london tour bus toot

Make the most of your journey by combining Tootbus London hop-on hop-off bus tour with a City Cruises Thames river cruise.

• Explore London at your own pace across 3 bus routes and over 40 stops
• See London's top sights by land and water
• Stunning views and photo opportunities
• Learn Key facts about London through audio guide

Every day from Monday to Sunday

Yellow route:  First departure  08:30 AM  - Last departure  07:00 PM 

Blue route:  First departure  08:30 AM  - Last departure  06:20 PM

Green route Mon-Thur:  First departure  08:35 AM  - Last departure  05:30 PM | 07:00 PM  29th Mar-14th Apr Green route Fri-Sun:  First departure  08:35 AM  - Last departure  07:00 PM   

Buses every  15-20 mins  on the yellow route |  15-20 mins  on the blue route |  30 mins  on the green route

Overview Must See London

Must See London allows you to see all of London's major attractions and landmarks by land and water , while giving you the flexibility to hop on and off at any of the stops to explore further. Get on the bus and start your journey by touring around central London in the open air.

The open-top deck offers the best overview of the capital, ideal when planning your city trip. On our London tours, you will see Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, St. James Palace and many more!

Complete your visit to London with a cruise along the river Thames . Hop off at Westminster, take the river cruise to Tower Pier and board the Yellow Route again at the Tower of London.

This pass is available for 1, 2 or 3 days . Choose the option that suits you best and pick the sights you want to explore. If you are only in London for 1 day, focus on exploring the highlights mentioned above. A 2 or 3 days itinerary is perfect to see the most famous sights, enjoy a tranquil walk at St. James Park or Hyde Park and explore some of London's most charming and instagrammable neighbourhoods like Notting Hill and the Portobello Road Market, Shoreditch and the old Spitalfields Market or Brick Lane.

Upon first validation, your ticket is valid 24, 48 or 72 hours; according to the option booked. You can hop-on hop-off, for an unlimited number of times within the validity period. Your ticket gives you access to our 3 routes in London.

Know before you go Must See London

Routes & service.

Yellow Route Whilst on-board, we will take you past Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Downing Street and Borough Market, etc. Royal Blue Route Whilst on-board, we will take you past Buckingham Palace, Lambeth Palace, London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods, the museums, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Notting Hill, and Marble Arch, etc. Green Route Whilst on-board, we will take you past Russel Square, Kings Cross, St Pancras International Station, Euston Station, the British Museum, Leicester Square, the National Portrait Gallery National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Somerset House and Aldwych. To see the yearly schedule for all routes, check our timetable .

Thames River Cruise

Audio guide, special for kids.

Kids audio guide is available on the yellow route in English and French. This commentary is especially designed to capture the little ones’ attention throughout the journey and is available on the bus devices.

Flexible Tickets

Must see london, select your tickets.

Please select your tickets

Free cancellation 24 hours prior to the date of the tour.

Tootbus London

• See all photos

London Tootbus Kids Tour with Bespoke Live Guided Commentary

London Tootbus Discovery Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise

London by Night Tootbus Sightseeing Bus Tour

London Discovery by Day and by Night Hop-On Hop-off Tours

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Tootbus London - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

RELATED LINKS

On this page, most popular sights, tickets & sightseeing passes, things to see and do, from our blog.

OPEN TOP SIGHTSEEING BUSES

London tours, popular tours from london, free self-guided walks.

• Guide to hotel areas
• Bed & breakfast
• Backpacker hostels
• Airbnb London
• Central London tours
• Tours from London
• Hop-on hop-off bus tours
• Harry Potter tours
• Stonehenge tours
• Downton Abbey tours
• Windsor tours
• Cotswolds tours
• Private tours
• Ticket & pass offers
• Central London attractions
• Attractions outside London
• Harry Potter attractions
• Tower of London
• PUBLIC TRANSPORT
• London City
• London Southend
• Southampton

Comparing London's hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses

Tootbus compared with big bus + golden tours with previously asked questions.

Tootbus has routes to major sights and free cruises

London's hop-on sightseeing bus tour providers

Nowadays sightseeing tours of London are dominated by London's three hop-on, hop-off open top sightseeing operators:

1. Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) 2. Big Bus 3. Golden Tours

If you see anybody else offering a hop-on, hop-off tour for London they are acting as an agent for one of the above.

At first inspection all three London sightseeing operators offer a very similar product. But spend an hour or so studying each service and you begin to identify the differences.

This page aims to save you that time and present the differences as concisely as possible.

The traditional guided coach tour of London is still available, but in terms of market share this is tiny compared with London's popular hop-on, hop off sightseeing buses.

Premium Tours also run a small fleet of open top vintage red London buses. These fall somewhere between the guided coach tour and the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses. The London red vintage bus tour has no hop-on, hop-off facility and is basically a guided orientation tour of London's main sights with a few photo stops and a river cruise.

