The lavish displays of grand heritage throughout the plethora of royal residences combined with the myriad of modern day attractions make London one of the most attractive global cities to visit. But where do you even begin to explore London with so many amazing things to see and experience? Thanks to the London Pass, you have over 60 attractions, tours, and museums to choose from.
We want to recommend a few London Pass attractions that we recently experienced and perhaps you will consider adding these to your itinerary next time you visit the English capital.
With so many quintessential landmarks and attractions to choose from, especially if you are visiting London for the first time, it can be difficult to decide which should be top of your must-see list.
Whether your interests lie in the gates of Buckingham Palace or perhaps the hallowed turf of Center Court at Wimbledon, the city of London is an iconic magnet that will continue to attract and inspire visitors from across the globe.
Here are five uniquely different attractions that we experienced during our recent 48 hours in London. Each one is symbolic to London and well worth experiencing.
Wembley Stadium
One of the most iconic football (or soccer) stadiums around the world is Wembley Stadium. The modern day stadium opened in 2007 following the demolition of the original Wembley in 2002. This stadium was originally famous for the ‘Twin Towers’, but this was replaced with the infamous Arch that can be seen towering above the London borough skyline at 440 feet.
When I noticed the London Pass included a guided tour of Wembley Stadium in their list of attractions, I immediately thought this would be a cool experience.
Wembley is so much more than a football stadium, in fact nowadays it is the home of the NFL when American Football teams head across the pond and ply their trade in England.
Major concerts have taken place here also, so we were ready to go behind the scenes and explore exactly what this state of the art stadium was all about.
Tours are available throughout the day, generally every hour and last for around 75 minutes. We were part of a fairly large group but at no point during the tour did we feel rushed. Our tour guide, Ian was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the stadium and was always willing to answer questions and take impromptu photos whenever requested.
The tour started ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak, as we headed downstairs to the Press Room. We all had the opportunity to sit in the ‘hot seat’ and marvel at the gorgeous interior of this modern day office for the global journalists that attend events at Wembley.
From here we headed to the dressing rooms and were able to capture a glimpse of shirts of England’s present day national team. From Wayne Rooney to Joe Hart, all of the shirts were waiting for visitors to take their picture with.
The moment everyone was waiting for arrived when we headed outside through the tunnel and went pitchside.
Stood there gazing around the 90,000 seater stadium was certainly an impressive sight and it helped that a corporate event was taking place with teams on the field playing (I won’t mention anything about the quality).
We paid a visit to the Royal Box and had our pictures taken with a replica FA Cup and after having ample opportunities to take in the breathtaking views of the stadium, Ian led us back inside and the tour culminated with memories of England’s most famous moments at Wembley (England fans out there will know…there have not been many in recent years!)
What You Need to Know
Address: Wembley, London HA9 0WS
Nearest London Underground Station: Wembley Stadium Station
Ticket Prices: Adult – £19.00 Child – £11.00 (Included in London Pass)
Hours: 1st September to 20th July (10:00AM – 3:00PM Daily); 21st July to 31st August (10:00AM – 7:00PM Monday to Friday; 10:00AM – 5:00PM Saturday; 10:00AM – 4:00PM Sunday)
Kensington Palace
After celebrating England’s glory years dating back to World Cup success in 1966 on our Wembley Stadium tour, we headed back to the heart of London and decided to visit Kensington Palace hoping for a spontaneous meeting with Prince William and Kate.
Of course, this didn’t happen but what we did get to experience was a self-guided tour of a gorgeous royal residence that is now divided into two segments, the private residential area for the Duke and Duchess and the area we had the opportunity to explore.
Walking around the various wings of Kensington Palace is a real eye-opening experience. The reality is that most of us can never relate to how royalty live, but it’s a rewarding sight to appreciate how elaborate everything is inside a royal residence.
Your self-guided tour starts in the atrium where you can decide whether you want to explore the King’s wing or Queen’s wing. The ornate staircases lead you upstairs to the heart of these apartments where the lavish furnishings continue.
A glamorous collection of royal dresses are available for viewing in the ‘Fashion Rules’ area of the Queen’s quarters.
Dresses from the Queen, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret dating back over previous decades can be seen and allows visitors an opportunity to take a nostalgic look back at how members of the royal family can be seen in public.
What You Need to Know
Address: Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8
Nearest London Underground Station: High Street Kensington, Notting Hill Gate or Queensway
Ticket Prices: Adult – £15.00 Child – Free (Included in London Pass)
Hours: March to October (10:00AM – 6:00PM); November to February (10:00AM – 5:00PM)
Westminster Abbey
If you have never visited Westminster Abbey, you have no idea what you are missing! We were both culprits of this prior to our recent visit to the Abbey and I can now honestly say that we were both floored by the beauty and rich history that lies within those ancient walls.
Whether it’s through my own ignorance or lack of knowledge of British history, Westminster Abbey is so much more than I imagined. Immediately we walked through the entrance on our audio driven self-guided tour, I realized that we were in for a real treat.
