What should I skip in London?
Short answer
Skip the London Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, M&M's World, the Leicester Square chain restaurants and, on a clear budget, the London Eye. Each has a cheaper or free alternative nearby that Londoners actually use, usually with a better view or fewer queues.
Nothing on this list is a scam. They are simply expensive, crowded and interchangeable with attractions in twenty other cities — which is a poor use of a short trip in a city with world-class free museums.
The pattern to watch for is a ticket price above £30 for something that takes under ninety minutes and has no London-specific content. That describes most of Leicester Square's paid attractions.
The specifics
Skip the London Eye
Instead: the free Sky Garden viewing deck (book ahead) or the terrace at Tate Modern for a better skyline shot.
Skip Madame Tussauds
Instead: the National Portrait Gallery, free, five minutes from Leicester Square and full of actual faces.
Skip Leicester Square restaurants
Instead: walk ten minutes to Soho's Lexington Street or into Chinatown's side lanes.
Skip the Oxford Street shopping day
Instead: Broadway Market on Saturday, or Columbia Road on Sunday morning.
Skip black cabs for long journeys
Instead: the Tube or Elizabeth line. A cab across town in traffic can cost eight times the fare.
More London questions
- Where do locals actually eat in London?
- Is London safe at night?
- How many days do you need in London?
- What's the best area to stay in London?