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Paris Toolkit Comparing London's hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses
Tootbus compared with Big Bus + Golden Tours with previously asked questions
Tootbus has routes to major sights and free cruises
London's hop-on sightseeing bus tour providers
Nowadays sightseeing tours of London are dominated by London's three hop-on, hop-off open top sightseeing operators:
1. Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) 2. Big Bus 3. Golden Tours
If you see anybody else offering a hop-on, hop-off tour for London they are acting as an agent for one of the above.
At first inspection all three London sightseeing operators offer a very similar product. But spend an hour or so studying each service and you begin to identify the differences.
This page aims to save you that time and present the differences as concisely as possible.
The traditional guided coach tour of London is still available, but in terms of market share this is tiny compared with London's popular hop-on, hop off sightseeing buses.
Premium Tours also run a small fleet of open top vintage red London buses. These fall somewhere between the guided coach tour and the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses. The London red vintage bus tour has no hop-on, hop-off facility and is basically a guided orientation tour of London's main sights with a few photo stops and a river cruise.
Comparison table of London's hop-on bus prices 2024
BOOK HOP-ON BUS TICKETS Compare 3 hop-on bus companies Ticket differences London Pass - Big Bus or Golden Tours River Cruise Money saving - Hop-on bus plus attraction Hop-on bus price comparison table Previously asked questions about hop-on buses
TOOTBUS HOP-ON BUS & GUIDED WALKING TOURS
Tootbus London Discovery tickets + Vox City guided walking tours
• Choose from 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Audio guide in 5 languages • 2 professionally guided walking tours: The Wizard Walk - Harry Potter Walking Guided Tour & The Royals and Landmarks - Walking Guided Tour
DISCOUNTED BIG BUS LONDON TICKETS
DISCOUNTED TICKETS COMPARED WITH BOOKING DIRECT
Choice of tickets • FREE River cruises on all tickets • 3 FREE guided walking tours on Essential & Explore tickets • Evening tours included on Explore ticket • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 5 languages • London in your Pocket app access
GOLDEN TOURS HOP-ON BUS LONDON TICKETS
Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus London & 2 walking tours
Choice of 1-day, 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Free one-way Thames river cruise (if selected) • Two walking tours • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 11 languages • London in your Pocket app access
Tootbus (The Original Tour) v Big Bus v Golden Tours comparison
All 3 London sightseeing tour operators are established operators in the London market. Big Bus and Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) are owned by large corporates and Golden Tours, the relative newcomer entered the market several years ago after a long history of offering the traditional guided coach tours, which they still do.
All 3 operators offer similar packages, but more differences have opened up in recent years, see below for more details.
Walking Tours
Both Golden Tours and Big Bus offer highly regarded professionally guided walking tours included with your ticket (selected tickets only).
With Golden Tours you can choose from a Jack The Ripper Walking Tour or Coronation Walking Tour.
Big Bus offer THREE FREE TOURS with their Essential and Explore tickets: Changing of the Guard Walking Tour, City of London Walking Tour and a Jack the Ripper Walking Tour. Each tour is 1.5 hours long.
Tootbus do not offer guided walking tours but instead give you the chance to download "Tootwalk" to your phone: a choice of three self-guided walks.
River cruises
River cruises are available with all three tour companies, but not all tours automatically include them; the cheaper (both 24-hr and calendar day) tours do not. If this is important to you, do check carefully before booking.
Routes and vehicles
All operators offer an open top bus experience with routes that all cover the major sights in central London.
Although they each have a different number of routes, where they visit is almost identical, with all three sightseeing tour operators almost duplicating each others routes in the very heart of London.
You can click through on the links below to study each operators route map in detail.
Tootbus are the only operator to offer the unique Kids Tour which is a non-stop tour (not hop-on, hop off) but which is cheaper and offers a commentary that is very family friendly. In addition they are also the only company to offer a 1.5-hr Bar Bus tour, again, not hop-on hop off but a memorable experience with bar on board.
Vehicles used are almost identical, all offer free Wi-Fi and audio guides providing commentary in English and at least one other language.
