Suitcase Sagas

Similar to many top cities, London too offers a London Pass to cover the top tourist attractions. While there are 60+ advertised attractions, focus on what you want to see and then on what is “unique” and worth your time (SS Tip: Do the math based on these attractions only). Don’t get overwhelmed trying to see everything the pass offers…

Key Benefits of Pass

• It is easy to buy the pass (they even have a mobile version) and saves you the trouble of buying tickets everywhere
• As they have offers on website sometime, (e.g. 20% off currently) , you can get a very good deal and save lots of money. Longer passes offer more savings and flexibility. For e.g. Adult fares are 1 day – GBP 62, 3 days – GBP 101, 6 days – GBP 139, 10 days – GBP 169
• Take benefit of free guidebook and mobile app to plan your trip SS Tip: Was a great help to check timings and train/ bus routes!

Attractions

Below is a list of my favorite attractions you can visit using London Pass. They are in no specific order so take your pick based on what category suits you !

• History: Start your day with Tower of London (GBP 25). Do check out the crown jewels, state rooms, arms and palace grounds.

• Close by, do go up to Tower Bridge Exhibition (GBP 18.5) and walk on the transparent floor – great views of the traffic on the bridge and boats on the river.

• Churches: Even if you are not religious, Westminster Abbey (GBP 22) and St. Paul’s Cathedral (GBP 18) are definitely worth the visit.

• Sports: London has some of the greatest attractions for sport enthusiasts. While the tennis guys will head to Wimbledon (GBP 25 +13) for a tour…

• The cricket lovers would head to Lords (GBP 24)… (Update: Not part of pass)

• The football fans can consider going to Chelsea or Arsenal for a tour.  Do check tour timings (usually in morning) and book in advance via phone/ email. Explore the associated museum while you wait for the tours.

 

• Greenwich: Take the Thames river cruise (GBP 18.5) to head to Greenwich – enjoy going down the various London bridges.

• Start off with tour of the old Cutty Sark (GBP 13.5) boat. Walk along the pretty gardens towards Royal Observatory (GBP 9.5). Stand on the prime meridian line which separates Eastern and Western Hemisphere!

• End your trip with a quick trip to the National Maritime Museum (free) for a look at the colorful exhibits. Greenwich is a half day affair.

• Palaces: Kensington Palace (GBP 17), situated in Hyde park is a lovely little mansion where Queen Victoria grew up. Apart from royal apartments, they also have an exhibition with Princess Diana’s famous outfits which is interesting

• We took a day trip out to Windsor Castle (GBP 20.5)- apart from large castle grounds, beautiful state rooms, Queen Mary’s Doll House, this place offers a great opportunity to see the change of guard ceremony in peace (unlike the crowds at Buckingham).

• You can also have a glimpse of the separate area where the queen resides during weekends. SS Tip: Do start with the official free tour to get your bearings around this place.

• Theatre: For Shakespeare lovers wanting to take a trip down memory lane, Globe Theatre (GBP 16) would be a must. The open air theatre has been built similar to Shakespeare era.
• Another interesting sight is the famous Royal Albert Hall (GBP 13.5) where you can go for  behind the scenes tour. We were lucky as we spotted Cirque De Soleil rehearsal in progress.

• Museums: There are a lot of museums all over London. Be it the kid-friendly Transport Museum (GBP 17) the Royal Mews (GBP 10) to see the horses and carriages.

• For those interested in world war, Churchill War Rooms (GBP 17.25) provide a peek into underground tunnels used during World War.

• HMS Belfast (GBP 14.5) is another great attraction where you can explore a once functional warship.

• Zoo: This is a small outdoor zoo (GBP 27) with a variety of animals including lions, giraffes, zebras, penguins, kangaroos, etc. People with kids or those who love animals can consider stopping by for 1-2 hours.

• Dungeons: London Bridge Experience (GBP 28) is a weird little attraction where you go through a scary “dungeon” experience. It follows the spooky story of how London bridge was constructed. We went for this just because it was included in the pass
• Tours: The pass also gives you access to some tours including Hop-on-Hop-off (GBP 26) for 1 day.

I purchased the 7 days Pass on my first trip and had an excellent time seeing all the above. So for me it was definitely Worth It !

Points to Note

• Do note that other attractions like London Eye, Houses of Parliaments and Shard are not covered in the pass. Consider buying an Oyster card separately for the transportation based on where you are residing in London
• If you are short on budget, there are also a lot of free things to do in London – Parks, Museums, Markets and Walking Tours.