city-walks London

London Pass & Alternatives
in Review

The London Pass and 5 alternatives in review & price comparison with the attractions. Combo tickets, Explorer or City sightseeing pass? Which one is more worth it? Find the best offer for your stay in London! The review is organized into following sections which should help you with your decision:

Table with Comparison:
How many attractions can be visited? Are the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, the Tower and other top attractions included? Is a hop-on hop-off bus tour also part of the offer? How much does the London Pass and the alternatives cost? Is a cancellation possible? This table will give you all the answers to these questions and it will be easy for you to compare the main differences between the various sightseeing passes. Directly to comparison table ...

Brief Description and Conclusion:
Who benefits from a sightseeing pass? Which points are particularly positive or negative? What should you pay attention to when you buy it? How can you get an additional discount? Here you will find the answers to these questions and a summary with conclusion to the 6 presented possibilities.

Jump directly to the review & conclusion for:
The London Pass   
London Explorer Pass   
Big City Saver   
London City Pass   
Combo Tickets   
London Sightseeing Pass   

Price Comparison with Sightseeing Recommendation:
Is the London Pass worth it? At which sightseeing program will a tourist pass pay off? Together with the price comparison you will see a program proposal for each of the sightseeing passes. With the program proposal we try to make the most of the offers and to save as much money as possible. The price comparison shows you the price differences compared to the direct on-site cost and the online sales price for the respective attractions. This way you will immediately see if it really pays off to buy a sightseeing pass. Directly to price comparison ...

London Pass Tip:

  • Be sure to read following article before you place an order and learn how to get the lowest prices with the help of Sales & Promotion Codes.

Table with Comparison:

Sightseeing Pass: The London Pass
London Explorer Pass
Big City Saver London
London City Pass
Combo Ticket Bundles
London Sightseeing Pass
Number of selectable attractions: over 80 over 60 6 approx. 12 4 - 6 approx. 20
From which you can visit: all¹ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 2, 3 or 5 all 4, 5 or 6 all
Within: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days 60 days 90 days 1-7 days 1-5 days
Link to provider: The London Pass* London Explorer Pass* Big City Saver London* London City Pass* Combo Ticket Bundles* London Sightseeing Pass*
Hop-on hop-off bus tour incl.:
London Eye incl.: ²
Madame Tussauds incl.:
London Tower incl.: ²
Tower Bridge incl.:
St Paul's Cathedral incl.:
The View from the Shard incl.:
Cancellation possibility:
90 days free of charge

90 days free of charge

min. 1 day before
30 € fee
Sold for: days: attractions: attractions: days: attractions: days:
Approx. costs: 1: £ 84.00
2: £ 114.00
3: £ 124.00
4: £ 139.00
5: £ 154.00
7: £ 174.00
10: £ 189.00
2: £ 49.00
3: £ 64.00
4: £ 79.00
5: £ 99.00
6: £ 114.00
7: £ 124.00
2: £ 50.00
3: £ 70.00
5: £ 100.00
1: £ 69.50
2: £ 86.90
3: £ 104.20
4: £ 121.60
5: £ 147.70
6: £ 165.10
7: £ 182.50
4: £ 81.50
5: £ 114.95
6: £ 142.95
1: £ 80.00
2: £ 113.00
3: £ 130.00
4: £ 170.00
5: £ 177.00
Links to promotions: Discount Prices ... Promo Codes ... Discount Offer ...

¹) Each London Pass has a defined credits value. This value is a restriction for the maximum number of free entries. For a 2 day pass, for example, the credit is about £ 265. You should take care of this restriction if you have a lot of high-priced entrance fees.
²) The date for each visit may be chosen freely, but must be selected at the time of booking. London Eye from 5 and Tower of London only from 6 attractions included.

