Choosing between the London Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and Merlin Pass can be confusing for first-time visitors to London. Each pass works differently, covers different attractions, and offers better value depending on your itinerary and travel style.
Is the London Pass different from Go City? Is a Merlin Pass just another version of the same thing? Not quite. This guide compares all three sightseeing passes so you can choose the one that offers the best value for your London trip.
London Pass vs Go City vs Merlin Pass: At a Glance
One thing worth clearing up right away: the London Pass and Go City are now the same company. Go City (formerly Leisure Pass Group) owns and operates the London Pass brand, alongside its own Explorer Pass. So really, the choice isn’t “London Pass vs Go City,” it’s a choice between three products, two of which come from the same operator.
| Pass | How it works | Typical price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Pass | Unlimited entry, valid for consecutive days | From about £89 for 1 day up to £239-259 for 10 days | Packed, fast-paced sightseeing |
| Go City Explorer Pass | Pick 2-7 attractions, credit-based | £64 for 2 credits up to £159 for 7 | A slower trip with a handful of must-sees |
| Merlin’s Magical Pass | Fixed bundle of 5 named attractions | From around £59 | Families set on the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and similar |
Although these sightseeing passes may look similar, each one is designed for a different type of traveler. The London Pass rewards visitors who want to see as many paid attractions as possible in consecutive days. The Go City Explorer Pass works better if you only have a shortlist of attractions. Meanwhile, Merlin’s Magical Pass focuses entirely on Merlin-operated family attractions like the London Eye and Madame Tussauds.
Prices change regularly because of seasonal promotions, so always check the official websites before purchasing.
If you’re still unsure, the detailed comparison below explains exactly when each sightseeing pass offers the best value.
London Pass: How It Works
The London Pass is one of London’s best-known unlimited sightseeing passes. It offers unlimited admission to more than 100 attractions during the number of consecutive days you purchase.
The London Pass covers more than 100 attractions across the city, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, and Windsor Castle. It also throws in a 2-day hop-on hop-off bus tour and a 24-hour Thames river cruise as standard. Once activated, you get unlimited entry to everything on the list for however many consecutive days your pass covers.
How the pricing works
The pass isn’t cheap on paper. A 1-day adult pass runs from roughly £89 to £99, rising to somewhere between £239 and £259 for 10 days, with the daily rate dropping the longer you commit to. It’s activated by your first attraction visit rather than your purchase date, so there’s no downside to buying it well ahead of your trip.
When it actually pays off
The math works in your favor once you’re visiting three or more paid attractions in a short window. As an example, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and St Paul’s Cathedral alone add up to roughly £92 at individual gate prices, which is already close to the cost of a 1-day pass before you’ve added anything else. If your trip is built around ticking off major paid landmarks over two or three packed days, this is the pass that tends to save real money.
It’s also worth noting that the pass adds nothing for London’s major free museums. The British Museum, National Gallery, V&A, Natural History Museum, and Tate Modern don’t charge admission, so a pass buys you no discount there.
Go City Explorer Pass vs London Pass
Unlike the London Pass, the Go City Explorer Pass uses a credit-based system rather than unlimited consecutive days.
Instead of paying for a block of days, you buy a set number of attraction credits, anywhere from 2 to 7, and use them at your own pace. Each attraction visit uses one credit, and once you activate the pass with your first visit, you typically have around 30 days to use the rest.
The Explorer Pass is ideal if you only plan to visit a handful of paid attractions. If you’re in London for a week but only plan to hit three or four paid sights between wandering neighborhoods and free museums, you’re not paying for days you won’t fully use. Prices run from about £64 for a 2-attraction pass up to roughly £159 for 7, and the per-attraction cost drops as you pick more credits.
You can check the latest attractions and prices on the official London Pass website.
Explorer Pass or full London Pass?
As a general rule, if you’ll realistically see five or more paid attractions in a short, tightly packed visit, the unlimited London Pass usually wins. If you’re after two to four specific sights spread across a longer, more relaxed stay, the Explorer Pass tends to come out cheaper.
The latest Explorer Pass prices and attraction list are available on the official Go City website.
Merlin Pass: Is It Better Than London Pass or Go City?
Unlike the London Pass and Go City Explorer Pass, Merlin’s Magical Pass is a discounted bundle that includes only Merlin-operated attractions, making it especially popular with families.
Merlin’s Magical London Pass bundles exactly five attractions owned by Merlin Entertainments: the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, the London Dungeon, and DreamWorks Tours: Shrek’s Adventure. You book your first visit (usually Madame Tussauds or the London Eye) to activate it, and then have 90 days to use the rest.
