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

London’s big landmarks can quickly add up in admission fees. The London Pass bundles access to more than 100 attractions into one digital pass, including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and a Thames River Roamer pass. It is a sightseeing tool, not a guided tour with one fixed route.

I like two things in particular: the choice of pass lengths, from one to ten days, and the mix of famous sights with smaller museums, gardens, and sports venues. The included Big Bus tour and Thames boat travel can also help you get your bearings while making your way around.

The main catch is that this pass rewards planning, not improvisation. Some popular attractions need reservations, opening days vary, and the pass counts consecutive calendar days rather than 24-hour periods. If you spend too long crossing town or hit a closed door, the clock keeps ticking.

• Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are both included, but they are separate visits with separate entry.
• The London Eye and The View from The Shard require advance reservations. Shard visits are daytime only, with the last bookable slot at 5:15 p.m.
• A two-day Big Bus tour and one-day Thames River Roamer pass add transport and sightseeing options, though service changes can affect your plans.
• Every pass has a set credit limit based on its duration, and each attraction can be visited once.
• You can wait up to a year to activate the pass, but once you start, your chosen days run consecutively.
• The attraction list is broad, not a promise that every stop fits your trip. Check current hours, reservation rules, and inclusions before you buy.

How the pass works in practice

The London Pass is a digital credits package for more than 100 London activities. You choose a duration of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or ten days. Your pass is valid for up to one year after purchase, then activates when you visit your first attraction.

After activation, the pass runs for the number of consecutive calendar days you bought. A two-day pass used for the first time on Monday is not valid until the same hour on Wednesday; it covers Monday and Tuesday. That distinction matters if your first visit is late in the day. Consider starting early, especially with a short pass.

The credits have a maximum value tied to the duration you select, and each attraction can be visited once. The app and digital guide help you check what is included and where reservations are needed. I would use them to build a realistic day-by-day plan, not as a reason to sprint through every sight on the map.

The landmarks that can justify the cost

The Tower of London is a strong anchor for a sightseeing day. Allow about two hours to explore this fortress, which has served as a royal palace, prison, armoury, and zoo. Nearby, Tower Bridge is a separate one-hour visit, so you can pair the two without treating them as one attraction.

Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral offer a different kind of London day: architecture, worship, and national history. The Abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while St. Paul’s was designed by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666 and built between 1675 and 1710. Budget roughly an hour for each, but check opening times before setting out.

The London Eye gives you a modern skyline view from 135 metres above the city. Its 32 glass pods represent London’s boroughs, and the visit takes about 30 minutes. It requires a reservation, so do not assume you can simply show up with the pass. The View from The Shard also requires advance booking. You get access to the indoor viewing gallery and the open-air Skydeck on the 72nd floor, plus a panoramic guide and four digital photos. Pass holders can book daytime visits only, with the last available slot at 5:15 p.m.

Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, and Windsor Castle make the pass useful for royal-history fans. Kensington Palace takes about two hours and requires a reservation. Hampton Court, Henry VIII’s former home, deserves around three hours and also needs advance booking. Windsor Castle is outside London, so allow for the trip as well as the two-hour visit. These are not quick add-ons between central London sights.

Using the bus and river without losing your day

The included Big Bus package provides a two-day classic hop-on hop-off tour. It can be a useful first-day overview, especially if you are new to London and want to see how major sights relate to each other. Some tours have a guide on board, but the experience depends on the route and service on the day.

Do not treat the bus as a precise taxi service. Stops can be skipped during construction or other disruptions, and waits may stretch longer than expected. One account describes waiting more than 30 minutes at a stop that had been bypassed, then walking to another stop. Check the route and current service notices before relying on a particular stop, and keep the Tube, walking, or a taxi as a backup if you have a timed reservation.

The Thames Clippers option is a River Roamer pass for unlimited use on the day you redeem your credits. The river service stops near major sights and runs frequently, making it a practical way to travel while seeing the city from the water. Think of it as a river bus, not a narrated sightseeing cruise. If you want commentary or a guided tour, the pass description does not promise either.

There is also a two-hour Regent’s Canal trip aboard Jason, a converted 108-year-old cargo boat, and a one-day bike hire or sunset cycling tour. The sunset tour requires a reservation. These alternatives can make a day feel less like a string of indoor attractions, but check their schedules and book ahead where required.

Museums, gardens, and smaller surprises

The pass’s range is one of its best features. Alongside major sights, you can visit the Charles Dickens Museum, the Freud Museum, the Foundling Museum, the Postal Museum, the London Transport Museum, and the Cartoon Museum. The Freud Museum preserves his study, psychoanalytic couch, and collection of antiquities. The Postal Museum traces communication and includes the story of Mail Rail and the Great Train Robbery. These smaller stops can give a day more character than another queue for a headline attraction.

Greenwich is an appealing cluster for a full or half day. The Royal Observatory explores astronomy, Greenwich Mean Time, and the Prime Meridian. The National Maritime Museum covers Britain’s seafaring past, while the Cutty Sark lets you walk beneath the hull of the last surviving tea clipper. Nearby, the Fan Museum and Ranger’s House offer more intimate visits, though Ranger’s House requires a reservation. Check the opening details for each stop rather than assuming all Greenwich attractions share the same hours.

Kew Gardens combines glasshouses, galleries, and historic gardens at a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chelsea Physic Garden, founded in 1673, offers a smaller botanical visit focused on plant species and conservation. Both can be a welcome change of pace, but Kew requires advance reservations and takes time to explore.