Prices & info as of May 26, 2023

Brief Description and Review Conclusion:


Jump directly to:
The London Pass   
London Explorer Pass   
Big City Saver   
London City Pass   
Combo Tickets   
London Sightseeing Pass   


The London Pass:

The London pass is limited to a certain time frame and offers a large number of included attractions. The top 3 tourist attractions are the Tower of London, The View from the Shard and the 24h hop-on hop-off bus tour. There is also a maximum number of free entrances, but this is pretty hard to reach for the usual tourist. This is why this product is particularly interesting for very active tourists. Especially if you use the 1 and 2 day version, you may only spend a little time at the different attractions to ensure that the purchase pays off. If you buy a London Pass for 3 or more days, then you can achieve a nice price advantage already with a relaxed pace at your visits.
The Mobile London Pass* is a quick and comfortable opportunity which you can simply store on your smartphone. This option gives you the chance to save some of your time and additional shipping costs. With this mobile solution you just have to present your smartphone like a ticket when you enter the various attractions.
On the provider website you will find online sales promotion with discount prices and promo codes several times a month. Read here how to get London Pass discount prices and save some additional money with up to 20% reduction on the standard price.

  •   over 80 attractions
  •   incl. Tower of London
  •   incl. The View from the Shard
  •   hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   90 days free cancellation
  •   without Madame Tussauds
  •   without London Eye

Active Tip ! The London Pass is perfectly suitable for those who normally like to visit many sights in a short time and appreciate choosing from a wide range. However, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds are unfortunately not included in this offer. Provider Website*


London Explorer Pass:

The price of the Explorer Pass depends on the number of the attractions which you would like to visit. These can be visited within 60 days of the initial use (activation). The combination of two top attractions with a hop-on hop-off bus tour is certainly a very common used variant which is also interesting in terms of price. Since you have the possibility to install the Explorer Pass App* for Android or iOS, it is ideal for last-minute bookers. You don't have to print the tickets or to pick it up somewhere. Additionally, you have a free return option within 90 days from the date of purchase and very often a special discount for online orders. To learn more about it, read the following information about promo codes and sales campaigns.

  •   over 60 attractions
  •   incl. Tower of London
  •   incl. The View from the Shard
  •   24h hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   90 days free cancellation
  •   without Madame Tussauds
  •   without London Eye

Price Tip ! The London Explorer Pass is a good choice for last-minute bookers. After purchasing it online, you can simply install an app on your smartphone and decide in the short term which highlights of the city you would like to see. Thereby you have also the possibility to combine flexible the Tower of London, The View from the Shard and other top sights with a hop-on hop-off bus tour. You will hardly find this package with the top attractions of London anywhere else cheaper. Provider Website*


Big City Saver London:

With the Big City Saver London Pass you can choose from different offers which combine 2, 3 or 5 attractions from a total of 6 choices. You must visit the included attractions within 90 days after the date of purchase. The offered attractions include beside the Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus tour, the Merlin Entertainment highlights London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon, Sea Life and Shrek's Adventure. The offer will likely appeal all age groups and therefore it will also be liked by most of the children.
On the provider website you can choose from fixed predefined combinations. The first attraction in the description of the combination must also be booked in the first step. Afterwards, you can freely choose the dates for all the other attractions. You will receive instructions for that after booking the first attraction. Unfortunately, not all possible combinations are available on the Big City Saver website.

  •   incl. Madame Tussauds
  •   incl. London Eye
  •   hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   without Tower of London
  •   without The View from the Shard
  •   not all combinations possible
  •   no free cancellation

If you want to combine the London Eye with Madame Tussauds or combine the other included attractions, then the Big City Saver package is certainly one of the cheapest options to visit the Merlin Entertainment attractions. Unfortunately, not all possible combinations are available on the Big City Saver website. If you are looking for a combination which is not available, you can also book an identical multi-attraction ticket directly at the London Eye or Madame Tussauds website:
   Big City Saver*
   London Eye*
   Madame Tussauds*


London City Pass:

The City Pass is valid for a predefined period of time in which you may visit all the included sights. You may choose this period freely from 1 to 7 days and thus determine the pace for your sightseeing tour. Unfortunately, the number of offered attractions is not very extensive. The main attraction is the free entrance to the Tower of London. Some further included attractions are a hop-on hop-off bus tour, a boat ride on the Thames, the Kensington Palace, the Hampton Court Palace, the London Zoo and guided walking tours.
After ordering, you will receive the City Pass by e-mail. So, you can use it right away for the admission to the included attractions. For some of the attractions you will need a reservation. With the City Pass e-mail you will also receive a link to the Turbopass booking platform. There, you can make a reservation for those attractions and activities.

