your blog and your response to me on another part of the blog. I have been using your site a lot and find it to be very informative.
My daughter and I will be getting into London on a Sunday 6/10 around 9:30 AM (Luton Airport) and we were thinking of stopping at Kings Cross (Harry Potter 9/34 station) then heading over to our hotel – European Hotel (Argyle Square ,Kings Cross) then hitting the streets. We will be leaving London on Wed 6/13 for Paris at about 5PM.
We at first were looking at the HOHO bus with the 2 for 1 vouchers. I then thought the London Pass/Explorer pass was the way to go, but we also were wanting to take a trip out to Stonehenge one day if possible – was looking at a tour that covered Stonehenge, Winsor Castle, and Bath but then see that Winsor is covered in the London Pass so thinking maybe just do Stonehenge and Bath, (?). Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated…….is it too much to squeeze Stonehenge in?
If we do Stonehenge that only leaves us with one other full day along with the day we come in and the day we leave — would we benefit from a 2 – day London Pass? That would mean using it starting on the day we arrive and the next day then a trip to Stonehenge.
I would very much appreciate your thoughts on what we are considering for our time there. Thanks again!
Dee,
Stonehenge is a very interesting thing to see in person, but as you’ve discovered, visiting it from London takes almost 8 hours so it’s a whole sightseeing day. Adding Bath to it adds another few hours, and at least that way you are seeing more things instead of mostly just sitting in a bus for most of your trip. Personally, I would save Stonehenge for a future trip because London is so full of top-notch sights that it’s a shame to skip so many of them just to see Stonehenge.
Windsor Castle is actually pretty fast and easy to visit from London, and especially with the London Pass because it covers the express train from Paddington Station, which isn’t far from King’s Cross. I wouldn’t recommend the London Pass if one of the valid days will be spent going to Stonehenge and Bath. The HOHO bus in London is great, at least for the first three hours or so.
It’s hard to know what is best for each visitor, and if you did a full day trip to Stonehenge and Bath I’m sure you’d enjoy it. My concern is that you could do SO many more things by staying in London, because you wouldn’t be sitting on a bus for 6 or 8 hours going back and forth. I’m not sure I answered your question so feel free to ask again if I didn’t. -Roger
We plan to buy a two day pass for our upcoming trip. I had already worked out our days which match your suggestions very closely.
We will visit Westminster Abbey, walk to the River cruise boat and go down to the Tower then take a river boat across the Thames – using our Oyster Card to pay, to visit The Globe theatre. We hope to also fit in The Tate before seeing a play at the Globe in the evening.
The second day we are going to Windsor Castle then jumping on the HOHO bus near Paddington Station. We may get off to visit The Cortauld Gallery but also may just get off near Marble Arch and do some shopping along Oxford Street. After adding up all the costs, I am sure we will save money over seperate entrance fees. (On our third day, we will visit some of the free museums and galleries such as the Museum of London, National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery. We have tickets for Les Miserables for that night.)
Janet,
That sounds like a great plan. As someone who does travel planning for a living, I really appreciate someone else who puts this much effort into it. Since the Tate Modern is free and you’ll be so near it, you’ll definitely be able to pop in at least for a short visit. The building is enormous and the displays are very spread out so it can seem confusing at first. But there are attendants roaming around looking for those who need assistance, and they are very helpful for a quick visit. As you may have heard, the building itself is extremely impressive, but many of the permanent displays are the kind of Modern Art that has people saying, “This is art?”
I see that the Blue route of the HOHO bus stops at Paddington Station. The Blue route has pre-recorded commentary, which is okay, but I very much prefer the live commentary on the Red route. They share many stops so if I were you I’d change to the Red route as soon as you can, or perhaps even take the Tube from Paddington Station to one of the main stops of the Red route right away. Enjoy your visit and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Thank you for the itinerary. We took a day pass and followed your itinerary and it worked quite well for us. Also, i could not find a working discount coupon anywhere else for a day’s pass and your’s works 🙂
You might need to update info of Hop-on-Hop-off as the providers are Golden Tours and not HOhO. Also, we did walk to Victoria stations, but from what I could make out, one no longer needs to get a ticket from counters at station. The Golden tour representatives are usually at the stop and will provide you a ticket.
Shaguna,
I’m so glad to hear that things worked out well for you. That is good news if the attendants can change your London Pass into a ticket. The attendants are only at certain stops and only in the morning, but I will update the article. When I mentioned HOHO, that is short for hop-on, hop-off, but I guess it’s not as widely known as I thought so I will update that as well. Thanks for the updates. -Roger