Golden Tours route map London 2024
Live guides vs audio guides
This is one area that has also changed in recent years. Traditionally all three companies offered live guides on at least one of their hop-on tours.
Today you will find this is no longer the case. If having a live guide is important to you there are a couple of options, but none of them are hop-on, hop-off but rather 60 or 90-minute continuous sightseeing tours.
Golden Tours have a live guide on their 90 min non-stop tour.
Tootbus have a live guide on their London Kids Tour and London Christmas Tour.
Big Bus no longer offer a live guide service on any of their tours.
Prices are similar to the 1-day tour but many people really value having a live guide if English is a language they speak fluently.
Languages
Tootbus no longer offer the range of languages it once used to; now audio is either in English or French. Big Bus have an audio guide with 5 languages. Golden Tours have the most with 11 languages.
Times and frequencies of buses
All operators start up around 8.30am and start running down the service around 5pm. Evening services are also additionally available as a separate tour with all three operators.
All three operators, even in the winter months operate frequent bus services, however of the three operators perhaps Golden Tours is slightly less frequent. You shouldn't generally have to wait more than twenty minutes however.
London's hop-on buses - differences between tickets for all 3 operators
Standard tour ticket durations
24, 48 or 72-hr durations
All operators offer tickets with 24 and 48-hr validity periods; Tootbus and Golden Tours also offer 72-hr tickets.
In addition Tootbus offer a 60-min Bar Bus ticket, while Golden Tours offer a fully guided 1.5-hr Express ticket (see above).
Tootbus call their tickets, '1-day' and '2-day' but the actual validity is 24, 48 or 72 hours.
Golden Tours offer cheaper calendar tours (which run from when you buy them to the end of the day) in addition to 24/48/72-hr tickets. The calendar day tickets do not include the river cruise.
Shorter tours/express tours (not hop on, hop off)
Both Tootbus and Golden Tours offer shorter tours, of 1.5 hrs which are different to the traditional hop on, hop off buses in that you stay on them for the duration of the tour. Tootbus call theirs as 'Bar Bus' as drinks are available on board (over 18s only). River cruises are not included with these tours.
For Golden Tours this is their only product featuring a live guide. Although much shorter therefore, the price is nearly as much as a 24-hr hop on bus tour.
Tootbus' similar offering is in the same price band but does not feature the live guide. Many people really appreciate the difference between having a live guide and an audio guide.
Evening tours (not hop on, hop off)
All three companies offer evening tours which are non-stop for around 1.5 hours. Again, Golden Tours is the only operator offering the live guide on this experience, though Tootbus have a live guide on their Kids Tour and Christmas Lights tour.
Big Bus also include a separate evening tour with their Explore ticket.
Discounted - cheapest tickets
Hop-on, hop off sightseeing tickets are freely available in London from hotels, tourist centres and on the day from the representatives of the tour companies you find around the bus stops.
Do not expect to find discount vouchers or codes, if you do find one it's the exception rather than the rule.
However, cheaper tickets can be found using our banners on this page. By booking online ahead of our hop-on, hop-off bus tour you will always save money.
Our partners Travel Compendium bring you exclusive discounts on hop on bus tours in London with Golden Tours and Big Bus.
Pre-booking tickets - flexibility and ease/cost of obtaining tickets
All three operators now require you to select your date of tour at purchase. However all 3 tours companies offer a 'flexible booking guarantee' should you need to amend your tour date at any time (Tootbus allow this up 12 months from date of purchase, Golden Tours allow a cancellation for full refund up to 24 hours before boarding, Big Bus require 72 hours to amend your booking.)
For Big Bus and Golden Tours tickets are e-tickets and are shown to the driver at your first bus stop. Here they give you a receipt which you keep for the validity of your hop-on bus tour.
Tootbus accept mobile tickets but encourage you to download your tickets on to their app, for ease of use.
Apps
Both Big Bus and Tootbus offer an app offering similar features such as:
Maps, route planning, real time bus tracking, walking directions to nearest bus stops, nearby eateries and attractions and even the secrets of must-see landmarks with audio commentaries.
