Two numbers decide a visit to Madame Tussauds and neither is the one on the poster.
An adult ticket is from 27 pounds booked online and 39 pounds at the door. Twelve pounds, for the sin of turning up.
And last entry is 4pm, two hours before the 6pm close. The attraction’s own estimate is that a visit takes an hour and a half to two hours, so 4pm is not a cautious cut-off. It is exactly the last moment the arithmetic works.
What it costs
Adults: from 27 pounds online, 39 pounds walk-up.
Children aged 2 to 15: from 24 pounds online, 35 pounds walk-up. Under 2s are free.
The operator advertises the gap as up to 31 per cent off for booking ahead, which is accurate and unusually honest about its own door price.
One caveat it states plainly: prices vary with available capacity and can move during periods of high demand. The 27 pounds is a floor, not a fixed fare, and the earlier you book the closer to it you land.
A family of two adults and two children booking ahead is around 102 pounds. The same family at the door is 148.
The combo ticket trap
This is the one that gets people turned away, and it is in the operator’s own instructions.
If you hold a multi-attraction or combo ticket, you have booked a date and time for Madame Tussauds only. For every other attraction on the same ticket you must log into your account and book a separate free timed-entry ticket before you go.
All you need is the confirmation number and the email address used for the order, but you do have to do it. You then have seven days to use the ticket.
Turning up at the second attraction on the strength of the combo booking alone does not work.
The hours
10am to 6pm, with last entry at 4pm, though the operator notes hours vary by date and asks you to check the schedule for your day.
Weekends and school holidays are named by the attraction itself as the crowded times, which is worth taking at face value from a business with no reason to say so.
A Fast Track option exists for exactly those periods.
Quiet sessions
Worth knowing and rarely mentioned. On selected dates the attraction sells limited tickets to create a calmer environment for visitors with autism and other sensory requirements.
Given that the main complaint about this place is the crush, that is a genuinely better visit for a lot of people, not only those it is aimed at.
What is actually in it
Over 150 figures across 8 zones, running from musicians to superheroes to sports. It is on Marylebone Road, NW1, next to Baker Street.
The honest framing: this is a photograph attraction. You are paying to stand next to things and take pictures of yourself doing it, and whether that is worth 27 pounds depends entirely on whether that appeals. It is not a museum and does not pretend to be.
How to plan it
Book online, and book early. The gap to the door price is twelve pounds an adult and the online price rises as capacity fills.
Arrive by 3pm at the latest. Last entry is 4pm and the visit runs to two hours.
Holding a combo ticket: book the free timed slot for every other attraction before you set off.
Hating crowds: look for a quiet session date.
For the paid attractions nearby, London Zoo is in Regent’s Park and the London Eye is the one most often sold with this as a combo.
Madame Tussauds London
- Address
- Marylebone Road, London NW1
- Nearest
- Baker Street
- Hours
- 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 4pm. Hours vary by date, so check the schedule for your day
- Booking
- Online, and the earlier the cheaper. Prices vary with capacity and rise during high demand
- Price
- Adults from 27 pounds online and 39 pounds at the door. Children 2 to 15 from 24 pounds online and 35 at the door. Under 2s free
- Standing
- Over 150 figures across 8 zones, on Marylebone Road
How to get in
Last entry is two hours before closing and a visit takes an hour and a half to two hours. Combo and multi-attraction tickets cover the date and time for Madame Tussauds only: a free timed-entry ticket must be booked separately for every other attraction. Quiet sessions run on selected dates for visitors with sensory requirements.
Where to go next
The London Eye is the attraction most often sold with this as a combo, and London Zoo is the other paid day out nearby.
Things to do in the rain cover the rest of the indoor options, and the free museums are the argument against paying at all.
Questions we get asked
How much is Madame Tussauds London?
Adults are from 27 pounds booked online and 39 pounds at the door. Children aged 2 to 15 are from 24 pounds online and 35 at the door, and under 2s go free. The operator advertises the difference as up to 31 per cent off for booking in advance.
What time is last entry at Madame Tussauds?
4pm, two hours before the 6pm close. Since the attraction estimates a visit takes an hour and a half to two hours, 4pm is the last point at which a full visit is possible rather than a cautious cut-off.
Do you need to book Madame Tussauds in advance?
Not strictly, but the door price is twelve pounds more per adult. Prices also vary with available capacity and rise during high demand, so the earlier you book the lower the price.
Does a combo ticket get you straight into Madame Tussauds?
It gets you into Madame Tussauds at your booked date and time, but not into the other attractions on it. For each of those you must log in with your confirmation number and email and book a separate free timed-entry ticket beforehand. You then have seven days to use it.
How long does Madame Tussauds take?
The attraction's own estimate is an hour and a half to two hours, across 8 zones and over 150 figures.
Are there quiet sessions at Madame Tussauds?
Yes. On selected dates the attraction sells a limited number of tickets to create a calmer environment for visitors with autism and other sensory requirements.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 230 in the guide.
Last checked 5 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
