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With the London City Tour by Julià you will experience the city from a new perspective. The Hop Hop Hop Off tourist bus will give you wonderful panoramic views of the most important sights of London.

Its 3 routes cover the main tourist attractions that you must not miss during your visit.

Our Hop on – Hop off service allows you to get on and off at any of our stops as many times as you want. Explore our interactive map to check all our routes and find 39 stops in London!

Traveling to London has never been this easy!

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The Red Official Route presents the key sights and top attractions of London including the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, The Shard, Tower Bridge and Leicester Square.

This route will cover all prominent museums located in the heart of West London such as Victoria & Albert , Natural History and the Science museum as well as Kensington Palace, Royal Albert Hall and Harrods

Green Route

The Green Route winds through iconic London sites including the British Museum, Platform 9 & ¾ at King's Cross Station, the literary haven of Bloomsbury, Waterloo Station, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, among other amazing places!

Belvedere Road, behind the London Eye The York Road (Southbank) stop is next to Waterloo Station, and just a few meters from Westminster Bridge. If you decide to Hop On Hop Off at this stop, from this side of the River Thames you can enjoy one of the best views of the city towards the gigantic Ferris wheel of The London Eye. Take the opportunity to enjoy this place and get back on board the bus to continue the panoramic tourist route through the main points of interest in London. Remember that you can get on and off our red double-decker buses as many times as you want.

With the stop Aldwych (One Aldwych Hotel) you will cross the River Thames via Waterloo Bridge and then you can visit one of the most popular places in London: Covent Gargen. A place where you can feel the true pulse of the city and lose yourself among its wide commercial, artistic and entertainment offer. Here you can visit a wide range of places of interest, from the Royal Opera House to the Roman baths, passing through the London transport museum, the Temple church or the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. With the Hop On Hop Off service of our bus tour you can get off at this stop and enjoy Covent Gargen and its surroundings at your own pace.

At a height of 110 m, the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in London is the second highest in the world, just behind St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The current cathedral was built between 1676 and 1710 after the Great Fire in 1666 destroyed the original. Sir Christopher Wren was the architect entrusted with rebuilding the cathedral, and it is considered today to be his greatest work. St Paul’s Cathedral’s greatest attraction is its great dome which you can climb up to enjoy some amazing views of London.

If you want to cross the famous Millennium Bridge, remember to get off the bus at the Queen Victoria Street stop. It is located just a few meters away. The Millennium Bridge walkway connects the Tate Modern Gallery and The Globe Theater to the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral, located across the River Thames. The 8 cables that keep the bridge in suspension are tensioned to support 2000 tons of weight, enough to support 5000 people on the bridge at the same time. It is the newest bridge built in London and it has already become one of the iconic places in the city. Remember that you can Hop On Hop Off at any of our stops and take advantage of the different points that we have selected on this tour.

If you decide to get off at the London Bridge stop, you will be just a few steps from the River Thames. Cross the London Bridge that connects the City of London with Southwark and enjoy the views of the next bridge: the iconic Tower Bridge. Check our mobile application to see the location and frequency of the bus in real time and get back on board to continue the panoramic tourist route through the main points of interest in London.

The Tooley Street - Tower Bridge stop will allow you to get off next to Potters Field Park, from where you can enjoy the best views of the south bank of the river towards Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Do not forget that from this place you can also visit the modern glassed building of the London City Hall, designed by Norman Foster, and visit its exhibition halls. If you continue the tour on board the bus until the next stop, you will cross the bridge and enjoy the magnificent views of the arches of the tower from the perspective of the open top floor of our double-decker bus. Let the adventure begin!

Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, just outside the City of London boundary.Built during the reign of William the Conqueror, throughout history the enormous fortification that is the Tower of London has served as the Royal residence, an arsenal, a fort and a prison.

Get off the bus at the Victoria Embankment stop on the Red Route and gaze out over the River Thames from its north bank. Cross Waterloo Bridge to visit the National Theater, or stay in the City of London to visit the Royal Opera House. You are also close to the popular Covent Garden area, where the commercial, entertainment and shopping offerings suit all tastes. If you prefer to take advantage of your Hop On Hop Off stop to visit historical and artistic points of interest, don't forget the Temple Church, the Roman Baths on Strand Lane or the statue of Michael Faraday. Get on and off the bus as many times as you want and design your own itinerary. Customize your experience and enjoy the tour!

Westminster Bridge (Big Ben side), in front of Westminster Pier. Get off at this sightseeing bus stop and access your Thames cruise included with your 24 and 48-hour ticket. Over the last decade, the London Eye has become one of the most famous postcard images of the city. Towering over the bank of the Thames, this huge observation wheel offers you unbeatable views of London. The London Dungeon, a real house of terror, and the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, where you can see a large collection of the fauna to be found under the sea, are located at the feet of the London Eye. Crossing the Westminster Bridge, which is located right next to the London Eye, will bring you to Parliament Square in less than 5 minutes. This busy square is where you’ll find the best views of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

The Horseferry Road stop will allow you to visit places on foot such as the Victoria Tower Gardens, with its privileged views of the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames, or Lambeth Bridge, with its elegant 1930s design. Cross it to visit The Garden Museum and Lambeth Palace, or stay on the same riverbank and enjoy a pleasant stroll through Westminster. You can visit both the abbey and the cathedral. Plan your visit and enjoy the experience with the geolocation functionalities that you will find in our mobile application. You will be able to locate the closest points of interest or know when the bus passes by the Horseferry Road stop before continuing your tour with us. Enjoy London in a fun and comfortable way!

Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the British monarch in London since 1837. The Palace is currently home to Queen Elizabeth II. Built in 1703 by the Duke of Buckingham, the building was acquired by King George III in 1762 to be used as a private residence. The Changing of the Guard takes place at the main entrance to Buckingham Palace throughout the whole year. The ceremony involves the changeover of the Guards, who are in charge of security at the Palace, and is accompanied by a military band.

The Buckingham Palace Road stop will take you to one of the most iconic places in London: the official residence of the British royal family. Throughout the year the popular changing of the guard is held at the main entrance of the palace. Take advantage of our Hop On Hop Off service to enjoy the essential activities of your visit to London. You can visit Buckingham and its surroundings at your own pace and resume the tour to continue enjoying a panoramic tour of the essential places of your visit to the city.

Buckingham Palace Road, Stop Z12 Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the British monarch in London since 1837. The Palace is currently home to Queen Elizabeth II. Built in 1703 by the Duke of Buckingham, the building was acquired by King George III in 1762 to be used as a private residence. The Changing of the Guard takes place at the main entrance to Buckingham Palace throughout the whole year. The ceremony involves the changeover of the Guards, who are in charge of security at the Palace, and is accompanied by a military band.

Grosvenor Gardens, STA Travel, Stop 10A Grosvenor Gardens is the name given to two triangular parks in Belgravia, London, faced on their western and eastern sides by streets of the same name. Both roads run roughly north to south from Hobart Place and Grosvenor Place to Buckingham Palace Road.

The Hyde Park - Queen Elizabeth Gate stop is located to the right of the Achilles statue and is the perfect place to visit Buckingham Palace and its gardens, as well as to enter the immense and the popular Hyde Park. The Queen Elizabeth Gate will welcome you to the park. Hyde Park is one of the green lungs of the city, and has different must-see spots. The Princess Diana memorial, or the statue of Peter Pan are some of them. The Serpentine lake, with its waterfall and its pleasure boats, will accompany you during the journey.

Marble Arch is a 19th-century white marble faced triumphal arch in London, England. The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 to be the state entrance to the cour d'honneur of Buckingham Palace; it stood near the site of what is today the three-bayed, central projection of the palace containing the well known balcony.[1] In 1851 it was relocated and following the widening of Park Lane in the early 1960s is now sited, incongruently isolated, on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane and Edgware Road. Admiralty Arch, Holyhead is a similar arch, even more so cut off from public access, at the other end of the A5.

Doing Hop On Hop Off at the Marble Arch - Park Lane stop of our sightseeing bus you can enjoy one of the most popular places in the city: Hyde Park, with its access from Speakers Corner. The stop is located just a few meters from Marble Arch, at the west end of Oxford Street. Only members of the Royal Family and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery had the privilege of passing under the arch. Now, with our open top bus, you can too. Remember that you can get on and off at any of our stops and customize your own tour of the city.

Haymarket, outside Tiger Tiger bar restaurant Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s busiest and lively squares and never seems to be anything but full. It appears in numerous postcards thanks to its immediately recognisable neon signs and is the best place for entertainment thanks to all the theatres, shops and restaurants concentrated in the surrounding area. Follow Coventry Street for 5 minutes up to Leicester Square where you can see all the latest cinema releases.

Trafalgar Square is one of London’s busiest and lively squares. Part of its charms are its huge outdoor space open to the public and the famous Nelson’s column and National Gallery. This art gallery is the city’s most famous, housing works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Tiziano, Velázquez and Michelangelo. Behind the National Gallery lies the National Portrait Gallery with a collection made up exclusively of portraits of important people from British history.

Over the last decade, the London Eye has become one of the most famous postcard images of the city. Towering over the bank of the Thames, this huge observation wheel offers you unbeatable views of London. The London Dungeon, a real house of terror, and the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, where you can see a large collection of the fauna to be found under the sea, are located at the feet of the London Eye. Crossing the Westminster Bridge, which is located right next to the London Eye, will bring you to Parliament Square in less than 5 minutes. This busy square is where you’ll find the best views of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

Knightsbridge is an upscale residential and commercial district located in central London, in the Westminster borough. It is known for its high-end shops, elegant restaurants, and luxury hotels, as well as for being home to some of London's wealthiest residents. The heart of Knightsbridge is the famous department store Harrods, which is a major tourist destination and a symbol of the neighborhood's elegance and luxury. There are also many other high-end shops in the area, such as Harvey Nichols, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. In addition to shopping, Knightsbridge is also known for its proximity to some of London's major tourist attractions, such as Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, and the Natural History Museum. In terms of architecture, Knightsbridge boasts many historic buildings and beautiful Georgian and Victorian mansions that have been carefully preserved and restored. Overall, Knightsbridge is a high-end neighborhood that offers a unique shopping and tourism experience in London. It is a popular destination for visitors looking for a combination of luxury and sophistication in an urban setting.

The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall located in London, England. It is situated in the South Kensington area and is one of the most famous and prestigious music venues in the world. The hall was opened in 1871 and was named after Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. The Royal Albert Hall has a seating capacity of approximately 5,200 people and is known for its distinctive circular shape and dome-like roof. It is used for a wide range of events, including classical music concerts, rock and pop concerts, ballet performances, opera, and other cultural events. In addition to its use as a performance venue, the Royal Albert Hall is also a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can take guided tours of the hall, which includes a behind-the-scenes look at the venue, and its history. The hall also has several bars and restaurants, including the Verdi Italian Kitchen, which serves Italian cuisine. Overall, the Royal Albert Hall is an iconic cultural landmark in London, and a must-visit destination for anyone interested in music, architecture, and history.

Kensington Road is a street located in the Kensington neighborhood of West London. It is an upscale and luxurious street with a wide range of shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions. One of the most popular attractions on Kensington Road is the Natural History Museum of London, which houses an impressive collection of animal, plant, fossil, and mineral specimens from around the world. Also on this street is the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the largest art and design museums in the world. Other notable attractions on Kensington Road include the Royal Albert Hall, an iconic London venue that hosts concerts and other events, as well as the Albert Memorial, a statue dedicated to Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. In terms of shops and restaurants, Kensington Road offers a wide variety of options, from high-end fashion shops to small independent boutiques and Michelin-starred restaurants. The street is also known for its beautiful Victorian-style buildings and its beautiful green spaces, such as Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. In summary, Kensington Road is an iconic London street that offers a wide range of tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants for visitors to enjoy.

Gloucester Road is a major street located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. The road runs from Kensington Gardens in the north to the Cromwell Road in the south, and is lined with a variety of shops, restaurants, and hotels. One of the most notable landmarks on Gloucester Road is the Natural History Museum, which is located near the intersection of Cromwell Road. The museum is one of the largest and most important natural history museums in the world, and features a vast collection of specimens from the plant and animal kingdoms. Gloucester Road is also home to several other notable cultural institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Royal College of Music. These institutions attract thousands of visitors each year and contribute to the rich cultural fabric of the area. In addition to its cultural attractions, Gloucester Road is also a popular residential area, with many high-end apartments and townhouses. The road is well-connected to the rest of London, with several Underground stations, including Gloucester Road station, providing easy access to other parts of the city.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, also known as the V&A, is an art and design museum located in London, England. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. The museum houses an impressive and diverse collection of over 2.3 million objects spanning over 5,000 years of human history, from art and fashion to ceramics and architecture. Some of the standout objects include the world's largest collection of Medieval art and design, the largest collection of glass objects in the world, and the national collection of contemporary art. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the V&A also features temporary exhibitions and educational programs for all ages. The museum also has a gift shop, restaurants and cafes, and offers guided tours for those who want to learn more about the museum's history and collection. In summary, the Victoria and Albert Museum is one of London's largest and most prestigious museums and is a must-visit destination for art and design lovers.

Harrods is a famous department store located in the exclusive neighborhood of Knightsbridge in central London, UK. The store occupies an impressive seven-story building and is known for its wide range of high-end and luxury products. The area surrounding Harrods is very popular among tourists and locals alike for its sophisticated and vibrant atmosphere. The vicinity of the store is filled with upscale shops, restaurants, and cafes, as well as luxury hotels and high-end apartments. Just a few minutes' walk from Harrods is the famous Hyde Park, a vast park that offers an oasis of tranquility amidst the bustle of the city. The park features beautiful gardens, lakes, walking and cycling paths, and is a popular spot for picnicking and outdoor sports. Another nearby attraction to Harrods is the Natural History Museum in London, which is located about a 10-minute walk away. This museum is one of the largest and most prestigious of its kind in the world, featuring an impressive collection of animal, plant, and mineral specimens from around the globe.

