Victoria Lupascu 
Looking for a way to get the best tickets to one of London’s main attractions? This super detailed guide will help you find the cheapest tickets to the London Eye!
There are multiple ways to get your London Eye tickets and I’ve compared them all to find some great tips and tricks that will help you save money!
I got to call London my home for quite a while and I’ve looked everywhere on the web to find the best deals, so I’m more than prepared to offer you all the help you need! In this post, you’ll find information on which type of tickets you should get, which is the best place to get your ticket, and the most important thing (for everyone) how to save money!
Yep, you’ll find all that plus some really important things that you need to know before booking your ticket, so don’t run away too quickly because you might miss some crucial information!
Oh boy, it looks like we’ve got our hands full today so let’s start!
Contents
Quick Picks for Your Stay
If you are here just to get your tickets, here are the best links to do so:
- Cheapest tickets – £32.5 on official website or currently Klook (may change) £29
- Fast track ticket – from £46 on GetYourGuide (time dependent) or £51 on official website
- On the day – £36 on the official website
- Discounted ticket – £33 for kids (3 – 15 years), £26 for families (max. 2 parents + 3 kids)
In short, to get the cheapest tickets possible to the London Eye, you want to buy “peak tickets” which are available for a cheaper rate on any day except Saturday if you buy them 7 days (or more) in advance from Viator, GetYourGuide or Klook (check all of them, they might hold some awesome promotions!).
If you missed out on buying this ticket in advance, below, you will find a comparison of where you can buy standard London Eye tickets and even more detailed information in the post below.
| Adult | Fast track | Family ticket | Cancelation policy | ||
| Official Website | £32.5 | £51 | £26 | Changeable but not refundable | Book tickets |
| Klook | £29 | £41.5 | >24-hour free cancellation | Book tickets | |
| Get Your Guide | £32.5 | £46 | – | >24-hour free cancellation | Book tickets |
Why buy in advance?
In short, you’ll save money, time and energy that you could spend exploring all the other areas in London! You probably know by now that if you buy your tickets in advance online, you’ll pay less, plus you won’t have to wait hours to get in!
Although you can buy your tickets for the London Eye at the gate, the lines can get pretty long, especially during the summer (June, July, August), on weekends, and during bank and school holidays.
You might even wait for a while and still not get to visit the London Eye as people who got their tickets online always have priority. So it’s really important for you to book your tickets online, in advance to make your experience more pleasant!
1. Entry tickets to the London Eye
If Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London has an Eye shaped ferris wheel that looks over the beautiful city! As one of the capital’s most popular attractions, the London Eye attracts many visitors daily (especially during the weekend, but I’ll talk about it later). That’s why it’s super important to book your tickets online in advance if you want to avoid the line!
While there are different types of tickets that you can get depending on the dates you are booking (I’ll guide you through all the options in section 2), the majority of tickets offer you the same basic thing. Don’t worry, I’m going to give you tips on which ones are the best for you, so come along!
Your London Eye tickets give you access to one of the 32 pods of the London Eye, from where you’ll get 360° moving views right from the center of the city! Each pod can carry up to 25 people, so it’s important to know that you’ll be joined by other passengers as well.
Fun Fact: The 32 capsules represent the 32 different boroughs in London. However, they are numbered up to 33, as the number 13 was left out for superstitious reasons.
PRO TIP: While boarding the pods, they will continue to move slowly, but if you have limited mobility, just let the staff know about this in advance and they will stop the ride so that you can get in easily
The standard ticket also grants access to the London Eye 4D Cinema Experience, which offers the opportunity to see a short 4D movie with stunning 3D aerial footage of London. The viewing takes place in the County Hall, where the ticket office is located, and you can see it before or after your timed boarding of the Eye.
As with most attractions, when buying your ticket, you’ll have to pick a time slot. The time slots are every 15 minutes, and you have to arrive before your time slot starts to pick up your tickets before you join the queue to board.
NOTE: If you arrive late and don’t make your appointment, then you won’t get your money back.
PRO TIP: Make sure you arrive 30 to 40 minutes early before your time slot starts to collect your tickets, as it can take some time to do that.
Booking Guarantee -In the case you can’t make it on the date you previously chose, it is possible to reschedule your ticket for free, up to 24h before your visit, a maximum of 3 times. This booking guarantee will also cover you in case the attraction is closing, if the UK government issues travel restrictions, or if you can’t travel because you’re sick or in isolation.
