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London Tours
London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise
3.5

London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise

By Tootbus London
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Discover London at your own pace without following the rigid structure of a guided tour on a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour. Family-friendly and flexible, your 1-, 2-, or 3-day pass lets you create a personalized sightseeing itinerary that covers all major London landmarks. Choose from multiple bus routes, and listen to live or audio commentary. Plus, your ticket includes a Thames River cruise, making it a great value package.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 5-99
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Audio guide: Arabic, German, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
More

Highlights
  • Discover London with flexibility on a hop-on hop-off bus tour 
  • Create your own itinerary, and stop at the sights that intereset you most
  • Choose from multiple routes that cover top London landmarks
  • A Thames River cruise is also included

  • 1 Day, 2 Days or 3 Days Hop On Hop Off Pass (depending on option selected)
  • Audio-commentary for adults and bespoke children's audio-commentary
  • Access the Tootbus app giving you real-time bus tracking and the closest stop
  • See London's top landmarks as Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral
  • Hop On Hop Off Thames River cruise ticket
What's not included
  • Gratuities
  • Restroom on board
  • Food & Drink

Redeem your pass at a date convenient to you, and board your sightseeing bus at one of the multiple stops around London. Opt to remain on each bus route for the entire loop, or disembark whenever an attraction captures your attention. Live or prerecorded commentary brings the capital city’s history to life, while the included Thames River cruise and a walking tour reveals a different side to London. Some popular attractions this hop-on hop-off tour stops at are the London Eye, Big Ben, Madame Tussauds London, Kensington Palace, and Piccadilly Circus.

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3302OT

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Hop-on, Hop-off Thames River cruise ticket is valid for the same period as your bus ticket only
  • Most travelers can participate

