The London Pass®: 100+ Things To Do – Includes Tower Bridge

The best thing about The London Pass is its range. In one purchase, you can enter the Tower of London, climb around St. Paul’s Cathedral, ride the Thames Clippers, tour stadiums, visit royal palaces, and choose from dozens of smaller museums. It is less a guided tour than a sightseeing budget tool.

I like the freedom to mix major sights with odd little museums, and I like the included transport-style experiences, especially the Thames river service and the two-day Big Bus tour. The main catch is that planning is essential. Several popular attractions require reservations, and the pass works by consecutive calendar days, not rolling 24-hour periods.

Key points to know before buying

• 100-plus attractions: Choose from famous landmarks, royal residences, museums, gardens, stadiums, cruises, cinemas, and family activities.
• Tower Bridge included: The pass also covers the Tower of London, a useful pairing on the same side of the Thames.
• Reservations matter: The London Eye, The View from The Shard, Madame Tussauds, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, and other attractions may require advance booking.
• Transport adds real value: You can use a two-day Big Bus tour and redeem credits for a one-day River Roamer pass on Thames Clippers.
• Use it intensively: The pass is most useful if you visit three or four substantial paid sights per day, rather than treating it as a casual sightseeing coupon.
• Activation is simple in theory: Your pass remains unused for up to one year after purchase and begins when you visit your first attraction.

What the London Pass really is

The London Pass is a prepaid admission pass, not a tour with one guide leading you around town. You choose a duration of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 days, then use the mobile pass at participating attractions.

The listed price is $135.75 per person. Since pricing can vary by the duration you select, judge the pass against your own plan rather than the headline number. If you use a three-day pass, for example, you need roughly $45.25 in value each day to match that total. A busy day combining the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and a river ride could make that realistic. A slow day with one museum probably will not.

The pass includes a maximum credit value tied to the duration purchased. Each attraction can be visited once, so this is not designed for repeated visits to the same museum or palace. The Go City app and PDF guide show the current list, operating hours, booking instructions, and redemption details.

I recommend downloading the app and checking your chosen attractions before you leave home. The pass is valid for one year from purchase, but it activates at your first attraction and then runs for the number of consecutive calendar days you purchased. A pass activated at 3 p.m. on Monday still counts Monday as day one.

London’s big sights in one practical plan

The strongest part of the pass is its coverage of London’s major ticketed sights. These are the places that can make a short visit expensive if bought separately.

Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Allow about two hours at the Tower of London. This fortress has served as a palace, prison, armoury, and zoo, and the visit gives you a strong sense of London’s royal and political past. It is one of the pass’s best uses because it takes enough time to feel substantial.

Tower Bridge is a separate one-hour visit. Walk across its high-level walkways, look down toward the Thames, and learn how the bridge has operated since 1894. The two attractions work well together geographically, but do not assume you can rush them. Rain can make the Tower Bridge queue unpleasant because the waiting area has limited shelter.

St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey

St. Paul’s Cathedral takes about an hour in the supplied schedule, though you may want longer if you plan to appreciate the interior and architectural details. Christopher Wren designed the present cathedral after the Great Fire of London, and its location near the Thames makes it easy to combine with the Monument, Shakespeare’s Globe, or the Golden Hinde.

Westminster Abbey is another one-hour visit. This Gothic church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of London’s essential historic buildings. Check the day’s opening arrangements before setting out. Churches and royal sites can close or alter access for services and official events.

London Eye and The View from The Shard

The London Eye gives you a high view from 135 metres above the city, inside one of 32 glass pods. The ride itself takes about 30 minutes, making it easier to fit into a packed schedule than many of the museums.

Reservations are required, and this is where you need to read the app carefully. The pass details identify the London Eye as included, but some booking steps can look like a regular paid reservation. Confirm that you are using the pass reservation process, not simply booking a standard ticket.

The View from The Shard takes about two hours and includes the indoor gallery, the open-air Skydeck on floor 72, a panoramic guide, and four digital photographs. Pass holders can book daytime visits only, with the last available pass slot at 5:15 p.m. If sunset views are your priority, this restriction may disappoint you.

Two useful ways to see London from the water and road

The two-day classic Big Bus tour can save both money and walking time, especially on a first visit. It gives you an overview of central London and lets you reach major areas without constantly checking the Tube map.

Still, treat the bus as sightseeing first and transportation second. Routes can be slowed by traffic, construction, or crowded stops. A stop may be moved or skipped during roadwork, and updates are not always obvious at the roadside. Allow extra time if you need to reach a timed admission.

