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London: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour & River Cruise

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1/45

Duration1h 20m–2h 30m

Audio guideEN · AR +9

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three Bus Routes Through London, One Ticket That Lets You Stop Anywhere

You board at any of 25+ stops across three routes, stay on as long as you want or hop off to explore, and use your ticket to ride the river cruise between Westminster and Tower Pier (or to Greenwich on longer tickets). The app tracks buses in real time, audio guides cover 11 languages, and the whole system runs from 8:45am until at least 6:30pm, so you set the rhythm instead of following a guide's clock.

1h 20m–2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Start at London Eye stop
Visit Buckingham Palace
See Tower of London
Stop at Big Ben and Westminster Bridge
Explore St. Paul's Cathedral area
Visit London Bridge and Tower Bridge
Ride through Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus
Stop at Trafalgar Square and National Gallery
Enjoy Hyde Park and Marble Arch
Visit Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Palace
Return to London Eye stop

The Experience

So you're trying to fit Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and half of Oxford Street into a day without losing your mind to the Tube map. The Red Route alone runs 150 minutes in a full loop, hitting 25 stops from Westminster to Marble Arch, and you can jump off at any of them — or stay on the whole way if you just want to sit on the top deck and watch the city roll past. The buses run every 20 minutes until mid-afternoon, then every 30 minutes, with the first departure at 8:45am from Belvedere Road behind the London Eye.

The hop-on hop-off setup means you're not locked into a guide's pace or a fixed itinerary. Want to spend two hours at the Tower of London and skip the V&A? Fine. Want to walk through St. James's Park and catch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace? The bus will be back in 20 minutes. The Blue Route covers the museum quarter — Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Notting Hill — in 80 minutes if you want a tighter loop, and the Green Shuttle Service runs a 90-minute circuit through the British Museum and Covent Garden. Pick your 24, 48 or 72-hour ticket depending on how much ground you want to cover, and the app tracks every bus in real time so you're not standing on Piccadilly Circus guessing when the next one arrives.

The 24-hour ticket throws in a one-way river cruise between Westminster Pier and Tower Pier — 35 minutes, departing every 40 minutes from 10am. The 48 and 72-hour tickets upgrade that to a same-day return trip to Greenwich, which means you can actually get out to the Observatory and the Cutty Sark without eating up your whole afternoon on transport. The 72-hour ticket also unlocks the Night Tour, which runs at 7:30pm and later depending on the season, so you see the Thames lit up and the Parliament buildings glowing. Audio guides come in 11 languages on the Red Route, and the Blue Route even has a kids' commentary called Mia Cloo's London Quest if you're traveling with children.

One thing to know: Stop 1 at Belvedere Road is currently out of use due to construction, so you'll board at York Road outside the M&S store instead. A few other stops shift depending on events and road closures, but the app and your driver will steer you right. You can use your voucher at any stop along any route, and it's valid for 12 months from your purchase date, so if your plans change, you've got time.

What’s included

Hop-on hop-off bus access across three routes (Red, Blue, Green Shuttle).
audio guide in 11 languages with headphones.
river cruise included (one-way on 24-hour ticket, same-day return to Greenwich on 48 and 72-hour tickets).
Night Tour on 72-hour tickets.
AI-powered City Sightseeing app with live bus tracking.
stops near major sights including Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Harrods, Royal Albert Hall, British Museum and the London Eye.
flexible 24, 48 or 72-hour ticket validity.
valid for 12 months from purchase date.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by City Sightseeing Ltd - UK and Ireland

Is this one for you?Best for travelers who want to see London's main landmarks without booking separate tours or figuring out the Tube, and who'd rather spend time inside attractions than waiting for a guide to move the group along — the flexibility to hop off and on means you control how long you stay at each stop.