Cancellation Policy – Although you can change the date and time of your visit before the day of your visit, there’s nothing you can do to get the money back if you can’t make it at all. However, if you are looking for a ticket option that offers more flexibility, then I recommend checking section #3, where I talk about the other alternative websites!
Add-ons
Here are some things that you can add to your ticket for an extra cost:
Premium Photo Package – If you want to remember forever the time you visited the London Eye then buy this cool photo package which costs £25. I recommend booking this online if you’re sure you want it as you’ll get a £5 discount when compared to buying it on site!
Flexi Fast Track – For £19 you can upgrade your standard ticket to a flexi fast track ticket and come in at whatever time you want on the day, without waiting in the queue. This is definitely worth it if you don’t want to be bound to a certain hour, but if you don’t mind booking a certain time then I don’t think it’s worth the extra money,\ since the waiting lines are not that long
Mino-binoculars – For £5 (online) and £6 (at the gate) you can get these cool mini-binoculars that will give you a closer look at London’s attractions, and you can take them home as souvenirs! I think these are super cool since you’ll get to see the view more clearly but if you’re not sure about them yet, then just buy it on the spots since it’s just £1 extra
2. Buying your London Eye tickets online in advance
As we’ve already discussed, while you can take a risk and just turn up at the London Eye to buy your tickets, I’d recommend getting them in advance as it will definitely save you time, money, and a guarantee that you can actually visit the London Eye!
There are different types of tickets that you can get, and I’ve even found a trick that will help you buy the cheapest tickets for your visit! So I will go through each ticket type one by one to help you understand the difference between them.
Fun Fact: The London Eye is Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel
NOTE: Once you’ve bought your ticket online, you’ll receive a confirmation receipt with your order number which you will need to use to collect your actual tickets on-site if you aren’t able to select the print-at-home option.
When you arrive, go to the Ticket Collection Desk or self-service kiosks and present your order number either on a mobile or printed. You will also need the credit card that you used to buy your tickets online and an ID. Alternatively, you can pick the Print@home option, which offers you the tickets directly without having to pass by the Ticket Collection Desk to pick them up but this is not available for all tickets!
So now that you know how the tickets work, let’s look at all the different options available:
2.1 Peak (advance tickets every day except Saturdays)
These are the tickets I recommend as they are the cheapest! If you’re visiting any day of the week other than Saturday, and are booking at least 7 days in advance, you can get the cheapest possible rate.
But to take it a step further, I found that if you book through Viator, you can find them even cheaper than on the official website for the same ticket!
Price: £30
Savings: £3 per person
2.2 Super Peak (advance tickets for Saturdays)
These are some of the most expensive tickets you can buy so if you can, I would highly recommend avoiding Saturdays. However, if that’s the only day when you can visit, then I’d recommend buying your tickets from GetYourGuide as they offer the same price as the official website but with GetYourGuide, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24h before your visit, without any fuss!
Price: £36
2.3 Same-day tickets
As expected, these are also some of the most expensive tickets. However, I would still go through the online process and buy them here rather than show up and wait in the queue at the attraction, even if you are purchasing tickets for the same day you want to visit.
The same-day tickets cost the same amount pretty much anywhere you buy them so you can book from the official website or, if they are sold out there, check GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, and Headout for more!
Price: £36
2.4 Fast-track tickets
If you’re not a big fan of waiting around, then the Fast-track ticket could be a good option for you.
Rather than waiting in the queue for the usual 45 minutes to collect the tickets (that goes for the standard ticket), you’ll only wait a maximum of 20 minutes, in a different queue for people who bought these types of tickets.
PRO TIP: You can also upgrade your standard tickets to fast-track tickets on-site so this may be a good option if you want to see how long the line is before paying the extra money. However, it depends on how many tickets they have available on that day, so you do run the risk of not getting the fast-track upgrade!
The peak fast-track tickets change the price depending on when you book your tickets:
- Bought 1 month in advance:
○ £46 for adults
○ £42 for children - Bought in the same month:
○ £51 for adults
○ £46 for children
If the fast-track tickets are sold out on the official website you can also get them from GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Headout, and Tiqets.
2.5 Flexi-track tickets
If you’d like to have all the freedom that you want on the day of your visit and not be bound to a specific time slot (but you need to pick a day) or wait in the regular queue, then you’ve got an amazing option!
You can buy flexi-track tickets online only from the official website, they are not sold at the entrance. These tickets are valid at all times both on weekdays and weekends, whether you buy it on the day or 1 month in advance.