The Thames Clippers are more useful for getting from one riverside area to another. You can redeem your credits for a one-day River Roamer pass, then hop on and off within the service. This is a river bus, not a narrated sightseeing cruise, so expect practical transport with changing views rather than a full guided commentary.

Greenwich is an especially sensible target. The river journey can lead you toward the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, and the Fan Museum. The boat may be slower than the Tube, but it makes the journey part of your sightseeing.

Royal London beyond Buckingham Palace

The pass is particularly good for visitors interested in royal buildings.

Kensington Palace takes about two hours and requires advance reservations. Hampton Court Palace deserves around three hours and is well outside central London, so count the travel time when planning. Its connection with Henry VIII gives it a strong historical focus, while the palace setting and gardens make it a fuller half-day outing.

Windsor Castle also requires a trip beyond central London and takes about two hours on site. Its Norman origins and long connection with the royal family make it one of the most worthwhile additions for a longer pass.

The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace offers changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. It is a compact one-hour visit and works well with Apsley House and Wellington Arch near Hyde Park. Apsley House was the former home of the Duke of Wellington and was once known as Number One, London. Wellington Arch provides views over the nearby parks and city.

Do not build your whole pass around one royal attraction without checking its calendar. Buckingham Palace access is seasonal, and Hampton Court, Kew, Kensington Palace, Apsley House, Wellington Arch, and other sites may have special booking rules.

Greenwich makes a strong full-day outing

Greenwich gathers several pass attractions within one broad area. The Royal Observatory explains Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian, while Flamsteed House preserves the original astronomers’ apartments.

The Cutty Sark offers a different kind of experience. You can walk beneath the surviving tea clipper, see the ship’s interior, and follow the story of its crew through interactive displays. Allow about 90 minutes.

The National Maritime Museum covers Britain’s seafaring past and can easily occupy two hours. The Fan Museum and Ranger’s House offer smaller, quieter visits nearby. Ranger’s House requires advance reservations, so check before making the trip.

The river boat makes Greenwich feel like an outing rather than a collection of disconnected museums. If you use the Big Bus on one day and the Thames Clippers on another, you get two useful city overviews without paying separately for both.

Museums for rainy days and curious minds

London’s free national museums are not generally the main financial reason to buy this pass, but several included experiences add value and variety.

The British Museum includes an audio guide and takes about three hours. A host meets you in Russell Square, gives a brief introduction, and then you explore independently using the guide on your phone. This arrangement suits you if you want structure without following a group all afternoon.

The Science Museum takes about two hours. Its large collection explains the science behind everyday life, and the IMAX Theatre is an optional extra-style experience requiring advance reservations.

The Natural History Museum includes a souvenir guidebook rather than a standard full admission benefit in the details provided. Read the current app description carefully so you know exactly what you receive.

The London Transport Museum explains how transportation shaped modern London. The Postal Museum follows communication from its early development through the Mail Rail, but reservations are required. The London Museum of Water and Steam adds working steam engines, a narrow-gauge railway on weekends, and a family Splashzone.

Smaller museums can be the difference between a useful pass and an exhausting checklist. The Charles Dickens Museum occupies the author’s former central London home and contains personal objects, manuscripts, and artwork. Last admission is at 4 p.m., so save it for an early afternoon.

The Freud Museum includes Freud’s study, his original psychoanalytic couch, and a large antiquities collection. Keats House presents the Romantic poet’s former home, while Benjamin Franklin House is the only remaining residence associated with Franklin. These visits are compact and personal, a welcome change from London’s grandest monuments.

Gardens, art, and unusual stops

Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with gardens, glasshouses, and galleries. It can easily fill a large part of a day, even though the suggested visit length is one hour. Advance reservations are required, and the travel time makes it a better choice for a longer pass.

Chelsea Physic Garden, founded in 1673, is a good two-hour stop for plant lovers. The Garden Museum and Guildhall Art Gallery offer more central options. Guildhall’s collection includes 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite works, and paintings showing London’s past. A complimentary guide is included when you redeem the pass.

Frameless presents art through four sensory galleries, with works associated with Van Gogh, Monet, Dalí, Rembrandt, Rubens, and others. It is a modern, one-and-a-half-hour experience, quite different from the British Museum or the King’s Gallery.

The Moco Museum London focuses on contemporary art and includes works by Banksy, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, and Damien Hirst. A Go City customer also receives a gift bag. Exhibitions change, so use the app to confirm what is showing during your visit.

Other unusual choices include the Cartoon Museum, the Museum of Brands, the Foundling Museum, the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, and the Monument to the Great Fire of London. The Monument combines a compact history lesson with city views, although climbing it may not suit everyone.

Family activities, sports, and pop culture

Families get plenty of choice, but some options require careful timing.