Comparison table of London's hop-on bus prices 2024

BOOK HOP-ON BUS TICKETS   Compare 3 hop-on bus companies   Ticket differences   London Pass - Big Bus or Golden Tours   River Cruise   Money saving - Hop-on bus plus attraction   Hop-on bus price comparison table   Previously asked questions about hop-on buses  

TOOTBUS HOP-ON BUS & GUIDED WALKING TOURS

Tootbus London Discovery tickets + Vox City guided walking tours

• Choose from 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Audio guide in 5 languages • 2 professionally guided walking tours: The Wizard Walk - Harry Potter Walking Guided Tour & The Royals and Landmarks - Walking Guided Tour 

DISCOUNTED BIG BUS LONDON TICKETS

DISCOUNTED TICKETS COMPARED WITH BOOKING DIRECT

Choice of tickets • FREE River cruises on all tickets • 3 FREE guided walking tours on Essential & Explore tickets • Evening tours included on Explore ticket • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 5 languages • London in your Pocket app access

GOLDEN TOURS HOP-ON BUS LONDON TICKETS

Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus London

Choice of 1-day, 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Free one-way Thames river cruise (if selected) • Two walking tours • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 11 languages • London in your Pocket app access

Tootbus (The Original Tour) v Big Bus v Golden Tours comparison

All 3 London sightseeing tour operators are established operators in the London market. Big Bus and Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) are owned by large corporates and Golden Tours, the relative newcomer entered the market several years ago after a long history of offering the traditional guided coach tours, which they still do.

All 3 operators offer similar packages, but more differences have opened up in recent years, see below for more details.

Walking Tours

Both Golden Tours and Big Bus offer highly regarded professionally guided walking tours included with your ticket (selected tickets only).

With Golden Tours you can choose from a Jack The Ripper Walking Tour or Coronation Walking Tour.

Big Bus offer THREE FREE TOURS with their Essential and Explore tickets: Changing of the Guard Walking Tour, City of London Walking Tour and a Jack the Ripper Walking Tour. Each tour is 1.5 hours long.

Tootbus do not offer guided walking tours but instead give you the chance to download "Tootwalk" to your phone: a choice of three self-guided walks.

River cruises

River cruises are available with all three tour companies, but not all tours automatically include them; the cheaper (both 24-hr and calendar day) tours do not. If this is important to you, do check carefully before booking.

Routes and vehicles

All operators offer an open top bus experience with routes that all cover the major sights in central London.

Although they each have a different number of routes, where they visit is almost identical, with all three sightseeing tour operators almost duplicating each others routes in the very heart of London.

You can click through on the links below to study each operators route map in detail.

Tootbus are the only operator to offer the unique Kids Tour which is a non-stop tour (not hop-on, hop off) but which is cheaper and offers a commentary that is very family friendly. In addition they are also the only company to offer a 1.5-hr Bar Bus tour , again, not hop-on hop off but a memorable experience with bar on board.

Vehicles used are almost identical, all offer free Wi-Fi and audio guides providing commentary in English and at least one other language.

Tootbus route map London 2024

Big Bus Tour map London 2024

Golden Tours route map London 2024

Live guides vs audio guides

This is one area that has also changed in recent years. Traditionally all three companies offered live guides on at least one of their hop-on tours.

Today you will find this is no longer the case. If having a live guide is important to you there are a couple of options, but none of them are hop-on, hop-off but rather 60 or 90-minute continuous sightseeing tours.

Golden Tours have a live guide on their 90 min non-stop tour.

Tootbus have a live guide on their London Kids Tour and London Christmas Tour.

Big Bus no longer offer a live guide service on any of their tours.

Prices are similar to the 1-day tour but many people really value having a live guide if English is a language they speak fluently.

Tootbus no longer offer the range of languages it once used to; now audio is either in English or French. Big Bus have an audio guide with 5 languages. Golden Tours have the most with 11 languages.

Times and frequencies of buses

All operators start up around 8.30am and start running down the service around 5pm. Evening services are also additionally available as a separate tour with all three operators.

All three operators, even in the winter months operate frequent bus services, however of the three operators perhaps Golden Tours is slightly less frequent. You shouldn't generally have to wait more than twenty minutes however.

London's hop-on buses - differences between tickets for all 3 operators

Standard tour ticket durations

24, 48 or 72-hr durations.

All operators offer tickets with 24 and 48-hr validity periods; Tootbus and Golden Tours also offer 72-hr tickets.

In addition Tootbus offer a 60-min Bar Bus ticket, while Golden Tours offer a fully guided 1.5-hr Express ticket (see above).

Tootbus call their tickets, '1-day' and '2-day' but the actual validity is 24, 48 or 72 hours.

Golden Tours offer cheaper calendar tours (which run from when you buy them to the end of the day) in addition to 24/48/72-hr tickets. The calendar day tickets do not include the river cruise.

Shorter tours/express tours (not hop on, hop off)

Both Tootbus and Golden Tours offer shorter tours, of 1.5 hrs which are different to the traditional hop on, hop off buses in that you stay on them for the duration of the tour. Tootbus call theirs as 'Bar Bus' as drinks are available on board (over 18s only). River cruises are not included with these tours.

For Golden Tours this is their only product featuring a live guide. Although much shorter therefore, the price is nearly as much as a 24-hr hop on bus tour.

Tootbus' similar offering is in the same price band but does not feature the live guide. Many people really appreciate the difference between having a live guide and an audio guide.

Evening tours (not hop on, hop off)

All three companies offer evening tours which are non-stop for around 1.5 hours. Again, Golden Tours is the only operator offering the live guide on this experience, though Tootbus have a live guide on their Kids Tour and Christmas Lights tour.

Big Bus also include a separate evening tour with their Explore ticket.