Fun Fact: Just like the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye was supposed to be a temporary structure
Price: £55 for adults, £49 for children
2.6 Family Standard Ticket
Visiting the London Eye with your family? Then I recommend buying the standard family ticket, which costs £26 per person and is only available on their official website. This is the cheapest option for a family of 4 or 5, even when compared with the cheapest single-entry ticket (peak).
NOTE: It’s super important to know that the London Eye doesn’t sell family tickets on Saturdays and Sundays!
A maximum family of 5 members (2 adults and 3 children) can be eligible for this ticket. So if you have a larger family, you will need to pay for additional children separately at the regular rate.
Price: £26 per person
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3. VIP Experiences
If you’re planning a celebration or you just want to visit the London Eye in style, you’ve got some awesome options only available on their official website, so let’s discover what they’re all about!
Fun Fact: In 2013, a passenger capsule was named the Coronation Capsule to mark the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
3.1 Champagne Experience
Enjoy a glass of champagne while admiring London in its full glory! Tickets for the champagne experience cost £55 no matter when you buy them, and they include a fast-track entry to the London Eye, a glass of champagne, and the usual 30 minutes rotation time spent in the pod.
NOTE: This is a shared experience, so you’ll still be accompanied by other visitors as well.
For this type of ticket there is a minimum purchase of 2 tickets and a maximum of 10, so keep that in mind if you’re coming with a group of friends.
Just like the normal tickets, you’ll have to pick a specific time slot and arrive 15 minutes earlier so you can show your tickets. They have fewer time slots available for this activity, and they usually run every hour starting from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM. But, that’s not a hard rule, so if you’re looking for a different time slot, it’s worth checking in advance that it is available!
Price: £55
3.2 Private Pod
If you are looking for the ultimate experience, this is it! Oh yes, you can get your own private pod on the London Eye! Whether you’re coming just with another person or with a group of up to 25 people including yourself, you’ll have the best time ever!
NOTE: There are only 5 private pods available per time slot, so make sure to book yours in advance if you want to go there at a particular time
For £625 you get fast-track entry to the London Eye, the entire pod for you and your friends, and of course the 30-minute ride! You can also add food and drinks to this experience if you really want to make it a party but you will find all the details about that in your confirmation email after buying the ticket.
PRO TIP: If you’re coming with a big family or friends and you can fill the pod I’d recommend booking this option as it will only cost you £25 per person
Fun Fact: Celebrities love the London Eye! Matt Demon, Kate Moss, Jessica Alba, and Meghan Trainor are just some of the big stars who visited the London Eye
NOTE: In order to be eligible for this experience, at least 2 guests should be 18 years old (or older)
Price: £625
3.3 Cupid’s Pod
Planning a super romantic date, a proposal, or an anniversary? Then you might consider renting Cupid’s pod!
Pay £470, and you’ll get the whole pod for you and your partner as well as the fast-track ticket to the London Eye, a bottle of champagne, and a luxury box of truffles served by a London Eye host!
NOTE: Both guests have to be 18 years old or older
Price: £470
4. Combo tickets for the London Eye
I guess you’ll want to visit a few more attractions besides the London Eye. Well, then you might as well get some combo tickets which will help you save a few pounds. Have a look at the list below which has the best combo tickets for the London Eye and other attractions.
4.1 London Eye + River Cruise
For £43, you get a general ticket to the London Eye plus a 40-minute river cruise on the Thames! By buying this combo ticket, you’ll save £7 when compared to buying each attraction separately!
At the time of booking, you’ll only have to pick the date and time for the River Cruise. You’ll still need to book your visit time slot online for the London Eye separately, however, you can do so at a later date as the tickets are valid for 90 days from the day you go on the River Cruise.
Price: £43
You Save: £7
4.2 London Eye + Madame Tussauds
Visit the famous wax museum in London along with the incredible London Eye with this combo ticket that costs £50 and that will save you £23 (if you were to buy tickets for the attractions separately you’d pay £70!).
If you want to visit these 2 cool attractions, just pick a date and time for the London Eye now. Later you can book your ticket for Madame Tussauds (also online) as these tickets are valid for 90 days starting from the day you visit the London Eye.
Price: £50
You Save: £23
4.3 London Eye + Sea Life
Combine these 2 attractions together and save £17!
Just like all the combo tickets, you’ll only need to pick the time of your visit to the London Eye, and then later (maximum 90 days later from the day you went to the London Eye) you can book the other tickets for Sea Life Aquarium, online.
