Are you also tired of waiting in the queue but do not know which London attraction is the best and easiest to visit? We have the answer! We have tested and ranked attractions in the British capital based on 3 criteria: wait time, price and Tripadvisor rating. Is your favourite attraction on our list? Great, now you can check how long would you have to wait to get in, how many Sterling Pounds would it set you back and how likely your fellow travellers are to recommend this attraction. 

Overview of findings

“Even the most patient traveller can be pushed over the edge having to wait hour after hour in a queue, pressed up against other restless travellers. Especially in these times with Corona” – Tourist Morten from Denmark.

Are you a student or a budget traveller? Then you might also be interested in the ticket price for each of these attractions.

No worries, we’ve got you covered!

What do other travellers say about our 10 listed popular tourist attractions? Take a look!

1. Westminster Abbey

Tripadvisor rating: #11 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 5 minutes

Westminster Abbey has thousands of stories to tell – it has witnessed wars, scientific discoveries, coronations, royal weddings and it is a place of burial of English royals, consorts or other notable Englishmen (and women), such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin or Stephen Hawking.

This beautiful church was built in 960 and later rebuilt in Gothic style between 1245 and 1517.

When to visit:

• Arrive on Wednesday! Not a lot of people know that on Wednesday Westminster Abbey closes later, at 6pm. Only individuals are allowed in at this time of the day, which means no large groups and no long lines.
• Visit during off-peak hours – arrive at the opening time or 20 minutes before opening. Tourist groups arrive approx. 1 hour after opening, that’s when it gets crowded.

What to avoid:

• Summer (July and August)
• Religious holidays, school and public holidays
• Weekends and Mondays

Good to know:

• London Pass gives you a free access, but not a fast lane entry.
• No photo or video inside.
• For £5.00 additional charge join a 90 minute guided tour.
• If you are exploring Westminster Abbey by yourself, pick up a free audio guide.

2. The British Museum

Tripadvisor rating: #4 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 5 minutes

London’s British Museum used to be the most popular attraction in the UK, with around 5.8 million visitors each year, only to be overtaken by Tate Modern in 2019.

Several objects in the museum attract visitors at all times and the rooms hosting them tend to be busier than others, especially the “Living and Dying” gallery with an Easter Island statue, the Ancient Egypt collection with its mummies or the Rosetta Stone.

When to visit:

• Tuesdays are generally the best for visits without crowds
• Mondays or Fridays
• Early in the morning or late in the afternoon

What to avoid:

• Saturdays
• UK school holidays
• Peak hours are from 10am to 3pm

Good to know:

• The entrance is free.
• If you arrive in the morning, see the big sights first, then explore the galleries that interest you more than others and head to the lesser-known ones when the British Museum becomes overcrowded. If you arrive in the afternoon – leave the big sights for the end of your visit when there will be less people.
• The museum tends to get crowded when it’s raining.

3. The Tate Modern

Tripadvisor rating: #254 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 5 minutes

The Tate Modern is the most visited UK tourist attraction, as of 2019, with approx. 5.9mil annual visitors. Being one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art, it attracts visitors from all around the world.

When to visit:

• Wednesdays
• Early in the morning or late in the afternoon – Fridays and Saturdays have extended closing time till 22.00

What to avoid:

• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• Openings and closings of exhibitions
• The museum tends to be crowded around lunch time

Good to know:

• The entrance is free, only special exhibitions require ticket purchase.
• To avoid family groups, visit after 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

4. St. Paul’s Cathedral

Tripadvisor rating: #13 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 10 minutes

St. Paul’s Cathedral definitely is one of the most recognisable buildings in London. Built in an Anglican style, it once used to be the tallest building in the city.

When to visit:

• As early as you can – the cathedral opens at 7.30 or 8am for worshipers and 8.30 for tourists

What to avoid:

• Sundays the cathedral is closed for tourists
• Summer and weekends
• During the services (7.30am, 8am, 12.30pm and 5pm) the viewing of the cathedral may be not be permitted

Good to know:

• Buy a skip-the-line ticket – it is cheaper than buying it on the door and allows you to bypass the line.
• Tickets at the door cost £18 for adults, £16 for students and seniors, and £8 for children (ages six to 17).
• Pick up a multimedia guide or book a free guided tour.

5. The National Gallery

Tripadvisor rating: #1 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 10 minutes

The National Gallery is a very distinctive building in the heart of the Trafalgar Square. Founded in 1824, it is a home to over 2300 paintings.

When to visit:

• First thing in the morning
• Friday evening – the gallery is open until 9pm
• Tuesdays and Wednesdays
• Come on a sunny day – rainy days tend to attract more visitors

What to avoid:

• English school holidays
• August is the busiest month
• Weekends
• First and last two weeks of exhibitions

Good to know:

• The entrance is free.
• Rooms 45 and 46, where you can admire Impressionist art or Van Gogh, are particularly busy.
• Timed entrance for popular exhibitions should be booked in advance.

