The Best Bus Tours in London
London Bus Tours are the quickest way to see London, (although whether or not that’s a good thing is another question)!
It will help you get a good idea of how the city’s laid out and where all the major sites are. It’s also convenient for tourists who speak other languages, since they often provide an audio guide. The biggest bonus is that you don’t have to contend with the weather and you can sit in the warm and let the city whizz past you. You can also use the buses as an alternative method of transport to get around London, without having to get on the tube!
The downside of all this is that bus tours are expensive, whereas a lot of walking tours are FREE. The attractions often whizz by so fast, or are so far away, that its difficult to take a photo, let alone understand what the monument is or the history behind it.
In our opinion Walking tours are still the best way to get to know London. If you want to see the whole of London in one day we offer a day tour of London where you can get to see all the major attractions for £25, we also offer Bus Tours to Oxford, Stonehenge and Bath.
Big Bus Tour
Big Bus Tours offer tours in 18 cities around the world. Their open-topped buses stop at 50 attractions in London and you can purchase a 24hour or 48hour ticket, depending on the length of your stay. You can also upgrade your ticket to include various attractions such as Madame Tussauds or The London Eye. They’ve recently partnered with City Cruises, so you can take a cruise down the river after. You’ll be issued with a discounts leaflet which includes lots of different discount vouchers for various restaurants and attractions.
You can see London over three routes: The Red Tour is from Hyde Park to Tower Bridge. The Blue Route extends the Red Tour to the west with a loop around Hyde Park, taking in the museum district and Harrods. The Green Link goes through Bloomsbury, St Pancras and Euston Stations.
Opening Hours: 9am-6pm
Victoria Station, (Victoria and District&Circle Line)
London Big Bus station 191 Victoria St, Westminster, London SW1E 5NE
NCP Car Park, Semley Pl, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QL
Golden Tours
Golden Tours are popular with families and young children and their tours are generally more upbeat. They also offer night tours, tours to Harry Potter studios, tours to other major UK attractions and packages including theatre tickets and group travel.
Opening Hours: 24hours
Victoria (Victoria and District&Circle Lines)
Victoria Golden Bus Tour Stop
London Victoria Station Car Park, London Victoria Station, Eccleston Bridge, Victoria, London SW1W 9SJ
Original Tours
Original Tours was founded 65 years ago and offers online discounts and more locations than any other bus tour in London. It offers its guests a good introduction to London and includes a multi-lingual commentary, a free Thames Hop-on Hop-off river cruise pass, and an exclusive Kids’ Club. All hop-on hop-off tickets are valid for 24-hours or 48-hours.
Opening Hours: 24hours
Victoria (Victoria and District&Circle Lines)
Victoria Golden Bus Tour Stop
London Victoria Station Car Park, London Victoria Station, Eccleston Bridge, Victoria, London SW1W 9SJ
You can find out more information of this site, and some of the most iconic sites in the city, on our London In A Day Tour!
For more information, click here