London is a massive city to visit, with so many attractions and iconic locations that it can be mind-boggling.
One of the best things to do in order to orientate yourself in the city centre and/or to visit many sites in a short amount of time, is to grab a ticket to a London Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to see a whole city and a fun, low-stress way to cover a lot of ground with kids (who don’t love walking long distances!).
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What is a hop-on, hop-off bus?
The London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus it’s a bus tour of London where you can get on and off at any stops, as many times as you wish, for a single price.
You can choose to stay onboard the entire route for a scenic tour of London’s major landmarks or hop off at the attractions that you want to explore further and spend as much time as you like there. When you’re done you can just jump back on the bus to visit your next attraction.
There are 1 day, 2 day and 3 day bus tour tickets. They are valid for one calendar day, not a 24 hour period ie if you start your tour at 3pm you won’t be able to tour for longer than the last bus at 4:30pm.
Big Bus Tours is the largest operator of open-top bus sightseeing tours in the world, providing sightseeing tours in 19 cities across three continents.
Why should I take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour?
I know, I know – those hop-on hop-off buses really scream ‘peak tourist’. And in theory, you could travel the same routes on the top deck of a standard red London bus for £1.50 per trip or a maximum £7 a day.
However, there are many advantages to paying the extra money to use the Hop-On Hop-Off bus service.
Firstly, I really like the commentary provided on board. Everyone is handed a headset and there is live English commentary on the Red Route. I am a factoid and trivia nerd so I find myself learning lots, even though I lived in London for a period in my 20s.
There is a recorded commentary on the Red Route in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, and English.
Secondly, the buses run routes for the most popular tourist attractions. So you’re not going to be diverted into residential back roads, like a suburban bus.
Thirdly, your ticket also includes a guided walking tour and a riverboat cruise. We don’t get to take up either of these options unfortunately as we run out of time and the weather is terrible the day we choose to take the bus (that’s England for you!).
Finally, you can combine a Big Bus ticket with several popular attractions such as Madame Tussauds, London Eye or Tower of London for a combo discount. Tower of London Review.
If you add up the transportation, commentary, map, tourist guides and even activities, the ticket prices are pretty reasonable at an average price of £35-£50 per person.
Why should I not take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour?
The London Hop-On, Hop-Off tour is not a great option if you’re in a hurry, needing to be at a certain location by a particular time or just wanting to go point-to-point. London’s public transport system is better for these journeys. At peak times tube trains can arrive as frequently as every minute!
The commentary is really an overview of all the landmarks you pass, so if you want in-depth information it’s best to you visit an attraction/location separately.
Finally, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a good seat with great views of the city. When the weather’s bad then only the forward third of the top deck is under cover, so you either sit out in the rain or sit downstairs. I don’t find this to be a big problem, but other people may.
Which hop-on, hop-off bus route should I take?
Big Bus London runs four sightseeing routes and covers over 40 stops.
The Red Tour is the most popular tour and features live, English speaking guides, and takes in the best of London from Hyde Park to Tower Bridge. Major attractions along the route include St Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Tower of London, HMS Belfast, Westminster Abbey, SEA Life London Aquarium, Madame Tussauds, Shrek’s Adventure and London Dungeon.
It takes 2 hours 20 minutes and the bus frequency is every 15-20 minutes.
The Blue Route features pre-recorded commentary in 12 languages, and extends the Red Tour to the west with a loop around Hyde Park, taking in the museum district, Kensington Palace, Harrods. It takes 1 ¼ hours and the bus frequency is every 15-20 minutes.
The Orange Route operates between Madame Tussauds to the London Eye, the London Dungeon, SEA LIFE London Aquarium and Shrek’s Adventure. You can enjoy pre-recorded commentary along the way, available in 12 different languages. It takes 1.5 hours and buses run every 30 minutes. Personally I recommend using London public transport if you’re travelling between these attractions!
The Green Link passes through Bloomsbury, connecting passengers at Kings Cross St Pancras and Euston station to Central London. The Green Link features pre-recorded commentary, available in 12 languages. It takes 1 hour and the bus frequency is every 20-30 minutes.
If you’re planning to go on the river cruise then you need to get on the Red Line and time your arrival so that you don’t miss the boat (literally and figuratively).
Tips for using the London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
- I recommend buying your tickets online in advance and you can get a discount if you book via Klook. The voucher is sent to your email and Klook app instantly and then it’s easy to redeem at any of the stops through the ticket-seller at the stop.
- Before you set off download the app (Apple App Store and Google Play). The app provides info on all the London landmarks, routes and times in your pocket. Otherwise All Big Bus Tour buses offer free wifi.
- The Red Route Stops #4 (Marble Arch) and #1 (Green Park) are particularly busy between 09:30 – 11:00, so Big Bus Company recommends that you take the Blue Route instead first up.
- The London Eye (Stop #11) and the Tower of London (Stop #16) are two of London’s best attractions, so everyone includes it on their sightseeing itinerary. Instead take the River Cruise between these locations. At the London Eye, cross river to Westminster Pier to catch the boat to and from the Tower. Then pick up the Red Route at the other end to continue your journey.
- The best seats for photos are on the top deck and not behind glass. If it’s raining then the top deck is still a better option than the bottom deck.
- Take a raincoat/jacket and/or sunscreen for the open top bus. Umbrellas are anti-social and block other people’s view/photos!
- It’s always good to plan ahead of time which stops you’re happy to drive through and which stops you want to spend more time. Planning your schedule is especially important if you want to take the river cruise as it doesn’t run frequently.
- When you’re planning consider stopping at places that don’t take up too much time such as London Eye, so you can spend more time on the bus during the ticket validity. For instance, attractions like Tower of London can take the whole day so save it for another time.
- If you have time, I’d even recommend doing the tour twice – once with no stops and once stopping at the locations that you want to explore further.
- To the extent possible I’d try to avoid being on the bus in peak hour. Central London traffic comes to a standstill approximately 7:30-9:30am and 5-7pm.
- Wear comfortable shoes as your attraction might be quite a walk from the stop.
- You can take prams on board but ideally they should be fold-up/umbrella style strollers. You’ll also likely have to sit on the bottom deck.
- If you want to sit in the upper deck, ensure you carry proper headgear and sunscreen as it can get windy or sunny depending on the weather.
17 Tips for Visiting Tower of London with Kids
For accommodation in London, I recommend checking out what’s available on Booking.com and Airbnb
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