Waterloo Road, a key artery in London, pulsates with a mix of history and modern life. Stretching from the southeast near Waterloo Bridge to St George's Circus, it transitions from commercial areas to a vibrant cultural hub near the Thames. While the road itself may not be lined with historical sites, its northern end boasts the iconic Southbank Centre, including the Royal National Theatre. With Waterloo Station at its doorstep, the road offers seamless connection to the entire city.

The Old Vic, a landmark theater in London since 1818, offers an avant-garde and diverse program that encompasses classics, contemporary plays and experimental productions. Its rich history, marked by the likes of Lilian Baylis and Kevin Spacey, makes it a renowned venue. Don't miss a play in this historic and accessible space, where the passion for theater is breathed in every corner.

Southampton Row, stop B, for the City Sightseeing shop and information centre. The Southampton Row stop is located within walking distance of the British Museum. Nearby you can find a variety of restaurants to complete your visit!

Woburn Place, stop H, outside the Royal National Hotel Woburn Place, located in the heart of London's Bloomsbury district, is a street with history. Named after Woburn Abbey, it winds between the iconic Tavistock and Russell Square. Known for its Georgian and Victorian-style buildings, some even with porters, Woburn Place is home to an interesting mix of private residences, artists' studios and elegant restaurants offering classic English, continental and oriental cuisine.

While Pancras Road might not be a top tourist destination in London, it holds its own unique charm. Located near the famous St. Pancras International Station, it offers a glimpse into a more local side of London. You'll find a mix of shops catering to everyday needs, from delis and pubs to bookstores and hardware stores. The area also boasts a vibrant multicultural scene, with restaurants offering cuisines from around the world. In addition, Harry Potter fans will be delighted to know that King's Cross Station, the station from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” and other films in the saga, is just a short walk from Pancras Road. A stroll through the area will allow you to relive the magic of Hogwarts and take pictures at iconic locations featured in the films.

If you are planning a visit to the famous British Library, this is your stop. The British Library, located in London, is a treasure trove for lovers of history, culture and knowledge. It houses a vast collection of more than 150 million items, including books, manuscripts, maps, music and recordings, offering access to unique and rare resources found nowhere else in the world. In addition to its impressive collection, the library hosts free exhibitions and events, and its Victorian architecture and rooftop garden make it a memorable place to visit. Whether you're a student, researcher or just a curious amateur, the British Library offers an enriching experience and endless opportunities to learn and explore.

Euston Road, a vibrant artery in the heart of London, combines rich history with modern energy. The imposing Euston Station, a transport hub connecting London to the north, stands tall as a testament to the city's railway past. Around it, museums like the British Museum and the Wellcome Collection house cultural treasures, while the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel reinterprets railway architecture into a luxurious stay. Shops, restaurants, and theaters like the Euston Theatre bring the street to life, while the Regent's Canal offers a calm oasis alongside it. A microcosm of London itself, Euston Road captures you with its dynamism and diversity.

Euston Square, a large square in central London, serves as a bustling hub. While the name can sometimes encompass the nearby Euston Square tube station, the square itself sits at the northernmost end of Euston Road. Towering Euston Station dominates the north side, offering train travel across the UK. Despite its busy nature, Euston Square Gardens, located just east of the square, provides a welcome pocket of green space.

Great Russell Street is most famous for being the location of the British Museum. This major London street runs between Tottenham Court Road and Southampton Row, and the British Museum sits right along it.

Southampton Row, stop Y, for the British Museum. The Southampton Row stop is located within walking distance of the British Museum. Nearby you will find several restaurants to complete your visit!

Lancaster Place, Somerset House, Stop B Lancaster Place is located within walking distance of a number of attractions such as Waterloo Bridge, Covent Garden and Cleopatra's Needles. Also, if you get off at this stop and cross the famous Waterloo Bridge, you will have the London Eye in front of you!

York Road, a vibrant street in the heart of London, offers a fascinating journey through time and culture. Your journey from north to south begins at Waterloo Road, home to the Old Vic Theatre, an icon of British theater that has hosted plays by Shakespeare and other great playwrights for more than two centuries. Continuing south, we come across the Institute of Contemporary Art, a cutting-edge space dedicated to exhibiting experimental and provocative art. Further on, the National Art Library opens its doors to a treasure trove of books, prints and drawings, offering a haven for art and literature lovers. Arriving at Westminster Bridge Road, the imposing facade of the Institute of Education imposes itself, reminding us of the importance of education in society. York Road is not only home to renowned cultural institutions, but is also full of everyday life. Traditional pubs, ethnic restaurants and stores of all kinds line the street, creating a lively and diverse atmosphere. In short, York Road is a microcosm of London, where history, culture and modern life intertwine to create a unique and memorable experience.

Lambeth North Station, a discreet gem nestled beneath the bustling streets of London, offers a convenient gateway to the city's vibrant core. Situated on the Bakerloo line, it whisks passengers towards iconic landmarks like Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street, perfect for a day of exploration. Despite its unassuming entrance, Lambeth North boasts a rich history. Opened in 1906 as part of the Bakerloo Railway extension, it served as a vital transport hub for the growing Lambeth district. Today, the station retains a charming, almost vintage feel, with its classic tiled walls and traditional signage. Beyond its transport function, Lambeth North's location places you right at the heart of London's cultural scene. The Southbank Centre, a renowned arts complex, lies just a short walk away. Here, you can immerse yourself in world-class theater productions, captivating art exhibitions, or classical music concerts. For history buffs, a visit to Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is a must. This historic building offers a glimpse into England's religious heritage. Foodies will find themselves spoilt for choice around Lambeth North. Borough Market, a haven for fresh produce and international delicacies, is a short stroll away. Alternatively, trendy cafes and gastropubs line the streets, catering to every palate. Lambeth North Station, though small, pulsates with the energy of London. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a curious explorer, it serves as a convenient and charming starting point for your London adventure.

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London Hop-On Hop-Off Routes, Stops, and Maps

Convenient stops near London’s popular attractions and transit points, frequent buses, and audio guides to keep your journey informative - what more do you need to explore London? Get your London hop-on hop-off pass now and stop fretting about navigating its public transport. These passes let you board and deboard at any of the stops as many times as you need, making commuting effortless. And the London hop-on hop-off timetable is well-scheduled so that your next bus is never too far away. Read on to learn more about the routes and stops offered by various hop-on hop-off operators in London. 

City Sightseeing London hop-on hop-off stops, routes, and maps

• Best suited for: Tourists seeking London's iconic attractions 
• Major sights: Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye
• First bus: 8:30am (from Belvedere Road)
• Last bus: 7:35pm (from Belvedere Road)
• No. of stops: 20
• Frequency: Every 10 to 20 minutes
• Full loop duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Best suited for: Museum, park, and shopping lovers
• Major sights: Kensington Palace, Harrods, Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall
• First bus: 9am (from Hyde Park, Queen Elizabeth Gate)
• Last bus: 6pm (from Hyde Park, Queen Elizabeth Gate)
• No. of stops: 9
• Full loop duration: 1 hour

• Best suited for: Museum lovers; travelers using major transit points like Euston Station, King's Cross Station
• Major sights: The British Museum, The Foundling Museum, Royal Opera House, London Transport Museum
• First bus: 9:17am (from Belvedere Road)
• Last bus: 4:17pm (from Belvedere Road)
• No. of stops: 14
• Frequency: Every 20 to 30 minutes
• Full loop duration: 35 minutes

Recommended tours:

1-Day/24/48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Tour of London with Optional Thames River Cruise

Big Bus London hop-on hop-off stops, routes, and map

• Best suited for: Central London explorers, history buffs
• Major sights: London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace
• First bus: 8:15am (from Stop 1: Green Park Underground)
• Last bus: 6pm (from Stop 1: Green Park Underground)
• No. of stops: 24

• Best suited for: Nature, museum, and shopping lovers
• Major sights: Kensington Palace and Garden, Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall, Harrods, Marble Arch
• First bus: 8am (from Victoria, Nova Complex)
• Last bus: 6pm (from Victoria, Nova Complex)
• No. of stops: 39
• Frequency: Every 15 to 20 minutes
• Full loop duration: 3 hours 35 minutes

• Best suited for: Travelers to central London from the northern part of the city; people using train stations like Euston Station
• Major sights: British Museum, Temple Church, King's Cross Station, Euston Station, St Pancras Station
• First bus: 8:30am (from Woburn - Northbound) 
• Last bus: 6pm (from Woburn - Northbound)
• No. of stops: 10
• Frequency: Every 30 to 60 minutes
• Full loop duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Big Bus: 24/48-Hour Hop-On-Hop-Off London Tour with Optional Cruise

Tootbus London hop-on hop-off stops, routes, and maps

• Best suited for: Travelers wishing to visit central London’s top attractions
• First bus: 8:30am (from Coventry Street)
• Last bus: 4pm (from Coventry Street)
• No. of stops: 18

• Best suited for: Travelers wishing to explore central & west London; parks, museums & shopping lovers
• Major sights: Parliament Street, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, Notting Hill
• First bus: 9am (from Grosvenor Gardens)
• Last bus: 6:20pm (from Grosvenor Gardens)
• No. of stops: 22
• Frequency: Every 15 to 30 minutes

• Best suited for: Travelers wanting to connect to the yellow route from north London transit points like King's Cross & St Pancras; Museum-seekers
• Major sights: British Museum, British Library, Covent Garden, Royal Opera House
• First bus: 8:35am (from Wyndham's Theatre)
• Last bus: 7:30pm (from Wyndham's Theatre)
• No. of stops: 12
• Frequency: Every 30 to 45 minutes

Tootbus: 90 Mins London Night Bus Tour

Every pretty street and landmark in London shines extra bright when enveloped in twinkling lights at night. Traverse the city as it comes alive at night on this tour taking place on open-top buses. 

• Timings: Fri, Sat & Sun: 7:30pm in March & April | 8pm in May | 8:30pm from Jun to Aug | 7:30pm in Sep | 7pm in Oct | 5:30pm in Nov
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Starting point: Coventry Street, London W1D 6BH
• Recommended ticket: Tootbus: 90 Mins London Night Bus Tour

Tootbus: Kids Tour of London with Live Guide

Why should adults have all the fun? Let your kids explore and learn about London with live and engaging commentary and go back home with tales to tell. 

• Timings: 11 am - 3 pm (departures may vary with season)
• Frequency: Every 45 minutes
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Route map: Download map
• Starting point: Charles II Street 
• Recommended ticket: Tootbus: Kids Tour of London with Live Guide

Recommended Tootbus hop-on hop-off tours:

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

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

Uber Boat by Thames Clipper London hop-on hop-off stops, routes, and maps

• Best suited for: Cruise enthusiasts based in east London; those looking for a unique perspective of London
• Major sights: House of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Oxo Building
• First boat: Weekdays: 5:30am (from North Greenwich); Weekends: 8:10am (from Barking Riverside) 
• Last boat:  Weekdays: 9:20pm (from Barking Riverside); Weekends: 9:30 (from North Greenwich)
• No. of stops: Varies with the boat, boarding point & time of the day
• Frequency: Every 30 minutes
• Duration: 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes (depending on stops en route)
• Best suited for: Cruise lovers based in west London; those looking for a unique yet fun experience in London
• Major sights: St Paul’s Cathedral, House of Parliament, London Eye, Oxo Building
• First boat: Weekdays: 6:30am (from Putney); Weekends: 8:30am (from Battersea Power Station)
• Last boat: Weekdays: 10:32pm (from Embankment); Weekends: 10:40 (from Battersea Power Station)
• Frequency: Every 20 minutes (weekdays); Every 30 minutes (weekends)
• Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes (depending on stops en route)

Uber Boat By Thames Clippers Hop-On Hop-Off Tour in London

Book London hop-on hop-off tickets

Frequently asked questions.

Yes, most hop-on hop-off tour operators have planned their routes so that all the major train and bus stations like King's Cross, St Pancras, Euston, and various London Underground stations are all linked to the attractions. So hopping onto the bus from transit points is easy.

Full loop duration is the time taken for one hop-on hop-off bus to complete one full route - first stop to the last. If you have time, we recommend taking this full loop once without getting off the bus to get the feel and pulse of London and then going again, hoping off at places you want to visit.

You can usually find audio guides in multiple languages, and printed or digital maps to keep track of the stops on the way. The upcoming stops are often announced as well.

Yes, get off at any of the stops on the bus route, and explore the attractions near it. Use the same pass to hop back on the next bus to check out the next destination. 

Much of London including attractions and transit hubs in central, west, and north London is usually covered by hop-on hop-off buses. You can check the specific routes offered by each operator for more information. 

Account for traffic when you plan your London hop-on hop-off journey. Leave ample time for traveling from one stop to another, especially while purchasing timed tickets for attractions.

Navigating a new city, even ones that have exceptional transport networks like London, can be overwhelming for a tourist. With structured routes covering all of London City’s famous attractions, frequent services, and the flexibility to hop on and off as much as you want, hop-on hop-off tours are totally worth every penny. It is especially useful for those in the city for a short span as you can see much of London's attractions at least from the outside.

London's Best Bus Routes for Sightseeing

Stephen Lux/Getty Images 

There's a lot to see on a trip to London , and especially on your first trip to the city. Taking a bus is one of the easiest ways to get a good view of London without much hassle or expense; all you have to do is find out which route you want to take and then leave the driving to them while you gawk at the scene. London is covered by more than 700 bus routes, and many travel past some of the city's iconic sights. As a bonus, many of the buses are double-deckers , and what a great view you'll get on the upper deck. This list focuses on routes in central London only and includes links to a full guide that rounds up all the sights included on the route as well as helpful tips and additional information. 

London buses no longer accept cash fares, so you will need an Oyster card loaded with sufficient credit or a travelcard. You could also consider using a contactless payment card to pay for London transport .

If you are short on time and want to guarantee that you see all of the big sights in London , your best bet is the classic Big Bus Tours circular route.

No. 11 Route

This bus route is a perfect one to take if it is your first trip to London. The key section of the No. 11 route starts at Liverpool Street Station and ends at Victoria Station. It goes through the City of London and past such must-sees as  St. Paul's Cathedral , Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.

No. 9 Route

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The best section of the No. 9 route starts in Kensington and ends on the edge of Covent Garden. It goes past Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park, along Piccadilly, past St. James's Palace and Trafalgar Square .

No. 73 Route

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The No. 73 route starts at Victoria Station and ends in Stoke Newington in northeast London. It goes past the Buckingham Palace gardens, Wellington Arch, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, along with the whole length of Oxford Street, and through Islington.

No. 26 Route

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The No. 26 route starts at Hackney Wick in east London and ends at Waterloo by the South Bank . It goes through Hackney and the City of London before traveling over Waterloo Bridge for fantastic views on both sides.

No. 24 Route

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The No. 24 route starts at Hampstead Heath in north London and winds its way to Pimlico, near ​ Tate Britain . It goes through Camden and Trafalgar Square, as well as Parliament Square, where you'll get a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Laurie Noble/Getty Images

The RV1 route starts at Tower Hill, close to the Tower of London, and ends in Covent Garden. The route links the Tower of London to London Bridge and Borough Market, via Tower Bridge, and Waterloo and the South Bank to Covent Garden Piazza.

David Bank/Getty Images

This route starts in West Hampstead and passes through other upmarket North London neighborhoods, including St. John's Wood where the famous Abbey Road pedestrian crossing can be found, before heading along Oxford and Regent streets, through Piccadilly Circus and around Trafalgar Square, and ending in Waterloo with magnificent views from Waterloo Bridge.

London Monopoly Board Locations

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Visitors to London often walk London Monopoly board locations. It's easier if you take the bus on these four routes, which will drive you past all the Monopoly board locations. These routes all connect. Catch No. 205 at Marylebone Station, No. 78 at Liverpool Street Station, No. 72 at Old Kent Road, and No. 23 at Fleet Street. If you want an abbreviated tour, pick No. 23, where you will hit the jackpot and roll past the lion's share of Monopoly board names on just this one route.

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travel tips

Bus tours in london: boarding points, maps and routes.

Updated: May 6

Knowing where to catch the sightseeing buses is the first step towards an unforgettable journey. In this guide, I'll pinpoint the key boarding points and show you detailed london bus tour maps, ensuring you make the most of your sightseeing adventure.

Please note that these are the major stops, you can board the buses at any of the stops on the map. The best way to locate the nearest stop to your location is to download the app of your chosen tour provider.

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2. Toot Bus

3. CitySightseeing

4. Golden Tours

6. See London By Night

7.Conclusion

1. Big Bus:

The optimal starting point for the Big Bus is undoubtedly Green Park(1), their primary departure location. Here, you stand a better chance of securing upper deck seats during peak hours compared to other stops. Additionally, you'll find numerous uniformed staff members with ample time to provide insights into the tour and suggest the best routes.

Location : The bus stop is located right in front of Green Park Station, next to The Ritz Hotel.

The London Eye

This stop(19) serves as a convenient starting point for hopping on the bus, despite the fact that there's quite a crowd of people most times. Arriving early can help overcome this challenge. The buses from this location offer the flexibility of traveling in both directions, a feature not available with most of the other tours. This means you can easily reach Buckingham Palace without having to cross the bridge or take a longer route.

Location : The bus stop is located next to the big lion statue at the beginning of Westminster Bridge

Marble Arch

This stop(4) is another popular choice. With frequent service, it serves as a convenient spot to switch between the red and blue lines.

Location : This bus stop can be a bit trickier to spot. If you are visiting during busy times it won't be hard to spot the buses, otherwise, just head toward the main corner entry of Hyde Park and you will notice it as soon as you cross the street.

2. Toot Bus:

Coventry street.

This is Stop 1 and serves as the main departure point for Toot Bus , offering easy access to seats upstairs if you start early. Situated centrally, it provides proximity to numerous stores, theaters, and dining options.

Location: The bus stop is fairly easy to locate, it sits across the road from M&M world, and just in front of Shake Shack on Coventry Street.

Hyde Park Corner

It' s an excellent starting point for both the blue and red routes. Note that the blue route has less frequency, so checking the app for departure times is advisable.

Location : The bus stop(14) is located opposite the Hilton Hotel.

A popular boarding location for most companies, featuring staff availability throughout the day for inquiries or clarifications. Crossing the street leads to another departure point for the blue route.

3. City Sightseeing:

Marked as stop number 1, it serves as their primary departure point. Although you can catch the bus at the main stop, shared with other tours, a short walk to the back of the London Eye brings you to stop number 1. This option is better because you avoid unnecessary bus changes after just one stop and you can also find better seats on the upper deck.

An excellent starting point(15) for both the blue and red routes. Note that the blue route has less frequency, so checking the app for departure times is advisable.

Location : The bus stop is located opposite the Hilton Hotel.

Tower of London

Serves as an excellent starting point(7) for the tour. Here you have the opportunity to explore the remarkable Tower of London, which is definitely worth a visit. Additionally, it's a convenient spot if your ticket includes a boat ride.

4. Golden Tours:

Belvedere road.

Golden Tours ' main departure point is situated behind the London Eye, on Belvedere Road(1). It's recommended to start your journey there to avoid the possibility of changing buses when boarding at the previous stop. Additionally, this departure point tends to be less crowded compared to the main stop.

Location : It is fairly easy to locate the bus stop as it is situated right behind the London Eye, on Belvedere Road.

It' s an excellent starting point(41) for both the yellow and red routes. Note that the yellow route has less frequency, so checking the app for departure times is advisable.

Buckingham Palace

It's an iconic must-visit in London. It's an excellent spot to catch the Golden Tour, as their buses head in different directions from there.

Location : The bus stop(21) is located on the side of Buckingham Palace, on the way to Victoria Station on Buckingham Gate Road.

5. TopView:

Marked as stop number 1, serves as the primary boarding point for TopView. Boarding here is recommended, especially if you prefer live guides throughout the entire loop for a comprehensive commentary experience.

This stop(6) is a bustling location where you'll encounter a significant number of their staff, making it a popular and convenient boarding point for the bus.

6. See London By Night:

The departure point for the See London by Night tour is Green Park, where all buses both depart and return. The tour follows a single 1-hour and 30-minute loop without any stops along the way.

7. Understanding your London bus tour boarding points and maps

Before you embark on your London bus tour, it's important to do some research on boarding points and maps. However, keep in mind that the sales staff at the bus stops are usually very friendly and willing to assist you in understanding the routes.

Spending less time in front of the screen and more time interacting with the staff can be valuable, especially at less busy stops where they can provide detailed explanations.

Additionally, most tour operators offer user-friendly apps that enhance your tour experience. For further details on each bus, check our main page .

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Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour in London + River Cruise

Jumping on a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour in London is definitely one of the best ways to explore such a big city like London. These sightseeing bus tours are suitable for all the family, and you can just sit back and relax and let it take you to London’s most important landmarks.

One of London´s most important sightseeing bus tour is the one offered by Big Bus Tours. You can hop-on and hop-off any of their three fascinating routes, and with more than 30 stops, you won´t miss any of London´s most important must-sees.

Hop on and hop off all the times you want and wherever you want during the day and see London in one of the most effective ways, on the topless upper deck of a double decker sightseeing bus. But don’t worry if the weather isn’t great as you’ll be able to avoid the cold or rain at the front of the upper deck which is covered, just in case!

Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour in London: Advantages

There are a few reasons why we recommend a Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus tour in London:

• Discover all of London´s must sees:  The streets, the famous squares, the monuments and the important attractions and the best thing is that you don´t have to worry about looking at a map and getting lost. Just enjoy the ride.
• You can hop on and off as many times as you want during the day on all the different routes, so you will spend less time on public transport during your trip. Let´s be honest, you get to see much more on the top deck of a bus than on the London Underground!
• The ticket includes a River Cruise on the Thames.
• The ticket also includes a free guided walking tour  in London (See more details below).
• Enjoy the live commentary or listen to the recorded commentary (multi-lingual if English is not your preferred choice!) and discover all the interesting things you didn´t know about London.
• You also get a free discount book  which includes discounts to other attractions and restaurants in London such as the Hard Rock Café.
• They have the largest fleet of open top buses in London , so they run a lot more frequently than other sightseeing tour buses.
• Sightseeing bus tour tickets are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase, so you do not have to redeem them on a particular day. This is great because you can do the tour any day that suits you.

Big Bus London Hop-on Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour Prices

There are 3 different ticket types for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing Bus Tour in London: Classic , Premium and Deluxe .

Each one of these tickets has 3 different prices: Adults, Children (5 – 15) and Family (2 adults + 2 children under 15).

These are the different tickets available and their respective prices:

Classic: 1 Day Ticket

With this ticket you will be able to hop-on and hop-off Big Bus sightseeing bus tour as many times as you like during one day. It also includes a one way Thames River Cruise ticket (London Eye – Tower of London) and the Guided Walking Tour .

Classic Ticket Prices: Adults: £35 Children (5 – 15): £26 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 Children): £106.60

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tours Classic Ticket

Premium: 2 Day Ticket

The Premium ticket is valid for two consecutive days . You can hop on and hop off as many times as you like on any of the big bus routes for two days. This ticket also includes a round trip ticket on a Thames River Cruise and a free Guided Walking Tour , as well as the Night Tour during the summer months.

Premium Ticket Prices: Adult ticket: £40.40 Child ticket (5 – 15): £31.40 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 Children): £124.60

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tours Premium Ticket

Deluxe: 3 Day Ticket

The Deluxe ticket is valid for three consecutive days . You can hop on and hop off as many times as you like on any of the bug bus routes for three days. This ticket also includes a round trip ticket on a Thames River Cruise and the free Guided Walking Tour , as well as the Night Tour during the summer months.

Deluxe Ticket Prices: Adult ticket: £44.90 Child ticket (5 – 15): £35.90 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 Children): £139.60

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tours Deluxe Ticket

Night Tour and Hotel Return Service

During the summer months there is also the possibility of hopping on a sightseeing bus tour to see London at night. This night tour runs until the end of September. This night tour is also included when you buy deluxe (2 day) and premium (3 day) tickets, but you can also buy tickets for the night tour only.

There are three night tours per evening that depart from the London Eye, Victoria Station and Marble Arch. The pick-up times are:

• London Eye (stop 7) at 19:30, 20:00 & 20:30
• Victoria (stop 29) at 19:45, 20:15 & 20:45
• Marble Arch (stop 4) at 20:00, 20:30 & 21:00.  From Marble Arch, which is the last stop of the tour, there is a free hotel return service that goes to Paddington, Bayswater, Notting Hill & Kensington at the end of the tour.

Night Tour only Prices: Adult ticket: £24.90 Child ticket (5 – 15): £15.00 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 Children): £64.80

Combined tickets: Big Bus Sightseeing Tour + Attraction

There is also the possibility of buying combined tickets   for Big Bus HO-HO sightseeing bus tour in London with tickets to one of London’s Top Attractions , resulting in great savings.

Once you have bought tickets, the driver or a member of staff from Big Bus Tours (at any Big Bus Tours stop) will exchange your tickets, giving you the tickets for the sightseeing bus tour as well as the tickets to your chosen attraction.

Combo tickets:  > Big Bus Tours + London Eye > Big Bus Tour + Madame Tussauds > Big Bus Tour + Tower of London > Big Bus Tour + St Paul’s Cathedral

Big Bus Tour + London Eye

This ticket includes a 1 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour (classic ticket) and entry to the London Eye . This ticket also includes a free river cruise and a free guided walking tour . Online tickets can be redeemed at any Big Bus Stop. You will need to use your tickets for the sightseeing bus tour and the river cruise that same day, and you will have 90 days to use your London Eye tickets.

You can buy normal entry tickets to the London Eye or fast track tickets. With fast track tickets you won’t have to queue at all.

Prices with Normal London Eye entry: Adult ticket: £64.80 Child ticket: £47.90 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £227.30

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour + London Eye Tickets

Prices with Fast Track London Eye entry: Adult ticket: £67.80 Child ticket: £58.80 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £189.00

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour + London Eye Fast-Track Tickets

Big Bus Tour + Madame Tussauds

This ticket includes a 1 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour (classic ticket) and entry to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum . This ticket also includes a free river cruise and a free guided walking tour .

You can redeem your tickets at any Big Bus Stop. Online tickets can be redeemed at any Big Bus Stop. You will need to use your tickets for the sightseeing bus tour and the river cruise that same day, and you will have 90 days to use your Madame Tussauds tickets.

Prices for 1 day bus tour + Madame Tussauds Adult ticket:  £65.80 Child ticket: £52.80 Family ticket: £211.40

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour + Madame Tussauds Tickets

Big Bus Tour + Tower of London

You can choose a 1, 2 or 3 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour (classic, premium or deluxe ticket) and entry to the Tower of London. These tickets also includes a free river cruise and a free guided walking tour .

You can redeem your tickets at any Big Bus Stop. Online tickets can be redeemed at any Big Bus Stop. You will need to use your tickets for the sightseeing bus tour and the river cruise that same day, and you will have 3 days to use your Tower of London tickets.

Prices for 1 day bus tour (Classic ticket) + Tower of London Adult ticket: £61.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £38.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Classic + Tower of London

Prices for 2 day bus tour (Premium ticket) + Tower of London Adult ticket: £67.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £43.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Premium + Tower of London

Prices for 3 day bus tour (Deluxe ticket) + Tower of London Adult ticket: £71.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £48.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Deluxe + Tower of London

Big Bus Tour + St. Paul’s Cathedral

You can choose a 1, 2 or 3 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour (classic, premium or deluxe ticket) and entry to St Paul’s Cathedral. These tickets also includes a free river cruise and a free guided walking tour .

Online tickets can be redeemed at any Big Bus Stop. You will need to use your tickets for the sightseeing bus tour and the river cruise that same day, and you will have 90 days to use your St Paul’s Cathedral tickets.

Prices for 1 day bus tour (Classic ticket) + St Paul’s Cathedral Adult ticket: £61.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £38.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Classic + St Paul’s Cathedral

Prices for 2 day bus tour (Premium ticket) + St Paul’s Cathedral Adult ticket: £67.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £43.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Premium + St Paul’s Cathedral

Prices for 3 day bus tour (Deluxe ticket) + St Paul’s Cathedral Adult ticket: £71.80 Child ticket (5 – 15): £48.90

⇒ Find out more: Big Bus Tour Deluxe + St Paul’s Cathedral

Routes and Timetable for London’s Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

There are 4 different routes which will take you to see London’s top landmarks. You can hop-on and hop-off of any of the routes as many times as  you like, and change routes whenever you want. This just makes sightseeing in London very easy, and it saves you having to use public transport in London to get from one place to another.

It’s also good to know that you can start your journey on the sightseeing bus tour at any bus stop, on any route, so you can start your journey at the bus stop that suits you best.

⇒ Here you will find a map with the routes and timetables: London Sightseeing Bus Tour Map .

1. Classic Red Tour

The first bus of this route departs at 8.10 am from the stop located just in front of Green Park underground station, on Piccadilly Street and there are buses approximately every 5 minutes. This route is the Classic Tour, a route that passes through 15 of the most important tourist places in London, including Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Big Ben, Covent Garden, the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral among others. The red route has a live commentary in English, and there are also recorded commentaries in several languages.

The red route takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and has several stops in common with the blue route: stops from 2 to 5, from 7 to 11 and stop 15. It also coincides with the green route at stop 9.

2. Big Blue Tour

The first bus of the blue route departs at 8.36 am from stop number 2, which is located at Hyde Park Corner, and there are buses approximately every 5 or 10 minutes. The nearest underground stop is Green Park. The blue route is a slightly longer route, and coincides in almost all the stops with the red route, but also goes round Hyde Park, passing through the South Kensington area, where the natural history museum, the science museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum are located. It also goes past Harrods and towards Regent’s Park stopping at Baker Street, where the Sherlock Holmes museum and Madame Tussauds wax museum are located. The blue route has recorded commentaries.

The blue route takes almost 3 hours and coincides with the red route at stops 2 to 5, from 7 to 11 and stop 15. It also connects with the green route at stop 9 .

3. Green Link

The green link is very short and connects the famous Trafalgar Square with King’s Cross and St Pancras underground and train stations, going past the British museum. If you are going to spend a day in London and arrive at the King’s Cross – St Pancras station, we recommend that you use the tourist bus, since you can start the route here, change at Trafalgar Square to another route and see London easily before returning to King’s Cross with the green link again if you need to.

The first bus on the green route leaves from Covent Garden at 8.20 am, where it also links to the blue and red routes.

4. Night tour: Hotel Return Service 

The purple route is the hotel return service. It covers the areas from Marble Arch to Gloucester Road, so it’s ideal if your hotel is anywhere in between – such as Paddington, Bayswater, Notting Hill or Kensington. It runs up to 2 hours later than the other routes mentioned above.

Bus stops and timetables

Here you can find a list of the bus stops from the RED and BLUE routes, and the time of departure of the first bus at each one of them. After that, buses run every 5 – 10 minutes. Guide: Red Route ( RR ), Blue Route ( BR ) and Green Link ( GL ).

⇒ See Sightseeing Bus Tour Route Map Here

1. GREEN PARK ( RR ) – Green Park Underground Station, next to the Ritz Hotel 2. HYDE PARK CORNER ( RR , BR )  – Opposite Hard Rock Cafe 3. QUEEN MOTHER GATES ( RR , BR ) – Opposite Hilton Hotel 4. MARBLE ARCH ( RR , BR ) – Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park 5. MAYFAIR ( RR , BR ) – Park Lane Big Bus Stop 6. ROYAL MEWS ( RR ) – 31 Buckingham Palace Road Bus Stop 7. LONDON EYE ( RR , BR ) – Westminster Bridge Road Bus Stop 8. WATERLOO ( RR , BR ) – York Road Bus Stop 9. COVENT GARDEN ( RR , BR , RV) – Big Bus Stop at No.1 Aldwych 10. ST PAUL´S CATHEDRAL ( RR , BR ) – 26 Ludgate Hill Bus Stop 11. TOWER OF LONDON ( RR , BR ) – 362 Tower Hill Bus Stop 12. YORK ROAD ( RR )– Westminster Bridge Road Bus Stop 14. WHITEHALL ( RR ) – Big Bus Stop opposite Horse Guards 15. TRAFALGAR SQUARE   ( RR , BR ) –  Pall Mall East Bus Stop Z 16. BAKER STREET ( RR ) – Big Bus Stop at 9 Marylebone Road 17. OXFORD STREET ( BR ) – Bus Stop RF on Regent Street 18. REGENT STREET ( BR )– Bus Stop V on Regent Street 19. PICCADILLY CIRCUS ( BR )– Bus Stop G on Regent Street 20. HAYMARKET ( BR )– Big Bus Stop at No.11 Haymarket  **The blue route after stopping at stop number 20 stops at stop 15 at Trafalgar Square, where it coincides with the red route** 21. CRAIG´S COURT ( BR ) – Bus Stop at Craig’s Court and Whitehall Corner 22. WHITEHALL ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No.61 Whitehall **The blue route after stopping at stop number 22 stops at stops number 7, 8, 9, 10 and  11 coinciding with the red route** 23. WESTMINSTER PIER ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No.30-35 Victoria Embankment 24. LAMBETH PLACE ( BR ) – Lambeth Palace Road Bus Stop 25. COLLEGE GREEN ( BR ) – Abingdon Street Bus Stop 26. TOTHILL STREET ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 43-45 Tothill Street 27. BUCKINGHAM PALACE ( BR ) – Bus Stop  at No.1 Buckingham Gate 28. RUBEN´S HOTEL ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 39 Buckingham Palace Road 29. VICTORIA ( BR ) – Bus Stop opposite The Bag of Nails Pub 30. VICTORIA STATION  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 111 Buckingham Palace Road **The blue route after stopping at stop number 30 stops at stops number 3, 4 and 5 coinciding with the red route ** 31. GREEN PARK ( BR ) – Green Park Underground Station Bus Stop **The blue route after stopping at stop number 31 stops at stop number 2 coinciding with the red route** 32. HYDE PARK CORNER ( BR ) –  Bus Stop at No. 1 Knightsbridge 33. HARRODS ( BR ) – Bus Stop at Harrods, No. 87-135 Brompton Road 34. SOUTH KENSIGNTON MUSEUMS  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 6 Thurloe Place 35. GLOUCESTER ROAD  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 128 Gloucester Road 36. KENSINGTON PALACE  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 5 Kensington High Street 37. NOTTING HILL GATE  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 14 Notting Hill Gate 38. KENSINGTON GARDENS  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 150 Bayswater Road 39. THISTLE HOTEL  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 104 Bayswater Road 40. BAYSWATER ( BR ) – Bayswater Road Bus Stop 41. PADDINGTON STATION  ( BR ) – Bus Stop at No. 25 London St 42. WOBURN ( GL ) – Bus Stop opposite Royal National Hotel 43. EUSTON STATION  ( GL ) – Bus Stop L, Upper Woburn Place 44. KING´S CROSS STATION  ( GL ) – Pancras Way Bus Stop 45. ST. PANCRAS STATION  ( GL ) – Midland Road Bus Stop 46. EUSTON ROAD ( GL ) – Bus Stop M, Upper Woburn Place 47. WOBURN (SOUTHBOUND) ( GL ) – Bus Stop J, in front of Russel Court 48. BRITISH MUSEUM (SOUTHBOUND) ( GL ) – Bus Stop X, Southampton Row 49. DUNCANNON STREET ( GL ) – Bus Stop G, Duncannon Street.

FREE River Cruise when you buy Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour tickets

A Thames River Cruise is honestly one of the best things you can  do when visiting London, this is something that I always recommend friends and family do when they come to visit us. If it’s your first time in London I can guarantee that a cruise on the Thames will leave you speechless, as you can see many famous landmarks from the river. And the best thing is: You get a free river cruise with the London hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour tickets. Boom!

The river cruise included is a one way ticket if you’re buying a one day sightseeing bus tour ticket, or a return ticket if you’re buying a 2 or 3 day bus tour ticket. The cruise runs from Westminster Pier to Tower of London. If you have a one day bus tour ticket you need to do the river cruise on that same day, but don’t worry as there is plenty of time do both, you would even have time to go on the London Eye on the same day.

Free Guided Walking Tour

You will also be able to make the most of your sightseeing bus tour tickets by joining the free walking tour that’s included in your ticket. The tour starts at the Big Bus Tours Bus Stop in Trafalgar Square at 10.20 am, and you will be able to enjoy the Changing of the Guard at 11.00 am at Buckingham Palace and learn all about St James’ Palace.

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17 Best London Bus Tours in 2023 (ranked!)

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Ready to tour London by bus?

You’ve come to the right place. I live in London, and have spent a lot of time figuring out the best London bus tours so that you can make the most of your trip to this incredible city.

In this guide, we’re going to explore the best 17 London bus tours – all led by expert guides who want to share their knowledge and help you have a memorable time.

If you’re like, just cut to the chase already, then don’t worry.

⏳ Don’t have time to read the whole list?

The best London bus tour is this Hop-On and Hop-Off bus tour .

Click here to check prices and availability.

The best London bus tour if you want the classic sightseeing experience is this Big Bus Hop-On and Hop-Off Bus Tour and the best bus tour in London if you want something a bit different is this Spooky London Ghost Vintage bus tour.

They both have hundreds of amazing reviews, so there’s no going wrong.

London is a massive city that can be much easier to explore by bus, and there are plenty of London bus tours that will cater to your specific interests, whether that be music history, architecture, filming locations in London , or something else entirely!

If you want to see what your other options are, here are the best London bus tours that are definitely worth your time.

PS – booking in advance is highly, highly recommended so you don’t miss out.

Easy Guide: Best London Bus Tour Picks

Best classic bus tours in london, 1. big bus hop-on hop-off classic london tour.

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 7,300+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1-3 day pass | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Big Bus is the most iconic London bus tour and one of my favorite of the sightseeing tours that are hop-on/hop-off style.

Choose the red route if you have less time, or the blue route if you want to see more of London, and enjoy being whizzed around the city with information at each stop about what you’re looking at (the worst kind of bus tour is one where they don’t even tell you!).

Big Bus operate in multiple cities around the world, so the formula isn’t new in London, but it’s a tried-and-tested hop-on and hop-off tour, and that’s why it makes my list as the best one if you’re just going to do one bus tour in London.

2. Vintage London Bus Tour with Optional London Eye

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 370+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours 30 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

The difference between this bus tour and a normal sightseeing tour is that you get to travel in style on a vintage London bus, not one of the ugly themed hop-on and hop-off bus styles.

The London Eye can also be included in your sightseeing ticket, which is a fantastic way to cover both at once as you’ll finish at the London Eye and not waste any time in traveling there (because the bus will take you!).

This is not a hop-on and hop-off variation, so this is also great if you don’t really need to get on or off and just want to sit and enjoy the views.

3. London Tootbus Must-See Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 3,500+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour 30 – 2 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW!

Tootbus is newer on the scene in London when it comes to bus tours, but they’re doing amazing and have fantastic reviews and lots of repeat customers.

There are three different circuits to choose from to customize your London bus experience, and the upper deck is obviously the best place to sit (particularly when you’re going over the bridges!).

Tootbus is a great option for families with kids in London , as it has a little bit more of a casual vibe than the Big Bus options.

4. London Vintage Bus Tour with Thames Cruise

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 170+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  4 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Want to combine your London sightseeing bus tour with a Thames river cruise?

This is your best bet!

So many people want to do both during their time in London, and this is a great option for that, combining land and river for an epic sightseeing day out.

For the record, I prefer doing a sightseeing cruise with sightseeing bus in the warmer months, and a sightseeing bus with the London Eye (a previously listed tour – scroll up a bit) during the colder months just for comfort.

5. Golden Tours Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 600+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 day | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Golden Tours offer a hop-on and hop-off sightseeing tour around London that rivals the other big companies, and they are easy to spot with their blue and orange coloring.

I love that the front of the upper deck is covered in case the weather is bad, while the back of the top is open to the elements in case the sun is shining (or you just want to brave it!).

They do audio tours instead of live guides on their buses, so it’s better if you want that pre-recorded experience or have already tried Big Bus or Tootbus.

