Trying to choose between the Go City Explorer Pass vs The London Pass? Here’s how to choose the best option for your London exploring — from a London travel blogger.
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Biasedly speaking there’s nothing like exploring London. The city is seeped in history, beautiful architecture and of course, world-class attractions to explore.
If you’ve been thinking about visiting London or simply wanting to explore your own city more, you may have stumbled upon two of London’s most popular tourist passes — the Go City Explorer Pass and the more well-known, London Pass.
But how to you choose which is best for you? You’ve come to the right place my friend.
In this post I’ll be sharing everything Explorer Pass vs The London Pass including how travel passes work, how much you can save with the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass including how much is The Explorer Pass and how much is The London Pass, how The Explorer Pass works and how The London Pass works, which attractions The Explorer Pass includes and which attractions The London Pass includes, and of course, how to choose between the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass. Let’s get into it!
Go City Explorer Pass vs The London Pass
How Travel Passes Work:
Before you decide on getting the Explorer Pass or The London Pass you may be asking the age-old question — ‘what’s in it for me?’, but the answer is clear.
When it comes to travel passes you are almost always guaranteed massive savings on sightseeing (we’re talking upwards of 55%).
This is because through negotiations with tourist attractions the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass are able to get a discounted entry rate, which we, the tourists or explorers, benefit from.
Think of it like going to Costco and buying wholesale (except for really cool London attractions) — buying in bulk is cheaper than buying just one! When you bundle attractions into one travel pass you’re guaranteed to save money as well as avoid the hassle of booking each experience individually.
So basically, unless you only want to see one attraction during your London trip or London exploring, getting a travel pass is worth it.
How Does the Go City Explorer Pass Work?
The Go City Explorer Pass was designed to help you explore the very best of London.
It’s based on the number of attractions you want to visit, so you would need to decide if you want to see 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions before your purchase. Once you do, you’ll have 60 days to use it from your first attraction visit or until your credits run out (one attraction = one credit).
How to Use the Go City Explorer Pass Step-by-Step
- Choose your Explorer Pass (i.e the amount of attractions you’d like to visit)
- Download the Go City App and insert your activation code to access your passes
- Check which attractions require booking in advance and do so if needed.
- Start exploring! Just scan your Explorer Pass at each attraction for entry
Which Attractions Does the Go City Explorer Pass Include?
The Explorer Pass includes over 70 attractions across London, including:
- Tower of London
- Westminster Abbey
- City Cruises Thames River Pass
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- 1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
- Up at The O2
- The View from The Shard
- ZSL London Zoo
- London Bridge Experience
- Tower Bridge
- Kensington Palace
- Hampton Court Palace
- Hop-on Hop-off open top bus tour of Windsor
- Kew Gardens
- Old Royal Naval College
- Cutty Sark
- Royal Observatory in Greenwich
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour
- Chelsea FC Stadium Tour & Museum
- Emirates Arsenal Stadium Tours
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tour
- Twickenham Stadium Tour & World Rugby Museum
- The Kia Oval Ground Tours
- London Stadium Tours
- Wembley Stadium Tour
- Household Cavalry Museum
- Royal Albert Hall Tour
- The Monument to the Great Fire of London
- The Bermondsey Bierkeller
- Fuller’s Brewery Tour
- London Transport Museum
- ArcelorMittal Orbit (the world’s tallest tunnel slide)
- Chiswick House and Kitchen Garden
- Brit Movie Tours
- Brit Music Tours
- Brit Icon Tours
- Sherlock: The Game is Now
- London Bicycle Tour
- London Bike Hire
- Apsley House
- Wellington Arch
- Jewel Tower
- The Garden Museum
- Florence Nightingale Museum
- Benjamin Franklin House – Architectural Tour
- The Postal Museum
- Curzon Soho Cinema
- Curzon Mayfair Cinema
- Curzon Bloomsbury Cinema
- The Freud Museum London
- Museum of Brands
- Pollock’s Toy Museum
- Eltham Palace
- The Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House
- Natural History Museum Guidebook
- Southwark Cathedral
- Museum of London
- Royal Air Force Museum
- British Museum VOX Audio Guide
- The Guards Museum
- Swingers in City of London (crazy golf)
- Swingers West End
- Hard Rock Cafe London
- The Chocolate Cocktail Club
- All Star Lanes
- Mystery Murder Tour: Trafalgar Square
- Mystery Murder Tour: Westminster
My personal tip is to avoid using your Explorer Pass on experiences that don’t have a high order value.
