Hop On Hop Off London - Open Top Bus Tour

Highlights

The ONLY Hop-on Hop-off bus tour in London with live guides

Unlimited hop-on hop-off fun across London for either 1 day, 24, 48 or 72 hours

See some of London’s most iconic sights and attractions

See Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and many more

Sail on the River Thames with your free river cruise**

Audio guides available on the bus in 12 languages

tastecard (if selected) - enjoy discounts and offers at 1000s of restaurants

Two free guided and three audio-guided walking tours***

Flexible Ticket - amend or cancel up to midnight (UK time), the night before departure

Inclusions

What's Included:

Choose either a 1-day, 24, 48 or 72-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket
tastecard (if selected) - enjoy discounts at 1000s of restaurants
2 free guided and 3 audio-guided walking tours***
Live guide on selected Blue Route departures
One-way river cruise**
Free cancellations and amendments*

What's Excluded:

Entrance to attractions

Please Note:

*Cancel or amend up to midnight (UK time), the night before departure and get a full refund. So no problem if you change your mind.
Duration valid from when you first hop-on the bus. Unlimited usage within your chosen timeframe. Does not include London by Night tour.
Live guides may not be present on all departures
**River cruise to be used between Westminster and Tower Millennium Pier or vice versa. Not applicable with the 1 day or 24-hour without cruise ticket options. Take your cruise within 7 days of the start of your hop-on hop-off bus experience.
Audio Guides in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Hindi, Japanese and Arabic.
Children under 5 years of age travel free.
Each bus has space for one fold-away pushchair and a wheelchair on the lower deck.
Download the free Golden Tours City Guide App to see full bus timings and guide your way around the city.
Stops 20, 22, 24 and 25 near Buckingham Palace are closed temporarily from 10am to 12pm when the Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place. Please use stop 21 or 14, during this time.
The Orange Route operates every 30 minutes.
***Walking tours are not available with a 1-day ticket.

Description

Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
See one of the best cities in the world at your leisure with a famous open top bus tour. Discover iconic London sights, spectacular historic buildings, top London attractions as well as modern architecture by hopping on and off at any of our multiple stops across the capital.

This sightseeing tour will allow you to check out the incredible Tower of London or see the famous Marble Arch monument from the comfort of your seat. Get off at a nearby stop for a stroll through the idyllic Hyde Park. View Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, 10 Downing Street, the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and many more. Your ticket gives you the freedom to explore the city at your own pace.

There is an audio guide on every bus, giving you the unmissable facts and figures about London, as well as some secrets and surprises. A hop-on hop-off tour on an open top bus is the number one way to sightsee in London. You can select either a 1 day, 24, 48 or 72-hour ticket to make the most out of your time in London.

The Routes

The Classic Tour (Blue Route):
Taking you to all the main Central London landmarks, the Classic Tour passes the London Eye, the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods and much more.

The Essential Tour (Red Route):
Explore the centre and north of London. Covering Covent Garden, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Regents Park, London Zoo, Madame Tussauds, Kings Cross, as well as many of the capital’s must-sees.

The Museum Tour (Orange Route):
Spend the day discovering London’s iconic museums such as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A Museum as well as the Royal Albert Hall, Harrods and Buckingham Palace.

Route Map and Timetable

River Thames Boat Ride**
Enjoy an enthralling sightseeing cruise along the heart of London’s River Thames with this one-way boat ride. Choose to depart from Westminster or Tower Millennium Pier and soak in panoramic views of the capital’s most iconic landmarks for a sightseeing experience like no other! Discover fascinating facts as you cruise with live commentary from the captain or audio guide.

River Cruise Route Map and Timetable

Free Walking Tours - worth £30
Embark on the guided Jack the Ripper Walking Tour and/or the Royal London Walking Tour to complete your London sightseeing adventure. Travel back to Victorian London to discover where the notorious Jack the Ripper murders took place. You’ll explore the locations where vital clues were found and play detective in trying to solve this morbid mystery. If crime isn’t your cup of tea, enjoy a majestic 2-hour stroll through the capital uncovering spectacular Royal sites. Learn more from your guide about coronations past and present as well as quirky facts such as where The Queen Mother bought her cigarettes and Queen Elizabeth’s favourite off-licence. Also, discover the hidden gems and iconic landmarks of London with three audio guided tours. Designed for tourists and locals, our self-guided walking tours allow you to immerse yourself in the city’s rich history and culture at your leisure.

tastecard and Coffee Club
Save an average of £25 per meal with a range of great offers from tastecard. Enjoy 2-for-1 meals, 25% off the total bill or 50% off food at 1000s of participating restaurants in London and the UK. Also save 25% on barista-made drinks at a wide range of coffee shops. You can also get 50% off pizza delivery at selected franchises, and cinema deals and days out discounts to attractions such as SEA LIFE, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and more. Valid for one month, tastecard is simple and easy to use. Download the app, choose your membership and browse the offers.

Schedule

Live Guides:
English speaking live guides operate on many of our open top buses. To travel with a live guide for a complete loop, please board the bus at London Eye, Belvedere Road, SE1 7NA on the hour***.

Departure Points:
You can join the tour from any of our multiple stops. Each of our stops will be clearly signposted with the words Golden Tours sitting below the Transport for London bus stop logo. Each bus stop will also display its stop number. Bus stop numbers can be found in the timetable link.

An alternative way to find each bus stop is to use what3words. This will pinpoint a 3 metre square box where you will find each. The words to use can be found here.

Frequency:
Summer + Holidays = Every 20 mins on the Red and Blue routes. Every 30 mins on the Orange route.
Winter = Every 30 mins on the Blue routes. Every 60 mins on the Red and Orange route.

Download our App for next bus timings

Known events or delays that may impact the service: Click here to view the latest service information

Boat Ride: operated by City Cruises.

Boats leave every 30 minutes from:

Westminster Pier, Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2JH
Tower Millennium Pier, Lower Thames St, London EC3N 4DT

The boat cruise is approx 30 minutes in duration, depending on where you disembark.

Jack the Ripper Walking Tour
Start time: 3:30pm daily (Please arrive 15 minutes before departure time)
Finish time: 5pm
Departure Point and Directions: Golden Tours Tourist Bus Stop 8 (Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour). Opposite Tower Hill Station.
Return Location: Near Liverpool Street Underground Station.

Royal Walking Tour
Start time: 10am daily (Please arrive 15 minutes before departure time)
Finish time: 12pm
Departure Point: Tourist Bus Stop outside The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Gate, SW1A 1AA (Nearest underground station: Victoria and Green Park)
Return Point: Westminster Abbey (Nearest underground station: Westminster Station)

***We aim to have a live guide on all of these departures, however this can be subject to change.