  •   incl. Tower of London
  •   hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   incl. ZSL London Zoo
  •   few attractions
  •   without Madame Tussauds
  •   without London Eye
  •   without The View from the Shard
  •   no free cancellation / 30 € fee

This offer is a smaller packagethat includes approximately 12 attractions. It features the Tower of London, a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour, the London Zoo, guided walking tours and a Thames River boat tour. Although you will receive the City Pass quickly by e-mail, you should order at least a few days in advance. This will give you some time to make any necessary reservations. Provider Website*


London Combo Ticket Bundles:

The combo ticket bundles from Discount London are available as bronze for 4, silver for 5 and gold variant for 6 predefined attractions. It is always a combination of a 24 hours hop-on hop-off bus tour with some top attractions such as Madame Tussauds and Tower Bridge. You may choose the visiting time frame as you like. However, you must specify all the visiting dates online at the time of the order. This effort is rewarded by an attractive price. The combination of Madame Tussauds, Tower Bridge and Hop-on Hop-off bus tour with a Thames boat cruise in the Bronze Bundle is for example a true bargain.

  •   incl. Madame Tussauds
  •   incl. London Eye
  •   incl. Tower of London
  •   24h hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   London Eye only from Silver Bundle
  •   Tower of London only from Gold Bundle
  •   no free cancellation / 20%, min. £15 fee

The combo ticket bundles are the right alternative for those who want to visit London Eye, Madame Tussauds and the Tower at a low price and prefer to see the other highlights of the city with a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Provider Website*


London Sightseeing Pass:

With the London Sightseeing Pass, you get the opportunity to visit the included attractions in London free of charge within 1 to 5 days, depending on the chosen type. These include in particular guided walks, bike tours and some bus tours. In addition to these tours, you have the possibility to enjoy a river cruise on the Thames.
A special feature of this London Pass alternative is the included Encore Theatre Passport*. With this theatre pass, you have the possibility to receive a free ticket to a current musical at short notice.
You can order this sightseeing pass only online. After ordering you will receive a link via e-mail to your Digital Pass with QR code*. You can then either print the code or save it on your mobile phone. You have 2 years time to activate the pass. Just use it at one of the included attractions in London, and it will be activated. Unfortunately, there is no free cancellation option. Nevertheless, for a small surcharge you can add a cancellation insurance to your order.

  •   approx. 20 attractions
  •   hop-on hop-off bus tour
  •   digital pass or print out
  •   without Madame Tussauds
  •   without London Eye
  •   without Tower of London
  •   without The View from the Shard
  •   no free cancellation

A distinguishing feature to the other London passes is the Encore Theatre Pass. It will give you the option to get a free ticket to a London musical. Unfortunately, the London Sightseeing Pass does not include the Tower of London. Also other famous sights like the London Eye and Madame Tussauds are not covered by the offer. If that is not important to you, then you can get some attractive discounts on the provider website*.

Price Comparison with Sightseeing Recommendation:


Jump directly to:
The London Pass   
London Explorer Pass   
Big City Saver   
London City Pass   
Combo Tickets   
London Sightseeing Pass   


London Pass 2 Days Program in Price Comparison:

This 2 day program is very tightly organized and suitable for active tourists who prefer to concentrate on the basic essentials. For those the 2 day pass is already worth it.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 219.90 approx. £ 207.90 approx. £ 114.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 93.90
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 105.90


London Pass 3 Days Program in Price Comparison:

This 3 day program is tightly designed but should be feasible for the average tourist without having too much stress. So the 3 day pass will be worth it for most tourists.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 281.85 approx. £ 267.85 approx. £ 124.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 143.85
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 157.85


London Explorer Pass with 3 Attractions in Price Comparison:

Within 60 days:

For this program you will need only about 1.5 days. So it is perfect if you are short of time. You should schedule one day for the hop-on hop-off bus tour and the The View from the Shard. For the visiting of the Tower of London you will normally spend around 3 hours.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 115.60 approx. £ 106.10 approx. £ 64.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 42.10
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 51.60