Heather commented that this is more like a walking cemetery and that may be the case with so many tombs and gravestones of iconic Kings and Queens that have previously led this historic nation.
The grave of the Unknown Warrior is another iconic part of Westminster Abbey and if you are fortunate enough to experience a moment’s silence as we were, the announcer will ask everyone in the Abbey to join in this moment of remembrance.
I was particularly impressed by Poet’s Corner as all the leading British literature figures could be found with their name engraved in the Abbey. From Wordsworth to Shakespeare, anyone with a hint of significance in British literature is idolized here.
Even though photography was not allowed inside Westminster Abbey, I think the images of the exterior are spectacular enough to justify taking a tour inside. You don’t need photographs of the interior to appreciate the history, it’s the lifelong memories you create from walking around and listening to the audio guide of the centuries of history that exists within these walls.
What You Need to Know
Address: Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA
Nearest London Underground Station: Westminster
Ticket Prices: Adult – £20.00 Child – £9.00 (Included in London Pass)
Hours: 9:30AM to 3:30PM (Subject to change – check Westminster Abbey website daily for latest times)
Royal Albert Hall
Often sat in the limelight of many of London’s other leading tourist attractions, the Royal Albert Hall is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious venues not only in London but throughout the country. Host to over 150,000 performances from some of the world’s most iconic musicians and performers, the Albert Hall is a vibrant and unique venue that is well worth touring.
We were fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable tour guide who gave our small group a guided tour of the Royal Albert Hall and we were even given the opportunity to sit and listen to a number of groups rehearsing for a performance later that evening.
You know that this is a pretty spectacular venue when there is a Royal Box for Her Majesty and even another room (Royal Retiring Room) specifically for the Queen and her guests to relax both prior to and after the performances inside the Royal Albert Hall.
Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the Royal Albert Hall, but I was able to capture a shot overlooking the gorgeous theatre.
Dedicated to the late Prince Albert, the Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria in tribute to her late husband.
The gold-leafed Albert Memorial statue that stands proudly beside the Royal Albert Hall is iconic given that Albert is looking over the Hall which of course, was an intentional design given his fondness towards the arts and his desire to create a venue that could help musicians and artists prosper. I think his wishes came true with this breathtaking venue!
What You Need to Know
Address: Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
Nearest London Underground Station: High Street Kensington and Knightsbridge
Ticket Prices: Adult – £12.20 Child – £5.25 (Included in London Pass)
Hours: April to October (9:30AM – 4:30PM Daily); November to March (10:00AM – 4:00PM Daily)
Thames River Boat Cruises
Trying to explore London for the first time or even on a return visit can be a daunting task. So much to see, so much to experience yet so little time to accomplish everything on your itinerary. Don’t worry, one of the London Pass attractions that will help solve this issue is the Thames River Boat Cruise.
Whether you want to use this as a viable option to get from one attraction to another, or perhaps just take a relaxing couple of hours cruising up and down the Thames River, this is well worth experiencing and a great way to see many of London’s iconic landmarks.
You can hop-on and hop-off at any of the four docks: Westminster, Greenwich, Tower Bridge and the London Eye. The London Pass offers visitors the option of a full day utilizing this pass so don’t think that once you ‘hop-off’ that you can’t use this again!
The stunning panoramic views of London can be seen directly from the cruise boat but of course if you are like us you will be eager to hop-off and experience everything this city has to offer.
We found the Thames River Boat Cruise to be the perfect mode of transport to get around while at the same time enjoying the experience of being fully engulfed in the gorgeous surroundings.
London at its finest can be experienced from this boat so don’t let the opportunity pass…hop on this cruise boat with your London Pass and you won’t be disappointed!
What You Need to Know
Address: Boats depart from one of the following piers: Westminster, London Eye, Tower Bridge and Greenwich
Nearest London Underground Station: High Street Kensington and Knightsbridge
Ticket Prices: Adult – £18.00 Child – £9.00 (24 Hour Day Pass included in London Pass)
Hours: Daily From 10:00AM to 5:00PM (Winter); Longer Hours in Summer.
Summary
If you are visiting London for only 24 or 48 hours and decide to purchase the London Pass, it is essential that you prepare your itinerary prior to visiting the city. This collection of London Pass attractions offers a diverse array of cultural and historical experiences that offers a reflection on the city that will make you want to return in the future.
We are both huge sporting fanatics so taking a trip to Wembley Stadium was an exciting prospect that lived up to our expectations. The other attractions are iconic and of course, what better way to get around the city than by hopping on the Thames River Boat Cruise.
London is one of our favorite cities (Heather will admit that it is her favorite!) and this array of attractions is just a brief glimpse of why we love this city so much! Regardless of the attractions you choose to visit with or without the London Pass, one thing is for sure, you will encounter lifelong memories each and every time you explore London.
Disclaimer – We were provided 2 complimentary 2-day passes for our trip. These are solely our personal opinions/experiences and we were not financially compensated for this post.