Our 15 Favourite Vintage Bus Tours Worldwide

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

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

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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2.Afternoon Tea Vintage Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,664 reviews · from $65

Ride a restored 1960s double-decker from St. Stephen’s Green with a full afternoon tea, unlimited tea and coffee, 1960s music, and live Dublin commentary. Hosts such as Adam, Leah, Rachel, and Niamh bring the city to life with jokes and local stories. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, and gluten-free menus are available with advance notice.

“Fantastic little trip around the city! The girls were so sweet and very funny. A great way to see some sites and get your bearings. We got to see Phoenix park which we didn’t plan on but I’m so happy we did. Definitely a great way to spend an afternoon.”

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3.London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,132 reviews · 1h 15m · from $37

Ride a genuine 1960s Routemaster through London’s Christmas-lit streets for 75 minutes. Your English-speaking guide adds jokes, music, history, and local color as you pass Oxford Street, Regent Street, Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, Harrods, and major landmarks. Top-deck seating is guaranteed, but seats are first come, first served, so arrive early and dress warmly.

“It was wonderful except the one 25 minutes before was late arriving and guests became quite agitated and angry, believing they should go first. I felt bad for the representative who seemed at a loss, despite calling head office who would not allow him to accommodate the earlier guests. Recommend that a back up plan should be in place for such occurrences, if possible. Otherwise well done. Many thanks.”

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4.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 770 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $48

Ride an open-top 1960s Routemaster from Embankment through London’s Christmas-lit West End. An English-speaking guide, festive music, and photo stops bring you past Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Guides such as Rory, Lola, and Kate are known for warm, lively commentary.

“It was great tour seeing the lights and singing along with christmas songs. Rory our guide and driver very nice and helpfull people. Loved it!!!”

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5.Vintage Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea or Gin

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 699 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $57

Ride Edinburgh’s vintage Red Bus Bistro for 90 minutes while enjoying prosecco, tea, coffee, sandwiches, warm scones, quiches, cakes, and optional Edinburgh Gin cocktails served in teapots. Staff such as Helen, Jimmy, Mark, and Steven add humor and helpful landmark notes, though this is more a moving tea room than a formal sightseeing tour.

“It was amazing! We loved every second of it 🥰 cant wait to join again sometime!”

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6.Vintage London Bus Tour Including Cruise with London Eye Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 586 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $85

Start at Victoria Coach Station for a 3.5-hour tour by 1960s red Routemaster bus and Thames boat. Hear stories from guides such as Alan, Lisa, Steve, or Magnus while seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and more. Add the London Eye for 360-degree views or continue to Stonehenge.

“Harrowing ride through loaded London streets, more fun than an amusement park ride just watching our driver! Lisa was wonderful and taught us a ton despite the intermittent rain. Was the perfect trip to acquaint us on our first day in the city. Boat tour was frosting on the cake!”

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7.Small-Group City Tour by Vintage VW Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 549 reviews · 2 hours · from $85

Ride through San Francisco in a restored vintage Volkswagen bus with a guide such as Jim, Jack, Lily, or Caio. In two hours, you’ll see the Painted Ladies, Lombard Street, Haight-Ashbury, the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge views, and movie houses, with water, snacks, music, and photo stops along the way.

“A+ - fun trip, knowledgeable driver who shared lots of interesting tidbits”

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8.Vintage Bus to Valletta, Sliema, Rabat & Mdina

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 433 reviews · 1 day · from $9Best value

Travel between Valletta, Sliema, St. Julian’s, Mdina, and Rabat on a restored classic Maltese bus, many around 70 years old. This is transport with character, not a guided tour. You choose where to get off, explore independently, and catch a later bus, but departures are limited, so check the timetable closely.

“Great trip from valletta to mdina and return on this vintage bus. Not many times you can say "should cost more" so at €5 return this trip was exceptional value for money and would highly recommend.”

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9.Discover the Dark Side of Warsaw in Praga District by Retro Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 327 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42Top rated

See Warsaw’s less polished side from a 1980s retro bus on this 2.5-hour English tour. You’ll cross the Vistula, visit E.Wedel for hot chocolate, walk through Praga’s courtyards and murals, see Koneser vodka factory, and visit streets used in The Pianist. Guides such as Konrad, Marcin, and Paweł add humor and clear historical context.