Best Night Bus Tours in London

6. london by night open top sightseeing tour.

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 540+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour 30 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

London is completely different at night , and even if you’ve done a London sightseeing tour during the daytime, a London bus tour at night is such a memorable experience that I recommend to all visitors.

This tour takes you all around the most iconic London attractions to see them lit up and sparkling in the dark, including the bright lights of the London Eye, the Tower of London , and the iconic Westminster Abbey.

You’ll get to see a side of the city that many people never see, and it can be a great thing to do on your first night in London to try and beat that jet lag.

7. London Christmas Lights at Night Bus Tour

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 130+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour 45 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Deck the halls in London with a beautiful Christmas lights bus tour during the winter season.

There is something so insanely magical about London in winter when the Christmas lights are on, and this tour will take you right down some of the most important streets like Oxford Street and Regent’s Street.

The best part is that on the upper deck, you’ll be right under and right up close to the lights, as well as have a great vantage point to lights on the sides of the street lighting up the shops.

It’s a really wonderful tour to take in London in the winter if you’re visiting around the holiday season, and one I recommend to my friends and family often.

Best Music Bus Tours in London

8. rock music bohemian soho and north london tour.

⭐️  RATING:  5 of 5 Stars, 12+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3.5 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

From Pink Floyd’s studio to the former home of Rod Stewart, the Rock Music Bohemian tour will take you through some of London’s most boho neighborhoods to let you into the world of rock music legends like The Clash, the Beatles, Sting, and so much more.

You’ll get to take a bus around town, meaning you can hit more places than if you go on a walking tour, and along the way you’ll also get to enjoy the architecture and charm of Camden, Islington, and of course the iconic Abbey Road.

Listen to the music blasting from your bus as you tour around the city, perfectly timed with the stops, and enjoy this wonderful world of London rock music with an expert (and hilarious) guide.

9. London Rock Legends Bus Tour

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 350+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours 30 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Another fantastic option for music fans, the London Rock Legends bus tour is a great choice if you’re wanting to see Notting Hill, Soho, Chelsea, and more – and if those don’t ring a bell to you, think: Ringo’s House, Jimmy Page’s house, and tons of Queen-related locations.

You’ll zip around the city with your guide and leave feeling like you’ve truly learned something new about the musical history of London – this tour is similar to the one mentioned above, so choose which one works best for your schedule.

10. A Ticket to Ride: Beatles in London Tour

⭐️  RATING:  4.6 out of 5 Stars, 170+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  2 hours 30 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Join the Beatles’ vibe on a chill evening bus tour through London, catching the city all lit up.

Cruise through the ‘Beatlemania’ era, from 1962 to 1969, and beyond, hitting up Mayfair, Marylebone, St John’s Wood, and the edge of Soho. Celebrate the ‘Fab Four’ spanning over 50 years.

Swing by cool spots like the Scotch of St James Club and other joints where the Beatles hung out.

Check out the pads and offices of the band members and their manager Brian Epstein, where they partied, met their significant others, and did their thing.

And, of course, take a casual stroll across the iconic Abbey Road crossing near the legendary recording studio.

11. London Rock Music Tour

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 830+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  8 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Wanna dive into London’s rock history?

From where the Rolling Stones rocked their first record at ‘Tin Pan Alley’ to the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing, this tour has got it all covered.

Take your pick between morning, afternoon, or go all-in with the full-day London Rock Music Tour.

Check out Abbey Road, swing by Apple HQ, drop by Paul’s House, Ringo’s place, and Jimmy Page’s crib, plus a bunch more.

Your rock-savvy guide will dish out insider stories about your favorite musicians while giving you the lowdown on all things music.

Best Ghost Bus Tours in London

12. spooky london ghost vintage bus tour.

⭐️  RATING:  4 out of 5 Stars, 480+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Join your spooky guide as you hit up notorious local haunts, hearing tales of restless spirits and passing by places with a dark history—St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and the infamous Fleet Street.

As you roll through the city, keep an eye out for top attractions like Tower Bridge while your guide spills the beans on London’s haunted past.

The cherry on top?

You’ll be cruising in a retro 1960s Routemaster with a Gothic twist.

Get set for a laid-back, eerie adventure through the spookier side of London!

13. Comedy London Ghost Bus Tour

⭐️  RATING:  4.3 out of 5 Stars, 1300+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Get ready to hop on the Necrobus for a ride on the creepy side of London! It’s like the city’s spooky history comes to life.

With on-board actors and tech tricks, this tour is all about giving you the heebie-jeebies while checking out London’s coolest and eeriest spots.

Picture this: a creepy conductor sharing all the ghostly deets, from haunted palaces to secret burial grounds.

The Ghost Bus Tour takes you all around town, hitting up the West End and cruising south of the river.

You’ll get the lowdown on Westminster Abbey, Fleet Street, The Tower of London, and London Bridge—all while soaking in the eerie vibes of the city’s oldest and most historic places.

Best Afternoon Tea Bus Tours in London

14. english afternoon tea bus with panoramic tour of london.

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 150+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour 30 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Ditch the crowds and hop on a double-decker bus to check out the coolest London landmarks without any obstructions.

Cruise around, see way more stuff than you would on foot, and to top it off, indulge in some classic British afternoon tea while you ride.

There’s even a bunch of menu options, so you can munch on what you love. It’s like soaking up the vibes of London while enjoying good eats and drinks on the upper deck.

Perfect for newbies trying to figure out the city!

15. Brigit’s Afternoon Tea Bus in London

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 900+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour 25 minutes | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Brigit’s is one of the most iconic afternoon tea buses in London, and you can’t go wrong with one of their afternoon tea bus tours .

In addition to the regular sightseeing tour, they also offer specialty afternoon tea London bus tours like ones for kids featuring Paddington, as well as ones during the holiday season where everything gets a good dose of Christmas as you look at the lights while enjoying tea.

They’re absolute professionals at making sure that you have the best time seeing the city with your pinkies up, and visitors to the city always rate this as one of their favorite things to do in London.

Best London Movie Bus Tours

16. magical harry potter london bus tour.

⭐️  RATING:  4.5 out of 5 Stars, 130+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  3 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Harry Potter fans, all aboard!

Not the Hogwarts Express, sadly, but the Magical Harry Potter London Bus tour, where you’ll zip past so many Harry Potter filming locations while on tour.

London was where many of the scenes of the “muggle” world were filmed, and you can recognize important attractions like the Millennium Bridge featuring heavily in the movie franchise as the bridge the dementors destroy in the 6th film.

But it doesn’t stop there.

From the origins of Diagon Alley to other Harry Potter filming locations throughout the city, this is the perfect Harry Potter tour in London to pair with the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford to make sure you’ve truly followed in the footsteps of the Boy who Lived.

17. James Bond Bus Tour of London

⭐️  RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars, 30+ reviews | ⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  4 hours | ✔️  BOOK NOW

Dive into the awesome world of 007 with this super cool 4-hour James Bond tour around London!

Follow the footsteps of your favorite spy as you hit up filming spots from classics like ‘GoldenEye,’ ‘The World is Not Enough,’ and ‘Die Another Day,’ as well as recent hits like ‘Spectre,’ ‘Skyfall,’ and ‘No Time to Die.’

Get the lowdown on Bond trivia, from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Feel the spy vibes for real as you cruise past MI6, the actual spy headquarters in London.

Kick back in a comfy mini-coach with live commentary, and soak up the cinematic thrill of Bond’s adventures all over the city!

Want more London tours? Check these out!

• 15 Best London History Tours
• 5 Best London Speedboat Tours
• 5 Best Tower of London Tours
• 5 Best Westminster Tours in London
• 5 Best Winston Churchill Tours in London
• 7 Best Borough Market Tours
• 7 Best James Bond Tours
• 7 Best Black Cab Tours of London
• 11 Best Royal Tours in London for Visitors
• 11 Best London Art Tours
• 5 Best Graffiti Tours in London
• 11 Best Full Day London Tours
• 9 Best Tours of London’s East End
• 11 Best Private Tours in London
• 17 Best London Food Tours
• 17 Best London Harry Potter Tours
• 11 Best London Bus Tours
• 15 Best London Pub Crawl Tours
• 9 Best Street Art Tours in London
• 9 Best London Literary Tours for Bookworms
• 11 Best Jack the Ripper Tours in London
• 11 Best London Bike Tours
• 11 Best Beatles Tours in London
• 11 Best London Museum Tours
• 21 Best London Walking Tours
• 11 Best London Rock N Roll Tours
• 7 Best Changing of the Guard Tours in London
• 19 Unique London Tours
• 5 Best Open Top Bus Tours in London
• 7 Best London Helicopter Tours

Heading to London? Want the best tips?

Check out my Ultimate Guide to London for Visitors. Using text, images and video, this guide is packed full of tips, tricks, safety advice, knowledge on how to get around and what to do, and more!

Moving to the UK or already an Expat?

Grab my book which covers moving to the UK, struggles I faced and that you might face too, and uplifting advice to help you along the way! Available in hard copy and on Kindle.

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• London City Tours >

London Hop on Hop off Bus with Optional River Cruise

Our London hop on hop off bus offers amazing value for money and is the best way to explore the city. We have 3 different interconnecting bus routes, with over 80 bus stops conveniently located near to all the major London sites and attractions as well as hotels and main line railway stations. This includes stops by Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and many more. One ticket enables unlimited use of all 3 routes.

Choose from a 24 hour, 48 hour or 72 hour ticket. There are also Family Tickets which helps keep costs down.

The Hop on Hop Off Bus is so much more convenient than taking the underground or regular bus routes and with its routes and bus stops following the major sites and with either an audio guide or live guide, plus being an open-top bus it also offers a great experience.

The ticket can also includes a river cruise between the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London. Enjoy amazing views of iconic London attractions as you travel along the River Thames.

Save time and book your ticket before you arrive.

You can cancel up to midnight (UK time) the night before departure and get a refund in full.

You can see a route map via the link here >>> , and you can also download a route map from your e-ticket. When you first hop on the bus, you will also be given a large printed map of all the bus routes.

Hop on Hop off Highlights

• Convenient stops located all across the city next to the main attractions. Travel around the city on open-top buses and enjoy amazing views as you ride!
• The buses are valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours from the moment you first hop on. You can hop on and off as much as you like during this time
• Live guides are available on all blue route departures
• Audioguides are available on every bus in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Japanese & Arabic
• Our riverboat cruise allows you to travel 1-way up or down the River Thames to or from Westminster Pier (next to The Houses of Parliament) and Tower Millenium Pier (next to The Tower of London). The journey time is  30 minutes dependent on where you disembark. You can take your cruise within 7 days from when you first start your hop-on hop-off bus journey.
• You can cancel up to midnight (UK time), the night before departure and receive a full refund.

London Open Top Bus Routes

Our Blue Route – Classic Tour

This is our signature route passes by many of London’s most famous landmarks including the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, The Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly. The route criss-crosses over the River Thames including over the iconic Tower Bridge.

A great idea is to take this route as a circular tour of London and see many of London’s most iconic sites and get a good feel for the city. Then, take the route to hop on and off as you want, or skip onto one of the other routes where they overlap.

This route stops at the side of Buckingham Palace as no buses are allowed in front of the Palace.

Our Red Route – The Essential Route

Because London is so big, we have another signature route that covers more of Central London as well as the North. You’ll see Hyde Park, Madame Tussauds, the British Museum and Kings Cross, St Pancras, and Euston Stations, where you can snap a selfie at Platform 9 3/4. The route passes very close to Regents Park, which is on the far side of London Zoo.

This route also stops at the side of Buckingham Palace, as no buses are allowed in front of the Palace.

This route is additionally convenient for visitors staying in the many hotels in the Bloomsbury district of London near Woburn Square, Woburn Place, and the British Museum.

Our Orange Route – Museum Tour

This route covers the west of central London, where you can find many of London’s principal museums, including the V&A Museum, Science Museum and Natural History Museum. The route also passes Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Buckingham Palace and The Royal Albert Hall. And for shopaholics, it passes the world-famous Harrods department store.

All our routes are included in your ticket.

You can see a route map and timetable here>>> , and you can also download a route map and timetable from your e-ticket. When you first hop on the bus, you will also be given a large printed map of all the bus routes.

Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace

River Cruise

River Thames Cruise

There is also an option to include a River Thames Cruise. Travel from Westminster Millenium Pier (next to the Houses of Parliament) to Tower Pier (next to the Tower of London) or start from Tower Millenium Pier and cruise to Westminster Pier. This is a 1-way ticket, and the cruise lasts 25 minutes. The cruise passes many famous sites, including the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower Bridge and The Tower of London. The cruise is an unforgettable experience.

• You can take your cruise within 7 days from when you first start your hop-on hop-off bus journey.

You can see a route map via the link here >>>

Free Walking Tour

Additionally, with your ticket, you can also choose between 2 free walking tours. Purely optional. This has been recently added as a free addition to the ticket.

‘A Royal Walking Tour’. Enjoy a 2-hour tour through the capital with an expert guide, passing places with past and present connections to the royal family and fascinating insights into the royals’ daily lives. The tour starts at 10.00am by Buckingham Palace.

A ‘Jack The Ripper Tour’. Our expert guide will take you back to Victorian London where the notorious Jack the Ripper stalked for victims. Use your detective skills to analyse the clues ‘The Ripper’ left behind to try and solve these terrible crimes. The tour lasts 1.5 hours and starts near The Tower of London at 3.30pm.

