London City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Bookable Extras
★ 4.3 · 8 774 reviews
- Hop-on hop-off, 1 to 72 hours
- Optional Thames river cruise
- Hop-on Hop-off
- Free cancellation
London sightseeing bus tour
A London sightseeing bus tour here means open-top, Routemaster, night, ghost or afternoon tea buses, from $17. Of 68 tours compared, our top pick, the hop-on hop-off bus, rates 4.3 on 8,774 reviews. You compare price, length and rating, from Tower tickets to Stonehenge.
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68 tours compared$17
Today's lowest bus tour price across all 68 tours
Average rating
All 68 tours46
152,551 verified reviews across 68 tours
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Shortest to longest60–90min
Shortest: Comedy Horror Ghost Tour
Longest: London by Night
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Sightseeing buses, landmarks and day trips from London UK
68 tours compared, with sightseeing buses from $17; the pills below filter them by type and by price. Day trips from London England run 6.5 hours to a full day, to Stonehenge, Windsor, Bath, Oxford and the Cotswolds. By review count, the best day trips from London are Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath (5,963) and Windsor, Stonehenge and Oxford (5,947).
Bestseller
London: London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
★ 4.4 · 6 768 reviews
- London Eye entry
- Hop-on hop-off bus
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour
★ 4.5 · 6 095 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Big Ben and the London Eye at night
- Harrods and Trafalgar Square
- 90-minute open-top tour
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: Live Guided Sightseeing Tour on Vintage Open-Top Bus
★ 4.6 · 4 372 reviews
- 1.5 hours, 1960s Routemaster, open top
- 90-minute round London tour
- Live guide
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
1 hLondon: Comedy Horror Ghost Tour on a Bus
★ 4.4 · 2 383 reviews
- One hour, Comedy and horror on a bus
- Main sights of the city
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: Afternoon Tea Bus with a Glass of Prosecco
★ 4.4 · 2 124 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Afternoon tea on a double-decker
- Glass of Prosecco
- Mobile voucher accepted
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: Great British Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
★ 4.7 · 1 097 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Afternoon tea on a Routemaster
- Round London sightseeing tour
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
75 minLondon: Vintage Open-Top Bus Night Tour with Live Guide
★ 4.6 · 927 reviews
- 75 minutes, Night tour, illuminated streets
- Vintage open-top bus
- Live guide on board
- Free cancellation
Lowest price here
75 minLondon: Vintage Open-Top Bus Tour with Live Guide
★ 4.7 · 598 reviews
- 75 minutes, Top-deck seating guaranteed
- Live guide on board
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
1.5 hBest of London by Le Grand Bus - London's Luxury Bus Tour
★ 4.6 · 50 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Luxury double-decker bus
- Onboard service
- Gourmet dining options
- Free cancellation
Most reviewed
London: Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Ticket
★ 4.6 · 33 049 reviews
- Tower of London entry
- See the Crown Jewels
- Yeoman Warder insights
- Free cancellation
2.5 hLondon: Madame Tussauds London
★ 4.6 · 24 052 reviews
- 2.5 hours, 150 lifelike celebrity figures
- Immersive experiences
- Entry ticket
- Free cancellation
London: London Eye and Madame Tussauds Combo Ticket
★ 4.7 · 8 233 reviews
- London Eye and Madame Tussauds
- Combo ticket
- Entry ticket
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
11–12 hLondon: Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath, and Roman Baths Day Trip
★ 4.5 · 5 963 reviews
- 11 to 12 hours, Windsor Castle and Stonehenge
- Roman Baths and Bath
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
11 h–1 dayLondon: Full-Day Windsor, Stonehenge, and Oxford Tour
★ 4.4 · 5 947 reviews
- 11 hours to a full day, Windsor, Stonehenge and Oxford
- Full day from London
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
2 hLondon: Buckingham Palace & Changing of the Guard Experience
★ 4.4 · 4 686 reviews
- Two hours, Changing of the Guard experience
- Westminster landmarks
- French or English
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
10.5 hFrom London: Cotswolds and Oxford Guided Day-Trip
★ 4.6 · 4 581 reviews
- 10.5 hours, Cotswold villages
- Oxford university city
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$104
Check availability→ 
6.5 hFrom London: Stonehenge Morning Day Trip with Admission
★ 4.8 · 4 041 reviews
- 6.5 hours, Stonehenge admission included
- Morning tour from London
- Must book at least 1h in advance