“I very highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in the history of Warsaw. This tour goes places no other tour goes to get a feel for the real life of this city from WW2 and beyond.”

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10.2.5-Hour Dark Side – Praga District by a Retro Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 248 reviews · 2h 30m · from $41

Ride from the Palace of Culture to Praga in a vintage Jelcz cucumber or smaller Nysa bus, with an English-speaking guide such as Konrad or Maks. Visit E Wedel for hot chocolate, see Koneser and the Praga Bermuda Triangle, and hear the district’s stranger stories during this 150-minute Saturday tour.

“Very interesting- the tour took us to places slightly off the beaten track. The guide Maks spoke fluent and was very entertaining and gave good cultural context. Recommended.”

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11.Warsaw City Sightseeing in a Retro Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42

Ride a 1980s Jelcz, the rounded communist-era bus nicknamed the Cucumber, through Warsaw with live English commentary. You’ll walk through Lazienki Royal Park and the rebuilt Old Town, seeing Chopin’s monument, the Palace on the Isle, Castle Square, St. John’s Cathedral, the Barbican, and the Mermaid Monument. The group can reach 40 people.

“It was very cold in November so I wanted a tour where I could see the city but also not freeze. This was the perfect combination where we left the bus 3 times for some quick excursions but got to see it all. The English tour took a smaller retro bus behind the other big bus pictured in the ad. It gave me some great history and was exactly what I was looking for as a solo traveling woman.”

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12.Malta: 5 hr Vintage Bus Tour – Mdina & Blue Grotto inc. food

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 169 reviews · 5 hours · from $59

Spend five hours touring Malta in a vintage 36-seat bus with an English-speaking driver and guide such as Daniel or Caroline. Visit Marsaxlokk, the Blue Grotto, Siġġiewi, Dingli Cliffs and Mdina. Food and drinks are included, while the optional Blue Grotto boat trip costs extra and depends on the weather.

“Daniel was a fabulous guide, a great way to explore, the vintage bus was an added bonus. Excellent value, great communication and clear pick up instructions. Would 100% recommend this fun tour, limited numbers, great experience.”

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13.Cannes: City Tour in a Vintage Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 133 reviews · 2 hours · from $88

Join Daniel aboard a restored 1960s Renault Estafette for a two-hour small-group tour of Cannes. You will see the Palais des Festivals, La Croisette, Palm Beach, Port Canto, Le Suquet, and the local market, with time for photos and stories about film festivals, local history, food, and city life.

“It was special, quaint and a small personal group. Great introduction to Cannes, France. Daniel was informative and very warm and friendly and his antic van was unique and impressive.”

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14.Sunday Vintage Bus to Marsaxlokk

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 117 reviews · 1 day · from $9

Travel between Valletta and Marsaxlokk aboard a restored Maltese bus, many about 70 years old. Meet near Valletta’s Tourist Information Office by Triton Fountain, ride to the Sunday fishing-village market, and return near the football ground. This is transport with character, not a guided sightseeing tour.

“We recommend it to everyone but our advice is not to book this tour in advance! You can see timetable and meeting point and buy the tickets on site. One way ticket is 2,5 euros, round ticket is 5 euros. We booked it in advance, paid 14 euros for two of us but we needed just one way tickets, because we wanted to stay longer in Marsaclokk. That option was not presented to us in advance.”

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15.Malta: Vintage Bus Ride through the Three Cities

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 112 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $24

Join driver David at Sliema Ferries for a 90-minute ride on a 1928 wooden-bodied bus. You’ll pass Valletta, Gżira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida, Pietà, Marsa, Paola, Cospicua, Vittoriosa, and Senglea while hearing English commentary about Malta’s Great Sieges. Expect photo time, a short break, and firm, bumpy seats.

“David was great and friendly!! He provided great information at each turn! And he also stopped for taking photos and helped me as I was traveling alone and didn’t have someone to take pics of myself. The tour was very nice and worth it! The bus is vintage and beautiful!”

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