With Tootbus you can also import your pass (tickets) ready to scan directly on the bus.
London Pass - choice of 2 hop on bus companies: Big Bus or Golden Tours
The London Pass is a flat rate sightseeing pass to many (but not all) of London's main sightseeing attractions. You can buy a London Pass for 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10 day durations
The London Pass gives you entry into more than 60 London tourist attractions and a river cruise on the River Thames.
The London Pass also now includes use of either Golden Tours or Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus for one calendar day, whatever the duration of the London Pass.
Tootbus are not part of the London Pass scheme.
Key points of the London Pass Ho Ho bus offer
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You can choose to ride on the Golden Tours or Big Bus hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. Tootbus (Original Tour) is not covered.
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The Ho Ho bus offer is for one calendar day not for 24 hours.
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Most people use the Ho Ho facility on the first day of their London Pass, but there is nothing stopping using it on another day when the London Pass is valid.
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The Ho Ho bus offer with London Pass doesn't include the walking tours and river cruises included in the standard tickets issued by the Ho Ho companies concerned, only the bus tour (but you do get a river cruise included in the London Pass separately anyway)
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You show your London Pass to the driver or tour guide of the first bus you board. They will scan your London Pass and issue you with a separate ticket for the bus company concerned valid for the rest of the day. You cannot switch to the other bus company once you have made your first journey.
Free river cruises
While all three tour companies have a river cruise option, not every tour comes with a river cruise automatically. The cheaper tours for example, do not feature a river cruise.
Both Big Bus and Tootbus use the same river cruise company, City Cruises, while Golden Tours use Thames River Sightseeing.
Golden Tours/Thames River Sightseeing operate a cruise between Westminster Pier and Greenwich Pier.
Tootbus and Big Bus cruises run between Westminster and Tower Pier (or Greenwich Pier for Big Bus Premium or Deluxe ticket holders).
All operators run river services approximately every 40 minutes and later services are usually available until around 6pm in the summer season from April.
The Thames Cruise should be a highlight of your day and we recommend you take advantage of the facility.
Thames river cruise ticket options by company
Big Bus
A complimentary one-way river cruise offered by City Cruises (lasting around thirty minutes) is included in your Big Bus London ticket.
Tootbus
Tootbus' cheaper ticket doesn't come with the river cruise included - look for it on the 'Must See London' ticket. Your one-way river cruise starts at either Westminster pier or Tower of London pier.
Golden Tours
Golden Tours' river cruise is only available on the 24-hr ticket, not the calendar day ticket. There is also another ticket option to choose 24-hrs without cruise. Cruises are also one-way.
Hop-on buses in London plus attractions - money saving
Save money buying attraction tickets & bus tour in one package
Many people opt to combine their hop-on bus tour with one or more top attractions in London, in order to save even more on entrance tickets.
Golden Tours hop-on buses plus top London attraction
At the moment Golden Tours probably offer the best range of hop-on bus tours combined with attractions.
Please see our full listing of your choices of Golden Tours hop-on bus plus top London attraction
Big Bus + top London attractions tickets - save up to 28%
Big Bus + attraction through Discount London
Discount London are offering a great deal: buy your Big Bus tickets in combination with your choice of top London attraction and save up to 28% on the cost of buying tickets separately.
Attractions included are: London Eye, SEA LIFE, St Paul's Cathedral, London Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, Tower of London and London Zoo.
Please see our full listing of your choices of Big Bus plus top London attraction
Big Bus + attraction through Big Bus website
In addition, through the Big Bus official website you can also add on tickets to: Madame Tussauds, Tower of London and London Eye Fast Track.
Tootbus and add-on attraction in London
Tootbus don't currently offer any add-on attractions but they do offer alternative tours such as an Evening Tour, Bar Bus and a very popular Kids tour.