- Free cancellation
3–4 hLondon: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Buckingham Guided Tour
★ 4.8 · 4 000 reviews
- 3 to 4 hours, Westminster Abbey guided tour option
- Big Ben and Buckingham
- Must book at least 1h in advance
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames
★ 4.4 · 3 960 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Afternoon tea on the Thames
- Sandwiches and cakes
- Must book at least 5h in advance
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
3 hLondon: Dinner Cruise on the River Thames
★ 4.3 · 2 526 reviews
- Three hours, 3-course meal on the Thames
- Live performance and dancing
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
2 hLondon: Great British Rock & Roll Landmarks Walking Tour
★ 5.0 · 2 345 reviews
- Two hours, Studios of Bowie, Queen, Hendrix
- Where The Stones began
- Must book at least 30min in advance
- Free cancellation
7 hFrom London: Stonehenge Half-Day Tour
★ 4.3 · 1 703 reviews
- Seven hours, Express bus transfer to Stonehenge
- Audio-guide tour of the stones
- Mobile voucher accepted
- Free cancellation
3–4 hLondon: Easy Access Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour
★ 4.7 · 1 675 reviews
- 3 to 4 hours, Guided timed-access Tower tour
- Crown Jewels exhibit
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$118
Check availability→ 
2 hLondon: 2h British Museum Guided Tour with Priority Entrance
★ 4.9 · 1 638 reviews
- Two hours, Priority entrance
- Ancient Egypt and Greece galleries
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
1.5 hLondon: Canal Boat Ride on Camden Lock
★ 4.6 · 1 322 reviews
- 1.5 hours, Through Hampstead Road Lock
- Past London Zoo and Camden Market
- Live commentary
- Free cancellation
5 hLondon: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey & Big Ben Tour
★ 4.8 · 1 288 reviews
- Five hours, Westminster Abbey pre-booked entry
- Buckingham Palace and Big Ben
- Must book at least 5min in advance
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
10.5 hLondon: Canterbury Cathedral, Dover Castle, and White Cliffs
★ 4.6 · 1 182 reviews
- 10.5 hours, Canterbury Cathedral
- Dover Castle and White Cliffs
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$145
Check availability→ 
3.5 hLondon: Tower of London Opening Ceremony & Tower Bridge Tour
★ 4.8 · 943 reviews
- 3.5 hours, Tower opening ceremony
- Tower Bridge Experience after
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$197
Check availability→ 
10 hFrom London: 7 Unmissable Cotswolds Stops Small Group Tour
★ 4.8 · 770 reviews
- Ten hours, Seven Cotswolds stops
- From London Paddington
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
Bestseller
10 hLondon: Downton Abbey Tour with Highclere, Bampton & Oxford
★ 4.7 · 675 reviews
- Ten hours, Highclere Castle tour
- Bampton village and Oxford
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$205
Check availability→ 
3 hLondon: Borough Market Food Tour with 6+ Authentic Tastings
★ 4.8 · 619 reviews
- Three hours, 6 classic British dishes
- Borough Market and London Bridge
- A drink and dessert
- Free cancellation
$122
Check availability→ 
11 hFrom London: Stonehenge Inner Circle and Windsor Day Trip
★ 4.9 · 443 reviews
- 11 hours, Stonehenge Inner Circle access
- Windsor town or castle
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$250
Check availability→ 
10.5 hFrom London:Shakespeare's Stratford & Cotswolds Day Tour
★ 4.8 · 428 reviews
- 10.5 hours, Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon
- Cotswolds highlights
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$105
Check availability→ 
2–4 hLondon: Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea & Guided Walk
★ 4.6 · 371 reviews
- 2 to 4 hours, Kensington Palace Garden walk
- Afternoon tea
- Private option available
- Free cancellation
$125
Check availability→ 
Bestseller
9 hDownton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London
★ 4.8 · 333 reviews
- Nine hours, TV-series filming locations
- Small group, full day
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$244
Check availability→ 
3–4 hLondon: Sightseeing Black Cab Tour with Hotel Pickup
★ 5.0 · 318 reviews
- 3 to 4 hours, Modern black cab with hotel pickup
- Up to 50 top sights
- Must book at least 8h in advance
- Free cancellation
$420
Check availability→ 
3 hLondon's Best Bites: Soho & Chinatown Food Walking Tour
★ 4.7 · 261 reviews
- Three hours, Soho and Chinatown food tour
- Pre-booked tables, set menu
- Must book at least 1h in advance
- Free cancellation
12 hFrom London: Stonehenge Private Inner Circle Tour with Bath
★ 4.8 · 228 reviews
- Twelve hours, Stonehenge at sunrise or sunset
- Private tour with Bath
- Departs from London
- Free cancellation
$218
Check availability→ 
3 hObi's African & Caribbean Food Tour in Brixton
★ 4.9 · 187 reviews
- Three hours, African and Caribbean food
