10 Best London Bus Tours for the Ultimate Sightseeing Experience – Cafes and Getaways
England . London . United Kingdom
10 Best London Bus Tours for the Ultimate Sightseeing Experience
Last Modified: September 9, 2023
Recommended Tour: Essential Ticket
Big Bus is one of the most popular when it comes to the best hop-on-hop-off London bus tours. They allow the flexibility to get off and on as you choose and offer routes that pass by London’s most famous attractions. From the London Eye to St. Paul’s Cathedral, you can knock off the city’s main attractions in just a couple of hours.
To make your experience run as smoothly as possible, they have a downloadable sightseeing app. View information about the attractions on your route, check in on upcoming buses, and search for nearby restaurants and landmarks all from your phone.
Big Bus Tours’ most popular Essential Ticket allows access to their buses for 48 hours and comes with additional perks. Purchasing this hop-on-hop-off bus ticket gives you free access to three guided walking tours, and river cruise.
Book a Big Bus Tour in London
Recommended Tour: London Discovery
With the help of their trusty app, TOOTBus Tours has some of the most diverse selection of itineraries around. In total, TootBus has seven different tours available including the Bar Bus, London by Night, and private bus hire.
The company has developed its tours with families in mind. Their hop-on-hop-off tour includes both adult and kid commentary. TootBus offers specialized kid’s tours that are created to be engaging and informative. As the tour is 45 minutes in length, it is the perfect length of time for families with small children.
Looking for a 1-3 day bus tour? The most popular Discovery Tour allows you the flexibility of three different routes and the ability to get on and off as you choose. One of the aspects that puts this tour ahead of the competition is the late hours available. The yellow routes run until 8:00 pm, unlike other companies that stop operations much earlier.
Book a TootBus Tour in London
Recommend Tour: Evan Evans Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath Full-Day Tour
Are you looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center? Then take a guided bus tour to the countryside! There are over 40 different tour options available that will take you as far as Paris. Other popular sites include Blenheim Palace, Oxford, Cotswolds, and the filming location for Downton Abbey.
One of Evan Evans’s popular tours offers a scenic route to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath. The full-day tour from London includes transportation, a knowledgeable guide, and entrance tickets to various attractions (optional).
Your experience will begin with a tour of Windsor Castle, which is included in the price of your tour. You can explore on your own, with the guidance of your guide. Your second stop will be the city of Bath. Your tour will take you past several architectural sights before stopping at the Roman Baths to explore and have time on your own for lunch in the city. From there, hop back on the bus to Stonehenge before heading back to London.
- Ticket Prices: £95 – £142
- Commentary: Live guide
- Tour Duration: 11.5 hours
- Languages Offered: English
Recommend Tour: Brit Movie Tours
You can’t talk about London without including a Harry Potter tour. London is filled with iconic places that were used as filming locations in the movies. So what better way to explore the magical world of Harry Potter than on an iconic double-decker bus?
This themed bus tour allows you to see the movie’s key locations with the help of a guide. And unlike many similar tours, you have the opportunity to get off the bus, take photos, and explore along the way.
Find the entrance to the Ministry of Magic, see Gringotts and 12 Grimmauld Place, and take a photo in front of Platform 9 ¾. In addition to visiting all the city’s filming locations, you will still have the opportunity to see London’s most famous landmarks.
- Ticket Prices: Adult £32.50, Child £21.00
- Commentary: Live guide
- Tour Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes.
- Languages Offered: English
Recommended Tour: Golden Tours Day Trip to Stratford and Cotswolds
For you literary lovers, experience the life of the Elizabethan area with this spectacular Shakespeare bus tour. Your tour guides will take you to the key locations connected to his life including his birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon.
Some of the important stops include the childhood home of Shakespeare as well as the home of his wife, Anne Hathaway. Along the way, your guide will deliver some captivating stories about the writer and the period that inspired his plays.
The second half of the day will be spent in two of Cotswold’s prettiest villages. Explore on your own, grab lunch, and take advantage of the breathtaking photo opportunities before heading back to London.
- Ticket Prices: Adult £126.0, Child £115.00, Family £475.00
- Commentary: Live Guide
- Tour Duration: 10 hours
- Languages Offered: English
Are Big Bus Tours in London worth it?
There is no straight answer to this because it all depends on your sightseeing goals. If you want to see the main sites in a short amount of time or do not want to walk everywhere, then London bus tours are a great way to do that.
They can also be a great budget option for learning about the city’s landmarks without paying for the hefty admission tickets.
On the flip side, bus tours mean getting stuck in London traffic (there’s lots!) and only just skimming the historical surface of the landmarks you pass.
How long does a London bus tour take?
Each bus tour has its route and number of stops. Tours can be as short as 1 hour and up to around 3 depending on which you choose. On average though, you can expect to spend an hour and a half on a tour. But if you join a hop-on-hop-off bus tour you can simply jump from one location to the next if you want.
How much does a bus tour cost in London?
Prices range depending on the company you choose, but you can expect to spend anywhere between £33-50 per ticket. Purchasing a London Pass can be a great money-saving option if you plan on visiting a large number of attractions. Hop-on-hop-off bus tours are included in these passes for the duration of your purchase.
How do you pay for a bus tour?
You will purchase tickets online unless you plan on joining a hop-on-hop-off London bus tour. You can save some money buying them in advance, and guarantee yourself a seat. Hop-on-hop-off London bus tours give you a little more flexibility by being able to pay on the bus if you’d prefer.
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