Where to Ride: The 15 Best Sightseeing Bus Tours in London

1.City Sightseeing London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Bookable Extras

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 7,374 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $33Our pick

Use a 1, 2, or 3-day City Sightseeing London pass to explore 54 stops across three routes. Ride past Big Ben, the Tower of London, St Paul’s, Harrods, Kensington Palace, and Buckingham Palace with multilingual audio commentary. Upgrade your pass for a Thames cruise, vintage Routemaster ride, Greenwich trip, or evening tour.

“Positives: The route is well planned and the high frequency of buses Negatives: the buses had lots of rubbish”

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2.London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,516 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $29Best value

Ride a yellow See London by Night bus from Green Park for 90 minutes of live English commentary and city views. You pass Wellington Arch, Harrods, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. Guides such as Michael and Shannon add jokes, facts, and photo cues. Bring warm layers for the open top.

“Was amazing, unfortunately we cannot see the Buckingham Palace during the tour but the guide was so funny, worth the money!”

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3.Guided Sightseeing Tour on a Vintage Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,890 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $40

Ride a 1960s open-top Red Routemaster from Embankment while an English-speaking guide points out St. Paul’s, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. Guides such as Johnny, Paul, and Will are known for lively stories and humor. Bring a warm scarf, since the upper deck can be chilly.

“fantastic tour through London with Johnny and Bob. Make sure to wear a warm scarf on the upper level of the bus”

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4.Nighttime Open-Top Sightseeing Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,558 reviews · 1h 30m · from $39

Take a 90-minute open-top evening bus ride past Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the London Eye. An English-speaking guide adds jokes, stories, and photo warnings, while audio commentary is available in 12 languages. Bring a warm coat and arrive early for the best upper-deck seats.

“Nice tour to see the city late evening. A little confusing about bus location and mention of picking up ticket. Just use your phone at the bus parked on street in front of London Eye area. Family of 4 - 2 teens and parents.”

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5.City Sightseeing London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour & Bookable Extras

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,224 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $37

See London from an open-top double-decker on red, blue, and green routes, with stops near Buckingham Palace, the Tower, Harrods, museums, and the British Museum. Choose a 1-day to 72-hour ticket, add Thames travel and a heritage bus ride, and use the app for live bus locations. Expect city traffic, changing schedules, and some confusing stops.

“Excellent way to safely develop an understanding of London geography during the first 48 hours in London. Stops were intelligently placed everywhere you'd want to be. After 48 hrs we found we could navigate by tube and on foot efficiently. Note that there are multiple double decker bus lines using the same stops and they are often just a different shade of red.”

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6.London by Night Sightseeing Tour – Open Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,060 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

This 90-minute evening ride begins beside the Ritz at Green Park and passes Piccadilly, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Westminster, the London Eye, Kensington, and Harrods. An English-speaking guide provides live commentary, with seasonal departure times and limited upper-deck seating. Sit upstairs for the best views, but dress warmly and expect traffic.

“This is a perfect nighttime activity. All of the guides are personable and you get to see all of London in its evening splendor. Met a very good friend who was also traveling solo. We still keep in touch. Our tour was in September!”

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7.London by Night Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 977 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Ride through London after dark with a live English-speaking guide, passing Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the London Eye. The 90-minute route is a quick city overview, with audio guides in 12 languages. Dress warmly and arrive early for top-deck seats.

“Went on a 9pm tour which was perfect because there were no crazy crowds. This was our first night in London and glad we did it because we got so much information! Really good preview of London in under 1.5 hours, I would highly reccomend to do this tour before starting your trip and the city is pretty at night. Also, Dominic is the best tour guide in London, he deserves triple his wages.”

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8.London Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 763 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $67

Enjoy afternoon tea on a decorated double-decker bus while passing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square. You get sandwiches, pastries, scones, tea or coffee, and a drink during a 90-minute ride. Seats are shared, upper-deck places are first come, and there is no live guide or onboard restroom.

“This is not a narrated guide. It is a tea on a bus throughout the city. You would need to know the sites so I recommend having a map handy. The service, food, and drinks were nice and plentiful. The cup is a good souvenir.”

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9.Paris by Rail with Sightseeing Bus and River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 578 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $387

Travel from London to Paris on a reserved-seat Eurostar, then see the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Notre-Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and Sacré-Cœur by sightseeing bus and Seine cruise. Choose independent sightseeing or a guided option when available. It is a long, fast-paced day with no attraction entry included.

“Family of 9 women aging in range from 19-65 thoroughly enjoyed our day in Paris. Angela was a wonderful guide. The day was extremely long but we felt like we had enough time to see core Paris sites.”

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10.Afternoon Tea Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 422 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $85

Ride a decorated double-decker bus from Victoria Coach Station while enjoying afternoon tea, hot drinks, music, and an English audio guide. The route passes Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, the London Eye, Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall, Marble Arch, and Nelson’s Column. Upper-deck seating is limited, so it cannot be promised.

“Tea was lovely. The bus was fun and comfortable. The scones were amazing. Continued refills on beverage. Pointed out all the sights. Staff was courteous and available. A blanket was at your table in case you got a bit cold. Festive decorations and on table including a candy cane. We got to keep the cups at the end.”

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11.Hop-On Hop-Off 1-Day River Sightseeing Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 257 reviews · 1 day · from $34

Use Uber Boat by Thames Clippers for unlimited one-day travel between Putney and Barking Riverside. Hop off at Westminster, Tower Bridge, or Greenwich, then reboard when it suits you. Indoor cabins and covered decks keep the ride comfortable, while the Family Pass helps keep costs down. Crew members such as Captain Darren and First Mate Paul add a friendly touch.

“Great views of London in a short time, recommend going at night”

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12.Panoramic Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 256 reviews · 2 hours · from $47

Ride through central London on a two-hour open-top bus tour from the London Eye. See Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Tower Bridge while a live English guide or audio commentary fills in the stories. Guides such as Tim, Andy, and John are praised for their humor and local detail.

“The tour was amazing! I learned so many fun things and was able to jot down places I wanted to revisit. The bus was comfortable and spacious. There was enough stops to not make it feel rushed, and the guide, Andy, was absolutely amazing and knowledgeable! He gave so many interesting facts and was also very friendly and personable and willing to chat with the guests and answer any questions we had! I’ll take this tour again when I come back just to refresh my history and hope to run into Andy again!”

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13.Harry Potter Film Locations Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 202 reviews · 3 hours · from $53

Join guides such as Will, Laurie, or Paul on a roughly 2.5 to 3-hour Harry Potter tour from Embankment. Ride a themed Routemaster-style bus, choose a Hogwarts House, spot film locations, stop at Leadenhall Market and Whitehall, and test your Potter knowledge with a phone-based quiz. Expect traffic, stairs, and a bumpy ride.

“So much fun! We really enjoyed our tour and our guide was amazing!”

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14.Big Bus Panoramic Evening Tour by Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 96 reviews · 2 hours · from $49

Join Big Bus Tours at the London Eye for a two-hour, non-stop evening ride past the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament. The open-top bus includes audio commentary in seven languages, headphones, and free Wi-Fi. Bring warm layers, especially on clear but cool evenings.

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15.Full-Day Sightseeing Bus Tour with River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 26 reviews · 9 hours · from $174

See London’s grandest sights by air-conditioned coach, enter St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London, and finish with a Thames boat ride. You’ll hear English or Spanish commentary, stop for Buckingham Palace photos, and receive a snack pack. Check the exact meeting point and final route before booking.

“It was well splendid day, super helpful and friendly tour guide. It’s worth the money. Comfortable transportation. Thank you for showing us the beautiful London.”

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