- Multicultural Brixton
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$119
Check availability→ 
11 hFrom London: Small Group Stonehenge, Bath & Cotswolds Tour
★ 4.9 · 184 reviews
- 11 hours, Stonehenge, Bath and Castle Combe
- Small group
- Must book at least 9h in advance
- Free cancellation
$203
Check availability→ 
11.5 hLondon: Small Group Stonehenge and Bath Tour & Secret Site
★ 4.9 · 174 reviews
- 11.5 hours, Stonehenge and Bath
- A secret site
- Small group
- Free cancellation
$203
Check availability→ 
9 hLondon: Full Day Tower, St. Paul's, Cruise & Eye Experience
★ 4.6 · 173 reviews
- Nine hours, Tower, St. Paul's, Thames cruise
- London Eye flight
- Changing of the guard
- Free cancellation
$218
Check availability→ 
3 hLondon: Private Gold Classic Tour by Bike or eBike
★ 4.8 · 106 reviews
- Three hours, Private bike or eBike
- Child-friendly, tailored route
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$350
Check availability→ 
2.5 hLondon: British Museum Private Guided Tour with Tickets
★ 4.9 · 102 reviews
- 2.5 hours, Rosetta stone, Parthenon Marbles
- Tickets included, private
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$330
Check availability→ 
1.5 hTower of London After Hours with Beefeater & Keys Ceremony
★ 4.9 · 79 reviews
- 1.5 hours, After-hours with a Yeoman Warder
- Ceremony of the Keys
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$210
Check availability→ 
3–4 hLondon: Rock N Roll Beatles Private Black Cab Tour
★ 5.0 · 78 reviews
- 3 to 4 hours, Abbey Road Studios
- Homes of Hendrix and Freddie Mercury
- Private black cab
- Free cancellation
$420
Check availability→ 
1.5–2 hLondon: British Museum Family-Friendly Private Guided Tour
★ 4.3 · 74 reviews
- 1.5 to 2 hours, Private family-friendly guide
- British Museum highlights
- Private group
- Free cancellation
$390
Check availability→ 
3–8 hLondon: Private Iconic London Taxi Tour Tailored to You
★ 5.0 · 67 reviews
- 3 to 8 hours, Qualified Taxi Guide
- Electric black cab, glass roof
- Tailored itinerary
- Free cancellation
$409
Check availability→ 
Bestseller
1 dayFrom London: Lake District Tour with Cream Tea & Cruise
★ 4.4 · 64 reviews
- A full day, Lake District day trip
- Cream tea and cruise
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$461
Check availability→ 
10 hLondon: Oxford Tour with Christ Church & Bodleian Library
★ 4.7 · 61 reviews
- Ten hours, Christ Church and Bodleian Library
- Student guide
- Must book at least 15min in advance
- Free cancellation
$198
Check availability→ 
3 hLondon: Beatles Black Taxi Tour of Over 30 Sites
★ 4.8 · 41 reviews
- Three hours, Over 30 Beatles sites
- Abbey Road and Trident Studios
- Private tour
- Free cancellation
$423
Check availability→ 
5 hLondon: 5-Hour Private Tour with Pickup
★ 4.9 · 41 reviews
- Five hours, Private tour with pickup
- 5 hours of sights
- Must book at least 4h in advance
- Free cancellation
$543
Check availability→ 
3–8 hLondon Highlights Taxi Tour
★ 4.9 · 38 reviews
- 3 to 8 hours, Taxi driver as your guide
- Iconic historical buildings
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$526
Check availability→ 
4 hLondon: Beatles Magical Tour by Black Cab
★ 5.0 · 37 reviews
- Four hours, Beatles sites by black cab
- Where they lived and played
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$659
Check availability→ 
4 hRock ‘n Roll London Tour By London Taxi
★ 5.0 · 37 reviews
- Four hours, Rolling Stones, Hendrix, Queen
- Tin Pan Alley
- By London cab
- Free cancellation
$659
Check availability→ 
9.5 hLondon: Tower, Cruise, & Harrods Tea Full-Day Experience
★ 4.5 · 35 reviews
- 9.5 hours, Tower of London entry
- Cream tea at Harrods
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Free cancellation
$222
Check availability→ 
2 hLondon: Private Tour in a 1950s Vintage Rolls Royce
★ 5.0 · 34 reviews
- Two hours, Restored 1950s Rolls-Royce
- Iconic sights, 2 hours
- Must book at least 2h in advance
- Free cancellation
$475
Check availability→ 
3.5 hHampton Court Palace: River Thames Bike Tour on Leafy Paths
★ 5.0 · 28 reviews
- 3.5 hours, Hampton Court Palace by bike
- Leafy Thames paths
- Picnic in a royal park
- Free cancellation
$396
Check availability→ 
Bestseller
3 hLondon: Private Beatles Taxi Tour with Abbey Road Photo Stop
★ 4.9 · 27 reviews
- Three hours, Abbey Road photo stop
- Private black cab
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$350
Check availability→ 
4 hLondon: Custom 4-Hour Private Tour by Panoramic Black Cab
★ 5.0 · 27 reviews
- Four hours, Panoramic black cab
- Professional driver guide
- 4 hours, custom
- Free cancellation
$527
Check availability→ 
8 hLondon Full-Day Tour by Black Cab
★ 5.0 · 21 reviews
- Eight hours, Tower, Buckingham, St Paul's
- 8-hour black cab tour
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$923
Check availability→ 
3 hVictoria and Albert Museum London Private Guided Tour 3 hour