Discounted - cheapest tickets

Hop-on, hop off sightseeing tickets are freely available in London from hotels, tourist centres and on the day from the representatives of the tour companies you find around the bus stops.

Do not expect to find discount vouchers or codes, if you do find one it's the exception rather than the rule.

However, cheaper tickets can be found using our banners on this page. By booking online ahead of our hop-on, hop-off bus tour you will always save money.

Our partners Travel Compendium bring you exclusive discounts on hop on bus tours in London with Golden Tours and Big Bus.

Pre-booking tickets - flexibility and ease/cost of obtaining tickets

All three operators now require you to select your date of tour at purchase. However all 3 tours companies offer a 'flexible booking guarantee' should you need to amend your tour date at any time (Tootbus allow this up 12 months from date of purchase, Golden Tours allow a cancellation for full refund up to 24 hours before boarding, Big Bus require 72 hours to amend your booking.)

For Big Bus and Golden Tours tickets are e-tickets and are shown to the driver at your first bus stop. Here they give you a receipt which you keep for the validity of your hop-on bus tour.

Tootbus accept mobile tickets but encourage you to download your tickets on to their app, for ease of use.

Both Big Bus and Tootbus offer an app offering similar features such as:

Maps, route planning, real time bus tracking, walking directions to nearest bus stops, nearby eateries and attractions and even the secrets of must-see landmarks with audio commentaries.

With Tootbus you can also import your pass (tickets) ready to scan directly on the bus.

London Pass - choice of 2 hop on bus companies: Big Bus or Golden Tours

The London Pass is a flat rate sightseeing pass to many (but not all) of London's main sightseeing attractions. You can buy a London Pass for 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10 day durations

The London Pass gives you entry into more than 60 London tourist attractions and a river cruise on the River Thames.

The London Pass also now includes use of either Golden Tours or Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus for one calendar day, whatever the duration of the London Pass.

Tootbus are not part of the London Pass scheme.

Key points of the London Pass Ho Ho bus offer

You can choose to ride on the Golden Tours  or  Big Bus hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. Tootbus (Original Tour) is not covered.

The Ho Ho bus offer is for one calendar day  not  for 24 hours.

Most people use the Ho Ho facility on the first day of their London Pass, but there is nothing stopping using it on another day when the London Pass is valid.

The Ho Ho bus offer with London Pass doesn't include the walking tours and river cruises included in the standard tickets issued by the Ho Ho companies concerned, only the bus tour (but you do get a river cruise included in the London Pass separately anyway)

You show your London Pass to the driver or tour guide of the first bus you board. They will scan your London Pass and issue you with a separate ticket for the bus company concerned valid for the rest of the day. You cannot switch to the other bus company once you have made your first journey.

London Pass more details

Free river cruises

While all three tour companies have a river cruise option, not every tour comes with a river cruise automatically. The cheaper tours for example, do not feature a river cruise.

Both Big Bus and Tootbus use the same river cruise company, City Cruises , while Golden Tours use Thames River Sightseeing.

Golden Tours/Thames River Sightseeing operate a cruise between Westminster Pier and Greenwich Pier.

Tootbus and Big Bus cruises run between Westminster and Tower Pier (or Greenwich Pier for Big Bus Premium or Deluxe ticket holders).

All operators run river services approximately every 40 minutes and later services are usually available until around 6pm in the summer season from April.

The Thames Cruise should be a highlight of your day and we recommend you take advantage of the facility.

Thames river cruise ticket options by company

A complimentary one-way river cruise offered by  City Cruises  (lasting around thirty minutes) is included in your Big Bus London ticket.

Tootbus' cheaper ticket doesn't come with the river cruise included - look for it on the 'Must See London' ticket. Your one-way river cruise starts at either Westminster pier or Tower of London pier.

Golden Tours

Golden Tours' river cruise is only available on the 24-hr ticket, not the calendar day ticket. There is also another ticket option to choose 24-hrs without cruise. Cruises are also one-way.

Hop-on buses in London plus attractions - money saving

Save money buying attraction tickets & bus tour in one package

Many people opt to combine their hop-on bus tour with one or more top attractions in London, in order to save even more on entrance tickets.

Golden Tours hop-on buses plus top London attraction

At the moment Golden Tours probably offer the best range of hop-on bus tours combined with attractions.

Please see our full listing of your choices of Golden Tours hop-on bus plus top London attraction

Big Bus + top London attractions tickets - save up to 28%

Big bus + attraction through discount london.

Discount London are offering a great deal: buy your Big Bus tickets in combination with your choice of top London attraction and save up to 28% on the cost of buying tickets separately.

Attractions included are: London Eye , SEA LIFE , St Paul's Cathedral , London Dungeon , Madame Tussauds , Tower of London and London Zoo .

Please see our full listing of your choices of Big Bus plus top London attraction

Big Bus + attraction through Big Bus website

In addition, through the Big Bus official website you can also add on tickets to: Madame Tussauds , Tower of London and London Eye Fast Track .

Tootbus and add-on attraction in London

Tootbus don't currently offer any add-on attractions but they do offer alternative tours such as an Evening Tour , Bar Bus and a very popular Kids tour .

LONDON'S OPEN TOP HOP-ON, HOP-OFF SIGHTSEEING TOUR PRICING 2024

All the hop-on bus companies have permanently discounted online prices, (compared with walk-up prices) which are between 10 - 15% off.

