London Explorer Pass vs London Pass: which is cheaper in 2026?

Quick comparison

How they work

The London Pass charges by the day. You pay a flat fee for 1–10 consecutive calendar days and visit as many included attractions as you like. The more you pack in, the better the value. It rewards intensity — three big sights before lunch and another two in the afternoon, every day, until the clock runs out.

The London Explorer Pass charges by the attraction. You choose upfront how many attractions you want (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7) and have 30 days from first use to tick them off. No daily pressure, no consecutive-day clock — but each attraction visit is "spent" the moment you scan in, and once you've used all of them the pass is done.

Both are digital passes that live in the Go City app as a QR code. Both are sold by the same company. Both share most of the same attractions. The only meaningful difference is how you're charged — and which pricing model fits your trip.

2026 prices: London Pass (adult)

Note the kink at 4 vs 5 days — they're the same price (£169), which makes the 5-day pass the single best value tier if you can fit the days in. Per-day cost drops fast: a 10-day pass at £24/day is cheap, but you'd need to be on a serious sightseeing marathon to use it well.

2026 prices: Explorer Pass (adult)

Per-attraction cost drops as you buy more, but the bigger savings come from picking expensive attractions: Tower of London (£35.80), Westminster Abbey (£31) and the Shard (£32) all individually cost more than the Explorer Pass's per-attraction rate. Picking cheap attractions (£15–£20 gate prices) defeats the purpose.

When the London Pass wins

Better value for short, intense trips visiting 3+ paid attractions per day. Worked example: 2 adults, 3 days, visiting Tower of London + Westminster Abbey + St Paul's + Kew + Hampton Court + Windsor Castle. At the gate that's £184.60 per adult, or £369.20 for two. A 3-day London Pass for 2 adults is £308. Saving: £61.

The maths gets better the more you cram in. The same couple adding a Hop-On Hop-Off bus, Thames cruise, Churchill War Rooms and Tower Bridge over those three days pushes gate-price spend past £550. Pass cost stays at £308. Saving climbs to ~£240.

When the Explorer Pass wins

Better if you're spending more than 3 days in London but only visiting a handful of paid attractions. Worked example: a couple on a 5-day London trip wants to visit Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the Shard, with the rest of the time at free museums and pubs. At the gate that's £137.80 per adult. A 4-attraction Explorer Pass is £109. Saving per adult: £28.80. A 4-day London Pass at £169 would cost more than gate prices in this scenario.

The 30-day window also suits travellers doing London as part of a longer UK trip — fly in, see Tower of London, leave for Edinburgh, come back two weeks later and use the rest of the Explorer Pass.

The crossover point

Rough rule: if your "attractions per day" rate is 3 or more, buy the London Pass. If it's 2 or less, buy the Explorer Pass. At exactly 2.5 (e.g. 5 attractions over 2 days), the maths is close enough that either works — pick whichever schedule you prefer.

One non-obvious factor: jet-lagged transatlantic visitors often overestimate their first-day pace. If you arrive Friday evening and your "3 days" is really 2.5 active days, the Explorer Pass usually beats the 3-day London Pass.

Decide in 30 seconds

Use the free comparison tool to see which pass saves you more for your specific attractions and group size. It runs both options against your gate-price total in one click — no guessing.