★ 5.0 · 19 reviews
- Three hours, Victoria and Albert Museum
- Private 3-hour tour
- Must book at least 4h in advance
- Free cancellation
$262
Check availability→ 
10 hFrom London: Private Day Trip to 4 Cotswolds Villages
★ 4.9 · 15 reviews
- Ten hours, Burford, Stow, Bourton-on-the-Water
- Private driver-guide
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$1,038
Check availability→ 
2 hLondon: 2 hour private luxury Thames boat cruise / hire
★ 4.7 · 10 reviews
- Two hours, Private luxury motor boat
- Dedicated crew
- Must book at least 2 days in advance
- Free cancellation
$1,968
Check availability→ 
8 hFrom London: Cotswolds Villages Guided Day Tour
★ 4.7 · 9 reviews
- Eight hours, Cotswold villages
- Shops, pubs and tea rooms
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$1,519
Check availability→ 
2 hLondon: Private Kid-Friendly Tour of the British Museum
★ 5.0 · 8 reviews
- Two hours, Blue Badge guide for kids
- Find 8 clues
- Must book at least 10h in advance
- Free cancellation
$548
Check availability→ 
8.5 hLondon In One Day Private tour with separate Tour Guide
★ 4.9 · 7 reviews
- 8.5 hours, Westminster Abbey, Changing of the Guard
- St. Paul's and the Tower
- Private guide
- Free cancellation
$1,056
Check availability→ Still deciding?
Which of the 68 is yours?
Most first days start with one of four of the 68: the hop-on hop-off bus, 90 minutes on a 1960s Routemaster, the city lit up after dark, or the Crown Jewels. Pick one to see its listing.
See it before you pay for it
What the bus, the night ride and the Tower look like
These frames come from the listings themselves: the top deck under Tower Bridge, a red Routemaster, the open top at dusk, and a lane inside the Tower walls.
Under Tower Bridge
A selfie on the open top deck, a bridge tower overhead.
A 1960s Routemaster
Red paint, an open top and a statue on the corner.
The open top at dusk
Phones up as the street lamps and stone fronts light up.
Inside the Tower walls
A cobbled lane between old stone walls and a timber-framed house.
Side by side
Three bus tours with the most reviews
Leaving aside the London Eye and river cruise combo, the most reviewed bus tours are the hop-on hop-off pass, the night open-top tour and the live-guided Routemaster tour. Two run 90 minutes and the pass is valid 1 to 72 hours; even quick day trips from London take longer, with the Stonehenge morning trip at 6.5 hours.
Swipe the table sideways →
| London: London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour | TOP PICKLondon City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Bookable Extras | London: Live Guided Sightseeing Tour on Vintage Open-Top Bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price on the listing | $33 | $33 | $27 |
| How long | 1.5 hours | Pass, 1–72 h | 1.5 hours |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Reviews | 6,095 | 8,774 | 4,372 |
| Guide | Not in the listing | Not in the listing | Live guide |
| Open top | Yes | Not in the listing | Yes |
| The bus | Not in the listing | Hop-on hop-off | 1960s Routemaster |
| The listing mentions | Big Ben, Harrods, London Eye, Trafalgar Square | Optional Thames river cruise | Round London tour |
| Check dates | Book this one→ | Check dates |
TOP PICK
London City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Bookable Extras
$33- How long
- Pass, 1–72 h
- Rating
- 4.3
- Reviews
- 8,774
- Guide
- Not in the listing
- Open top
- Not in the listing
- The bus
- Hop-on hop-off
- The listing mentions
- Optional Thames river cruise
Free cancellation · Reserve now, pay later
London: London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour
$33- How long
- 1.5 hours
- Rating
- 4.5
- Reviews
- 6,095
- Guide
- Not in the listing
- Open top
- Yes
- The bus
- Not in the listing
- The listing mentions
- Big Ben, Harrods, London Eye, Trafalgar Square
London: Live Guided Sightseeing Tour on Vintage Open-Top Bus
$27- How long
- 1.5 hours
- Rating
- 4.6
- Reviews
- 4,372
- Guide
- Live guide
- Open top
- Yes
- The bus
- 1960s Routemaster
- The listing mentions
- Round London tour
Verdict
Start with the hop-on hop-off pass
Of the 10 sightseeing bus tours here, the hop-on hop-off pass has the most reviews: 8,774, rated 4.3. For $33 it is valid for one day, 24, 48 or 72 hours, and multi-day passes add an optional Thames river cruise. If a live guide matters more, the vintage open-top tour with one costs $17 and is rated 4.7.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
The hop-on hop-off pass has no tour length
The hop-on hop-off listing gives no tour length: one day, 24, 48 or 72 hours is how long the ticket stays valid, not a ride time. It names no route, stops or bus frequency, so check those on the listing before you pay. The night tour and the Routemaster tour list 90 minutes instead, and both vintage tours with a live guide list 75.