Prices are seasonal and variable and prices above are based on low season prices. During school holidays prices are typically higher.

To be sure you are getting the best possible price it is advisable to check our prices above against the hop-on bus companies' websites as they occasionally run sales throughout the year:

Tootbus official website

Big Bus official website

Golden Tours official website

Tootbus offer cheaper tickets, which are bus only, no river cruise. Tootbus offer this for a 24, 48 or 72-hr period and call this ticket 'London Discovery'.

Top of the page

London's hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses - previous questions answered by Bob

At present we are unable to maintain the discuss service but you can contact us using the Contact Us link at the bottom of each page. We have decided to leave the answers here as they are useful for many of the questions we receive. If you cannot find an answer to your question, we'll be happy to hear from you.

POPULAR LONDON ATTRACTIONS - ADVANCE PURCHASE AND/OR FAST TRACK TICKETS

London TootBus Tours - Explore the City in Style

Tootbus: Kids Tour of London with Live Guide

• You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
• Discover London’s best with the flexibility of the kid's tour a single ticket that offers the freedom to see London's iconic landmarks.
• Convenient and efficient, the 45-min tour departs every 45 mins from Fri to Sun and holidays, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the capital's attractions.
• Experience the city in style on an open-top bus, complete with engaging live commentary for your kids that brings the rich history of London to life.
• Popular spots along your way include Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, Downing Street, and more.
• 45-min bus tour of London
• Live commentary in English
• First bus: 11 am from Charles II Street (departures may vary with season)
• Last bus: 3 pm from Charles II Street (departures may vary with season)
• Frequency: every 45 mins

Please click here for a detailed route map.

• Tip: At Downing Street, try getting a glimpse of the British Prime Minister's residence, or look out for neon-colored advertisement boards at Piccadilly Circus.
• Keep in mind food & beverages and smoking are not allowed on the buses. Pack wisely!
• The buses are wheelchair accessible.
• Ramps are available on the buses for easy access.
• Your guide dogs are welcome aboard.
• Facilities: free Wi-Fi.
• Pets and small animals are allowed only if they are positioned at your knees.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult all the time.
• Infants aged 3 and under can travel for free.
• The tour takes place only on Fri, Sat, and Sun and every day during school holidays.
• During the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, public transport and sightseeing buses are not allowed in front of the palace. The 1pm tour will be diverted on these days.

Tootbus: 24/48/72-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Tour of London with Optional Night Tour

• Revel in the liberty of exploring London with a 24, 48, or 72-hour ticket with an unlimited number of hops, across 3 distinctive routes.
• Soak in the rich tapestry of London's history, culture, and lifestyle, with over 40 stops giving you direct access to the city's iconic landmark.
• Want more? The pass includes 3 free walking tours or you can upgrade for a 90mins night tour.
• With a multilingual audio guide and kid's audio guide, listen to riveting tales as you witness the city's wonders from eco-friendly open-top buses.
• Popular stops across your HOHO route include the Harrods, London Eye, Tower of London, and more.
• 24/48/72-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off tour
• 90 mins night tour (optional)
• Audio guide in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, Chinese, Russian & Arabic
• Kids audio guide in English & French (on yellow route & night tour)
• 3 self-guided walking tours
• Free earphones made from recyclable materials
• Entry to attractions

Yellow route

• First bus: 8:30am from Coventry Street
• Last bus: 8pm from Coventry Street (Note: until Jun 28, the last bus is from 7pm to 8pm)
• Frequency: 10-20 mins
• Popular stops: London Eye, Buckingham Palace

Royal Blue route

• First bus: 8:30am from Grosvenor Gardens
• Last bus: 6:20pm from Grosvenor Gardens
• Frequency: 15-20 mins
• Popular stops: Parliament Street, Harrods

Green route

• First bus: 8:35am from Wyndham's Theatre
• Last bus: 7:30pm from Wyndham's Theatre (Note: until Jun 28, the last bus is from 5:30pm to 7:30pm)
• Frequency: 30 mins
• Popular stops: British Museum, Bedford Place
• 7:30pm (Apr 2 to 30 & Sep 4 to 24), 8pm (May 1 to 28), 8:30pm (May 29 to Sep 3), 7pm (Sep 25 to 29 Oct) & 5:30pm (Oct 30 to Nov 12) from Coventry Street
• Frequency: once a day

Please click here for detailed route maps and boarding points.

• Tip: London is known for its street art. Look out for hidden gems at stops like Shoreditch or Brixton.
• The buses run on clean energy, such as fully electric power, biogas, or biofuel, making them eco-friendly.
• You can access the self-guided walking tours on the Tootbus app, which takes you through Kensington Gardens, Royal shopping in St James’s, Architecture & Celebration.
• The night tour is closed from Nov 13 to Mar 28.
• This experience is wheelchair accessible.
• Your guide dogs are welcome on the buses, pets and small dogs must be seated at your knees.
• Children aged 4 and under can travel for free, if they aren't entitled to their own seat.
• You can use your tickets on any day before the tour date.