Other distinctive options include the Golden Hinde, a full-size reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s ship; Benjamin Franklin House, his only remaining residence; and Eltham Palace, a former royal residence with a history reaching back to the 1300s. The Monument to the Great Fire offers a climb and city views, while Wellington Arch and Apsley House connect to the Duke of Wellington. These are the kinds of stops that make the pass interesting beyond its headline list.

Stadiums, family outings, and specialist interests

Sports fans have a substantial menu: tours at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Kia Oval cricket ground, and Allianz Stadium Twickenham, home to England Rugby and the World Rugby Museum. The Chelsea tour includes the changing rooms, while the Arsenal visit combines the stadium tour with the club museum. Reservations are required for several of these venues, and event schedules may affect access, so check before you build your day around one.

Families might consider London Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures, or QUEENS skate, dine, and bowl. The zoo is in Regent’s Park and takes about three hours. Chessington is outside central London and needs a reservation, so include travel time when weighing it against a city day. QUEENS combines an ice rink, bowling lanes, a café, and arcade games, with advance booking required.

The pass also reaches beyond conventional sightseeing. You can choose a Brit Icon tour focused on subjects such as Harry Potter, Doctor Who, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or The Crown, with reservations required. In December, a Christmas lights walking tour visits festive displays around Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. The seasonal tour is listed for November 14 through December 31, 2025, so it is not a year-round option.

Art and entertainment choices include Frameless, Moco Museum London, the King’s Gallery, the Estorick Collection, Guildhall Art Gallery, and several Curzon cinemas. There are also mini-golf options at Swingers City and Swingers West End, available on the pass Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays before 5 p.m. One detail to watch: the Natural History Museum entry listed with the pass is a souvenir guidebook, not admission to the museum itself.

Will $135.75 pay off?

At the quoted price of $135.75 per person, value depends on how many included, paid attractions you can realistically visit. The pass is most compelling if you plan several high-admission sights on consecutive days, such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, and a booked viewing attraction. The bus and river pass add value if you will use them, though they should not be counted as a substitute for every other form of transport.

The pass can save money when you plan well. One user described visiting 11 attractions and feeling the savings; another found that visiting four paid attractions plus using the river service covered the cost. Those examples point to the same lesson: compare the individual admission prices for the places you actually want, then factor in how much time you have. A long list of options does not make a short trip longer.

On a one-day visit, the pass may be a poor fit if you have only one or two must-sees or need to cross the city several times. A three-day pass can look generous on paper, but a day with a closed museum or unavailable reservation can sharply reduce its value. Many attractions close on particular days, and the Palace of Buckingham is only open for tours during a limited season. Check opening dates and bookable slots before buying.

The price shown may not apply to every duration, so confirm the amount for your chosen pass before checkout. Food, drinks, and transport to and from attractions are not included unless an activity specifically says otherwise. Some venues may offer upgrades at an extra cost.

Reservations, activation, and avoiding snags

Treat reservations as part of the purchase, not an afterthought. The London Eye, The View from The Shard, Madame Tussauds, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, and several other activities require advance booking. Availability is controlled by the attractions, and a pass does not guarantee a slot on your preferred day.

The digital pass is made available after order confirmation. The instructions say to select Get ticket, update your email, and sync the pass in the Go City app. Technical trouble accessing or downloading passes has caused frustration, so set up the app before your first sightseeing day and keep the provided PDF guide available as a backup. If you buy through a third party, check that you have received and can open every pass you purchased.

The activity list can change, and some attractions have unusual conditions. Check hours, reservation instructions, and included benefits in the app or digital guide shortly before you go. The pass is sold as a digital credits package, not as a promise that every listed attraction will be open whenever you arrive.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Who should book the London Pass?

I would consider the pass if you are visiting for several days, want to see a mix of major attractions, and are comfortable planning reservations and routes in advance. It is particularly useful for first-time visitors who want a broad menu and can start early, group nearby sights together, and make good use of the included bus or river service.

I would skip it if you prefer a loose schedule, have only a couple of paid sights in mind, or dislike managing apps and timed bookings. Before paying, choose your must-see attractions, check they are open on your dates, reserve the slots that matter, and compare their separate admission costs with the pass price. If the sums work and the schedule feels humane, it can be a handy way to see more of London. If the plan depends on racing between far-flung stops, buy individual tickets instead.

FAQ

How many attractions are included?

The pass includes a digital credits package for more than 100 activities. The current list is available in the Go City app or digital guide and can change.

Which pass durations can I choose?

You can choose a one-, two-, three-, four-, five-, six-, seven-, or ten-day pass.

When does the pass become active?

It activates when you visit your first attraction. It is valid for up to one year from the purchase date before activation.

Does a pass day mean 24 hours?

No. Once activated, the pass is valid for the number of consecutive calendar days you purchased, not for rolling 24-hour periods.

Are Tower Bridge and the Tower of London both included?

Yes. They are separate attractions, and each can be visited once with the pass.

Are the London Eye and The View from The Shard included?

Yes. Both are included, but advance reservations are required. Shard visits are daytime only, and the last available pass booking slot is 5:15 p.m.

Does the pass include transport?

It includes a two-day classic Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour and credits for a one-day Thames River Roamer pass. Transport to and from attractions is not included unless stated.

Can I visit an attraction more than once?

No. Each attraction can be visited once, and the pass has a maximum credit value based on the duration you choose.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before are not accepted.