Two-minute check
Which kind of London day suits you?
Answer three questions and get one listing with its price and length. Some private listings do not say if the price is per person or per group, so check that line.
How much time have you got?Bus tours here run 60 to 90 minutes; trips out start at 6.5 hours
Who is coming with you?15 of the 68 listings say private in the name
What kind of day?Each answer opens one listing, with its price and length
Answer the three questions above
You’ll get the one that fits your answers, and the thing about it that catches people out.
Six ways to spend the day
152,551 reviews across 68 listings
London six ways. Each card counts the listings of that kind on this page and gives the lowest price among them.
4.57
★★★★★
Based on 152,551
verified reviews
5 ★72%
4 ★18%
3 ★6%
2 ★3%
1 ★1%
All 68 listings on this page, rated by the people who booked them.
Read the top pick’s reviews→🚌
Sightseeing buses
From $17 · 10 tours
★★★★☆
Open top, vintage, after dark or with tea
The most-reviewed is the hop-on hop-off ticket, valid for a day or up to 72 hours, rated 4.3 across 8,774 reviews. The lowest price here, $17, buys 75 minutes on a vintage open-top bus with a live guide and a top-deck seat.
🚶
Walking tours
From $25 · 6 tours
★★★★★
Westminster and the palace on foot
Two hours on foot through Westminster with a guide, in French or English, rated 4.4 across 4,686 reviews. The Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham walk runs 3 to 4 hours, with a guided Abbey visit or solo entry for an organ recital.
🚣
On the water
From $30 · 4 tours
★★★★☆
The Thames and the Camden canal
A 1.5-hour boat ride through Hampstead Road Lock, past London Zoo and Camden Market, with live commentary, rated 4.6 across 1,322 reviews. On the Thames, afternoon tea runs 1.5 hours with sandwiches and cakes; the dinner cruise is 3 hours with a 3-course meal.
🏛
Sights with a ticket
From $36 · 5 tours
★★★★★
The Crown Jewels and the British Museum
The ticket to the Tower and the Crown Jewels has the most reviews on this page, 33,049, rated 4.6; its description names the Yeoman Warders and the ravens. The two-hour British Museum tour has priority entrance, rated 4.9 across 1,638 reviews.
🚕
Black cabs and vintage cars
From $350 · 11 tours
★★★★★
A taxi guide or a 1950s Rolls-Royce
Three to four hours in a modern black cab with hotel pickup and up to 50 sights, rated 5 across 318 reviews. A 1950s vintage Rolls-Royce takes two hours. Check on the listing whether the price is per person or per group.
🏰
Out of the city
From $86 · 18 tours
★★★★★
One day trips from London
Stonehenge with admission in 6.5 hours, rated 4.8 across 4,041 reviews. The 11 to 12-hour day adds Windsor Castle, Bath and the Roman Baths, rated 4.5 across 5,963 reviews.
What it really costs
What each price band buys in London
Under $50 buys 6 of the 10 sightseeing buses and Westminster walks. Cheap day trips from London start at $86: a bus to Stonehenge and an audio-guide tour of the stones. The lowest price is $17; a private Thames boat reaches $1,968.
Swipe sideways →
| Price band | Listings | Lowest | What that buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50 | 12 listings | $17 | Open-top and vintage buses, night rides, Westminster walks, a Camden canal boat |
| $50 to $100 | 15 listings | $50 | The Crown Jewels, tea on a bus, Thames cruises, Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath |
| $100 to $200 | 9 listings | $104 | The Cotswolds and Oxford, Canterbury and Dover, food tours, the Tower opening ceremony |
| $200 to $300 | 10 listings | $203 | The Stonehenge inner circle, Highclere Castle, the Tower after hours, full-day city tours |
| $300 to $500 | 11 listings | $330 | Private black cabs, a 1950s Rolls-Royce, private museum guides, the Lake District |
| $500 and up | 11 listings | $526 | Full-day black cabs, private Cotswolds days, a private luxury Thames boat |
Costs the listing doesn't show you
- Per person or per group. The black cab, Rolls-Royce and other private listings do not say which; check that line on the listing before you compare prices.
- A ticket, not a tour length. The hop-on hop-off listing gives a validity of one day, 24, 48 or 72 hours; the optional river cruise comes with the multi-day passes.
- Buckingham Palace. No listing here sells the State Rooms; the palace tours are walks outside it and through Westminster.
- The London Eye. It comes only in combos here: with a river cruise and the hop-on bus, or with the celebrity museum.