LONDON'S OPEN TOP HOP-ON, HOP-OFF SIGHTSEEING TOUR PRICING 2024
Online advance ticket price adult/child/family from... |
|||||||||||
Tour |
24 hrs or 1-day no cruise |
24-hrs or 1 day with cruise |
48-hrs or 2 days no cruise |
48-hrs or 2 days with cruise |
72-hrs or 2 days no cruise |
72-hrs or 3 days with cruise |
London Evening tour |
||||
| Tootbus (Original Tour) | Adult Child Family |
£29.75 £17.00 £90.00 |
£35.70 £20.40 £108.00 |
£34.85 £21.25 £107.00 |
£41.65 £24.65 £127.00 |
£39.95 £25.50 £124.00 |
£47.60 £34.00 £146.00 |
£23.80 £13.60 £72.00 |
|||
| Big Bus | Adult Child Family |
N/A | £43.00 £33.00 £140.50 |
N/A | £45.00 £37.00 £174.00 |
N/A | N/A | £35.00 £26.00 £109.00 |
|||
| Golden Tours | Adult Child Family |
N/A | £29.99 £18.46 £100.10 |
N/A | £43.47 £27.10 £129.83 |
N/A | £49.95 £32.11 £154.60 |
£27.00 £15.00 £74.00 | |||
| London's hop-on buses - 3 hop on buses compared | |||||||||||
All the hop-on bus companies have permanently discounted online prices, (compared with walk-up prices) which are between 10 - 15% off.
Prices are seasonal and variable and prices above are based on low season prices. During school holidays prices are typically higher.
To be sure you are getting the best possible price it is advisable to check our prices above against the hop-on bus companies' websites as they occasionally run sales throughout the year:
Tootbus offer cheaper tickets, which are bus only, no river cruise. Tootbus offer this for a 24, 48 or 72-hr period and call this ticket 'London Discovery'.
TOOTBUS HOP-ON BUS & GUIDED WALKING TOURS
Tootbus London Discovery tickets + Vox City guided walking tours
• Choose from 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Audio guide in 5 languages • 2 professionally guided walking tours: The Wizard Walk - Harry Potter Walking Guided Tour & The Royals and Landmarks - Walking Guided Tour
DISCOUNTED BIG BUS LONDON TICKETS
DISCOUNTED TICKETS COMPARED WITH BOOKING DIRECT
Choice of tickets • FREE River cruises on all tickets • 3 FREE guided walking tours on Essential & Explore tickets • Evening tours included on Explore ticket • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 5 languages • London in your Pocket app access
GOLDEN TOURS HOP-ON BUS LONDON TICKETS
Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus London & 2 walking tours
Choice of 1-day, 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Free one-way Thames river cruise (if selected) • Two walking tours • Free Wi-Fi on board • Audio in 11 languages • London in your Pocket app access
London's hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses - previous questions answered by Bob
At present we are unable to maintain the discuss service but you can contact us using the Contact Us link at the bottom of each page. We have decided to leave the answers here as they are useful for many of the questions we receive. If you cannot find an answer to your question, we'll be happy to hear from you.
POPULAR LONDON ATTRACTIONS - ADVANCE PURCHASE AND/OR FAST TRACK TICKETS
| London Eye | Amazing panoramic flight on the world's highest observation wheel. » Fast track tickets available. |
| The Shard | Tallest building in Western Europe with viewing of London from the top. » Fast track tickets available. |
| St Paul's Cathedral | Cathedral of the Diocese of London, venue for royal weddings. » Pre-book to guarantee entry. |
| Westminster Abbey | Along with St Paul's, England's main religious building.» Pre-book to guarantee entry. |
| Tower of London | Home of the Crown Jewels and a rich thousand year history. » Fast track tickets available. |
| Madame Tussauds | See wax statues of the most famous people in the world. » Fast track tickets available. |
| London Dungeon | The creepiest attraction in town, the London Dungeon. » Fast track tickets available. |
| Hampton Court Palace | Henry VIII Medieval Palace set in vast grounds. » Pre-book to save money. |
| The London Zoo | World class zoo in the centre of London. » Flexi tickets available. |
