Getting Madame Tussauds London tickets is incredibly easy. This post will highlight the best options available.
Madame Tussauds is one of my favorite attractions in London. I first visited when I was 14 – back then, I was in England on a study abroad program to learn English. We walked through the rooms full of celebrities (well, wax statues of celebrities) and we absolutely loved it.
Since then, I have been many many times. And one thing I realized is that the line to get Madame Tussauds London tickets keeps getting longer. Thankfully, you can get your tickets in advance so you don’t have to stand in line for hours to visit one of the city’s most popular attractions.
In this post, I highlight the best ways of getting tickets to Madame Tussauds London, so you can decide which one is the most suitable to your needs. I will also give you plenty of tips to plan your visit. Let me start by telling you why you really should visit.
Why Visit Madame Tussauds London?
Born in Strasbourg in 1761, Madame Tussaud maiden name was actually Marie Grosholtz. She was trained by Philippe Curtius, a Swiss master of wax anatomy who lived in Bern and of whom her mother was a housekeeper. It was to follow him that she moved to Paris, where he was actually engaged in modeling personalities such as Voltaire and Louis XVI.
Arrested during the French Revolution, when modeling of unacceptable personalities was illegal, she was released in 1794 to cast the head of Robespierre. By then, her master Curtius had died and left her everything. A year later she married Tussaud, from whom she had two children – only to leave him, and Paris, in 1802 to move to England.
It’s in London that her business thrived. Her first showroom opened in 1835 in Baker Street. It became incredibly popular when in 1837 a young Queen Victoria agreed to have her wax statue made. Madame Tussaud died in 1850, and in 1884 the museum was moved to its current location on Marylebone Road.
To date, this is one of the most popular attractions in London – and in fact, there are 24 Madame Tussauds museums around the world.
Visiting Madame Tussauds London will take you between two and three hours, depending on the day and time of your visit – for example, if you visit during the weekend and in high season, you can expect the museum to be more crowded.
Once inside, you can admire more than 400 wax statues, arranged by category. They are all life-like replicas of the most famous people in the world – politicians, the Royal Family, actors, singers and sport personalities, historical and religious figures, and more. Touring the museum, you will find yourself taking selfie after selfie! You will also have the chance of joining the Marvel Universe 4D show.
Finally, continue reading to discover everything you need to know before visiting Madame Tussauds London.
How To Get Madame Tussauds London Tickets
There are three ways to get Madame Tussauds London tickets in advance. I will highlight all available options available so that you can pick the one that suits you the most.
Way N. 1: Buy your London tickets on the official website
This is the official website of Madame Tussauds London. Standard tickets bought via the official website cost £33.50 GBP for adults (around $41 USD), and £30 ($36.50 USD) for children between 3 and 15. This is the most budget friendly option.
You will have to select the number of tickets needed, then will be sent to another page to pick a time slot, after which another page will prompt you to buy several add-ons such as fast track (it costs an additional £10, which is little over $12 USD), or getting a wax hand.
Once you finally go to check out, you will be able to pay either via Paypal or credit or debit card. You will receive your tickets via email and will have to either print them at home, or download the PDF on your smartphone to show on the day of your visit. It is not clear whether you can pick up your tickets at the counter on the day of your visit, but you can assume there’d be a line for that so don’t opt for this, just in case!
Should your plans change, tickets bought on the official website allow rescheduling – however tickets aren’t refundable and can’t be transferred.
Another option you can pick on the official site is the Fast Track ticket – this is the best option to skip all the lines. It costs £43.50 (around $53 USD) for adults and £33 (little over $40 USD) for children between 3 and 15. Pick this option to skip all lines. Fast track tickets bought on the same day cost £51 (around $64 USD) for adults and £45 (around $56 USD) for children.
Whether you buy standard or fast track tickets, there is a small surcharge for tickets bought on the same day.
Other tickets available on the official sites are combo for Madame Tussauds with other attractions – you can pick up to 5 attractions which include the London Eye, the London Dungeon and Sea LIFE.
Way N. 2: Buy your tickets on third party reseller sites
You will find a multitude of third party reseller sites online. My favorite one is GetYourGuide but Tiqets is another excellent one.
Most people think that getting tickets on third party sites means having to pay more, but this isn’t necessarily the case. And even when tickets are a bit more expensive, it’s actually for a good reason!
Let me explain.
Firstly, the process of getting tickets on third party resellers sites is smoother. There are no such popups prompting you to add other items to your purchase, etc. You just select the product you want from the list, read the conditions and the inclusions, select a time for your visit and pay. You will get your tickets via email and you can even download the app (GetYourGuide has a great one) to keep your vouchers all in the same place. You even get a reminder about your activity a day before!
