London Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tour

This 24- or 48-hour pass for the London sightseeing bus with a river cruise is a practical and flexible way to explore the city, especially if it’s your first visit or you’re short on time. You can use the bus as your means of transport between attractions, or simply sit back and take a full tour whilst listening to the recorded commentary and enjoying the views from the upper deck. On board, you’ll find audio commentary in several languages, so you don’t miss a single detail of the history, interesting facts and anecdotes about each area.

All in all, this package gives you the freedom to design your own itinerary: you can spend the whole day exploring the city by bus and river cruise, with the convenience of having everything included in a single ticket.

There are 3 different routes to choose from, all included with whichever ticket type you select. Here’s more information on some of the sights you’ll see on the bus:

1. The red route is the most comprehensive and extensive. It will take you past legendary sites in the British capital, including:

• Tower of London
• Buckingham Palace
• London Eye
• Westminster Abbey
• St Paul’s Cathedral

2. The Blue Route tour takes in some of London’s most iconic film locations and picture-postcard views:

• Notting Hill
• Lancaster Gate Bridge
• Kensington Gardens and Palace
• Hyde Park Corner

3. If you take the Green Route, you’ll visit other must-see attractions in the city, making your trip an unforgettable experience:

• Woburn
• King’s Cross Station
• Euston Road
• British Museum

You can make use of the Hop-on Hop-off system, which allows you to choose your favourite stops and get off to explore the areas on foot, enabling you to discover the city at your leisure, at your own pace.

During the 24 or 48 hours your ticket is valid, you can use the buses as often as you like once it’s been activated on your first journey – which you can do simply by boarding the first bus with the digital ticket sent to you when you book.

All tickets include recorded commentary on board throughout the tour in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. You’ll also have access to Wi-Fi and the Big Bus app free of charge, so you can check bus frequencies, timetables and stops for all three routes.

On the boat trip along the River Thames, you’ll enjoy around 40 minutes of stunning panoramic views of London from its most important tributary.

You can board the cruise from two piers: Tower Pier or Westminster Pier. The cruise is one-way between the two piers and features live commentary in English. Once you’ve purchased your bus + cruise ticket, you’ll be sent a code to make your booking on the Big Bus website, where you can download your ticket to board on your chosen day.

With the Essential Pass, you can also take up to three guided walking tours of different areas of the city.