Exploring London With the London Explorer Pass
As an avid explorer, I always try to see and do as much as I can whilst visiting a new destination. Some cities, such as London, have such a large selection of tours, attractions, and activities, so it can sometimes be difficult to choose which one to visit. In this situation, I found it very beneficial to go for a London Explorer Pass since it gave me the possibility to choose to visit up to seven of all the major tourist attraction for a fraction of the price.
London Explorer Pass can most easily be described as a pre-paid multi-attraction sightseeing pass that offers access to some of London’s most popular attractions for a discounted price. Not only is it a helpful tool in for laying out your itinerary, it can also save you 40% compared to paying the regular price at the gate. It comes in three different variants; choose between a 3-attraction (£64), 5-attraction (£94), or 7-attraction (£114) pass. The best part of all, the pass can be downloaded to your smartphone, so you can enjoy a ticketless sightseeing experience.
Below I have created 2 different 1-day itineraries, all based on the activities included in the London Explorer Pass, that I would recommend if you have an upcoming visit to London.
Itinerary 1
Total Savings with the London Explorer Pass: 22%
1
10 a.m. – 12 a.m | SEA LIFE London Aquarium
London is so much more than Piccadilly Circus, Kensington Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Notting Hill. When thinking of London, fish may not be the first thing to spring to mind, which is why so many are surprised to learn that this British capital houses one of Europe’s largest displays of global aquatic life. Start the day at SEA LIFE London Aquarium, where you can wander through a picturesque glass tunnel enclosed in a majestic 25 meter-long blue whale skeleton! If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, why not witness the world’s biggest collections of Cownose rays, interact with crabs, anemones, and starfish, or snorkel with sharks! It is no wonder Sea Life attracts more than one million visitors each year, and you would be a fool to give this attraction a miss.
On average, SEA LIFE London appreciates it will take 1.5 to 2 hours to enjoy the full experience of the aquarium. Naturally, this varies on a case by case basis, but nevertheless, I would recommend you to be there at 10 a.m. to skip the crowds.
Normal Entry Price: Adult £30, Child £24
Address: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road
Link to the attraction | Google Map Location
2
12 a.m – 14 p.m | London Eye
London Eye, Europe’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, sees over 3.75 million visitors annually, and once you have experienced it, it is easy to see why. Aptly located on the South Bank of the Thames, only a 2-minute walk from SEA LIFE, the London Eye offers one of the tallest public viewing point in all of London, superseded only by the Shard. It’s fantastic 360 ° grand view of the city makes London Eye one of the most Instagrammable sites, well worth a visit. A full rotation takes about 30-minutes, but make sure to factor in some time for queueing as the standard entry queue time can be around 45 minutes, and the Fast Track entry queue time around 20 minutes.
Normal Entry Price: Adult £30, Child £24
Address: Coca-Cola London Eye, Lambeth
Link to the attraction | Google Map Location
3
14 p.m – 15.30 p.m. | Planet Hollywood
After having enjoyed a ride at the London Eye, head over to Planet Hollywood for lunch. It is only located a short 20-minute walk from the London Eye, and included in the London Explorer Pass is a two-course meal with with a choice of side, drink and dessert. The famous American chain first opened its doors in 1991’s New York City, and its name is derived from its atmosphere which is themed after Hollywood blockbuster films.
Normal Meal Value: Adult £23
Address: Planet Hollywood, 57-60 Haymarket, St. James’s
Link to the attraction | Google Map Location
Itinerary 2
Total Savings with the London Explorer Pass: 18%
1
1 Day Hop On, Hop Off Bus
If you are pressed for time, a hop-on, hop-off tour can help you get the most out of a short visit you get an overview of the city’s most popular attractions in a fuss-free way and at your own pace. The London Explorer Pass includes a one day Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour ticket that is valid on 9 bus routes. Hop-On-Hop-Off Sights include classic icons such as Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace and Palace of Westminster.
Normal Ticket Price: Adult £38.00, Child £19.80
Sights: Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, St Pauls Cathedral, COvent Garden, Hyde Park Corner, Notting Hill, Madame Tussauds, and more
Link to the attraction | BigBus Map | Golden Tours Map
2
Hop-On-Hop-Off Thames River Cruise
The River Thames flows straight through all of London and travelling by river is an interesting way to get around London as you are taking in all the riverside sights and landmarks. The pass includes a 24-hour cruise ticket and four locations to embark and disembark and departures follows a a regular schedule with ferries departing every 40-minutes.