Tootbus: 24/48/72-Hour Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour of London with Thames River Cruise

• Travel at your own pace and explore London's charm with 24/48/72-Hour hop-on hop-off bus pass.
• Ride and stop as you please unlimited times on any of the 40+ stops across 3 routes as buses arrive every 15-40 mins.
• The cherry on top? Immerse the allure of the River Thames with a one-way river cruise.
• Admire city views from the eco-friendly double-decker buses, equipped with multilingual audio guides for adults and kids.
• Popular stops include The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and more!
• 24/48/72-hour HOHO pass
• One-way River Thames cruise
• Kids' audio guide in English & French (only on Yellow route)
• Live/recorded commentary in English (on the cruise)
• Audio guide in Italian, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, English & Japanese (on the cruise)

Thames River cruise

• First boat: 10am from Tower Pier
• Last boat: 5:15pm from Tower Pier
• Frequency: 40 mins
• Popular stops: Westminster Pier

Westminster Pier

• First boat: 10am from Westminster Pier
• Last boat: 6pm from Westminster Pier
• Popular stops: London Eye & Tower Pier
• Tip: Explore a local market or two. Borough Market and Portobello Road Market are treasure troves of food, antiques, and local finds.
• Children aged 4 and under can travel for free, if they don't need a separate seat.

Best Sightseeing Bus Tours in London Compared

After many years organising our friends’ and relatives’ trips to London, one of the questions we have answered many times is: “which one of the different London bus tours is the best” and if they are worth the money.

First of all, I have to say that I highly recommend buying tickets for one of the London sightseeing tours, especially if it’s your first trip to the British capital. It is an easy way to get around the city; making sure you see London’s most important landmarks .

The open-top buses add something special to the experience of visiting London. You still get a feeling of the city, and it’s the best way to get pictures of London’s iconic buildings and attractions. In this article, we will show you the routes that follow all the different London sightseeing bus tours.

London Bus Tours Deals

GET 10% OFF AT BIG BUS TOURS

Another good point to remember is that you can sometimes buy combined tickets for a sightseeing bus tour in London + one of London’s most important attractions, and this is one of the best ways to get more for your money. Most of the  London Attraction Passes include one of the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tours in London.

Sightseeing Bus Tours in London Compared

There are currently 4 main bus companies that offer hop-on hop-off bus tours in London: Big Bus Tours , TOOT Bus , Golden Tours and City Sightseeing .

Sightseeing Bus Tours in London: What’s included

• FREE RIVER CRUISE : One of the things I would recommend doing when you visit London, so definitely important to keep in mind if you can get it included with your sightseeing bus tour tickets.
• GUIDED WALKING TOUR
• RECORDED / LIVE COMMENTARY (recorded commentary available in different languages)
• FREE HEADPHONES
• FREE PONCHO if it rains

The timetables are usually quite similar, normally starting between 8.00 am and 9.00 am and ending at around 5.30 pm or 6.00 pm.

PLAN TRIP TOP TIP : When buying tickets for the different sightseeing bus tours in London, keep in mind that all companies will have different prices depending on whether you buy the tickets online or if you do it on the day in the street or at one of the stops. Online tickets usually are 10 or 15% cheaper, and you don´t usually have to choose a specific day which makes it more accessible.

Sightseeing Bus Tours in London: Price Comparison

We have updated the fares below in February 2023, with the prices from each bus tour provider in London as they appear on their official websites. These prices are for ONLINE TICKETS, which are normally around 10% cheaper than on-street tickets.

* Children under 5 do not need a ticket. Children aged 5 to 15 need a child ticket. A Family ticket is valid for 2 adults + 2 children (aged 5 – 15).

London bus tour deals : Remember that you can use our promo code “ PLANTRIP10 ” to get an additional 10% discount if you buy tickets from Big Bus Official Website . 

Big Bus Tours

Big Bus Tours started touring the streets of London more than 25 years ago, with only 2 buses in London. Nowadays, they are one of the biggest sightseeing bus tours companies in the world, and currently have more than 400 sightseeing buses in more than 26 cities. So, with all this experience, it’s no surprise that Big Bus Tours is one of the most important sightseeing bus tour companies in London.

Their buses are burgundy and cream and say BIG BUS LONDON on the side, so they are easily recognisable. The Big Bus Tours Sightseeing hop on hop off-bus tour is also included in the London Pass .

Their buses have free Wi-Fi on board, and most have USB chargers if you wish to charge your mobile phone during the tour.

Available routes : Big Bus Tours has three different sightseeing day bus routes and one Night Tour.

• The Classic Tour (Red Route):  The classic tour is one of the main routes that will take you through London’s most important landmarks, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, and Tower of London, Tower Bridge…
• The Blue Route: The blue route is one of the main routes that will take you through London’s most important landmarks, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Tower of London, Tower Bridge…
• The Green Link: Connects Trafalgar Square with the British Museum and King’s Cross – St Pancras

⇒ See Big Bus London Route Map

Number of stops:  Big Bus Tours has more than 50 stops across their 3 different day bus routes into account. You can hop on and hop off at every one of these stops.

Included with your ticket:  Every ticket includes a free river cruise, except the Night Tour Ticket. The Classic ticket includes a one way ticket for the river cruise. Premium and Deluxe tickets include a hop-on hop-off river cruise, from Westminster to Greenwich, which is perfect for exploring Greenwich . The classic, premium and deluxe tickets also include a free walking tour.

