The Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is a unique tourist pass that grants you admission to five popular London attractions owned and operated by renowned international entertainment company, Merlin Entertainments. The five popular London attractions included on the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass are Madame Tussauds London, the London Eye, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure London, and the London Dungeon. You’ll simply pay one flat, discounted rate for the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass, then nothing out of pocket at any of the five acclaimed destinations you visit, as your Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is the only ticket you’ll need to get in the door at each one of these beloved sites. What’s more, from the time you first activate your tourist pass by visiting Madame Tussauds London, you’ll have a full 90 days to use up the rest of your Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass.
Included London Attractions
How It Merlin Magical London Pass Works
Once you’ve decided that the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is the right tourist pass for your travel needs, you’ll go to the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass webpage, an online shop hosted by the British Tourist Board. There you’ll purchase the number of tickets you require, inputting an initial day and time—this corresponds exclusively to your Madame Tussauds London timeslot.
After you’ve placed your order, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link which will enable you to download an e-ticket that contains a booking number. You’ll need that information to access the Merlin Booking Portal. As soon as you’ve accessed the Merlin Booking Portal, you’ll be prompted to make reservations at the London Eye, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure London, and the London Dungeon.
From there, you’ll be good to go! With your reservations in place, all you’ll need moving forward is a smartphone on which you can present your e-tickets for admission at each one of the five attractions covered by your pass; or, if you prefer, you can print out your tickets at home and use those paper copies as your entry. Either way, you’ll be paying nothing out of pocket throughout your five visits.
What’s Good
The Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is an economical way to experience each and every one of Merlin Entertainments’ popular central London properties. The five attractions included as part of this tourist pass rank high on many visitors must-see list; as a result, if you’re planning on doing several (or all) of these attractions while in London, it can get pretty expensive in a hurry. Using the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass instead of buying individual tickets to these attractions will save you money.
From the time you first utilize your Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass at Madame Tussauds London, you’ll have 90 days to use the pass at the four other included attractions. This provides you tremendous flexibility as you plan your London adventure, ensuring there’s no need to cram your sightseeing schedule to overflowing. You’ll be able to enjoy these fabulous attractions at your own pace.
The Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass requires that you pre-book reservations at each participating attraction. However, so long as you manage to do so at least 48 hours before your scheduled visit, you’ll be permitted to cancel the reservations and receive a full refund. This is another way in which a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass gives passholders significant logistical flexibility.
Once you’ve booked your spot at each attraction with the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass, you can either download your tickets straight to your smartphone or print them out at home and bring them along with you. This means no matter whether you prefer a digital product or love a good paper ticket, it’s 100% up to you how to proceed.
What Could Get Better on the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass?
Even though you may cancel a reservation up to 48 hours in advance and incur no penalty, the very fact that you must pre-book a time slot to visit any of the participating attractions with a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass may prove a deterrent to those travelers not wishing to commit to a firm schedule ahead of time. Unfortunately, at present you’re not permitted to show up at a participating attraction and simply present your pass for admission.
The way the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is designed stipulates that you must go to Madame Tussauds London first, before you visit any of the four other attractions. This likely won’t trouble many visitors, but it is an odd wrinkle. Also, the London Dungeon is not suitable for small children—kids under the age of five years old aren’t admitted—so that’s an important consideration for families who may be pondering purchasing a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass.
Oddly, the London Eye boat cruise is not included on the pass. You can take an Uber boat from the same dock.
Get Your Money’s Worth with a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass
Exactly how much money you’ll save when using a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass depends on the number of tickets you buy and how you use them. The most obvious rule of thumb to keep in mind when trying to maximize your savings with a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is use it at as many attractions as possible. If you purchase a Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass and actually utilize it at all five available attractions, you’re going to save more money than you would if you only go to, say, three attractions with the pass.
Something else to remember as you’re being cost-conscious: the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass tends to be a bit cheaper—usually approximately $10 cheaper per ticket—if your initial booking is on a weekday. Keep in mind that this initial booking only corresponds to when you visit Madame Tussauds London, so if you can finesse your schedule to the point where you visit that attraction on a weekday, you’ll save a bit of money and still have 90 days of flexibility moving forward.
Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass Insider Tips
As alluded to above, the London Dungeon isn’t typically considered suitable for children under the age of 12 years old. Families with small kids will want to think long and hard about whether or not they feel comfortable including this stop as part of their London itinerary.
With the exception of the London Eye. Its very easy to exit the attraction if you have had enough. Let any employee know you would like to leave and someone will escort you to the exit.
Four of the five attractions that comprise the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass—the London Dungeon, Shrek’s Adventure London, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, and the London Eye—are located within easy walking distance of one another at the heart of London’s vibrant South Bank entertainment district. While you don’t want to run yourself ragged by booking too many outings for a single day, the proximity of these attractions to one another makes getting from destination to destination in this area a piece of cake. Madame Tussauds is seven stops away on the Bakerloo Underground line.
In addition to the four attractions named above, nearby popular London attractions include Westminster Abbey, Jewel Tower, the Florence Nightingale Museum, and the National Theatre. If you’re looking for something else to do before or after you’ve visited Madame Tussauds London, its prominent location on lively Marylebone Road just south of The Regent’s Park make it the perfect launching pad for a trip to the London Zoo or the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Where to Buy the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass
As part of an agreement with Merlin Entertainments, the Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass is available for purchase online at the VisitBritain Shop, which is the official shop of the British Tourist Board.