First trip to London in 2 days: pass or gate tickets
Our five first visit picks for London cost GBP 308 at the gate for 2 adults. Over 2 days, The London Pass Explorer saves GBP 38 (12% of the gate total) for this plan, and it is the only one of the 4 passes to reach Worth it.
London has 4 passes, and the two Go City passes, the London Pass Explorer and the London Pass All-Inclusive, are the only ones that include all five picks. For 2 adults the five cost GBP 308 at the gate, and the pace you set decides which option fits.
Our five first visit picks for London, our choice for a first visit and not a visitor ranking, split over 2 days. The plan: 2 adults, 2 days, a packed pace of up to 4 visits a day.
Gate prices for 2 adults in GBP, checked October 2026. "Covered by" names the pass that comes first for this plan, The London Pass Explorer.
Day 1: Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and The View from The Shard
Day 1 is the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the Shard. The Shard sells timed tickets at prices that move by date, so the figure here is its starting price.
Prices for one visitor from each attraction's own ticket page, in GBP, checked October 2026, and the total for the 2 adults of this plan: GBP 308. A price the page does not publish stays out of every total.
London: the five picks, gate prices in GBP and the passes that include each, checked October 2026
London Pass All-Inclusive and London Pass Explorer
Every London pass for this plan
The engine picks the option of each pass that fits 2 days at a packed pace, adds what the pass leaves at the gate, and sets the total against the GBP 308 gate price of the plan. Rows run from the verdict down, then by saving.
London: every pass for the five picks over 2 days, 2 adults at a packed pace, in GBP, checked October 2026
The London Pass Explorer comes first: its 5 attractions option covers all five and saves GBP 38 (12% of the gate total), Worth it. The London Pass All-Inclusive covers them too but costs GBP 2 more than the gate (under 1% of the gate total). London Flex Pass costs less but covers only the Tower and the Eye, and saves GBP 14 (4% of the gate total).
The London Pass Explorer for this plan, in full
Worth itRanked 1 of 4 for this plan
The London Pass Explorer
2 adults, 2 days at a packed pace, gate total GBP 308 for the 5 attractions listed below.
Next on this plan: London Flex Pass, Close call; it saves GBP 14 (4% of the gate total).
5 attractions. Of the options that fit 2 days at a packed pace, this one has the highest saving. It uses 5 of its 5 picks.
GBP 38less than the gate, 12% of the gate totalfor this plan
Gate tickets for the planGBP 308
With The London Pass ExplorerGBP 270
Pass GBP 270
It pays off already for this plan.
5 visits in 2 days fits a packed pace of 4 a day.
Covered by the pass
Tower of LondonGBP 76
Westminster AbbeyGBP 64
The London EyeGBP 58
The View from The ShardGBP 56
St Paul's CathedralGBP 54
Paid at the gate
Nothing: the pass covers the whole plan.
Pass price per person
Adult x 2GBP 135
Prices checked October 2026. Worth The Pass compares published prices on the date shown. Passes change what they include; check the seller's page before you buy.
What changes the answer
Pace decides London. At 2 visits a day the five picks no longer fit 2 days, so the Explorer drops to its 4 attractions option and comes out a Close call.
At a relaxed pace
5 things in 2 days at a relaxed pace is a full trip. At a relaxed pace of 2 visits a day, The London Pass Explorer moves to its 4 attractions option and saves GBP 24 (7% of the gate total): Close call. It still comes first.
With two children aged 8 and 14, the plan costs GBP 485 at the gate. The London Pass Explorer still comes first and saves GBP 37 (7% of the gate total): Close call.
The calculator opens with these five ticked, 2 adults and 2 days at a packed pace. Change the ticks, the days, the adults and each child's age, and every pass gets its own verdict for the things you ticked.
Is a sightseeing pass worth it for 2 days in London?
For our five first visit picks over 2 days, 2 adults at a packed pace, one pass reaches Worth it: The London Pass Explorer, which saves GBP 38 (12% of the gate total). The answer holds for this plan only; a shorter or longer list can change it.
What do London's five first visit picks cost at the gate?
Tower of London GBP 38, The London Eye GBP 29, Westminster Abbey GBP 32, St Paul's Cathedral GBP 27 and The View from The Shard GBP 28 (from) for one adult, GBP 308 for 2 adults, read on each attraction's own page in October 2026.
Which of these London sights does no pass include?
None: each of the five is in at least one of the 4 London passes we compare. The table of the five on this page shows which pass covers which.
What changes for a family with two children in London?
With two children aged 8 and 14, the plan costs GBP 485 at the gate. The London Pass Explorer still comes first and saves GBP 37 (7% of the gate total): Close call.
Does a slower pace change the London answer?
5 things in 2 days at a relaxed pace is a full trip. At a relaxed pace of 2 visits a day, The London Pass Explorer moves to its 4 attractions option and saves GBP 24 (7% of the gate total): Close call. It still comes first.
Which of these London sights need a booked time?
The London Eye and The View from The Shard sell tickets for a set entry time on their own pages, so build the day around those slots. Where a pass also needs a booking, its pass page says so in the terms of each attraction.
Sources
Prices come from the attraction and seller pages we read in October 2026; the data page lists them. The facts above that are not prices come from these official pages:
