In a nutshell
- There are 4 hop-on/hop-off bus providers in London — we’ll tell you which one is worth your money and which you can skip.
- Short on time? Our top pick for the best London bus tour is City Sightseeing — great value, simple routes, and later last buses than the competition.
- There are also combo tickets that bundle your hop-on/hop-off ride with a Thames boat tour and other top attractions — we’ll show you which combo actually saves you money.
What You Should Know About Hop-on/Hop-off Providers in London
Let’s start with some good news: all hop-on/hop-off providers follow roughly the same route through London. So you really can’t go wrong with your choice.
If your hotel is centrally located in London, the nearest hop-on/hop-off bus stop is sure to be close by, so you can start your sightseeing in a relaxed way in the morning.
All providers run double-decker buses approximately every 15–30 minutes. They all have two to three routes, named by color.
The eastern line is the main route for all of them. This route takes you past most of London’s top highlights.
These are the attractions served by all providers:
- Tower Bridge
- Tower of London
- Buckingham Palace
- Big Ben
- Westminster Abbey
- London Eye
- The Shard
- Trafalgar Square
- Hyde Park
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
By the way: Beyond the classic London hop on hop off bus, there are plenty of other ways to explore the city. We’ve rounded up the best tours of London for you — and they pair great with a bus ride too.
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Our Recommendation: City Sightseeing
We’ve compared all the london hop on hop off providers, and our top pick for you is City Sightseeing.
What we love about City Sightseeing is that the bus stops at fewer stops than the other providers. That way you won’t lose track as easily, yet you can still get off at all the major attractions.
There are three routes: a red, a blue, and a green. The red is the most important. It stops at attractions like Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the London Eye. A full ride on this line takes about 2.5 hours.
Buses run every 15 to 30 minutes. You can use the red line until 8:00 PM, while the last bus on the green and blue lines departs at 5:20 PM each. Other providers only run until around 5:00 PM. So with City Sightseeing, you get a little more value for your money.
You can choose between a day ticket, a 24-hour ticket, a 48-hour ticket, and a 72-hour ticket. All tickets except the day ticket include a boat trip on the Thames — which is seriously cool, since it lets you see London from the water too, something we’d recommend anyway. If you go for the 72-hour ticket, you also get a night tour thrown in, letting you cruise through London’s glittering nightlife.
Pros
- Best value for money
- Three simple routes
- Stops at the truly important attractions
- Ride doesn’t take too long
- Boat trip included with almost all options
Cons
- Not included in any of the London city passes
Get your City Sightseeing Hop-on/Hop-off Bus ticket
Hop-on/Hop-off Providers in London: An Overview
In London there are four hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus operators in total. They’re all fairly similar, but there are a few small differences. Our table compares all four providers side by side:
| City Sightseeing | Big Bus Tours | Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) | Golden Tours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | 1 day, 24h, 48h and 72h | 1 day, 24h and 48h | 24h, 48h and 72h | 1 day, 24h, 48h and 72h |
| Prices for 24 hours | 49 £ | 46 £ | 49 £ | 49 £ |
| Children free | up to 4 years | up to 3 years | up to 4 years | up to 4 years |
| City pass discount | none | included in the London Pass, London City Pass and Explorer Pass | none | included in the London Pass and Explorer Pass |
| Combo options | with boat tour, Tower of London, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life, Afternoon Tea and night tour | with boat tour, walking tour and evening tour | with boat tour and walking tour | with boat tour |
| Routes | 3 routes | 3 routes | 3 routes | 3 routes |
| Stops | 24 (red line) 13 (green line) 16 (blue line) | 24 (red line) 5 (green line) 10 (blue line) | 18 (yellow line) 12 (green line) 22 (blue line) | 23 (blue line) 33 (red line) 26 (yellow line) |
| Frequency | every 15–30 minutes | every 10–45 minutes | every 20–30 minutes | every 20–30 minutes |
| Operating hours | 8:30 AM–8:00 PM | 8:00 AM–7:00 PM | 8:30 AM–5:00 PM | 8:30 AM–5:30 PM |
| Audio guide | German | German | German | German |
| Ticket link | Buy here | Buy here | Buy here | Buy here |
Combo Tickets: Combine Hop-on/Hop-off with Attractions
You can also combine the london sightseeing bus ride with other attractions. That way you get multiple tickets in one and save some money.