Price: £50
You Save: £17
4.4 Three Attraction Combo: London Eye + Madame Tussauds + Sea Life
Get access to 3 great attractions by buying this awesome combo ticket!
The pass costs:
- £60 if you buy it in advance (except if you’re coming on a Saturday)
- £70 when you’re buying on the day of your visit or on Saturday
NOTE: These are the main 3 attractions that you will see in the ticket options, but as you scroll down you’ll find more combo options which include the following places: London Dungeon, Big Bus Tour, and Shrek’s Adventure. So there are different combinations at the same prices that I’ve mentioned above, but depending on your preference, you can choose whichever you want!
As with the other combo tickets, you only need to pick the time and date of your London Eye visit, and you can book the other entry times for the attractions when you’re ready, as the ticket is valid for 90 days from the day you visit London Eye.
Price: £70 or £60
You Save: £34 or £44
5. Buying tickets at the entrance (not recommended)
Thinking of buying your tickets on the spot? Well, I would definitely advise you to think twice before doing that. But if you really want to, the answer is yes, you can buy your tickets at the entrance but there are some things that you should definitely consider…
These things are 3 of the most important factors for tourists: time and money, plus the risk of not getting to visit the attraction if it’s super crowded!
Buying tickets at the gate means you’ll pay the usual £36 that you’d pay online if you didn’t get your tickets at least 7 days in advance (those tickets cost £33 on the official website). However, you should be prepared to wait in the queue for around 1h, or maybe longer during peak times.
If you decide to buy your ticket at the gate, then you’ll have to queue up in a different line (with the other people who didn’t buy their tickets online) and wait your turn. These queues can get pretty long depending on which time of the year you’re visiting (May to August are their busiest months, as well as Bank Holidays and School Holidays).
NOTE: If you decide to buy your tickets at the entrance, make sure you bring a card with you as they don’t accept cash payment.
Important things you should know about London Eye
Made yourself a cup of tea? I sure hope so because we’re not done! I like to keep my readers as informed as possible, and although you’ve got some important tips in the sections above, we’ve still got some crucial things to discuss.
So make yourself comfortable, and let’s go over the last crucial details that you should know before buying your tickets for the London Eye!
1. How far in advance do you need to buy your tickets?
I would recommend buying your tickets 7 days or more in advance, to get the lowest price!
As I mentioned, the peak (advance tickets) are the cheapest ones. That goes if you’re visiting any day of the week except Saturdays. And as we’ve already seen, Viator sells them even cheaper than you’d find them on the official website so if you hurry and book yours early, you can get them for just £30!
2. Opening hours & the best time to visit
The London Eye is open from 11 AM to 6 PM from Monday to Sunday with the last entrance at 5:45 PM!
Usually, the busiest months are June, July, and August, but the crowds can also get large when there’s a bank holiday, a school holiday, or some sort of big event in town.
PRO TIP: If you can, I recommend you visit the London Eye either super early when it opens (11 AM) or later in the day (after 4 PM) as these times will generally have the shortest lines to board the wheel.
IMPORTANT: In January, the London Eye is closed down for almost 2 weeks for maintenance. The dates can change each year, so make sure you check if you want to visit during that month.
3. How to get to London Eye
Let’s see which are the main ways you can reach the London Eye! I’ve made a list so you can decide which route is the most convenient for you:
- By Tube: The closest tube station is Waterloo (5 min walk), and you can use the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, and Waterloo & City lines to get there
- By Bus: Country Hall (Stop F) is the closest bus station to the London Eye, and the buses that stop here are numbers 211, 77, 381
- By Car: There are no parking spaces right near the London Eye. However, they offer a 15% discount at the Q-Park Westminster car park, which is located a 20-minute walk away with prices starting from £9 per hour.
4. London Eye entrance & boarding
The attraction has only one entrance however, depending on whether you’ve got your ticket with the Print@home option or not, you may have to drop by the Ticket office on Queen’s Walk Street to pick up your tickets. I’ve added a picture below of the 2 sites so you can easily spot them.
NOTE: As I mentioned in section #1, if you picked the Print@home option, you can go straight to wait in the queue to board the London Eye. Just keep in mind that with this option you’ll have to actually print a physical copy of your ticket. If you haven’t done that, then head over to the Ticket office and wait in the queue there to get your tickets, or simply retrieve them from one of the self-service kiosks.