What is genuinely included
- A glass of Prosecco with sweet and savoury treats on the afternoon tea bus, from $65
- Admission to Stonehenge on the 6.5-hour morning trip, from $87
- A 3-course meal, live performance and dancing on the Thames dinner cruise, from $91
- Priority entrance on the two-hour British Museum guided tour, from $36
- Hotel pickup on the black cab sightseeing tour, from $420
- Six British dishes, a drink and dessert on the Borough Market food tour
The honest answer
Is a sightseeing bus in London worth it?
For a first day, usually yes. The most-reviewed bus here is the hop-on hop-off ticket from $33, rated 4.3 across 8,774 reviews. The lowest price, $17, buys 75 minutes on a vintage open-top bus with a live guide.
What makes it worth it
- Big Ben, Harrods, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square lit up in 90 minutes, from $33
- A live guide on a 1960s Routemaster converted to open top, 90 minutes, from $27
- One hop-on hop-off ticket valid from one day up to 72 hours, from $33
- Afternoon tea on a vintage Routemaster, rated 4.7 across 1,097 reviews
- Easy day trips from London: Stonehenge with admission in 6.5 hours, from $87
Keep in mind
- Hop-on hop-off listings give a ticket validity, not a tour length or a route
- 6 listings have fewer than 20 reviews, so read their score next to that count
- Several private listings do not say whether the price is per person or per group
- 4 listings give no duration at all; check the time on the listing itself
- Trips out of the city here run from 6.5 hours to a full day, so plan nothing else
Hour by hour
One day in London, start to finish
Book each part as its own listing
The bus, the Tower and the evening are separate listings, each with its own time. On private listings, check whether the price is per person or per group.
Hop on the bus
A hop-on hop-off ticket valid for one day, or for 24, 48 or 72 hours, from $33 and rated 4.3 across 8,774 reviews.
A live guide on a Routemaster
90 minutes on a 1960s Routemaster converted to open top, with a live guide, from $27.
The Tower and the Crown Jewels
A ticket to the Tower and the Crown Jewels exhibition, from $50; the description names the Yeoman Warders and the ravens.
Tea on the bus
Afternoon tea on a vintage Routemaster while it tours the sights, 1.5 hours, from $62 and rated 4.7 across 1,097 reviews.
Afternoon tea on the Thames
1.5 hours on the river with a pot of tea, sandwiches and cakes, from $65.
The city lit up
90 minutes on an open-top bus past Big Ben, Harrods, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square at night, from $33.
A comedy horror bus
An hour of ghost stories and comedy on a bus past the main sights, from $28 and rated 4.4 across 2,383 reviews.
Best time of day
After dark is the time most often named
Most listings give a length, not an hour. Four are built around the evening: the night open-top bus ($33, 6,095 reviews) and the vintage night bus with a live guide ($30, 927 reviews) through the lit streets, the Thames dinner cruise past illuminated landmarks ($91, 3 hours), and the Tower after hours with a Yeoman Warder ($210).
On the ground
What London looks like from these tours
Past Westminster
The open top deck on the bridge, with Big Ben ahead.
Afternoon tea
Scones, little cakes and sandwiches on a stand, glasses raised.
Westminster after dark
Big Ben and Parliament lit up, seen from across the water.
Stonehenge
The standing stones on open grass, a day out of town.
Planning a day
A bus, a big sight, an evening: how a day fits
Sixty-eight tours look like sixty-eight choices, but the ten sightseeing buses are the easy place to start. Where the listing gives a length, they run one hour to 90 minutes, and they cost $17 to $73. Around them sit tickets, walks, river cruises, private cabs and trips out of the city, so a day here is built from one bus, one sight and one evening.
The morning can start on the hop-on hop-off bus with the most reviews of the ten: $33, 8,774 reviews at 4.3, with a ticket valid for 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours. The lowest price here is the vintage open-top tour with a live guide, $17 for 75 minutes (598 reviews). The live guided tour on a 1960s Routemaster is $27 for 1.5 hours.
The middle of the day suits one big sight. The Tower of London and Crown Jewels ticket is $50, with 33,049 reviews, the most on this site; the listing gives no length. The guided walk past Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace runs 3–4 hours for $39, and the 2-hour British Museum tour with priority entrance is $36.
The afternoon can go back on a bus, this time with tea. The afternoon tea bus with a glass of Prosecco is $65 for 1.5 hours; the Routemaster tea tour is $62. On the water, the Thames afternoon tea cruise is $65, and the canal boat at Camden Lock is $30 for 1.5 hours with live commentary.
After dark the buses run again. The night open-top tour passes Big Ben, Harrods, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square in 90 minutes for $33 (6,095 reviews); the vintage night tour with a live guide is $30 for 75 minutes, and the comedy horror tour on a bus $28 for 1 hour. The Thames dinner cruise is $91 for 3 hours, and the Tower after hours with the Keys Ceremony is $210.