City Sightseeing offers five different ticket options. Depending on what you want to do in London, one will suit you better than the others. Just make sure you actually use all the attractions in the combo ticket, otherwise you might end up paying more than you save.
Here are the five tickets:
- Single day ticket (get ticket)
- 24-hour ticket, 48-hour ticket, or 72-hour ticket incl. boat trip (get ticket)
- 24-hour ticket incl. boat trip and Tower of London ticket (get ticket)
- 24-hour ticket incl. boat trip plus tickets for the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and SEA LIFE (get ticket)
- 24-hour ticket incl. boat trip and Afternoon Tea (get ticket)
We think the 48-hour ticket with boat trip is the best option. It saves you the most money, lets you use the hop-on/hop-off buses for two days, and includes the boat tour right in the ticket.
Our Verdict on London's Hop-on/Hop-off Buses
Exploring London by hop-on/hop-off bus is a great way to quickly get an overview of the city, especially if you only have a weekend in London.
Just be prepared to sit in traffic from time to time. London really does get congested.
That’s why we recommend getting a 48-hour ticket. That way you won’t feel rushed and can divide your time between the highlights more easily.
Our best London bus tour pick is definitely City Sightseeing. The buses get you to the most important must-sees effortlessly for either 24 or 48 hours, and you’ll pass by plenty of others along the way. And the best part: you can even combine your ticket with other London activities like a boat trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hop-on/Hop-off Providers in London
Still have a question? No problem — you’ll almost certainly find the answer right here.
Is a hop-on/hop-off bus worth it in London?
Absolutely! London has so many highlights spread across the city that a hop-on/hop-off bus is one of the smartest ways to get a quick overview of where everything is — without constantly figuring out public transit connections between attractions.
Is the hop-on/hop-off ticket cheaper online?
Is the hop-on/hop-off bus in London wheelchair accessible?
All four hop-on/hop-off providers have accessible buses with a boarding ramp and dedicated wheelchair spaces. With Big Bus Tours, Tootbus, and Golden Tours, every bus is wheelchair accessible; with City Tour, most of them are.
That said, there’s no guaranteed spot — providers only have one wheelchair space per bus, so it’s worth keeping that in mind.
How long does a hop-on/hop-off tour in London take?
A full ride on the main route takes about 2.5 hours with all providers. The other routes vary quite a bit — anywhere between 30 minutes and 3.5 hours.
Of course, if you hop off along the way to explore an attraction, the whole thing will take longer.
Is the hop-on/hop-off bus in London good for kids?
Totally! Sitting right at the front of a red double-decker is a real highlight for kids.
With all providers, children up to 5 years old ride for free. From age 5, there are family tickets or dedicated children’s tickets, which usually cost a little more than half the adult price.
If you’re traveling in London with kids, Tootbus is especially worth a look — the little ones get an audio guide made specifically for children.
Are there alternatives to the hop-on/hop-off bus in London?
Yes — Line 11 is a great one.
It’s a regular public bus that covers roughly the same route as the hop-on/hop-off buses. The best part: each ride costs less than 2 pounds! You do pay every time you board and there’s no audio guide, but you still get to ride in a classic red double-decker.
Are dogs allowed on the hop-on/hop-off buses in London?
On City Sightseeing and Tootbus, small, well-behaved dogs are welcome on board.
Where do you start a hop-on/hop-off tour in London?
You can board at any stop. We’d suggest starting on the main route in the east and simply jumping on at the stop closest to your hotel in London.
Are hop-on/hop-off buses included in a London Pass?
If you have the London Pass or the Explorer Pass, you can choose between a 24-hour ticket for Big Bus Tours or Golden Tours. Big Bus Tours is also included in the London City Pass.
Unfortunately, the hop-on/hop-off buses from City Sightseeing and Tootbus are currently not included in any London pass.
You can find more information about the various city passes in our London pass comparison:
