London Paid - Top 20 + 1
This is a list of what many consider to be the Top 20 paid attractions in London, plus an additional one located just outside the city. I have listed them in alphabetical order and any prices shown are correct as of May 2026
Where multiple tube / rail stations are mentioned they are listed in order of distance with the nearest mentioned first.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham PalaceTube: Green Park, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner
Bus: 11, 211, C1 & C10
Tube: St James Park
Date / TImes: Daily July to August and Thursday to Monday in September 09:30 - 19:30, last admission 17:30
Cost: Adult (25+) - £33.00, Young Person (18-24) £21.50 , Child (5-17) £16.50, Child (under 5) free but still requires a ticket.
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the King and each summer 19 of the state rooms in the palace are open to the public and the tours are very popular.
The tours are self guided and it takes around two hours to carry out the tour.
Refreshments are available at the completion of the tour and you are able to walk around a small part of the gardens
Advance booking is highly recommended to guarantee admission. Tickets may be available on the day but that is not guaranteed and they cost an extra £2.00 - £4.00 a ticket.
Churchill War Rooms
Clive Steps, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AQTube: St James's Park, Westminster
Rail: Charing Cross, Victoria
Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 87, 88, 159 and 453
Date / Times: Daily 09:30 (09:00 Fri, Sat and every day June - August) to 18:00 (last admission 17:00)
Cost: Adult £34.00, Concession £30.60, Child (5-15) £17.00, Child (under 5) Free
An interesting to visit the underground war rooms , where Churchill and his generals managed the Second World War, untouched since the end of the war. IT tells the stories of those who worked here.
There is also the Churchill museum, where you can learn about the man himself with many of his personal artefacts from the time.
For the ultimate experience you can book a guided tour to give you a more in depth insight, these cost £54 per person (no child discounts available as the tours are geared towards adults)
Globe Theatre Tour
BanksideTube: London Bridge, Blackfriars, Mansion House, St Paul's and Southwark
Rail: Blackfriars (South Bank Exit) and London Bridge
Bus: 11,15,17. 26, 45, 63 and 100
Date / Times: Check with the venue
Cost: Adults (16+) £30.00, Children (under 16) £13.50
The Globe is a reconstruction of William Shakespears 1599 theatre and this guided tour tells the story of the original theatre and how it survived the plague and Great Fire of London and how it was faithfully recreated in the 1990's.
Travel through over 400 years of fascinating history as you journey around the Globe Theatre and be immersed in the sights, sounds, and secrets of Shakespeare’s London.
The tour lasts two hours, including a 50 minute guided tour, with the remainder of the time being self-guided in the exhibition area.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton CourtRail: Hampton Court (Zone 6)
Bus: 111, 216, 411, 461, 513 and R38
Date / Times: Open all year 10:11 to 17:30 (summer) 16:30 (winter)
Cost: Two tier pricing peak and off-peak Adults £35.00 / £32.00, Concessions £22.50 / £28.00, Child £16.00 / £17.50, under 5 free
Although located 12 miles from central London Hampton Court Palace is well worth a visit
Hampton Court can be reached by train from Waterloo with up to three trains an hour making the, just over, half-hour journey.
The palace is said to be the favourite home of King Henry VIII and visiting gives you a chance to see how royalty lived in Tudor times, although the palace has been extended since Henry lived there, which means you will see Royal residency over the centuries, as it remained a royal residence until the 18th century. In the 19th century Queen Victoria decreed the palace should be opened to the public
As well as the palace itself There are extensive gardens to explore both formal and informal and if you want to lose yourself for half an hour go and visit the famous maze.
Kensington Palace
Kensington GardensTube: Queensway, High Street Kensington
Bus: 9, 46, 52, 70, 94, 148, 274 and 452
Date/Times: Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 - 18:00 (April - October) 10:00 - 16:00 (November to March)
Prices: Adult £24.70, Concessions £20.00, Children £12.40, under 5's free. £1.00 admission for UK residents on certain benefits
Kensington Palace is traditionally the home for younger Royals. It was the residence of Prince’s William and Harry before they went their separate ways and is still the official London residence of the current Prince of Wales and his family.
Some areas of the palace are open to the public, most notably Queen Victoria’s old apartments including the room where she was born.
Other areas open to the public include the Queen’s rooms where Queen Mary II used to have her meals and entertain guests.
Kew Gardens
KewTube: Kew Gardens
Rail: Kew Bridge
Bus: 65 and 110
Date / Times: Opens daily at 10:00, closing times are seasonal May - August 19:00, 20:00 weekends, September 19:00, October 18:00, Winter as early as 15:00 or 16:00
Prices: February - October Adult £25.00 (online) £28.00 (gate price), Concessions £23.00 / £26.00 Child £2.00 / £4.00
November - January Adult £20.00 / £17.00, Concession £15.00 / £18.00, Child £2.00 / £4.00
£1.00 admission for UK residents on certain benefits
Kew Gardens, or to give it his more formal name the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, is a plant lover’s delight.
Set in 326 acres (132 hectares) it is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world, housing over 50,000 different plants.
It has so many different areas to explore, you could spend an entire day there and not see it all.
To see the “highlights” only you should allow three to four hours.
The highlights include some amazing glass houses, treetop walks, a Japanese garden.
You will find plants from across the globe.
In 2003, the gardens were granted UNESCO World Heritage status.
London Dungeon
Tube: Waterloo, Charing Cross, Westminster, Embankment
Rail: Waterloo, Charing Cross
Bus: 1, 12, 59, 68, 76, 77, 139, 148, 159, 168, 176, 188, 211, 243, 77 and 381
Date / Times: Open all year, times variable, check with them first
Prices: Pricing is complex depending on any add ons you choose Adults: £27.00 - £50.00 (advance) £35.00 - £60.00 (on the day) Child £22.00 / £29.00 - £30.00 / £37.00
The official blurb says "Experience the terror of Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd, and other notorious figures from London's past. The London Dungeon is a must-see for any visitor to London, with live actors, special effects, and rides."
The reality is it is an overpriced tourist trap designed to entice the gullible tourist.
Many visitors complain about the waiting times and the appalling ham acting of In the interactive sections of the exhibition.
If anyone is actually scared by any of the exhibits they clearly must have a low fear threshold.
Despite this thousands of visitors attend every year And if you’re into that sort of thing enjoy it, personally I would not give them the single penny of mine
London Eye
South BankTube: Waterloo, Charing Cross, Westminster, Embankment
Rail: Waterloo, Charing Cross
Bus: 1, 12, 59, 68, 76, 77, 139, 148, 159, 168, 176, 188, 211, 243, 77 and 381
Date / Time: Open most of the year but closed late December / early January for maintenance. 10:00 - 18:00 with extended hours weekends and high season.
Price: Adult £29.00 - £49.00 in advance, £39.00 - £59.00 on the day, Child £30.00 - £45.00
For me the London Eye is one of the best tourist attractions in London, which ironically was originally built as a temporary structure to celebrate the new millennium. Yet, it’s still attracting visitors over a quarter of a century later.
The world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, the pods reach a height of 135m (443 feet) offering stunning views across London, even better is the view after dark.
The wheel travels slowly taking 30 minutes to complete one rotation but extra time should be allowed for security checks etc.
London Zoo
Regents Park
Tube: Camden Town, Chalk Farm, Baker Street and Regents Park
Bus: 88 and 274
Date / time: Opens daily at 10:00. Closing times are seasonal 18:00 March to September, 17:00 September - October and 16:00 November to February.
Prices: Adult £22.70 - £34.50, Concessions £25.90 - £32.70 Child £19.40 - £24.10
Zoos, by definition, are contentious places. In an ideal world there would be no need for them but we don’t live in an ideal world.
London Zoo is a conservation zoo which engages in breeding programs for endangered species and successfully reintroduces animals into the wild.
Enclosures are designed to reduce stress in the animals and the zoo is better managed and concentrates on animal welfare far better than many major zoos in the world – Beijing zoo take note.
With over 8,000 animals the zoo aims to educate visitors, rather than just having the animals there to be stared at.
Having said all this I actually prefer their sister zoo at Whipsnade, where the animals are in massive enclosures with plenty of space to roam.
Madame Tussauds
Marylebone Road
Tube: Baker Street
Rail: Marylebone
Bus: 13, 18, 27, 74, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453
Date / Time: Daily from 10:00 to 15:00 or 16:00
Prices: Adult from £27.00 advance or £39.00 on the day, Child from £28.00
This is another “attraction” I totally fail to understand.
Why would people pay good money to view waxwork models of famous people or “celebrities” which may or may not look like the subjects being depicted?
OK I can see why the place may have been an attraction early in the last century but in this day and age a waxworks strikes me as being an outdated concept.
The only wax I would spend this type of money on is some scented candles.
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Greenwich
DLR: Cutty Sark
Train: Greenwich, Maze Hill
Bus: 53, 54, 202 and 380.
River: Greenwich Pier
Date / Time: Daily 10:00 - 18:00
Price: Adult £24.00, Child £12.00, £3.00 tickets available for UK residents on certain benefits.
You can stand on the Prime Meridian line, with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and the other in the western hemisphere if that floats your boat.
More seriously this is the ideal place for anyone interested in astronomy and the history of it. With many historic telescoped on display.
More down to earth you will have spectacular views of east London.
Sea Life London Aquarium
Old City Hall
Tube: Waterloo, Charing Cross, Westminster, Embankment
Rail: Waterloo, Charing Cross
Bus: 1, 12, 59, 68, 76, 77, 139, 148, 159, 168, 176, 188, 211, 243, 77 and 381
Date / Times: Open all year, times variable, check with them first
Prices: Pricing is complex depending on any add ons you choose Adults: £28.00 - £33.00 (advance) £39.00 - £44.00 (on the day) Child £25.00 / £40.00 - £35.00 / £40.00
It's a aquarium, there's not much else to say really.
The general concensus is the venue is better suited for children and family days out, rather than sdults only.
Highlights include a shark walk-through tunnel, Gentoo penguin colony, and interactive rock pools.
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Churchyard EC4M 8ADTube: St Paul's, Mansion House, Blackfriars, Bank
Train: Cannon Street
Bus: 4, 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 56, 76, 100, 172, 242, and 521
Date / Times: Open all year. Daily (except Wednesday and Sunday) 08:30 - 16:30, Wednesday 10:30 - 16:30, Sunday closed except for services. No charge to attend services. Hours can change due to services etc, advance booking is recommended.
Prices: Adult £27.00, Concessions £24.00, Child £10.50
I'm really chuffed they have named a cathedral after me.
In all seriousness it is a lot of money to enter a church but, once inside it is spectacular and the counter argument is the building costs a lot of money to maintain.
With its famous dome it was, until 1963, the tallest building in London.
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren (whose tomb is in the Cathedral) the current, iconic, St Paul's replaces a former church on the site, which was destroyed in the Greart Fire of London in 1666 and was consecrated in 1697.
Thames River Cruises
One of the best ways to see London is on a Thames River Cruise.
Multiple operators offer many differing tours be it a basic sightseeing trip through to a gourmet lunch or dinner cruise.
Transport for London have an excellent site with links to the major operators click here
The Shard
London Bridge StreetTube: London Bridge, Borough
Train: London Bridge
Bus: 17, 43, 141, 149 and 388
Date / Times: These vary but generally the viewing area closes at 22:00 each day with opening times being either 10:00 or 14:00, it may be closed due to events, so check first. Advance booking is recommended.
Prices: From £19.00 for basic entry through to £36.00 for a special package.
The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe standing 309.6m (1,016 feet) tall.
The building is 95 stories high with 72 being habitable, including the 72nd floor open observation gallery 244m (801 feet) above the ground.
Needless to say there are some spectacular views from the gallery. Of course, the British weather being what it is, The Shard sometimes gets enveloped by cloud but, fear not, there is a view guarantee, meaning if poor visibility spoils the viewing you can reuse your ticket on another day.
TKTS London
Leicester Square
Tube: Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross
Rail: Charing Cross
Bus: 24, 29, 176
London is renowned for its theatres and they are a big draw and tickets for the big shows can be eye wateringly expensive.
If you're prepared to the flexible then the Official London Theatre Ticket Booth in Leicester Square is the place to go.
There was a time when it was known as the half price ticket booth where unsold tickets for the days performances were available for half price. Nowadays the discounts are more variable , the best discount I have seen recently is 47% but you could grab a bargain ticket for a West End show.
The best bargains are available when it opens at 10:30 (11:00 Sunday) and there are often queues before it opens. Another good time to go is shortly before it closes at 18:00 (16:00 Sunday) when some last minute bargains may be available.
It can be pot luck as to what available, but you never know.
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge Road, Tube: Tower Hill, London Bridge
DLR: Tower Gateway
Train: London Bridge, Fenchurch Street
Bus: 15, 42, 78, 100, 343
River: Tower Pier
Date / Times: Daily 09:30 - 18:00
Prices: Adult £18.00, Concessions £13.50, Child £9.00 (Advanced booking recommended, booking available 8 weeks in advance)
Tower Bridge is definitely one of London's most iconic landmarks, although far too many tourists (especially those from the USA) think Tower Bridge is LOndon Bridge, whilst London Bridge is the more boring one half a mile down the road.
What many people do not realise is you can actually tour the bridge, including the engine room which lifts the bridge when large vessels pass through. In the tour you climb the towers, walk across the gantry (including the glass floors) then come down the other tower.
A great experience with some great views.
Tower of London
Tower GreenTube: Tower Hill, Monument, Bank
DLR: Tower Gateway
Train: Fenchurch Street, London Bridge
Bus: 15, 42, 78, 100, 343 and RV1
River: Tower Pier
Date / Times:
Price: Adults £37.00, Concessions £29.50, Child £18.50. £1 tickets are available for UK residents on certain benefits.
The Tower of London is not only the biggest attraction in London is arguably the biggest attraction in the country. Therefore, you are strongly advised to book an advance to avoid disappointment
Explore 1000 years of history in the building which is still a Royal Palace, it’s also technically still a prison and was used as such as recently as the mid to 20th century. The most famous recent prisoner was Hitler's deputy, Rudolh Hess, briefly held there in 1941. Josef Jakobs a German spy, in the same year, became the last person to be executed in the Tower. The last people to be held in the Tower, the Kray twins. They were imprisoned for a few days in 1952 for failing to report for national service.
Nowadays it’s just a tourist attraction There are two iconic things you’ll see at the tower, you have the Yeoman Warders, otherwise known as Beefeaters resplendent in their red uniforms.
There are also the ravens, because the legend says if the ravens leave the Tower of London the country will fall
You are free to explore the Tower of London yourself but also available are free Guarded tours led by the Yeoman Waters, these are very entertaining and highly recommended
One of the highlights of the visit will be to see the Crown jewels, plenty of bling and very well guarded.
Up at The O2
Peninsular Square, SE10 0DX
Tube: North Greenwich
Bus: 108, 129, 132, 161, 188, 422, 472 or 486.
Date / Times: Daily 10:00 - 20:30
Price: £37.00 upwards
Not for faint hearted, this is an opportunity to walk across the roof of the iconic O2 arena, offering spectacular views of the Greenwich Peninsular, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Canary Wharf.
As well as daytime walks there are also sunset and twilight walks available.
Westminster Abbey
Tube: Westminster, St James's ParkTrain: Victoria, Waterloo
Bus: 11, 24, 88148 and 211
Date / Times: Monday - Friday 09:30 - 15:30, Saturday 09:30 - 15:00, Sunday open for services only
Prices: Adults £31.00, Concessions £28.00, Child £14.00, £1.00 admission for UK residents on certain benefits
The nations mother church, Westminster Abbey which since 1066 has seen the coronation of 40 monarchs and is the burial site of 18 monarchs. Not forgetting countless state funerals and royal weddings.
Add in a very large number of non-royal graves along with some splendid artifacts the Abbey is well worth a visit, although arguably expensive, the admission fees pay for the upkeep of the 1,000 plus years old building.
And the plus one
Warner Brothers Studio
Leavesden, Watford
Train: Watford Junction
Bus: special bus from Central London click here
Date / Times: Opening times vary throughout the year, check with the venue
Prices: Adults from £58.50 Child from £47.00 (advance booking is essential)
Although located north of London near Watford this is becoming a major attraction, attracting almost two million visitors a year.
The main attraction (and probably the reason for it's popularity) is The Harry Potter Experience, which covers everything from sets, how the films were made as well as props. It's an interactive experience which many people seem to enjoy, especially fans of the franchise.
Because of it's popularity advance booking is essential and the earlier you book the best chance you have of getting the day you want.
There is a shuttle bus operating from Watford Junction station, 5-6 fast and 4 slow trains an hour from Euston.
It's also possible to book am inclusive coach / entry visit from Central London - click link above.
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