A second day can leave the city. Of the day coach trips from London, two listings say they travel by bus: the Stonehenge half-day tour, 7 hours for $86 with an audio guide, and Canterbury with Dover Castle and the White Cliffs, 10.5 hours for $145. Above $300, five of the 22 tours have fewer than 20 reviews, so read the count beside each rating.
Off the bus
The ticket, walk and day trip with the most reviews
Our top pick is a bus. Off the bus, these three lead their kind by reviews: the Tower and Crown Jewels ticket, the Changing of the Guard walk and the Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath day.
Entry ticket
London: Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Ticket
★ 4.6 (33 049)
$50See dates Walking tour
London: Buckingham Palace & Changing of the Guard Experience
2 hours · ★ 4.4 (4 686)
$25See dates Day trip
London: Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath, and Roman Baths Day Trip
11–12 hours · ★ 4.5 (5 963)
$94See datesPractical
Plan by the time you have
Every figure below is the listing’s own length and price. Pick the tab that matches your time. The last tab leaves the city: the half day trips from London run 6.5 to 7 hours, the longest 11 to 12.
Vintage bus, live guide
75 minutes on the open top with a live guide. $17, the lowest price here, 4.7 on 598 reviews.
A 1960s Routemaster
1.5 hours, guided, on a Routemaster converted to open top. $27, 4.6 on 4,372 reviews.
Comedy horror on a bus
1 hour of the main sights with darker stories. $28, 2,383 reviews.
Tea on a double-decker
1.5 hours of sights with sweet and savoury treats and a glass of Prosecco. $65.
Canal boat at Camden
1.5 hours past Regent’s Park with live commentary. $30, 1,322 reviews.
British Museum, guided
2 hours with priority entrance. $36, 4.9 on 1,638 reviews.
Westminster on foot
3–4 hours past Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. $39, 4,000 reviews.
The Tower with a guide
3–4 hours, a guided timed-access visit ending at the Crown Jewels. $118, 1,675 reviews.
The opening ceremony
3.5 hours: into the Tower before anyone else, then the Tower Bridge Experience. $197.
Borough Market
3 hours, six classic British dishes, a drink and dessert. $122, 619 reviews.
Soho and Chinatown
3 hours of food with pre-booked tables and a set menu. $99.
Black cab with pickup
3–4 hours in a black cab, up to 50 sights, hotel pickup. $420, 318 reviews.
Bus, Eye and river
The hop-on hop-off bus, the London Eye and a Thames cruise in one combo. $73, 6,768 reviews; no length given.
The bus all day
The hop-on hop-off ticket at $33 is valid for 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours.
Tower to the Eye
9 hours by motor coach: the Tower, St Paul’s, a cruise, then the London Eye. $218, 173 reviews.
Tower, river, cream tea
9.5 hours with the Tower, a Thames cruise and cream tea at Harrods. $222, 35 reviews.
A black cab all day
8 hours by taxi past the Tower and Buckingham Palace. $923, 21 reviews.
Private, with a guide
8.5 hours: Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s and the Tower. $1,056, 7 reviews only.
Stonehenge by morning
6.5 hours with admission to the stone circle. $87, 4.8 on 4,041 reviews.
Stonehenge, half-day
7 hours by bus, with an audio guide at the stones. $86, 1,703 reviews.
Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath
11–12 hours, the Roman Baths included in the name. $94, 5,963 reviews.
Cotswolds and Oxford
10.5 hours, guided, villages then the university city. $104, 4,581 reviews.
Canterbury and Dover
10.5 hours by bus: the cathedral, Dover Castle and the White Cliffs. $145, 1,182 reviews.
Inside the stone circle
11 hours: the Inner Circle at Stonehenge, then Windsor. $250, 4.9 on 443 reviews.
By budget
No seasons in the listings, so choose by budget
The listings give no dates or seasons. What each of the 68 does give is a price, so here they are in four bands; the bars rank the bands by reviews.
Under $50
Six of the ten buses, plus walks
12 tours with 61,192 reviews between them: the open-top buses from $17, the night bus, the comedy horror bus, the canal boat and the 2-hour British Museum tour.
$50 – $100
Tea buses, the Tower, Stonehenge
15 tours, 77,780 reviews: the Tower and Crown Jewels ticket ($50), the bus, Eye and cruise combo ($73), the tea buses, the dinner cruise and Stonehenge from $86.
$100 – $300
Tower ceremonies, longer days out
19 tours: the guided Tower ($118), the opening ceremony ($197), the Tower after hours ($210), the Cotswolds and Oxford ($104) and the Stonehenge inner circle ($250).
$300 and up
Private cabs and boats, thinly reviewed
22 tours: black cabs from $350, a 1950s Rolls-Royce ($475) and a private Thames boat at $1,968. Five have fewer than 20 reviews.