Our ticket types

We offer five different ticket types to choose from. You can select your ticket type on the checkout page

1 Day without Cruise –  this is our cheapest hop on hop off ticket, which allows you to travel on the bus for one calendar day. For example, if you get on the bus on Tuesday at 10am, you can use the bus until the end of Tuesday. The ticket also includes 2 free walking tours

24 Hours –  this ticket includes a cruise, 2 free walking tours and can be used for 24 hours from the moment you first hop on the bus. For example, if you first get on the bus on Tuesday at 10am, you can use the bus until Wednesday at 10am.

48 Hours – this ticket includes a cruise, 2 free walking tours and can be used for 48 hours from the moment you first hop on the bus. For example, if you first get on the bus on Tuesday at 10am, you can use the bus until Thursday at 10am.

72 Hours – this ticket includes a cruise, 2 free walking tours and can be used for 72 hours from the moment you first hop on the bus. For example, if you first get on the bus on Tuesday at 10am, you can use the bus until Friday at 10am.

24 Hours without Cruise – this ticket can be used for 24 hours from the moment you first hop on the bus but does not include a cruise. For example, if you first get on the bus on Tuesday at 10am, you can use the bus until Wednesday at 10am. The ticket also includes 2 free walking tours

more details:

• Our open-top buses depart every 20 minutes in the summer and holidays on the blue and red routes. Every 30 minutes on the orange route. The r iverboats depart every 30 minutes
• You can join the bus from any of our stops and use all the routes.
• The 24, 48 & 72 hour tickets include unlimited use of the hop on hop off bus & riverboat cruise
• You are free to use your river cruise on any date within 30 days of the start of your hop-on hop-off bus experience.
• All tickets include 2 free walking tours. You are free to take these walking tours on any date within 7 days of the start of your hop on hop off bus experience
• You can cancel up to midnight (UK time), the night before departure and get a refund in full
• Children under 5 go free

Tour Booking

Terms and conditions, you might also be interested.

Open Top Bus Tour with Live Guide

Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter

Fully Guided Day Tour of London

Highlights of london with river cruise - 3.5 hours.

Afternoon Tea Bus with London Sightseeing

London Bus Tour

Let the city simply take you by surprise.

Hop-on hop-off: explore London at your own pace in 1, 2 or 3 days

Must See London

Hop-on hop-off bus tour + cruise

• 1, 2 or 3 days
• 3 bus routes
• 3 walking tours
• River cruise

London Discovery

Hop-on hop-off bus tour + walking tours

London Discovery + London By Night

Daytime hop-on hop-off bus tour + evening bus tour

• 3 daytime bus routes
• 1 night tour

London themed bus tours: discover the city from a different angle

London Kids Tour

Non-stop live guided bus tour

• Live guided in English
• Fun and educational

London by Night

Non-stop evening bus tour

• Adult & kids commentary

Unique rooftop on wheels

• Catchy playlist
• Drinks available on board

Need inspiration to discover more of London ?

Wi-Fi on board

Audioguide in 10 languages

Family Pass

Kids special commentary

Walking tours includded

Fully accessible

Mapping London

Highlighting the best London maps

Tour Bus Maps!

[ Updated – Changed prices and links for 2016.] You’re in London for only 24 hours. You’ve never been here before. You want to see as many things as possible. What do you do? Hop on a tour bus!

London has several “hop-on-hop-off” tour bus companies, plying set routes along London’s attraction-packed streets. A day ticket typically allows as many trips as you need along the route. Some of these companies have produced maps showing the routes they take. Here are just three of them – we’ve included the price for a turn-up-and-buy all-day ticket.

1. Big Bus Tours – £32 £26 (includes a free Thames cruise and walking tours.) Link to map .

Big Bus has a 3D-effect map with the main tourist sites and some other buildings shown in miniature, parks (with trees) and a basic street network. It shows the two main tour routes, plus two link routes and the route of their Thames cruise too, along with numbered stops. To their credit, many attractions well off the tour are also included, such as the BT Tower and Lords Cricket Ground, as well as little characters shown crossing at “that” zebra crossing at Abbey Road), hospitals and, oddly, some residential construction sites. It’s a useful and attractive enough map for its purpose, spoilt only by the addition of blue circles which are meant to highlight particular attractions but end up duplicating them and somewhat cluttering the map. There are a couple of minor mistakes, e.g. Embankment is in the wrong place. But, considering, it’s really not too bad. Armed with this map and a free TfL tube map (available at any tube station), your average rushed tourist could probably get around London quite easily.

2. The Original Tour – £29 £30 (includes a free Thames cruise and walking tours.) Link to map .

The Original London Tour map is similar to Big Bus Tours, but is presented in 2D and is much less cluttered, while also including 3D drawings of the most famous buildings, and only the largest parks (again with trees). It shows the main tour routes and three link routes and also the Thames cruise route. The map only includes main roads, rather than side streets, and doesn’t show any attractions that are not close to the route. The map does also cheat slightly with the scale, putting King’s Cross much closer to Euston than it actually is, and similarly moving Liverpool St station (and distorting the road to it) for convenience. As a general tourist map of London, it is therefore much less useful, being most useful while on the bus itself to see where it’s going next and what to look out for. Overall it is a more attractive – but less useful – map than Big Bus Tours.

Neither this map (or the last) are available only as a vector PDF, so likely to not look great if you print them out. Better to get the maps on the buses themselves! Incidentally the respective cartographers have been looking at each other’s creations – both maps have mis-capitalised the Swiss Re Tower.

3. Transport for London buses – £4.40 £4.50 (no Thames cruise or walking tours though.) Link to map .

The thrifty tourist who is prepared to interpret and understand London’s complex network of regular bus routes, can actually travel on much the same route as the special tour buses, for a fraction of the price – as long as you have a contactless card or Oyster card. TfL buses have a daily cap of £4.50. TfL usefully produce a special map of bus routes in central London, with key tourist attractions included. Unlike the other two featured above, it is not a geographical map so is less useful for walking sections. Indeed, it doesn’t actually show any road names, or indeed roads themselves. Once again, the tourist attractions are shown in 3D. The map is available as a vector PDF, so will look great when printing out.

Take your pick and enjoy your trip! But don’t forget there is a London beyond the tourist tour routes, and you won’t have experienced London until you’ve gone to at least one place further afield, e.g. the Olympic Park and Hackney Wick to the east, or Greenwich in south-east London.

Can you send us the maps so we can plan our tour in London.

HI Koops, the maps are downloadable from the respective websites, so it’s probably easiest/quickest for you to print them directly.

thanks for the info.

Hi, I need to download Map n2, could you please help me ? It looks like the host page doesn’t exist anymore

Hi Claire, I’ve updated the links (and prices) for 2016, now.

Does anyone know who creates the Big Bus maps?

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Attractions

About our Bus Tour

Our popular self-guided bus tour uses London’s buses to travel out to west London, back through the West End, the City and the east end, travelling both north and south of the Thames. All for the price of a one day travelcard or oyster card, which is around £10.

The details provided enable you to do the tour in any direction, and begin / end at any point. Your travelcard allows you to re-board buses as often as you like, jumping on and off at leisure to visit attractions you will see.

Allow half a day to do it fully.

Its best to start it after 9.30 am on a weekday and finish before 4pm (to avoid rush hour).

Written in 2002 and updated in 2014.

General Route

Start at Piccadilly Circus- Number 9 bus to Kensington Palace – Number 49 bus to Cromwell Road – Number 74 bus to Baker St Station – Number 453 bus to Trafalgar Square – Number 15 bus to Tower of London – Number 343 bus to London Bridge – Number 381 to Waterloo – Number 139 bus back to Piccadilly Circus

You can start this self guided tour from the following points / bus routes

From St James’s Park

Number 9 bus on Piccadilly

From Kensington Gardens

Number 49 bus on Kensington High Street

From Speakers Corner

Number 74 bus on Park Lane

From Regents Park

Number 453 bus from Marylebone Road

From Tower Bridge

Number 343 on Tower Bridge, heading south

From London Bridge

Number 381 to Waterloo

From Waterloo

Number 139 to Piccadilly Circus

click to view tour map in full screen

Waterloo Bridge

Piccadilly Circus

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Palace

Royal Albert Hall

Trafalgar Square

Royal Courts of Justice

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

Southwark Cathedral

Downing Street

Westminster Bridge

Using London Buses

Most buses are driver-only operated and require you to board at the front (scanning your pass) and exit from the back (at one of the regular stops.)

If you happen to be lucky enough to be able to board a Routemaster bus (these run on routes 9 and 15), you can get on and off at the back. These buses have conductors and you simply board the bus and take a seat, then wait for the conductor to come to you to see your pass.

To board a bus, firstly find the stop for the bus you want. (It should have the number of the bus marked on the sign at the stop). Then check the timetable displayed to see the direction the bus is going in – or ask someone else who is waiting at the stop. Finally, when the bus arrives at the stop it will normally pull in and open its front doors – but there’s no harm in putting your arm out to signal it to do so, just in case.

For this tour, I have provided details of both the buses and the stops you need to change at. But feel free to jump on and off wherever and as often as you want – the oyster card allows you to do this.

Featured in Destination Mundo

Buy this bus tour in a handy booklet

The directions below follow a circular route starting and ending at piccadilly circus and initially heading west. you can start the tour from any point on the route. simply change buses where indicated..

Walk along Piccadilly from Piccadilly Circus to Green Park station and board the number 9 bus towards Royal Albert Hall.

Originally a crossroad of Piccadilly and Regent Street, the area took on its present appearance in the late 1800’s when Shaftesbury Avenue was connected to it.

One of London’s busy traffic junctions, it features include the Statue of Eros (erected in 1893) in the centre and enormous illuminated advertising signs overlooking it.

Piccadilly is named after a draper named Robert Baker who became wealthy during the reign of Charles I by selling stiff ruffled collars called pickadils, and used his money to build a big house in the area. It is a fairly upmarket, “old money” area as you may see from the types of shops and buildings you pass.

Did You Know?

The statue of Eros has pointed in three different directions since being erected, but never in the direction to which it was intended : facing Shaftesbury Avenue.

In the first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, Dr Watson and Stamford meet in the bar of the Criterion Hotel, which faces onto the Circus.

Lilywhite’s sports store, also nearby, was established by James Lilywhite, who captained the English cricket team against Australia in 1876.

When walking along Piccadilly, look for:

Fortnum and Mason (on your left): This wonderful shop has been on Piccadilly since 1756. It sells excellent tea and chocolates.

The Ritz Hotel (also on your left): The hotel, a symbol of opulence, opened in 1906 and is named after its Swiss architect, Cesar Ritz.

The number 9 bus will take you around Hyde Park Corner, through Knightsbridge, then along Kensington Road, passing the Albert Memorial (right) and Royal Albert Hall (left), after which you should hop off.

What to Look for between Green Park and Kensington Palace

Hyde Park Corner was once where a toll gate stood to mark the entrance to London from the west. Constitution Arch and a statue of the Duke of Wellington both sit on the island in the middle of the roundabout.

Knightsbridge is actually the name of the street from Hyde Park Corner to Kensington Road. Dating from the 11th century, the area was once a favourite place for duels and was prowled by highwaymen.

The Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall were both built after the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, in 1861. The Albert Hall is used for concerts, including, since 1941, the famous “Proms”.

The two founders of Fortnum and Mason are represented by the figures beside the clock over the entrance. The figures come out and bow to each other on the hour. Mr Fortnum wears a red coat which indicates that he was a footman in the Royal Household. He went into partnership with Mr Mason, a grocer. The staff of the store still wear tail-coats.

at the first stop after passing the Royal Albert Hall, get off the bus. Walk back to the Royal Albert Hall, then cross the road at the pedestrian crossing to the Albert Memorial. From the Albert Memorial, walk down the hill parallel to the main road but remain inside the park. After a few minutes, you will pass some public toilets on your left and arrive at a main path. Cross the path and continue straight ahead until you see Kensington Palace on your right. Walk up to the front of the Palace then go left and cross the private road. Continue ahead (through a private car park area) to the junction with another road, opposite the Romania Consulate. Turn left, and walk down the hill, passing the Israeli Embassy (on your right).

Probably most famous as the London residence of Diana, Princess of Wales at the time of her death in 1997, and the current home of William and Kate, Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since the 1600’s.

It was also where Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and lived to her accession, and where Princess Margaret lived until her death. Parts of the Palace are open to the public (admission charge).

Kensington Gardens have been open to the public since the 18th century.

at the main road, which is Kensington High street, turn left. Either board the number 49 bus (a single decker hopper bus) and take it along Gloucester Road to the junction with Cromwell Road (only a few stops away). Get off at the stop just before the corner with Cromwell Road. Go straight ahead then turn left and walk down Cromwell Road. Soon you will come to Baden Powell House on your left and opposite you will see the Natural History Museum. Or, if you feel like walking, walk along Kensington High street until you reach Queen’s Gate, then turn right and walk to the end of it, then turn left at the Natural History museum on the corner.

Baden Powell House and the Museums

Baden Powell House is a museum dedicated to the Scout Association and its founder. It is open to the public.

Opposite Baden Powell House, on Cromwell Road, you will see the Natural History museum and then, the V & A museum. The Science museum is around the corner. (To visit it, turn left up Exhibition Road after the Natural History museum.)

The Natural History museum was purpose-built in the 1880’s. It contains a range of fossils and exhibits from the natural world.

The Science museum contains exhibits such as Stephenson’s Rocket, Edison’s phonograph and an early Bell telephone.

The museums no longer have admission charges, apart for some special events and exhibitions.

The Science and V & A museums were originally two sections (science and arts) of the same museum. However, in 1899 the arts section was moved to a new building along the road, named by Queen Victoria – the V & A museum.

Walk along Cromwell Road, crossing the junction with Exhibition Road and passing both the Natural History and V & A museums. Just after the V & A, board the number 74 bus heading towards Hyde Park Corner.

This bus will take you along Brompton Road (passing Harrods), through Knightsbridge, around Hyde Park Corner, along Park Lane, Marble Arch and Gloucester Place to Baker Street tube station.

What to Look for Between Cromwell Road and Baker St Station

Brompton Road is built on an ancient track linking London to the village of Brompton. As you go along it, you will pass Brompton Oratory and, soon after, Harrods.

Brompton Oratory, on the left, was the centre of Roman Catholic activity in London until 1903, when Westminster Cathedral was opened. The church was built between 1878 and 1884.

Harrods, on the right, was named after Henry Harrod, a wholesale tea merchant from the East End, who took over a small shop in Knightsbridge in 1849. The store was destroyed by fire in 1883 and re-built a year later. In 1898, the first escalator in London was installed here. Store expansion was completed by 1939 and it is now one of the world’s largest, and probably one of its most expensive, stores.

One of the most exclusive addresses in London, Park Lane did not become sought after until the 1820’s, following a period of building reconstruction. It is home to two of the most exclusive hotels in London: The Dorchester and The Grosvenor.

Marble Arch is the arch at the junction of Park Lane and Oxford Street, near Speaker’s Corner. It was originally erected in front of Buckingham Palace, and moved to its present location in 1851.

Gloucester Place was built in 1810. It has had some famous residents: No. 99 was Elizabeth Barrett’s first London home; John Godley, the founder of Canterbury, New Zealand, lived at no. 48; and Wilkie Collins lived at no 65, where he wrote The Moonstone.

Only senior members of the Royal Family and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery are allowed to pass through Marble Arch.

at Baker Street station, get off the bus. Walk along Marylebone Road a short distance to the Planetarium and Madame Tussauds, both on your left. Re-trace your steps back to Baker Street station and board the number 453 bus from the stop in front of it. (Same side of the road).

221B Baker Street, the Planetarium and Madame Tussauds

Baker Street (opposite the station) is probably most famously known for its fictional resident, Sherlock Holmes, who lived at number 221B.

The Planetarium, next door to its more famous neighbour, Madame Tussauds, was opened in 1958 and contains an enormous projector, enabling visitors to see outer space.

Madame Tussauds was established in Baker Street in 1835. It moved to its present location in 1884.

The Bakerloo Line, from Baker Street station to Kennington, was the first Underground railway across London from north to south. The word “Bakerloo” was first used by a newspaper to refer to the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway.

The number 453 will take you past Harley Street (famous for its expensive doctors and private hospitals), near the corner of Regents Park, into Portland Place, past old BBC Broadcasting House (on your left), along Regent Street, through Piccadilly Circus and then to Trafalgar Square.

What to Look for Between Marylebone Road and Trafalgar Square

Harley Street is associated with medical specialists and private hospitals. It also has some wonderfully restored Georgian buildings.

BBC Broadcasting House, in Portland Place, was once the flagship building for the corporation. Built in 1932, it has retained much of its original external character. It is now luxury apartments.

Regent Street was planned by the architect, John Nash, around 1810. The area between Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus is known as the Quadrant and was intended to be the retail part of the street, with the section towards Portland Place being mostly residential.

Regent Street has been home to some of London’s most famous stores. Those that still exist include Hamley’s (founded in 1760 and moved to Regent Street in 1881), Austin Reed (founded in 1900 and moved to Regent Street in 1911) and Cafe Royal (founded in 1870).

Get off the bus at Trafalgar Square and walk through the square.

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

In the eleventh century this was a major traffic junction.

In the centre of Trafalgar Square stands Nelson’s Column, at 170 feet tall. Buildings surrounding the Square include South Africa House, Canada House, the National Gallery (free admission), the National Portrait Gallery (free admission) and St Martin-in-the-Fields church.

Pigeon-feeding used to be a popular activity for tourists to the square and some still feed the birds, even though it is no longer legal to do so.

In front of Nelson’s Column at the top of Whitehall there is a statue of Charles I. All distances from London are measured from this point. In mapping terms, it is therefore the “centre” of London.

Until recently, the Square had never been completed: while at the right hand side of the Square (in front of the National Gallery) there is a statue of George IV on horseback, no statue had ever been placed on the corresponding plinth on the opposite corner until 2000. There is now a piece of modern artwork on it.

In June, 2003 the square was largely pedestrianised.

Walk across Trafalgar Square to the beginning of the Strand (opposite Charing Cross station) and board the number 15 bus heading east.

This will take you along the Strand (passing the Savoy), Aldwych, past the Royal Courts of Justice, along Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill and on to St Pauls.

What to Look for Between Trafalgar Square and St Pauls

The Strand was originally a bridle path running alongside the Thames. The first buildings on it were mansions owned by the wealthy. Nowdays there are several theatres and stores along it. The Savoy Hotel (on the right, just before Waterloo Bridge) opened in 1889 and was one of the first to have electric lights and lifts. The first manager of the hotel was Cesar Ritz, who was also the architect of the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly. This was also the hotel where Peach Melba was created.

At the eastern end of the Strand, the road turns into a crescent leading to the Royal Courts of Justice. This crescent is called the Aldwych, and though only opened in 1905, the name is actually a very old word for the area, dating from King Alfred’s time.

The Royal Courts of Justice (“the Law Courts”) were built in the nineteenth century to group together all superior courts associated with non-criminal cases. Currently there are 60 courts in use, including the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Crown Court.

Three traditional legal ceremonies take place each year : in one, the Corporation of the City of London pays its “rent” to the Crown for land near Chancery Lane. The rent is six horse shoes and sixty one nails which have been paid since 1118.

Named after a nearby river (which is now completely underground), Fleet Street has been synonymous with printing and publishing since the 1500’s. These days the printing presses are long gone. However, the street is still home to the National Union of Journalists, Reuters (established in 1855) and the Press Association.

At the end of Fleet Street, across Ludgate Circus, is Ludgate Hill. Until 1760, there was a city gate here (Lud Gate) that once led to a Roman burial ground. On the left-hand side up a side street sits the famous Old Bailey, more officially known as the Central Criminal Court.

The Royal Courts of Justice are situated in the heart of legal London. To the north of them are Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn and to the south, Temple, making it simple for barristers to reach the courts from their chambers.

Directly opposite the Royal Courts of Justice is the original shop of Twinings Tea.

At St Pauls, either hop off the bus to visit the cathedral or remain on it and continue to Tower Hill station, opposite the Tower of London

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s was founded in 604. However, the present building, the fifth on the site, dates from 1675.

It took 35 years to build, following the Great Fire of London in which the previous structure was almost entirely destroyed.

In 1981, the wedding of Charles and Diana took place here.

In front of the cathedral there are some wooden posts representing the last City toll gate, built in the thirteenth century. They mark the old route to Cheapside. The gate is now opened only during ceremonial occasions.

Famous people who are buried in St Paul’s include Sir Christopher Wren (architect of the present building), Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, whose monument took 56 years to complete.

re-board the number 15 bus at the stop where you got off. It will take you through the city of London to Tower Hill station, opposite the Tower of London, where you should hop off.

The City of London

The area you are now in is called the City of London (or the Square Mile). It is the oldest part of London, having been settled by the Romans in AD43 – 50. It was 1,000 years old when the Tower of London was built.

It is independent from Westminster and the Crown, and home to the Bank of England and several hundred other foreign and UK banks. It also has its own police force.

The underground vaults of the Bank of England still hold Britain’s gold reserves.

From the late 17th to the 19th century the Bank issued lottery tickets as a way of raising money to meet state expenditure. These days, the Government runs a National Lottery to help fund the Arts and community projects.

get off the bus at the stop in front of Tower Hill station, opposite the Tower of London, and cross under the road via the underpass.

The most popular tourist attraction in London, the Tower of London is steeped in history and scandal. Begun by William I around 1066 and extended by a number of monarchs until Edward I, it has been a palace, prison, menagerie, place of execution and stronghold for the crown jewels.

Famous occupants have included Sir Francis Drake, Anne Boleyn (executed by sword), Sir Walter Raleigh and Rudolph Hess (during and after the second world war).

The dogs and cats of the guards of the Tower are buried in a pet cemetery within the moat of the Tower. You can see their headstones from over the wall when in the grounds. The Beefeaters you see around the Tower live on site.

The small portholes at the bottom of the tower were medieval drainage outlets.

walk left towards the top of Tower Bridge and cross the road so that you are on the side where the traffic is heading south. Board the number RV1 bus on the bridge, opposite the Tower.

This will take you over Tower Bridge, past Southwark Cathedral (on your right, near London Bridge), and near the Globe and Tate Modern.

Get off the bus at the stop opposite the Royal Festival Hall. Cross the road and walk through, or past the side of, the Hall to the riverside.

What to Look for Between Tower Bridge and the London Eye

Tower Bridge was built in 1894 and needs to be raised to enable tall ships to pass under it. It is often mistakenly thought to be London Bridge by tourists.

There has been a church on the site of Southwark Cathedral for over one thousand years : it was founded by St Swithun in 860. Inside the church there are two rounded Norman arches that survived the fire in 1213.

The new Shakespeare’s Globe theatre was opened to the public for both visits and performances in 1997. The recreated Globe stands about 200 yards from the site of the original theatre, which was opened in 1599.

The Tate Gallery of Modern Art opened in May 2000 in the old Bankside Power Station, which was built in 1963. Whether or not you enjoy modern art, the building itself is worth a visit (free admission.)

The South Bank area consists of a number of buildings where plays, films, concerts and other events are regularly held. The world renowned National Theatre is based here.

Opened in 1848 but re-built in the early 1900s, nearby Waterloo station is one of the busiest stations in London. From here you can get trains to the continent and southern England.

The area around the Globe and Southwark Cathedral is called Southwark, the oldest borough of London. Southwark was settled by the Romans around London Bridge and was the home of many famous people including Dickens, Chaucer, Thomas Beckett, Charles Babbage and Michael Faraday.

Until 1750, London Bridge was the only bridge across the Thames in London. (Westminster Bridge was opened in 1750).

The area along the riverfront is known as Bankside.

At the river, turn left and walk past the front of the Hall and along the South Bank towards the London Eye.

The London Eye

Another popular tourist attraction in London, the London Eye is a ferris wheel with large pods, allowing riders to see great views of London.

The wheel was meant to be up and operational in time for the millenium celebrations – unfortunately for technical reasons, it wasn’t open until mid 2000.

The large “Edwardian style” building next to the London Eye and overlooking the river is called County Hall. It was opened in 1922. Though now a hotel, it was once the home of London government (from 1900 to 1986).

From the London Eye, continue walking ahead towards Westminster, passing the Aquarium. Go up the stairs to Westminster Bridge, then cross the road to the bus stop for the number 12, in front of St Thomas’ Hospital.

Take the number 12 bus across Westminster Bridge, passing Big Ben and Westminster Abbey (both on your left), around Parliament Square then along Whitehall, passing both Downing Street and Horse Guards (both on your left), around Trafalgar Square and up to Piccadilly Circus.

Get off at the stop just after Piccadilly Circus. This ends the tour, back where you began it.

What to Look for Between Westminster Bridge and Piccadilly Circus

The correct name for the Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster. It was built in 1040 by Edward the Confessor, although the present building dates from the 1800’s. It is the largest Gothic building in the world and was the main Royal residence until Henry VIII moved to Whitehall.

Big Ben is the name of the bell in the Clock Tower. Its familiar ring is caused by a crack which appeared in 1859, within a few months of the bell being installed. It has never been repaired.

Westminster Abbey (short walk from Parliament Square) was built by Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror was crowned in it on Christmas Day 1066. Thousands of people are buried or have their ashes interred there. Many others have plaques. The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales was also held here in 1997.

Number 10 Downing Street (street entrance on the left as you travel along Whitehall) is the official residence of the British Prime Minister and has been since 1732. The street is named after Sir George Downing, the second graduate of Harvard College, who bought the land and built houses on it in 1680.

Horse Guards Pavilion (also on the left) is an end point for the Changing of the Guard each day, and there are often sentries on horseback standing at the entrance to it.

At the bottom of the steps facing the London Eye stands a green turret. This is the Westminster tide recorder and it measures the depth of the Thames at this point. (You can climb up the rails on the side of it and look inside to see the computerised depth reading).

Look back across the river towards the London Eye and observe the riverwall. You will see a number of lions’ heads with mooring rings hanging from their mouths. These are part of London’s flood warning system: “when the lions drink, London will flood” is still a saying that to some extent holds true. If the water reaches the lions’ mouths, the Underground would need to be closed.

Privacy Overview

• London Rail Map
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London Attractions Map

The original tour hop on hop off bus map, big bus tour map, city cruises river tour map.

• London Boroughs & Districts Map
• London Neighborhoods Map
• London Airports Transportation Map
• Heathrow Airport & Terminal Map (LHR)
• Gatwick Airport & Terminal Map (LGW)
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• London Bike Route
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London Tourist Map

You can find on this page the map of London monuments, the map of London tourist buses and the map of London river cruises. London is the capital and the most visited city in United Kingdom with 15 million tourists per year. Thanks to its numerous monuments, museums, sightseeings, landmarks and attractions, London was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

We could visit London for weeks and we wouldn't have seen everything! London offers some must-see visits and activities to do in one's life. Most of the monuments are located between Westminster, Soho and the City of London.

London is dotted with many monuments: royal residences (Westminster, Kensington and Buckingham palaces), religious buildings (Saint Paul's Cathedral, Abbey and Westminster Cathedral), theatres, towers, columns, squares, statues, bridges, stations and skyscrapers. The museums are real monuments : Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Gallery...