6. The Tower of London

Tripadvisor rating: #8 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 20-30 minutes

No trip to London would be complete without visiting the famous Tower of London with its Crown Jewels. The building itself has been through various stages, serving as a fortress, prison, royal palace and now a museum.

When to visit:

• Weekday mornings – head to Crown Jewels first, then queue for the Beefeater’s tour
• Late afternoons in the low season

What to avoid:

• School holidays
• Weekends and Fridays
• The Tower is closed on from the 24th of December to the 26th of December and also on the 1st of January

Good to know:

• Buy your tickets online and skip the line!
• Ticket prices: £28.90 (adult), £14.40 (child 5-15), £23.10 (students and seniors).

7. The London Dungeon

Tripadvisor rating: #79 of 632 Fun & Games in London

Average wait time: 20-40 minutes

Do you want to meet Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd or Guy Fawkes? This is the place! The London Dungeon offers fun and thrilling experience where you get to relive some of the darkest times in London’s history in a fun way. Being so popular, it can of course get pretty crowded…

When to visit:

• If possible, book your ticket in advance. Chances are that some of the time slots are unavailable when you show up without one and you might end up waiting for a long time.
• Come as early as possible if you don’t have pre-booked time slot.

What to avoid:

• School holidays, bank holidays
• The whole month of August
• Halloween

Good to know:

• Price on the door: £30.00 (adult)
• An average tour takes about 90 minutes. Plan with 2 hours when preparing for the visit.
• There tend to be discounts and vouchers for the visit. Often your hotel might sell discounted tickets combined with the tour of Madame Tussauds.

8. The London Eye

Tripadvisor rating: #20 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 30 minutes

If you didn’t visit the London Eye, a beautiful ferris wheel offering 360-degree view of London over the Thames river, were you even in London? The London Eye is the tallest ferris wheel in Europe. Being one of the most iconic landmarks of the city, it is also one where you likely will get stuck in a queue. Chances are, it can be a 2 hour wait.

When to visit:

• at the opening time (10.00am)
• in the evening (after the sunset)

What to avoid:

• Weekends
• Bank holidays
• UK school holidays
• April-May, August, October
• Big events taking place in London

Good to know:

• The sunset, surprisingly, doesn’t attract many visitors – visit for amazing views over the Thames.
• Buy your ticket online to skip the line – however, the tickets are non-refundable and the weather in London might be unpredictable.
• Standard ticket price: £31.00.

9. Buckingham Palace

Tripadvisor rating: #19 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 1 hour

Are you hoping to see Queen Elisabeth during your visit to London? Well, we don’t want to disappoint you, but the chances are quite slim. However, the Buckingham Palace is definitely something you should see, no matter what! Changing of the Royal Guard attracts hundreds of tourists every day. If you wish to see the inside of the palace, that is also possible. You can always visit the Queens Gallery and most days out of the year you’ll also be able to visit the Royal Mews, where the royal stables are located. During the months when the Queen is away, which is roughly 2 months of each year, you are also able to visit the State Rooms.

Good to know:

• It is necessary to pre-book your tickets for the specific part of the Palace you want to visit. If you want to see the State Rooms, where the Queen lives and works, you need to check when that is possible.
• The State Rooms ticket prices: £26.50 (adult), £24.00 (over 60 and students), £14.50 (under 17), free for children under 5.

10. Madame Tussauds

Tripadvisor rating: #95 of 2,318 things to do in London

Average wait time: 1 hour

Everyone knows Madame Tussauds, the famous wax museum. Do you want to take a picture with the Queen, your favourite actors or sportsmen? You can do it here!

However, without a ticket bought in advance, you are likely to get stuck in a long queue and it can easily take an hour to get in. That’s why we definitely recommend to pre-book your ticket and get and access to the Fast Lane.

When to visit:

• In case you didn’t buy an online ticket, arrive at first admission or towards the late afternoon.

What to avoid:

• Weekends
• School holidays

Good to know:

• Count with 2 hours when planning your visit. If you want to see the most of the expositions and try some rides, it can also take more than that.
• Ticket price: £36.00.

And the winner is…

Both The British Museum and The National Gallery!! Both of these worldwide-known art museums are free to enter, the wait time is close to none and the fellow travellers rate these as the absolute top places to see in London!

We hope that you will find our tips useful and that you will not get stuck in an unnecessary queue while in London!
And in case you end up roaming the streets of this beautiful city with your bags after you have already checked out from the hotel, why not store it in one of many luggage storage options LuggageHero.

The article is brought to you by Luggage Storage London

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