Worth knowing
Six things the listings do say
01
The hop-on ticket is a pass, not a length. The $33 ticket is valid for 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours, and the multi-day passes add an optional Thames river cruise. The listing gives no route or stop list.
02
One listing guarantees the top deck. The vintage open-top tour with a live guide ($17, 75 minutes) says “guaranteed top-deck seating”. No other bus listing mentions where you sit.
03
A live guide is named on three buses. The day tour at $17, the 1960s Routemaster tour at $27 and the vintage night tour at $30. The other bus listings do not say whether the commentary is live.
04
One Routemaster is from the 1960s. The live guided tour ($27, 4,372 reviews) runs on a 1960s Routemaster converted to open top. The tea tour at $62 also uses a vintage Routemaster.
05
The Keys Ceremony is in one title. The Tower after hours ($210, 1.5 hours) is an evening tour with a Yeoman Warder; 79 reviews so far.
06
Stonehenge admission is named once. Eight Stonehenge listings here; the morning trip ($87, 6.5 hours) is the one whose title says admission is included.
Round out the trip
Two hours or less: canal, museum, music
Go deeper
More on London, one kind of tour at a time
Common questions
What people ask before booking in London
How much does a London sightseeing bus tour cost?
The 10 bus tours run from $17, the vintage open-top tour with a live guide, to $73 for the combo with the London Eye and a river cruise. Six of the ten cost under $50. The hop-on hop-off bus with the most reviews is $33; the afternoon tea buses are $62 and $65.
How long is a hop-on hop-off ticket valid?
The ticket at $33 is valid for 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours, and the multi-day passes add an optional Thames river cruise. The listing gives no route, stop list or bus frequency, so check those on the listing before you book.
Can you see London from a bus at night?
Yes. The night open-top tour is $33 for 90 minutes past Big Ben, Harrods, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square (6,095 reviews). The vintage night tour with a live guide is $30 for 75 minutes, and the comedy horror tour on a bus is $28 for 1 hour.
Do any of these tours go inside Buckingham Palace?
No listing here sells entry to the palace State Rooms. The Changing of the Guard walk is $25 for 2 hours, and the walk to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben is $81 for 5 hours; its listing names pre-booked entry to the Abbey, not the palace.
Can you book the London Eye on its own here?
Not on its own. It comes in combos: with the hop-on hop-off bus and a river cruise ($73, 6,768 reviews), with the celebrity museum ($65, 8,233 reviews), or at the end of the 9-hour Tower and St Paul’s day ($218).
Which day trips to Bath from London are listed?
Four. Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath and the Roman Baths is $94 for 11–12 hours (5,963 reviews). Two small-group days pair Stonehenge and Bath at $203: one adds Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, one a secret site. The private inner circle tour with Bath is $218 for 12 hours.
Where can you have afternoon tea on a tour?
On a bus: with a glass of Prosecco for $65 (1.5 hours), or on a vintage Routemaster for $62 (1.5 hours). On the Thames, the tea cruise is $65 for 1.5 hours, with sandwiches and cakes. A guided walk in the Kensington Palace garden ends with tea ($125).
Can you see the Keys Ceremony at the Tower?
One listing names it: the Tower after hours, an evening tour with a Yeoman Warder, $210 for 1.5 hours and 79 reviews. The opening ceremony tour ($197, 3.5 hours) enters the Tower before anyone else. The plain ticket with the Crown Jewels is $50.
No account needed
London in two days, planned from the live prices
One PDF: which bus and which tours fit a two-day stay at each budget, in what order, with each listing’s own length and price.
- Two-day plans at four budgets, starting with the open-top bus at $17
- Which bus listings name a live guide, a Routemaster or afternoon tea
- Trips out of the city side by side: hours, stops and what is included
- The four evening tours and what each one covers
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Why trust this page
How we put this together
Checked, not guessed
Prices, ratings, review counts and durations are read from the live listings, and so is every inclusion we mention. If a listing does not say it, this page does not either.
How the 68 are chosen
Sixty-eight tours of London across six price bands, from under $50 to over $500. Nobody pays to be featured, and we earn a commission when you book.
Ratings come with their counts
Six of the 68 tours have fewer than 20 reviews. We print the count beside every rating, because 5.0 on eight reviews is not 4.3 on 8,774.
Why the hop-on bus leads
The hop-on hop-off bus is our top pick because it has the most reviews of the sightseeing bus tours compared here, and for no other reason.
The answer
Start with the hop-on bus, then build the day
Book the hop-on hop-off bus first: $33 for a ticket valid 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours, 8,774 reviews at 4.3, with an optional Thames cruise on the multi-day passes. To spend less, the vintage open-top tour with a live guide costs $17 for 75 minutes. Then add one big sight and an evening.
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