London sightseeing map

In London you can visit:

• museums: British Museum, Madame Tussauds, Royal Museums de Greenwich, Tate Modern
• religious buildings: Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral
• squares: Trafalgar Square
• different attractions: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, London Tower, National Gallery, Tower Bridge

The most impressive and most visited monuments in London are :

• The Palace of Westminster: with its towers and the famous Big Ben bell;
• Westminster Abbey;
• The Tower bridge: bascule bridge;
• Saint Paul's Cathedral with its famous dome; 
• The Tower of London: castle, menagerie, prison... ;
• The London wheel or London eye.

  Discover the location of London's monuments thanks to the London monuments map.

London hop on hop off

The Original Tour of London is an original way of visiting London and discover its monuments, museums, attractions while getting on and off at your disposal. This concept of hop on hop off bus or open-top double-decker buses offers a network of 2 tourist tours and routes and 80 stops with commentary in 9 languages.

The Original Tour of London buses allow you to discover London's most famous monuments effortlessly and with commentary.

Original Tour offers :

• 6 bus routes across London; 
• 3 walking tours (Changing of the Guard, Rock n' Roll, Jack the Ripper);
• 1 Thames Cruise from Westminster to Greenwich.

The Original Tour's 6 itineraries are :

• Attractions: Buckingham Palace, Palace of Westminster, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Sea Life Aquarium, Saint Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, The Shard, Tower Bridge, Tower of London.
• Attractions: Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Victoria Albert Museum, Harrods, Albert Hall, Chelsea.
• Attractions: Piccadilly Circus, Russel Square, British Museum, King's Cross St Pancras.
• Attractions: Marble Arch, Marylebone, Madame Tussauds, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Regent's Park.
• Attractions: Marble Arch, Hyde Park, Holland Park, Notting Hill, Paddington Station.

Hop on hop off bus london

The Big Bus of London is a second hop on hop off bus company with open roofs to discover the city of Rome via a tour. The Big Bus offers 4 lines, 3 tourist bus lines and 1 river cruise line. Tours are commented in 13 languages.

There are three types of Big Bus Tour tickets in London, each of which includes a free cruise with City Cruise :

• The Classic ticket is valid for 24 hours => the Thames Cruise departs from Westminster Pier to Tower Pier,
• The Premium ticket is valid for 48 hours => the Thames Cruise is from Westminster Pier to Greenwich Pier,
• The Deluxe ticket is valid for 72 hours => the Thames Cruise is the same as the Premium ticket.

  A free walking tour is also included in all Big Bus Tour of London tickets. This walking tour departs every morning at 11am from Trafalgar Square and ends at Horse Guards.

The 4 Big Bus London sightseeing bus tours are : 

• Departure from 8am to 4.30pm, every 15-20 minutes. Duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes
• Departure from 8.35am to 4.45pm, every 15-20 minutes. Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Departure from 8.50 am to 6.35 pm, every 45 minutes. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Departure from 8.45am to 6.20pm, every 8.30pm. Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Map london river thames tours city cruises

The City Cruises of London is a regular river hop on hop off shuttle service transporting passengers on the Thames to visit London.

A boat trip on the Thames is an original way to discover the city of London and some of its most beautiful monuments (Big Ben, the Houses of Parliaments, the London Eye, the Tate Modem, Shakespeare's Globe, Millennium Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, the City Towers, Tower of London, The Shard, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf Towers).

City Cruises offers an open top deck boat cruise, with audio guides in several languages. City Cruises tickets for London are valid for up to six months from the date of purchase. City Cruises tickets are Hop-on Hop-off, allowing you to hop on and off the boat all day at any City Cruises pier.

City Cruises ships depart from four main docks on the Thames:

• Westminter Pier: Victoria Embankment (Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, Horses Guards Parade);
• Waterloo Pier: Jubilee Gardens (London Eye, Shrek's Adventures London, Sea Life Aquarium London);
• Tower Pier: Lower Thames Street (Tower of London, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge and The Shard);
• Greenwich Pier: King William Walk (Cutty Sark, Greenwich Foot Tunnel, Royal Observatory of Greenwich.

RELATED LINKS

On this page, london transport maps, public transport london, fares & payments, london airport transfers, cruise port transfers, travel to / from london, most popular tours.

• 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

London tourist maps and public transport maps

Including street maps and links to official transport maps.

In London an organisation called TfL (Transport for London) coordinate all public transport. One of the aspects of this duty is releasing the official maps and it is these that should be consulted.

When you are in London you will be able to pick-up hard copies of the maps at the various information centres. The most popular map by far is the London Underground map which you will find at most underground stations in dispensers in the public areas. These are free.

The home page for public transport maps at TfL contains links to maps to all forms of public transport bus, rail, underground, tram and river services. There are also special maps depicting which underground stations have lifts or connections without stairs.

However, in this electronic age the number of paper format based public transport maps made available gets smaller and smaller. Many offerings now are single route or district maps rather than the universal single maps that dominated just a few years ago.

Fare zones   Tube & rail maps   Bus maps   River maps   Street maps   Stanfords map shop

London Public Transport fare zones

The London public transport system is divided up into zones that radiate from the centre. Nearly all the hotels and the main sights are in Zone 1. Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the furthest zone out is Zone 9. For the majority of visitors you will only travel in the two most central zones 1 and 2.

Some stations like Turnham Green are in two zones, you use whichever zone for these stations is most beneficial in working out your fare.

Finding which zones your journey passes through is a major reason for consulting a map, even if you live in London.

A new addition arrived in summer 2022: the Elizabeth Line. This is the long awaited line linking East and West London, part of the Crossrail Project. Learn more about the Elizabeth Line .

London Underground & rail maps

Underground

The London Underground Map is fairly simple to use. It shows the 11 colour coded Underground lines, and, importantly, which railway stations are in which travel zones. (This will affect the ticket price.)

A separate Night Tube map is available for use on Friday and Saturday nights, on selected lines.

London also has a large commuter railway network, south of the river, the railway is dominant not the Underground. The Tube and Rail map integrates the two networks onto one map and also includes the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) which though not strictly correct can be thought of as part of the London Underground.

Using Oyster and Travelcards on London's rail networks

In the last few years the railway lines have at a slow pace become more integrated with the bus and Underground networks and now on the majority of rail lines in London you can use Oyster and Travelcards to travel as well as being valid on the buses and Underground.

Useful versions of the Tube map

• Maps available in 15 other languages
• A large print tube map
• A map showing tube stations which have either lift, escalators or ramps for accessibility
• A map showing which lines a bicycle can be taken on
• A walking map shows you walking times between stations - sometimes it can be quicker to walk!

London Underground services - more details

Underground map   Tube & rail map   Night tube map

London bus maps

Paper bus maps

Paper bus maps seem to be being phased out. Where you could once pick up one easily from an Underground ticket office, this is no longer the case.

TfL offer two kinds of online bus maps - the simplified tourist bus map and the 'spider' bus maps, covering individual boroughs.

Spider borough bus maps

When considering using a bus map in London you need to bear in mind that TfL now present the bus maps as individual spider bus maps for different boroughs in London. Therefore in order to use them effectively, you need to know the name of the borough your hotel or attraction is in.

Map of key bus routes in central London

In addition to the individual spider bus maps, TfL also offer a simplified tourist bus map, with the routes colour coded (as shown at the top of this page).

This map also displays popular tourists attractions and interchanges with other forms of public transport such as the Underground, Overground and River Services. It is useful as an overview, to be used in consultation with the individual maps.

Night bus service

During the week when the London Underground shuts down, between midnight and 5am, a very good night bus service operates. (Additionally at weekends you can now use a night service on the London Underground - a 24/7 service runs on Friday and Saturday nights only.)

The link below to the spider bus maps will also give you night bus maps for individual boroughs - just type 'night' into the search field.

London bus services - more details

London River Commuter Service

The route of the London Commuter Service is shown on the map (click to show PDF).

Ask most Londoners about the scheduled river boat services on the River Thames and probably they will know little of what you're talking about.

The service is there though and should be hugely attractive to visitors to London.

London river services - more details

Street maps

Step into any bookseller in London and there will be a wide selection of street level maps with all the sights marked clearly.

London is a very walkable city, people are often surprised just how much can be seen and how little buses and underground trains are really needed. Just pick up the one whose layout, weight and size appeals to you.

Online the most popular maps are probably Google Maps. Streetmap.co.uk is another option that is more like a paper map and may be preferred.

Stanfords travel & map shop

For anyone seriously interested in travel and maps, Stanfords is the place to go. Their flagship store devoted to travel books and maps is in Covent Garden, between Leicester Square and Covent Garden Underground stations. If you want a map or travel book you will get the widest choice here backed up by knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Their address is 12-14 Long Acre. Long Acre is the main street that connects Leicester Square (north eastern corner) with Covent Garden.

Stanfords also have an online shop if you want product delivered to your home.

Stanfords travel & map shop website

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Tourist Bus Map London

Overview of Tourist Bus Maps for London

For tourists and visitors to London, understanding the efficient use of public transport is imperative. Tourist bus maps are an essential tool for navigating one of the world’s busiest cities. This article examines the top tourist bus maps of London and provides insight for business professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors looking to make the most out of their London trip.

General Outlines and Information

London’s public transport system is organized around ‘zones’. The fare for public transport within London is based on a set of concentric circles radiating from the center of the city, and all stations belong to one of the zones. London is divided into 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 9 zones which are displayed on the tourist bus maps. By using the zone system, visitors can pay a single fare regardless of the distance traveled by bus.

Popular Tourist Bus Routes

Tourist bus routes in London span the length and breadth of the city, providing convenient access to landmarks, attractions, and events. One of the most popular routes through central London is the number 11 bus, which runs from Jubilee Place to Oxford Circus. Other popular routes include the 14 from Sloane Square to Park Place, the 22 from Battersea to Bromley-by-Bow, and the 73 from Whitechapel to Notting Hill Gate.

Essential Tourist Bus Maps

The most comprehensive and up-to-date tourist bus map of London is the official Transport for London (TfL) map. This map shows the zone boundaries as well as the city’s boroughs and common underground lines. In addition to the TfL map, there are other essential tourist bus maps, including the London A-Z Street Atlas and the National Express London bus route map.

Tourist Bus Map Services

For visitors who are unfamiliar with London’s transport system, there are a number of online and mobile apps which provide essential tourist bus maps. Google Maps offers an easy-to-use interface and provides real-time updates on bus arrivals and departures. Additionally, the Journey Planner app allows visitors to plan their journey from start to finish, including connecting buses and underground lines.

Impact of Covid-19 on Tourist Bus Maps

The spread of Covid-19 has had a significant impact on London’s transport network. In an effort to reduce the risk of spread, the number of buses has been reduced and seat capacity limited. Social distancing measures have also been put in place on buses, with passengers now required to wear face-coverings and sit apart.

Schedule Changes and Service Updates

The rapidly changing pandemic situation has led to numerous schedule and route changes. The Transport for London website provides regular updates on route and timetable changes, and services such as Journey Planner offer real-time information on bus services. Visitors are advised to check the map and official website before traveling to ensure they have the most up-to-date information.

Tourist bus maps are an essential tool for navigating London and can help visitors to make the most out of their trip to the city. Maps of London are available in various formats, from official paper maps to online and mobile apps. It is important to stay up to date with service changes due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to check the latest map and official website before travelling.

Renea Pullin

Renea G. Pullin is a passionate writer and transportation enthusiast who has dedicated her writing career to exploring the fascinating world of buses. With years of research and experience writing about buses and other forms of public transportation, Renea is an expert on the subject. Renea is committed to providing her readers with reliable and accurate information, as well as plenty of interesting fun facts about buses.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

‘Uproar’ as National Express makes controversial change to Pride bus

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A bus company has axed one of its Pride bus routes celebrating LGBT + rights following ‘threats’ to drivers.

Passengers in Birmingham have been able to get on board the rainbow-hued Pride bus since it launched around five years ago.

The bus appeared on the city roads in 2018 to celebrate Pride, decorated with the signature colours of the flag symbolising the LGBTQ+ communities.

But now one of the routes has been suspended following threats targeting staff who are thought to be drivers.

National Express West Midlands said the controversial move was to preserve the ‘safety and wellbeing’ of staff and passengers.

Upset over the Pride bus decision

A source alleged that a number of drivers at the company ‘have been in uproar as it feels like the haters are being allowed to win,’ The Sun reports.

While they accepted that ‘safety comes first,’ the source added they can’t believe ‘anyone would bother having such a problem with the bus livery.’

National Express West Midlands told Metro.co.uk it did so ‘in line with policy’ after it received the ‘specific threats.’

Let give you little tour inside this year Birmingham pride bus #pride #Bus . 🚍😉 pic.twitter.com/DD9dEMFI9E — James Abbott (@James_Abbott7) June 4, 2018

While the company declined to give further details about the nature of the threat, the decision to axe one of the routes was made following a ‘risk assessment.’

A spokesperson said: ‘We proudly serve and celebrate our diverse colleagues, customers and communities across Birmingham and our Pride bus continues to run throughout the West Midlands.

‘In line with policy, if we receive specific threats we carry out a risk assessment and for a period of time we may change scheduling to mitigate a risk.

Check out how our bus and employees got on in the @BirminghamPride 2024 parade 🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/y28DqtC8JR — National Express Careers (@NXCareers) June 11, 2024

‘Our colleagues and customers’ safety and wellbeing is of utmost importance and we do not tolerate abuse or threats of any kind.’

Birmingham Pride celebrated the launch of the bus in 2019 ahead of the parade.

This year, the city held Pride on May 24 and 25, with the bus taking part in the festivities.

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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