Types of tickets:  There are tickets for adults, children (5 – 15 years old) and family tickets  (2 adults + 2 children). Children under 5 free. And there are 3 types of tickets:

• Classic: 1 day (this ticket is valid for one calendar day, not 24 hours). This ticket includes a one-way river cruise along the Thames from Westminster Pier (near Big Ben) to the Tower of London, or vice versa. This ticket also includes a free guided walking tour.
• Premium: 2 days (this ticket is valid for two calendar days, not 48 hours). This ticket includes a hop-on hop-off river cruise along the Thames, with stops at Westminster Pier, the Tower of London and Greenwich. This ticket also includes a free guided walking tour and the Night Tour.
• Deluxe: 3 days (this ticket is valid for three calendar days, not 72 hours). This ticket includes a hop-on hop-off river cruise along the Thames, with stops at Westminster Pier, the Tower of London and Greenwich. This ticket also includes a free guided walking tour and the Night Tour.
• Night tour only: This ticket is valid for one-night tour only, which isn’t a hop on hop off bus tour. This ticket does not include the river cruise or the free guided walking tour. This night tour is available during the summer months only.

Validity of tickets: Tickets online are 10% cheaper than buying them on the street. When you buy tickets online they will be valid for 6 months,  so you don’t need to choose a specific day for your tour.

Combo tickets: You can also buy combined tickets for the Big Bus Tours HO-HO Sightseeing Bus Tour in London with tickets to one of London’s Top Attractions. This is a great way of saving money. You can find out more about this here: Big Bus Tours London Detailed Information .

Promo Code: Use our exclusive promo code “PLANTRIP10” when you buy your tickets online to get an extra 10% discount, so this is a 20% discount when compared to on-street prices.

It will be easy for you to recognize their buses in London, as they usually have a UK flag on the side of the bus.

Available routes :  The Original Tour has five different bus routes in London:

• Original Tour (Yellow Route): This is the main route which will take you through London´s most important landmarks, including Hyde Park, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, etc.
• Royal Borough Tour (Blue Route): The blue route covers the district of Kensington, where you’ll find some of London’s most famous museums as well as the well-known department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
• British Museum Tour (Orange Route): This route will take you through London’s famous West End, including Chinatown all the way to the British Museum and King’s Cross.
• Capital Connector (Black Route): From Marble Arch to Madame Tussauds and Regent’s Park.
• Capital Connector (Purple Route): From Marble Arch to Notting Hill and Bayswater. Useful if your hotel is in this area of London.

⇒ See The TOOT Bus London Route Map

Number of stops: The Original Tour has more than 70 stops when you take their different bus routes into account. You can hop on and hop off at every one of these stops.

Included with your ticket: Tickets include a free river cruise + 3 walking tours (including a Changing of the Guard walking tour) except the City Sampler Ticket.

Available tickets:  There are tickets for adults, children (5 – 15 years old) and family tickets  (2 adults + 2 children). Children under 5 free. And there are 3 types of tickets:

• City Sampler: This ticket is valid for the hop-on hop-off bus tour for one day, not 24 hours, and it doesn’t include the free river cruise or the free guided walks.
• 24 hours: This ticket is valid for 24 hours and includes a free hop-on hop off river cruise between Westminster Pier (near Big Ben) and Tower Pier (near the Tower of London) and free guided walks.
• 48 hours: This ticket is valid for 48 hours and it includes a free hop-on hop off river cruise between Westminster Pier (near Big Ben), and Tower Pier (near the Tower of London), plus   an extension to Greenwich and free guided walks.
• 72 hours:  This ticket is valid for 72 hours, including a hop on hop off free river cruise between Westminster Pier (near Big Ben), and Tower Pier (near the Tower of London), plus   an extension to Greenwich, valid for 72 hours and free guided walks.

Golden Tours

Available routes : There are three different sightseeing bus routes in London:

• The Essential Tour (Blue route): This route covers all the main sights in central London and it includes live commentary in English.
• The Classic Tour (Red route): This route covers all the main sights in central London and London’s Museum Quarter in Kensington.
• The Grand Tour (Orange route): This route will mainly take you to Madame Tussauds and King’s Cross.
• The Pick-Up/Drop-Off Route (Yellow route): This route travels from the popular hotel districts to Central London in the mornings.

⇒ Golden Tours Route Map

Number of stops: Over 60 stops on 3 different bus routes. You can hop on and hop off at every one of these stops.

Available tickets:  There are tickets for adults, children (5 – 15 years old) and family tickets  (2 adults + 2 children). Children under 5 free. And there are 3 types of tickets:

• London Introduction: 3-hour open-top sightseeing bus tour of London’s most remarkable landmarks. This is not a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour, and it does not include the free river cruise or free guided walking tours.
• One Day: Ticket valid for one calendar day to use the Hop on Hop off sightseeing bus tour. This ticket does not include a free river cruise or guided walking tours.
• 24 hours: Ticket valid for 24 hours. This ticket includes a free hop-on hop-off river cruise, from Westminster pier (near Big Ben) to St Katharine’s pier (near the Tower of London) and a free walking tour.
• 48 hours:  Ticket valid for 48 hours. This ticket includes a free hop-on hop-off river cruise, from Westminster pier (near Big Ben) to St Katharine’s pier (near the Tower of London) and free walking tours.

What else is included with the tickets: Free Hop on hop off River Cruise + voucher valid for two days for one of their guided walking tours. The walking tours available are The Beatles walking tour or Royal Walking tour.

City Sightseeing London

City Sightseeing has also been operating in London for years, but their service is now supplied by TOOT Bus, so their routes are the same.