NOTE: It’s super important to know that you need to carry an ID (with your picture), the credit card that you used to buy the tickets online, and of course, the confirmation email with your order number (which you don’t have to print out, they can just scan it on your phone).
PRO TIP: Make sure you arrive 30 to 40 minutes early before your time slot starts to collect your tickets, as it can take some time to do that.
Once you get your ticket, you can head over to wait in the queue at the London Eye through the pink tent located right in front of the attraction. Before joining the queue to board you’ll go through a short security check and then you will see 2 boarding queues, one for Standard tickets and one for Fast Track tickets. There will be a person there that will point to the right line. Just have your tickets ready!
5 . What to bring (and not bring) to London Eye
Is there a person who doesn’t feel like they forgot something while boarding the plane to travel somewhere? My guess is not! There are so many things to remember about the trip in general and it’s hard to keep track of what you need to bring (and not bring) to each attraction so here are a few things you should consider taking or not when visiting the London Eye.
Tickets – You don’t have to print out your tickets unless you want to. Otherwise, just show the people at the ticket office the confirmation email with the order number or if you got the Print@home ticket just head over to the boarding queue.
ID – Make sure you bring some sort of identification with your picture on it as you’ll have to present it when picking up your tickets
Credit Card – You’ll need the credit card used to buy the tickets only when picking up your tickets at the office or from the kiosks
Photo Policy – You can take pictures and videos inside the London Eye however you’re not allowed to bring tripods inside
Food & drinks – You’re allowed to bring bottled water with you but you can’t bring food inside the London Eye
No large items – Suitcases and big bags are not allowed inside the London Eye and there are no lockers or cloakrooms so you’ll have to carry your coats and jackets with you.
6. Facilities inside & near the attraction
- Wheelchair Accessibility – The London Eye is fully accessible however they only allow entry to 2 wheelchair users per pod and 8 at any one time, so it’s important to let them know in advance if you need assistance so they can arrange for that.
- Camera and Radio Links – Each pod is in touch with the crew on the ground via cameras and radio links so if there are any issues, you can easily contact the staff for assistance.
- Baby Changing Facilities – You’ll find baby changing facilities inside the ticket office in County Hall.
- Wi-Fi – There is a wi-fi connection available to all guests which you can access from inside their ticket office (it works while you’re riding the London Eye as well)
- Toilets – You can find the toilets inside the ticket office of the London Eye but there are no toilets on-board the London Eye itself.
- Gift Shop – There is a gift shop which you can visit right when you exit the attraction
- Food Facilities – There are no food facilities inside the London Eye, or at the ticket office but they sell refreshments in the Gift Shop which you can visit after you visit. So make sure you grab something to eat before your visit
| 👩 Adult Price: | £36 |
| 👧 Kids Price: | £33 |
| 💲 Cheapest Tickets: | Viator |
| 🎟️ Refundable Tickets | GetYourGuide |
| 🤩 Top Experience: | Private Pod |
| 🕖 Best Time to Visit: | 11 AM |
| 🚪 Entrance: | County Hall Ticket Office |
FAQs about the London Eye
💸 How much does a ticket for the London Eye cost?
A London eye ticket costs £36 for adults and £33 for children. But if you buy it 7 days or more in advance you can save £6 per person if you buy it from Viator.
🎟️ Can you just turn up at London Eye?
Yes, you can just turn up and try to buy your tickets at the gate but you risk waiting a long time and paying a higher price, plus if it’s super crowded you may not get to visit the attraction.
🕛 How long is a ride on the London Eye?
The London Eye ride takes around 30 minutes to complete the whole loop but you must also allow around 15 mins to line up before you get onboard.
🌞 What is the best time to go on the London Eye?
The best time to visit the London Eye is during the weekdays, either super early when it opens at 11 AM or late before it closes at 5 PM.
Conclusion
Well, if you wanted to know everything about how to get tickets for the London Eye, I can tell you, you’ve accomplished it! But let’s quickly recap before we say our goodbyes because there was a lot of information to keep track of here.
The cheapest tickets that you can get for the London Eye are the peak tickets, which you need to buy 7 days or more in advance for any day of the week, except Saturday from Viator.
However, if the tickets are sold out there you can also try GetYourGuide, Headout, Tiqets, and Klook to find more tickets.
I’ve covered all the important information on the London Eye, but hey if I missed something, just leave me a comment below and I’ll answer as quickly as possible.
Have a fabulous journey and don’t forget to take lots of pictures!
Safe travels,
Victoria
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