London Zoo can take three hours and is located in Regent’s Park. Chessington World of Adventures is outside London and needs about four hours, plus travel time. It requires reservations, so it is better for a dedicated day than a last-minute filler.

Madame Tussauds takes around two hours and requires reservations. Its zones feature celebrities, sports figures, royalty, music stars, and themed experiences. The London Pass may make the admission worthwhile, but only if you secure a slot.

Sports fans can choose from Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea FC, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Kia Oval, and Twickenham Stadium. These tours usually take 90 minutes to two hours and offer a behind-the-scenes look at changing rooms, playing areas, museums, and stadium operations. The Kia Oval and Chelsea tour require advance reservations.

Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstructed open-air playhouse and takes about two hours. The Golden Hinde offers a hands-on look at life aboard a full-size reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s ship.

Film and television fans can book a Brit Icon Tours walk focused on Doctor Who, Harry Potter, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear, The Crown, Bridget Jones, or Downton Abbey. This is a guided walking experience, so reserve early and account for the meeting point.

The London Bicycle Tour Company offers a sunset bike tour or bike hire. The sunset option needs a reservation, while hires can be redeemed from 9:30 a.m. Jason’s Trip gives you a one-hour ride on a 108-year-old Regent’s Canal boat.

The main problems you should plan around

The pass is not difficult to use once everything is set up, but the setup can cause trouble. Make sure every member of your group has the correct mobile pass, and do not wait until you are standing at the first attraction to discover that a code or download has failed.

Buying through a third-party booking channel can create extra confusion if an attraction needs a reference number or a pass transfer. If your confirmation does not clearly show how to sync the pass, contact support before your first sightseeing day.

The app is useful, but the attraction list, hours, and booking rules can change. Some attractions are closed on particular weekdays, and some only accept pass holders at certain times. The London Eye and Shard have caused particular confusion because both require reservations even though admission is included.

The pass also rewards speed. If you like lingering for half a day in one museum, stopping for long lunches, and changing plans on the fly, you may not reach the break-even point. London traffic can make the Big Bus slower than expected, and the Thames service does not replace the Tube for every journey.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the experience start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded.

Who should buy the pass?

I would choose the London Pass for a first London visit built around several major paid attractions. It suits you if you can start early, group sights by neighborhood, reserve busy attractions, and use the bus or boat as part of the plan.

A two-day pass can work well for a focused visit. A three-day pass gives you more breathing room for Greenwich, Windsor, Hampton Court, or Kew. Longer passes make sense only if you genuinely want museums, gardens, sports tours, and smaller houses, not just the headline landmarks.

I would skip it if your priorities are mostly free museums, markets, parks, and neighborhood walks. I would also avoid buying it for a single unplanned day unless you have already checked availability at the London Eye, Shard, Madame Tussauds, and any other must-see attraction.

Should you book The London Pass?

Book it if you want a packed sightseeing schedule and can use four or more included experiences across your pass period. The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Thames Clippers, and Big Bus can produce strong value before you even reach the smaller museums.

The pass is not magic. It does not remove traffic, reservations, closures, or the need to understand London’s transport system. But with a route planned in advance and the app checked each morning, it can save money and help you see far more than a handful of famous landmarks.

FAQ

How many attractions are included with The London Pass?

The pass provides access to more than 100 London attractions, though the exact list can change. Check the Go City app or digital guide for the current selection.

Is Tower Bridge included?

Yes. Tower Bridge is listed as an included attraction, with an expected visit of about one hour.

Is the Tower of London included?

Yes. Admission to the Tower of London is included, and you should allow about two hours.

How long can I use the pass?

You can choose a pass lasting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 consecutive calendar days.

Does the pass begin when I buy it?

No. The pass is valid for up to one year from the purchase date and activates when you visit your first attraction.

Is the pass valid for rolling 24-hour periods?

No. It runs on consecutive calendar days, not separate 24-hour periods.

Do I need reservations?

Some attractions require advance reservations. The London Eye, The View from The Shard, Madame Tussauds, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, and several tours are among the experiences with booking requirements.

Is the London Eye included?

The London Eye is listed as included, but reservations are required. Use the Go City app or digital guide for the current booking instructions and operating times.

Is The View from The Shard included?

Yes, the pass includes the indoor viewing gallery, the open-air Skydeck on floor 72, a panoramic guide, and four digital photos. Pass holders can book daytime visits only, with the last available slot at 5:15 p.m.

Does the pass include transportation?

It includes a two-day classic Big Bus London tour and can be redeemed for a one-day River Roamer pass on Thames Clippers. Regular transportation to and from attractions is not included unless specifically stated.