London Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

In London, one of the first cities in the world to incorporate the tourist bus, touring the streets in one of them is a 'must'. You will discover the city and travel between the main tourist spots comfortably seated.

As one of the most typical experiences in the British capital, there are many tour bus companies. They all operate the same but differ in the route and number of routes, prices and stops.

• Big Bus tourist bus, from $55
• London City Sightseeing Sightseeing Bus, from $53.
• Thames sightseeing bus and cruise on the Thames, from $67.
• Golden Tours (only accessible with the London Pass), from $132.

I leave you the following comparison table to help you choose the best for your trip to London:

Big Bus Tours was one of the first companies to start touring London by tourist bus, more than 25 years ago. At that time they had only two buses, today they have more than 400 sightseeing bus lines in tourist capitals around the world.

With the Big Bus tourist bus you can see the city in its four routes, which accumulate more than 50 free stops. All of them have explanations from a professional guide or audio guides in more than 10 languages, including Spanish. In addition to the bus tour, you will also have the chance to take a cruise on the Thames and go on the London Eye from which you will admire several of London's attractions built on the banks of this mighty river. Know all the details of the offer: tickets for London Eye, pass for the Big Bus tourist bus and cruise on the Thames.

It is important to note that all Big Bus buses are adapted to any type of traveler, from small children in strollers to people with disabilities and who need to get on in wheelchairs or with assistance animals. All this from $55 euros per person, children up to 4 years free.

Types of tickets for the Big Bus

How it works

You will receive confirmation of your ticket as soon as you make your booking. Your tour bus e-ticket will only start counting your usage time from the first time you redeem it. Cancellation is possible as long as you cancel your reservation at least 24 hours before the start date.

What does the Big Bus Tourist Bus include?

What is not included in the Big Bus tour?

If you are looking for the most authentic tour of the city, you can not miss the route of the old retro Routemaster bus, the typical one.

In addition to including a free cruise on the River Thames, like the other companies, the Vintage Tour tourist bus offers you the possibility to buy directly the ticket for the London Eye, the highest Ferris wheel-viewer in Europe, and for the indispensable and historic Tower of London. But it also includes the option to visit Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument declared a World Heritage Site.

However, this bus only has a route through the main attractions of London and is not adapted for people with reduced mobility and who must climb in wheelchairs. It is, however, accessible with a baby stroller. The complete tour lasts three and a half hours

Attractions that you will see on board the Vintage Bus Tour

How does it work?

You will receive confirmation of your ticket as soon as you make your booking, with free cancellation 24 hours before the start date of the tour. At the time of booking you will be asked to select between morning or afternoon departures. Please note that if you want to see the Changing of the Guard at its stop at Buckingham Palace, you should opt for the morning tour.

This is an open top bus tour so please be aware that it may rain. On some occasions, the open top bus may be changed to an enclosed top bus.

What is included in the Vintage Bus Tours tour bus?

What is not included in the Vintage Bus Tours tour bus?

If you are spending several days in London and want access to several attractions, in addition to the sightseeing bus get the London Pass, a tourist pass that will save you time and money.

If you are interested in the idea of taking a cruise, with this other tour you can also enjoy a comfortable boat ride on the River Thames. But not before visiting the main monuments of the city, since you will not miss the impressive views from the bus of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus and the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Nor of Buckingham Palace, where you can get off to take your pictures.

However, the highlight of this tour of London is that you can feel like a real Englishman by having the opportunity to taste an authentic tea in the popular Harrods store along with scones, cream and jam. Are you really going to miss this complete and tasty English tour?

During the 4 hours and a half that lasts, you can also learn all the anecdotes that the specialized guide will be telling you about the monuments that you will find. You will also find the option of the bus with tea in London if you want to simplify the tour by skipping the cruise and the stop at Harrods but you do not want to miss the fabulous English tea on board the bus.

What's included in the sightseeing bus with cruise and tea?

If you are going to spend several days in London and want to squeeze the cultural and leisure offer of the city, in addition to having the option to go by tourist bus, I strongly recommend that what you do is to take a tourist card.

These passes allow you to save money, by not having to pay the entrance fee of each of the attractions you visit; and time, by accessing through their fast queues. I have written a post about London Tourist Cards in which, with more details, I tell you that the tourist passes that include a day in tourist bus are:

London Pass

Everything you can visit in London in terms of cultural tourism is inside the London Pass card, with access to more than 80 attractions and a day in tourist bus. Its price depends on the number of days of use, having a maximum of 10 days of duration that you can customize by paying only for the days you are going to use it.

London Explorer Pass

The Explorer Pass is the ideal option to discover the essentials of London in a minimum of 4 days and add to your experience the visit to some of its most fun attractions, such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds or the London Dungeon, among others. This tourist pass can be customized and you pay for the number of attractions you want to visit.

Within this pass you can choose between two tour bus companies: the one I explained at the beginning of this article, Big Bus Tours, and another of the newest companies in the city, with recognizable blue buses, Golden Tours.

Golden Tours has a total of 4 routes, of which two, "Pick Up and Drop Off", are really interesting as they can be taken in the mornings from hotels in the Notting Hill, Bayswater and Victoria areas to the city center and back in the afternoons. Golden Tours sightseeing buses run over 70 free stops and your day ticket offers a cruise on the waters of the Thames and a walking tour in English.

Golden Tours sightseeing bus tour

If you are one of those who like to move around the city without having to lock yourself underground in the subway, where it is impossible to enjoy the views, I recommend that you value the option of taking a cruise on the Thames, which will allow you to continue discovering the most impressive monuments that London has on the banks of the river while you rest or even enjoy a luxury dinner. I leave you with this article where I tell you all about these cruises: 7 Best Thames River Cruises in London.

If you are also thinking of visiting some of the most emblematic attractions of the city, my recommendation is, without a doubt, the London Eye. For those who prefer to enjoy the views from the air, the London Eye is definitely a great option. You have in this guide information about the London Eye Tickets and Tours all the information you need to organize your visit.