For example, ‘The Museum of Brands’ order value is £9 and the ‘Benjamin Franklin House Tour’s’ is £6, so a total of £15. If you were to buy the 2-choice Explorer Pass (£49 for a 2-choice pass) you would actually end up losing £34 by getting the pass (£49 for the Explorer Pass minus £15 for the order value of the experiences).
However if you got the 2-choice pass and used it to go Up at the O2 (£40 order value) and The View from the Shard (£32 order value) you would end up saving £23 (£72 order value for 2 attractions minus the £49 2-choice Explorer Pass)
Luckily the Explorer Pass tells you the original order value of all the experiences they offer, so can see instantly if you’ll end up saving on the experience with the pass with some quick and easy math.
You can find the latest list of attractions available here.
How Much is The Go City Explorer Pass?
As of 2022, these are the current prices of the Go City Explorer Pass (P.S – this post will be updated frequently to reflect the latest prices; prices for children may be lower). Sometimes they also add an extra 5% off if you sign up to their newsletter.
| # Choice Pass | Price |
| 2 Choice Pass | £49 |
| 3 Choice Pass | £64 |
| 4 Choice Pass | £79 |
| 5 Choice Pass | £98 |
| 6 Choice Pass | £111 |
| 7 Choice Pass | £122 |
How Does The London Pass Work?
The London Pass was designed to help you access London’s top attractions and save along the way.
It’s based on the consecutive days of your visit, so you can choose from 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or 10 days to explore (but it has to be consecutive, for so example, if you choose not to do any sightseeing on the 3rd day you would still have used up a day of your pass).
How to Use The London Pass Step-by-Step
- Choose your London Pass duration (i.e the amount of consecutive days you’d like to sightsee in London)
- Download The London Pass app to scan your tickets (it also has an interactive map and built-in itinerary builder)
- Scan your pass to use (similar to Explorer Pass you’ll still need to book in advance for certain attractions)
Which Attractions Does The London Pass Include?
The London Pass includes over 80+ attractions across London, including:
- Tower of London
- Uber Boat 1-day River Roamer
- 1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
- The View from The Shard
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Westminster Abbey
- Old Royal Naval College
- London Bridge Experience
- Tower Bridge
- Kensington Palace
- Windsor Castle
- Royal Mews
- The Queen’s Gallery
- Hampton Court Palace
- London Zoo
- Kew Gardens
- Cutty Sark
- Royal Observatory Greenwich
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour
- Golden Hinde
- Chelsea FC Stadium Tour
- Emirates Stadium Tour – Arsenal FC
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tour
- London Stadium Tour
- The Kia Oval Tour
- Fuller’s Brewery Tour
- Household Cavalry Museum
- Twickenham Stadium World Rugby Museum
- Royal Albert Hall Tour
- The Monument to the Great Fire of London
- London Transport Museum
- Jason’s Original Canal Boat Trip
- Wembley Stadium Tour
- ArcelorMittal Orbit (the world’s longest tunnel slide)
- Chiswick House and Kitchen Garden
- Chelsea Physic Garden
- 30+ London Sights Tour
- Palace & Parliament Tour
- Brit Movie Tours
- Brit Music Tours
- Brit Icon Tours
- Sherlock: The Game is Now
- Apsley House
- Wellington Arch
- Jewel Tower
- London Bicycle Tour
- London Bicycle Hire
- The Garden Museum
- Florence Nightingale Museum
- Charles Dickens Museum
- The Postal Museum
- Benjamin Franklin House
- Queens Skate Dine Bowl
- Curzon Cinema Soho
- Curzon Mayfair Cinema
- Curzon Bloomsbury
- Swingers in the City of London (crazy golf)
- Swingers West End
- Freud Museum London
- Jewish Museum London
- Fan Museum
- Museum of Brands
- Pollock’s Toy Museum
- Cartoon Museum
- The Foundling Museum
- London Canal Museum
- London Museum of Water and Steam
- Mystery Murder: Trafalgar Square
- Mystery Murder: Westminster
- Keats House
- Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
- The Guards Museum
- Natural History Museum Guidebook
- Southwark Cathedral
- Museum of London
- Museum of London Docklands
- Royal Air Force Museum London
- Guidhall Art Gallery
- National Army Museum
- British Museum Audio Guide
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (grand temple)
- Eltham Palace
- Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House
- The Chocolate Cocktail Club
- All Star Lanes
Unlike the Go City Explorer Pass there is no limit on the amount of attractions you can see with The London Pass, as long as it’s within the period of ‘credits’ you have to explore (i.e – 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or 10 days).