Their buses are very colourful, but they are mainly red with colourful pictures of London landmarks, making them very easy to identify.

One of the main differences when we compare City Sightseeing to other sightseeing bus tours in London, is that some of their buses have a removable cover for their upper deck, which can be put on to cover the bus if it´s raining.

Available routes :  City Sightseeing buses follow the same routes as TOOT Bus.

• Yellow Route: This is the main route which will take you through London´s most important landmarks, including Hyde Park, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, etc.

⇒ See City Sightseeing London Route Map

Number of stops: City Sightseeing has more than 70 stops when you take their 3 different bus routes into account. You can hop on and hop off at every one of these stops.

Available tickets: There are tickets for adults, children (5 – 15 years old) and family tickets  (2 adults + 2 children). Children under 5 free. And there are 2 types of tickets:

• 24 hours: This ticket gives you 24 hour access to any of the hop on hop off sightseeing routes in London + a 24 hour access the the free hop on hop off river cruise.
• 48 hours:  This ticket gives you 48 hour access to any of the hop on hop off sightseeing routes in London + 48 hour access the the free hop on hop off river cruise.

What else is included with the tickets:   Free River Cruise + 3 free walking guided tours (changing of the guard; Jack the ripper; rock ‘n’ roll walking tour)

Comparison Sightseeing Bus Tours in London: Summary

Are sightseeing bus tours in london worth it.

If it´s your first time in London I personally think that it´s definitely worth thinking about going on one of the sightseeing bus tours available. It´s definitely the easy way to see London´s most important attractions and you also have the opportunity of hopping on and off at different stops during the day.

As there are different companies that offer this service, we have done all the hard work for you here. Here you will find a brief explanation of what each one of the different companies that offer hop on hop off sightseeing bus tours in London includes in their ticket and we have also compared their fares for you.

There are 4 main companies that operate open top hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours in London, and we are going to compare what they each offer as well as their prices in this article, hopefully allowing you to make an informed decision if you decide to buy tickets for one of the sightseeing bus tours in London.

Other Bus Tours in London

⇒ Afternoon Tea Vintage Bus Tour

⇒ Vintage Bus Ghost Tour

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Thursday 25 April 2024 08:06, UK

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Military horses have caused "total mayhem" after bolting during exercises and charging through central London in rush hour.

The Household Cavalry said the animals were spooked by builders dropping rubble from a height "right next to them".

The incident happened on Wednesday morning as the horses took part in what the army called "routine exercise" in the Belgravia area.

Seven horses and six Household Cavalry soldiers were on the exercise when chaos erupted.

Four service personnel were thrown off and five horses got loose - with two of them filmed galloping through the streets.

A white horse was seen covered in blood after hitting a taxi, while another animal smashed the windscreen of a parked tour bus.

The pair were eventually captured by police near Limehouse, five miles from where they ran off, and taken to be checked by army vets.

Four people were taken to hospital from three incidents: on Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, said London Ambulance Service.

It is understood three Household Cavalry personnel were assessed in hospital but that their injuries were not serious.

Photographer Jordan Pettitt witnessed the horses running down Aldwych, with the white horse's front "saturated rich red".

He told Sky News the atmosphere was "eerie" as the street had fallen "completely silent" despite it being rush hour.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Mr Pettitt added: "It was a very surreal moment, it's not something I would ever expect to see in London nor would anyone expect to see in London."

A management consultant, named only as Tula, said the sight was "gruesome" and "like a weird dream".

"People were stopping in the street shocked," they said.

"The horses were running into fast-moving traffic and seemed terrified. Some unmarked police cars were chasing after them, which didn't seem to be helping."

'In a frenzy'

London Ambulance Service said paramedics were first called to Buckingham Palace Road to reports of a person being thrown from a horse.

A taxi driver waiting at the nearby Clermont Hotel had the windows of his Mercedes people carrier smashed by one of the horses.

Another of the animals then collided with a parked double-decker tour bus, smashing the windscreen.

Roland, a worker for tour bus company Toot Bus, said the scene was "total mayhem".

"I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy. People were running around to avoid them," he said.

In a video on X, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Woodward, said the horses were exercised every morning to help them get used to city noise.

Read more from Sky News: Nottingham attack families horrified by police message Zoe Ball 'bereft' at death of mum

WHAT IS THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY?

With more than 360 years of history, and as protectors of the Monarch, the Household Cavalry is one of the British Army's elite corps.

It is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army - The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals. As part of the Household Division, the corps serves as the King's official bodyguard.

The Household Cavalry Regiment dates back to 1660 and has served in every major British conflict since. On the battlefield, it is an armoured reconnaissance regiment, locating and reporting on the movement of enemy forces, and engaging enemy units attempting to do the same.

It uses the British Army's flagship new AJAX armoured fighting vehicle.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment are the ceremonial face of the regiment.

He said some of the horses had been "spooked by some construction works on a quiet side road in Belgravia where building materials were dropped from height right next to them".

"The ensuing shock caused all horses to bolt and unseated some riders," he added.

The animals are all receiving care from vets at Hyde Park barracks.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Horses bolt through central London injuring four and leaving trail of destruction

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A horse which appears to be covered in blood is among seven Household Cavalry mounts which escaped and ran loose through central London today.

Four people have been injured and taken to hospital after a spooked horse threw its rider and the seven animals escaped and started to run through London.