Normal Entry Price: Adult £19.25, Child £12.50
Piers: Westminster, London Eye, Bankside, Tower of London and Greenwich piers.
Link to the attraction | Google Map Location to Piers
3
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Just a short 10-minute walk from the London Bridge Pier (accessible with the River Boat Cruise) or directly accessible with the Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour (stop 15 on the Red Line with Big Bus Tours or stop 24 with Golden Tours) lies the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral, a beautiful Anglican cathedral that sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Venture inside and marvel at the beautiful interior, and don’t miss the geometric staircase seen in the Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes films.
Normal Ticket Price: Adult £20.00, Child £8.50
Address: St. Paul’s Churchyard, London
Link to the attraction | Google Map Location
One last tip for using the London Explorer Pass. Instead of collect the physical pass at the London Explorer Pass’s office, download the London Explorer Pass mobile application. Not only will you have your pass with you on the go, but it also contains a lot of other information about the city and its attractions.
Have you been to London or is it still on your bucket list? Share in the comments below!
33 Comments
-
-
Nordh
Exploring on one’s own is great too though, don’t underestimate it. The Explorer Pass can be helpful when wanting to see and do as much as possible. London Eye has become a London classic to me, along with other London icons.
-
-
Ola @ WanderWithOla
Wow, I wish I had read this article before visiting London back then. It’s great to know that this pass can help us to save 40% compared to paying the regular price at the gate. And the fact that it offers ticketless sightseeing experience is really convenient! ~ Ola @ WanderWithOla
-
Nordh
The ticket-less experience really enhances the sightseeing experience overall. I just don’t like having a lot of papers to carry around when travelling.
-
-
Rebecca Smith
I love London, I only live twenty minutes away by train but definitely don’t spend as much time there as I should. I will definitely be checking out the London explorer pass.
-
Nordh
Thank you for taking your time and comment on my post. I find the London Explorer Pass to be great, both for getting a discount and to get some ideas on what to do while you’re in the city.
-
-
Hang Around The World - Paolo
I have a friend who have always invited me to visit London and now thank to your post I know why. With your photos you inspired me and I’d love to try your same experience especially the itinerary 1!! Saved this post 🙂
-
Nordh
You should definitely visit London if you got the opportunity, it’s an amazing city. I’m glad you found some inspiration in the photos and in the itineraries I’ve created with the London Explorer Pass ?
-
-
-
Lorita | Ting & Things
London is still one of the cities I want to go visit. I’d pin this up for when I’m ready to visit! Thanks for sharing!
-
-
Reika Misaki
England has always been one of the countries I would like to visit. This makes me wanna go even more. Thank you so much for sharing!
-
Nordh
I am happy I could inspire you to want to go to England! I have only had positive experiences there and can really recommend it.
-
-
Mallory | Mom of W.A.R.
Going to London would be an awesome experience. Thanks for some great tips if I ever get to go.
-
-
Lynda Hogan
What an informative and helpful post. It has been a long time since I was last in London, but plan to go back someday. This post will definitely help me make the most of my visit.
-
Nordh
I hope you get a chance to go back soon! And I am happy to hear that this post could help you make the most of your visit when you go back to London. Thanks for the comment!
-
-
-
Nordh
The discount passes are great if you wish to see and do a lot of things but only have a short amount of time.
-
-
Monidipa
Wow this itinerary was very good. However, I truly enjoyed reading it. Worth a visit
-
-
Shelby
I would love to visit St. Paul’s!! I also think the hop on hop off cruise would be a blast!
-
-
Anagha
I love Jelly Photo. Nicely captured. I will keep this itinerary in mind during my London visit. 🙂
-
-
Jelena
This city looks amazing. Never been to London, but I`m planning too. I love to travel. I was already going to 16 countries, and the UK is my list also.
-
-
Molly @ Love the Everyday
Gosh, I love London. It has always been one of my favorite cities to visit. I’ve never been on the Eye though, not yet anyway.
-
-
maysz
Wow, Such a wonderful place in London I really love the view. London is one of my dream places to visit someday awesome photos!
-
-
Dominique Brooks
This pass looks like fun. The second itinerary looks like the one my husband took me on in 2000 when we went to London for New Year’s Eve. It looks like fun!
-
lavieenmay
Wow, this seems like a great deal! I loved London when I went, but I unfortunately did a lot of exploring on my own. It was great, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve loved something like the Explorer Pass to save me some time/money. Buckingham Palace, London Eye and Big Ben were a few of my favorite sites. I didn’t get to see the aquarium while I was there though. Have to make a stop there next time!
May