However, the most important reason of getting Madame Tussauds London tickets via third party booking sites is that you can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity and still get a full refund.
You can get your Madame Tussauds Tickets on GetYourGuide here.
To get your Madame Tussauds ticket on Tiqets, click here.
Make sure to read my post A Completely Honest GetYourGuide Review.
Way N. 3: Buy the London City Pass
If you like the idea of getting your tickets to the various London attractions at once and to save some pennies here and there, get a London City Pass. Remember that once you have your city pass, you need to book a time slot for each and every attraction separately.
Should you want to get a London Pass which also includes tickets to Madame Tussauds London, these are the best options:
London explorer pass – You can pick up to 7 attractions. The overall final savings can be of up to 35%. It has the most comprehensive list of attractions
London 5 attractions pass – You can access 5 attractions managed by Merlin, aka London Eye, London Dungeon, Shrek’s Adventure, Sea LIFE and Madame Tussauds.
London pass – Perhaps the most comprehensive option, you get access to up to 85 attractions in the course of 10 days.
There also is a combo ticket for Madame Tussauds, London Eye and Sea LIFE on sale. You can get it here.
Other Useful Information For Visiting Madame Tussauds London
Book in advance
Madame Tussauds is one of the most visited attractions in London. There was a line there even when I visited for the first time in 1990! Booking in advance actually a requirement – even if you intend to visit on the same day.
What to do if the Madame Tussauds London tickets are sold out
You will have better chances of getting last minute tickets on third party reseller sites. These sites buy tickets in bulks so there usually is something available. Check out this site for last minute tickets.
How to get to Madame Tussauds London
Madame Tussauds is located on Marylebone Road. The closest metro station is Baker Street, which is served by the Hammersmith and City, Circle and Metropolitan lines. It takes about one minute to walk from the metro station to the museum.
If you are traveling by train you will have to get off at Marylebone Station, which is about 10 minutes walk from the museum.
Finally, you can get to the museum by bus on several lines – namely 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453.
Keep in mind that Madame Tussauds has seven different entrances. If you already have tickets, you should go to Door 1 or 3.
Opening times
Opening hours vary throughout the year – the museum opens at either 9:00, 9:30 or 10:00 am depending on the month and day of the week, and closes at either 3:00, 4:00 or 5:00 pm. The longest opening hours are in July and August, when it is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is closed on 25 December.
Modification to the reservation and refunds
You can’t cancel or transfer your tickets bought on the official website, though you can modify your reservation. Opt to book your tickets via a third party reseller site just in case. You can get your ticket here.
Is Madame Tussauds London crowded?
Yes, it’s always been that way! Though the level of crowds much depend on the time of day and season, you can expect the museum to be quite busy on any day of the week.
Madame Tussauds London price and free visits
Official Madame Tussaud London tickets cost £33.50 GBP for adults (around $41 USD), and £30 ($36.50 USD) for children between 3 and 15. This is the most budget friendly option.
The Fast Track ticket which allows you to skip all the lines costs £43.50 (around $53 USD) for adults and £33 (little over $40 USD) for children between 3 and 15.
Fast track tickets bought on the same day cost £51 (around $64 USD) for adults and £45 (around $56 USD) for children.
Children up to 3 years old can get in for free.
Security checks
All visitors have to go through security checks. Make sure not to carry any of the prohibited items to ensure a swift process. Items you can’t bring include large bags and backpacks, motorbike helmets, skateboards, tripods, strollers that don’t fold, sharp items, weapons and food bought outside the premises.
Photography
You are allowed to take photos inside the museum, but tripods are not allowed.
Toilets and other facilities
Toilets are found on every floor of the museum.
Accessibility
The museum is located in a historic building, but it is accessible to wheelchair users thanks to the work of staff that will operate the designed elevators. Only three wheelchair users are admitted in each time slot, so you need to book in advance for this.
Luggage storage
There are no lockers at Madame Tussauds, but there is a cloakroom where you can leave your coat and bag.
Other nearby attractions
Nearby attractions include Regent’s Park and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Further Readings
Make sure to read my other posts about London:
- Where To Get The Most Impressive Views Of London
- 24 Stunning London Hidden Gems
- How To See London In 2 Days
- A Perfect Itinerary To See London In 3 Days
- An Easy To Follow Itinerary For 4 Days London
- The Best 5 Days London Itinerary
- How To Make The Most Of London In A Day
- 5 Easy Ways Of Getting London Dungeon Tickets
- How To Get London Eye Tickets
- 15 Great Day Trips From London
- How To Get Tower Of London Tickets
- The 20 Best Museums In London
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