London Explorer Pass with 5 Attractions in Price Comparison:

Within 60 days:

If you reserve for this program around 2.5 days of your stay, you will be able to admire the attractions without ruffle or excitement. Due to the proximity to each other, you should plan your visit to the Tower of London and The View from the Shard on the same day.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 165.60 approx. £ 153.60 approx. £ 99.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 54.60
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 66.60


Big City Saver London comparison with 3 Attractions:

Within 90 days:

This program covers 2 London highlights from the Merlin Entertainment Group and a hop-on hop-off bus tour for 1 day. For these activities you should reserve at least 1 day of your stay. But it is also fine if you have more time.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 125.00 approx. £ 118.50 approx. £ 70.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 48.50
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 55.00


London City Pass 2 Days Program in Price Comparison:

With this schedule, you cannot take much time to complete the 6 attractions within 2 days. You also need to plan the timing carefully and take into account the respective opening hours.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 166.60 approx. £ 162.10 approx. £ 86.90

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 75.20
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 79.70


Combo Ticket London Bronze Bundle in Price Comparison:

Within any desired time period:

This program may be easily accomplished in 2 days. Usually the best way would be to do the hop-on hop-off bus tour and the included Thames boat cruise on one day and Madame Tussauds and the Tower Bridge Exhibition on the other day.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 99.30 approx. £ 92.80 approx. £ 81.50

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 11.30
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 17.80


Combo Ticket London Gold Bundle in Price Comparison:

Within any desired time period:

Active tourists should be able to handle this program in 2 days. However, if you do not want to be stressed, you should calculate around 2.5 days for this sightseeing schedule. Due to the location you should visit Tower and Tower Bridge after each other.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 170.90 approx. £ 164.40 approx. £ 142.95

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 21.45
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 27.95


London Sightseeing Pass 2 Days Price Comparison:

This program suggestion involves 6 of the free attractions and activities, which are part of the London Sightseeing Pass. Please consider the respective opening hours of the attractions and starting times of the tours in your planning.

On-Site Cost
Online Sale
Pass Price
approx. £ 179.00 approx. £ 179.00 approx. £ 113.00

Savings compared to online rates: approx. £ 66.00
Savings compared to on-site rates: approx. £ 66.00

Public Transport & London Passes

Only the London Pass and the London City Pass offer the possibility to order a Visitor Oyster Card additionally. With this card you can easily use the tube and buses in the city. When you start your trip with the tube or a bus you only need to touch a marked area with your Visitor Oyster Card. Thereby the cost for the travel will be debited from your credit on the card. The preloaded credit is usually enough for standard use as a tourist. If not, you can top up the credit at a ticket machine which you can find in most tube stations.

Unfortunately, if you order a travelcard for public transport as an option with a pass it has also drawbacks. The pass cannot be delivered electronically with the travelcard option, but must be sent. This causes additional costs and waiting times. Instead of the Visitor Oyster Card, you can also buy the normal Oyster Card at the tube stations on site. The cost and the handling are very similar. More details are available directly at Transport for London.

Which London Pass is perfect for Children ?

The young London visitors also want to be entertained. At the list below you can see some top attractions for children. At each listed attraction you will find the different sightseeing passes which include the attraction:

Normally you will get reduced prices on the various London Passes for children. From the age of 16 you will have to pay the full price for adults.

Low Budget Sightseeing Alternative

Even if you do not want to spend a lot of money on sightseeing in London, you will still have the agony of choice. Many first-class London museums offer free entrance and therefore belong to a low budget sightseeing tour. If you combine these with parks, historical places and a self-guided walk, you will quickly have a diversified low budget program:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Single Tickets and Combination Tickets as an Alternative:

If you have not found a London Pass at this review, that matches your wishes and price expectations, or if you would like to compare whether the direct ticket purchase for your targets would be cheaper, try the city-walks ticket price comparison for the London attractions. Simply select your personal favourites for the city and see immediately the sum of the ticket prices for the various online deals and combination tickets.

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