Because of this I suggest picking a few attractions to see for your trip (3-5 each day should be plenty) followed by making your own Google Map. This will allow you to see which ones are in proximity to each other so you avoid running around London and simply visit the attractions each day that are closest to each other.
P.S – Like the Go City Explorer Pass, remember to check the original value of the attractions you choose and do the quick maths to make sure you’re saving!
How Much is The London Pass?
As of 2022, these are the current prices for The London Pass (P.S – this post will be updated frequently to reflect the latest prices, prices for children may be lower). Sometimes they also have 5% discounts for seasonal promotions.
| # Choice Pass | Price |
| 1 Day Pass | £79 |
| 2 Day Pass | £93 |
| 3 Day Pass | £111 |
| 4 Day Pass | £139 |
| 5 Day Pass | £152 |
| 6 Day Pass | £157 |
| 7 Day Pass | £163 |
| 10 Day Pass | £161 |
Why Do I Still Need to Book in Advance if I Have the Explorer Pass or The London Pass?
Because of the popularity of certain London attractions (for example, The View at The Shard) you’ll need to book in advance to reserve your place.
To do this, simply reserve as you would on the attractions website as a normal paying customer, but on the checkout page, enter your Explorer Pass or The London Pass code. This will make the payment amount due £0 and you will receive a booking confirmation for the the date and time you chose.
It’s also important to note some famous London attractions are not included in Explorer Pass or The London Pass, most notably The London Eye. So you’ll need to book these separately.
P.S – If you look at most of the negative reviews of both the Explorer Pass and The London Pass — it usually has to do with the fact that they couldn’t get into a certain attraction that they actually were supposed to book in advance and didn’t realise (life lesson — always read the fine print!)
How Much Can You Save With the Go City Explorer Pass vs The London Pass?
Both the The Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass promises savings of up to 55%, however this will vary greatly depending on the combination of the pass and attractions you choose. Here’s a savings example of each:
My suggestion is to make yourself an itinerary of attractions you want to visit along with the original value price and compare it to the cost of the Explorer Pass or the London Pass you chose.
This will give you a clear picture of exactly how much you’ll be saving and help you use your pass to the fullest!
Go City Explorer Pass or The London Pass? – Which One Should I Go For?
Now that you know a fair bit about the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass you may be wondering, which is right for me?
The most important difference between the two is the credits. Credits for the Go City Explorer Pass are based on the amount of attractions you want to see whereas The London Pass is based on the number of amount of consecutive days you want to sightsee. Here are some more key differences:
| Category | Explorer Pass | The London Pass |
| Credits Based On: | # of Attractions | Consecutive Days of Sightseeing |
| Credit Packages Available: | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 credits | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 credits |
| Prices: | 2 Choice Pass: £49 3 Choice Pass: £64 4 Choice Pass: £79 5 Choice Pass: £98 6 Choice Pass: £111 7 Choice Pass: £122 | 1 Day Pass: £79 2 Day Pass: £93 3 Day Pass: £111 4 Day Pass: £139 5 Day Pass: £152 6 Day Pass: £157 7 Day Pass: £163 10 Day Pass: £161 |
| Attractions Offered: | 70+ attractions in London (see list above) | 80+ attractions in London (see list above) |
| Savings Potential: | 55% | 55% |
Overall choosing between the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass depends on the amount of time you’re in London and your intention for your trip.
If it’s your first time visiting the city or you’ve lived here for a while but haven’t explored the city properly and have some time off, I suggest going for The London Pass. Since you’re paying by the day it really forces you to get out there and do some sightseeing (especially if you want to reap the savings to the max!).
If you don’t end up exploring much after you’ve bought the pass, it obviously wouldn’t make it worth it, so make sure you’ve planned a bunch in advance and are okay with going full tourist mode for a few days while you make the most of your pass.
If you’re studying abroad in, just moved to or live in London, you can afford to take it a little more slowly and I suggest going for the Go City Explorer Pass. This will allow you to explore the city whenever you have free time instead of cramming your sightseeing into a consecutive amount of days.
Of course this means you’ll have to be super intentional about the attractions you visit as you can only choose 2-7 attractions to see over those 60 days. But it definitely makes for a fun challenge knowing you’ll need to force yourself to get out and see the city’s top sights at least once a week while you’re in London.
Final Thoughts on the Go City Explorer Pass vs The London Pass
How Travel Passes Work:
Overall both the Go City Explorer Pass and The London Pass enable you to make the most of your time in the Big Smoke and see all this amazing has to offer while saving along the way.
I hope this post gave you a bit more clarity on the two and in the meantime, feel free to let me know how your London travels are going on Instagram! Until next time…
Happy Londoning,