Emergency services are on the scene in Victoria, with a blue tarpaulin put up while people, including a serviceman, received treatment.

One horse appeared to be covered in blood as it hit a number of vehicles as it ran, including a tour bus which was left with a shattered windscreen and a Mercedes people carrier.

An employee for the tour bus company, Big Bus, Mr Mahmood, said three horses got ‘out of control’ from Buckingham Palace Road, adding: ‘One of the horses bumped into a bus, then everything got out of control.

‘I saw two horses without riders gallop away. One rider managed to calm his horse down.

‘An ambulance went to assist another rider who had been injured.’

Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria was closed each way due to the incident, with Victoria bus station also closed.

The animals were seen running through Aldwych, as well is near Tower Bridge, Limehouse and Victoria – up to six miles away from where they escaped.

The horses and soldiers were taking part on an extended Watering Order – an exercise to keep up the animals’ fitness as they aren’t currently involved in public-facing King’s Life Guard duties.

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It’s believed they were spooked by the sound of builders moving concrete.

Police confirmed that all seven horses have been accounted for and recaptured.

At around 8.40am, we were called about horses that had became loose and were travelling through the City. Our officers have contained two horses on the Highway near Limehouse. We’re waiting for an Army horse box to collect the horses and transport them to veterinary care. https://t.co/Oc6CPX32yR — City of London Police (@CityPolice) April 24, 2024

City of London Police said: ‘At around 8.40am, we were called about horses that had become loose and were travelling through the city.

‘Our officers have contained two horses on the highway near Limehouse.

‘We’re waiting for an Army horse box to collect the horses and transport them to veterinary care.’

Faraz, the owner of the Mercedes people carrier, said his car windows were smashed as he waited to pick up a client at the Clermont Hotel.

He told LBC : ‘I was sitting in the car to pick up my passenger when the horse hit my car.

‘I didn’t see the horse before it hit my car, it was a shock.

‘People walked up to ask if I was OK, I was OK but [my car] was damaged.

‘It stopped all the traffic and the one military guy fell down on the [traffic] island.’

Meanwhile a construction worker who witnessed the stampede told ITV : ‘I saw not many, about five horses on the street, and one of them crashed into the bus.

What drivers should do if they see wild horses on the road

Government data shows animals (excluding horses ridden by humans) are a factor in hundreds of road accidents every year – 339 in 2022, including 3 fatal accidents.

Nextbase head of road safety Bryn Brooker shared tips on how to drive around animals: ‘Animals are a factor in hundreds of road accidents every year, and all drivers must be fully aware of how to drive around them – even in central London.

‘It’s essential that drivers treat all horses as potential hazards – even ones being ridden.

‘Never rev your engine or toot your horn near a horse as this could cause them to bolt.

‘If you are passing a horse, slow down to 10mph at the absolute maximum and give them at least two metres of space.

‘If the road is blocked, stop your car and turn off your engine. If you see a horse that appears to be in distress, call the police and provide as much detail as you can about its location.’

How drivers can avoid crashing into animals

• Keep alert for signs warning of animals. These include actual road signs, heavily wooded areas, and other animals standing just off the road. Slow down and stay as alert as possible to the road ahead of you. Check how far the next car is behind you, in case you have to stop in a hurry.
• Call the police if you hit an animal. If you hit a deer, dog, goat, sheep, pig, any cattle, or many other animals, you by law have to call the police. This will also help a lot with the insurance claim you are likely to need. The RSPCA will also help with an injured animal.
• If something goes wrong, use your dash cam to show what happened. A good dash cam can prove that you did the right thing in any potential accident, and save you a lot of money on your insurance.’

‘They were very scared, they ran like crazy.

‘I don’t have any idea what scared the horses.’

Roland, a worker for tour bus company, Toot Bus, said the scene was ‘total mayhem’, explaining: ‘I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy.

‘People were running around to avoid them – it was total mayhem.’

The Household Cavalry is a corps of the Household Division, made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals.

The regiments have protected the royal family since the 1600s.

An Army spokesperson said: ‘A number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning.

‘All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp. A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.’

In a video statement posted on X, Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Matt Woodward said: ‘Every morning, the Household Cavalry Mounted regiment in London exercises some 150 horses in the parks and on the roads.

‘This keeps them fit and helps inoculate them to city noise so they’re less easily panicked on parades.

‘This morning, however, a small group of horses were spooked by some construction works on a quiet side road in Belgravia where building materials were dropped from height right next to them. The ensuing shock caused all horses to bolt and unseated some riders.

‘Our immediate priority was the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers, members of the public and our horses.

‘We would like to express heartfelt gratitude for the swift responses of Met Police, City of London police, the Royal Mews, the London Ambulance Service, the London fire brigade and members of the public in reacting as quickly as they did. This enabled swift treatment of our soldiers and helped bring our injured horses to safety.

‘Three of our soldiers have incurred injuries which are not deemed to be life-threatening and they’re receiving treatment in hospital, while our horses have all returned to Hyde Park barracks and are undergoing veterinary care.

‘Thankfully, considering the frequency of exercise and numbers of horses involved, this type of incident is extremely rare, we continue to strive to minimise the risk of this recurring. As ever, we are grateful for due consideration given by the members of the public to not making loud noises around our horses.

‘We appreciate your concern, understanding and patience as we work through this matter.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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