Newcastle Gateshead Toon Bus Tour

Located on the River Tyne’s northern bank, the city of Newcastle is bursting with famous attractions, museums, nightlife, and industrial heritage. 

The open top bus Toon Tour takes you around 17 major sights around the city centre such as St James’ Park, home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. and famous alumni Alan Shearer and Sir Bobby Robson.

Ride along Newcastle Gateshead Quayside, home to seven famous bridges including the iconic Tyne Bridge and Millennium Bridge — the world’s only tilting bridge. Opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2002, the magnificent arch is made from 850 tonnes of steel, enough to make 64 double decker buses, and takes just 4 minutes to open for passing ships. 

Other stops along Quayside are Sage Gateshead, where you can make music and listen to live performances, see the latest exhibitions at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and visit an independent container community, By The River Brew Co, for a bite to eat and craft beer. 

Hop off at Ouseburn to explore Newcastle’s cultural quarter. Here, you can visit a community-run farm, an underground wagonway once used to transport coal and some of Newcastle’s best pubs and breweries. Housed in a former Victorian warehouse, you’ll also find the Biscuit Factory, the UK’s largest independent art, craft and design gallery.

Stop off at the popular Great North Museum: Hancock, where you can discover archaeological finds from Hadrian’s Wall, see Grey’s Monument, a Grade I listed Roman Doric column standing 134 ft high built to commemorate British Prime Minister Earl Grey and the medieval Newcastle Castle, from which the city gained its name.

Enjoy impressive views from the open top bus and simply hop-on and off at your own leisure when you spot something you’d like to explore further. 

View the Route Map