Prices start from around £59, which is a meaningful saving if you were planning to visit several of these attractions anyway. At full individual gate prices, doing all five can easily run past £150 to £180 per person.
You can view the latest Merlin Magical Pass offers on the official Merlin website.
The detail that actually matters here
One important difference that many visitors overlook is this: three of these five attractions, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure, and the London Dungeon, are not included in either the London Pass or the Go City Explorer Pass. Only Madame Tussauds and the London Eye tend to show up across the broader sightseeing passes. So if your family has their heart set on the aquarium or the Dungeon specifically, a general sightseeing pass won’t cover it. The Merlin Pass, or an individual Merlin combo ticket, is really the only route to a discount on those.
Not to be confused with the Merlin Annual Pass
There’s a separate product called the Merlin Annual Pass, valid for 12 months and aimed mostly at UK residents who want repeat access to Merlin’s wider portfolio, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and LEGOLAND Windsor. If you’re in London for a short trip, that’s almost certainly not the one you want. Look specifically for Merlin’s Magical Pass, the 5-attraction version with the 90-day window.
London Pass vs Go City vs Merlin Pass: Which Should You Choose?
There’s no single winner. The best sightseeing pass depends on how many attractions you plan to visit, how quickly you want to move around London, and whether you’re traveling with children.
A fast, first-time trip hitting major landmarks
The London Pass. Unlimited entry over two or three packed days beats paying per attraction once you’re past two or three big sights.
A longer, slower trip with a short list of sights
The Go City Explorer Pass. You only pay for what you’ll use, and there’s no pressure to cram everything into consecutive days.
A family trip built around the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and similar
Merlin’s Magical Pass. It’s the only one of the three that reliably covers the aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure, and the Dungeon.
A trip centered on free museums and walking around
Skip all three. None of these passes add value if you’re mainly visiting the British Museum, the National Gallery, or simply exploring neighborhoods on foot.
At a Glance: Which Pass Should You Choose?
| If you… | Best pass |
|---|---|
| Want to visit 5+ attractions in 2–3 days | London Pass |
| Only want 2–4 paid attractions | Go City Explorer |
| Are traveling with children | Merlin Pass |
| Mostly visit free museums | No pass |
Check-in Pick Insight
Before choosing between the London Pass, Go City Explorer Pass, and Merlin Pass, make a simple list of the paid attractions you actually want to visit. If you only plan to visit one or two attractions, individual tickets are often cheaper. If you’re planning several major paid attractions in a short period, a sightseeing pass can often save you money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions about the London Pass vs Go City vs Merlin Pass.
Can I visit the same attraction twice with the London Pass?
No. Most attractions only allow one visit per pass holder.
Can I buy these passes after arriving in London?
Yes. All three passes can be purchased online before or during your trip, although buying in advance often gives access to promotional discounts.
Are the London Pass and Go City the same thing?
Effectively yes. Go City owns the London Pass brand, alongside its own Explorer Pass. The attraction lists overlap heavily between the two.
Does any pass include public transport?
No. None of these three cover the Tube or buses. A contactless bank card is the easiest way to handle those separately.
Is Windsor Castle included?
It’s included on the London Pass, and has also been added to the Go City Explorer Pass as of mid-2026. It’s not part of Merlin’s Magical Pass.
Can I combine a sightseeing pass with a Merlin pass?
Yes, there’s nothing stopping you from buying both if your itinerary genuinely needs it, though it’s worth checking you’re not paying twice for the same attraction, since Madame Tussauds and the London Eye can appear on more than one list.
Do these passes expire?
The London Pass and Explorer Pass are tied to a purchase window (commonly a year to activate), then run for their set number of days or credits once activated. Merlin’s Magical Pass gives you 90 days from your first visit to use the rest.
Final Thoughts
After comparing the London Pass vs Go City vs Merlin Pass, it’s clear that the best choice depends on your itinerary, travel style, and budget.
None of these three passes is a universal best choice, and that’s really the point. The London Pass rewards a packed, landmark-heavy schedule. The Explorer Pass suits a slower trip with a shorter wish list. Merlin’s Magical Pass exists in its own lane entirely, covering family attractions that the other two mostly leave out.
The best sightseeing pass isn’t necessarily the cheapest one—it’s the one that matches your itinerary. Before buying any sightseeing pass, make a list of the attractions you genuinely want to visit. Once you know your itinerary, choosing the right sightseeing pass becomes much easier—and you’ll avoid paying for attractions you never use.
Planning your London itinerary? These guides may also help: