Decisions to make before you fly
- Do you need an ETA? Most visitors who do not need a visa, including EU, US and Australian citizens, need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling. It costs £20 since 8 April 2026, lasts two years or until the passport expires, and decisions can take up to three working days (GOV.UK, checked 9 October 2026). Irish citizens do not need one. Apply only through the official app or the GOV.UK website. UK ETA: Who Needs One covers exemptions and transit.
- Which landmarks cost money? The British Museum is free (daily 10:00–17:00, Fridays to 20:30), and so are the Natural History Museum, V&A and Science Museum in South Kensington, although the Science Museum asks you to pre-book a free ticket. The Tower of London costs £38 per adult with the Crown Jewels included, Westminster Abbey £32, St Paul's Cathedral £27 with the dome galleries included, and Tower Bridge £18 for the glass-floor walkways and Engine Rooms (checked 12 October 2026).
- Want a view from above? The Tower Bridge ticket includes the high-level walkways with their glass floors, and the St Paul's ticket includes the dome galleries, so you do not need a separate viewpoint ticket for either.
- Which days close to sightseers? Westminster Abbey and St Paul's are open for sightseeing Monday to Saturday only; on Sundays they are open for services, which are free.
- Want the Prime Meridian at Greenwich? Go on or before 1 November 2026: Royal Museums Greenwich lists the whole Royal Observatory site as closed from 2 November 2026 for refurbishment, with the Meridian Courtyard due to reopen in summer 2027 (closures and transformation pages, checked 12 October 2026). After that, a Greenwich day is Cutty Sark (£22 per adult) plus the free National Maritime Museum and Queen's House.
- Watching the guard change? At Buckingham Palace it takes place at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and can be cancelled in wet weather as late as 10:45.
Your planning order
Compare the landmark tickets
| Landmark | Adult price (checked 9 or 12 October 2026) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Tower of London | £38 | Last entry 16:30; no luggage storage |
| Westminster Abbey | £32 | No sightseeing on Sundays |
| St Paul's Cathedral | £27, dome included | No sightseeing on Sundays; no cloakroom |
| London Eye | Standard from £29 online, £39 walk-up | January maintenance closure |
| Tower Bridge | £18 | Last entry 17:00; booking is not a fast track |
| Windsor Castle | £32 in advance, £36 on the day | Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays |
| Royal Observatory, Greenwich | £24 (Day Pass with Cutty Sark £38) | Whole site closed from 2 November 2026 |
| Cutty Sark, Greenwich | £22 | Last entry 16:15 |
| British Museum | Free | No wheeled cases |
| South Kensington museums | Free | Science Museum free ticket; paid exhibitions extra |
Day trips by train
Windsor Castle is the shortest royal day trip: GWR from Paddington with a change at Slough takes about 35 minutes to Windsor & Eton Central, or South Western Railway runs direct from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside in about 55 minutes. Kew Gardens is a Tube ride on the District line, £25 per adult online until 31 October and £17 from 1 November, but last entry drops to 14:30 from 12 November (checked 12 October 2026).
Stonehenge is a direct train from London Waterloo to Salisbury (about 1 hour 25 minutes), then the Stonehenge Tour bus; English Heritage tickets are valid all day. The Studio Tour is about 20 minutes by train from Euston to Watford Junction, then a shuttle that is included in the £58.50 adult ticket.
If this is your situation
What to recheck on the day
Prices and hours here are as published on 9 or 12 October 2026. Guard-change calendars, Studio Tour hours and Stonehenge bus times are published a month or a season at a time, so open the operator page for your date.