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3302OT

From
$56.93
per adult
Select date and travelers

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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Tootbus London
    7,090
    London, England
    Joined in February 2011
  • Bougieboy69
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rip off
    Oh how I hate being ripped off, especially in my own country. Christmas bus tours should be better than this at a whopping 30 pound per head. There's 140 pounds I will never see again for literally a 2 pound bus ride. Please see other companies and make sure the route is better! The highlight was only the angels through the streets, didn't see fortnum and mason building nor any interesting buildings with lights for that matter! Save your money, do not use tootbus. I will never use this company again, a complete scam! Further to this, we couldn't get a seat upstairs with any view as we were at the front which had a roof on top (see pictures). The ladies in the queue kept selling more and more tickets, letting people on, not keeping track of how many. Then there was a big argument up top about who should be up there. I felt bad for Pete, our tour guide, who faced the wrath of an angry crowd when in fact it is the company's fault. This ruined a really nice Christmas day out with my family, it was the worst thing I have ever done in the past 5 years. Please do not, I repeat, DO NOT USE THIS BUS TOUR!!!! For the sake of your sanity and wallet.
    Written January 5, 2025
  • GrandTour38897247033
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Friendly, helpful staff and a great London Tour
    My family loved the tour. A bonus was to catch some of the Christmas lights at the end of the afternoon. Bus staff were very friendly and helpful.
    Written December 30, 2024
  • SalopianNess
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really fun, helpful and accommodating
    We had a brilliant time on the Christmas Lights Tour tonight! Our driver, Micheal, handled the busy roads really well and our tour guide, Peter, was knowledgeable and funny. Our very busy trip into London meant that we missed our tour but the reps at the stop were incredibly helpful and turned our night around. Our heartfelt thanks to both of them.
    Written December 28, 2024
  • X902JOnicolab
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful experience
    My 9 year old daughter and I loved it! The Santa hats were a nice touch, and the guide was very informative and provided lots of interesting facts about the lights and local landmarks. Only slight downside is the busy area you need to get the bus from, but then we were there on the last weekend before Christmas so was to be expected.
    Written December 27, 2024
  • Alex C
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    The service was very bad, they left us stranded far from the stop they were supposed to leave us at. I do not recommend
    The service was very bad, they left us stranded far from the stop they were supposed to leave us at. I do not recommend it...
    Written December 26, 2024
  • 830te
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice tour for little one to see lights
    Nice tour and the tour guide was knowledgable and friendly. Little one enjoyed the xmas hat and the free gift from santa. Driver drove safely and there were no issues.
    Written December 26, 2024
  • rocheyb
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely tour
    Missed our bus and was booked on to mext tour without any problems! Customer Service was 10/10 from booking to the actual tour. Staff was lovely and accomodating. Thank you
    Written December 25, 2024
  • 25josefib
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beware of booking Tootbus London Hop On Hop Off
    So disappointing, I took my son for this tootbus hop on hop off in London. Besides the bus getting there late, so wasted our time, then it re-routed and not follow what the map shows. When I reached out to them, they told me that it was posted in the Service and Traffic updates. But nowhere when you are booking when you read all the need to know and map that they show and service problems. If I knew then I would have not booked. We would have just walked to the Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Those are very important sites to miss.
    Written December 24, 2024
  • Paul M
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very disappointing service
    Really disappointed in the service. Waited around for so long for buses to come along. Other companies buses were far more frequent and probably 3-4 others to our one. Wasted more than half of our day waiting around for a bus or waiting on a bus.
    Written December 23, 2024
  • Tinyday
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A new view of Christmas lights
    Even though it started with rain. We were given rain macs and Christmas hats to help the cheer. Guide was informative and everyone seemed to enjoy the tour. A magival way of seeing London lights.
    Written December 23, 2024
  • laurapC6349SY
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant staff at the bus stop
    The light tour was really well organised, good commentary, saw all the lights from the comfort of sitting on the bus. Maybe would have liked a bit more general London info. Main reason we wrote a review was to say what helpful staff the company have at the bus stop. We had an issue and young children with us and Mamood and his colleagues were incredibly helpful, accommodating and kind. We were really grateful. Good staff make a big difference.
    Written December 22, 2024
  • V8252WBemmat
    0 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Would only pay £10 for this.
    Was a bit of a shambles really! We turned up early to a long queue for the 7.30pm tour. Was quite obvious not everyone was going to fit on the top deck which is what was advertised. Once on the bus (which was full) it took the staff about 15 minutes to double check everyone’s tickets were correct (they weren’t) to then get anyone with incorrect tickets then off the bus. Half of the bus is inside with a poor view (which is where we were seated) to then only have about a 45 minute tour of the lights. Lights are beautiful but in hindsight it would have been better to walk around and see, which takes the same amount of time. Our tour guide Pete was lovely, I really felt for him as he dealt with quite a few unhappy people, to then perk up and do a jolly Christmas tour. Definitely felt like a money trap.
    Written December 21, 2024
  • shanissaaa
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pete and Clint!
    Special thanks to Host Pete and drive Clint! Thank you both so much for the Christmas lights tour on december 17th at 21:30h!
    Written December 19, 2024
  • U6595DRsuem
    0 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not worth the money but if you get it half price then maybe
    Poor value for money. Mostly sat in traffic jams and no lights for the first 20 mins of the tour. Finished in slightly less than one hour. Poor atmosphere despite best efforts of host.
    Written December 16, 2024
  • Hearitfromme
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    DON’T BOTHER!
    Awful - a waste of money. Dreadful commentary Uninterested bored drivers Commentary was not synced to area visited, and gave no directions as to where to look or at what.
    Written December 16, 2024
See all 7,090 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles984 reviews
Excellent
373
Very good
194
Average
100
Poor
125
Terrible
192

Linda W
25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
One of the safest ways to see London, seating was socially distanced and buses received regular sanitising at Leicester Sq. Its also a great way to see the sights from the top of a double decker bus. The tour guides gave fascinating insights into the history of the city and tell you in advance of the best photo opportunities. My ticket included a free river cruise so I got to see the city from two different perspectives. I found it a relaxing and informative way to see the city, so much so that I bought another ticket the following day to enjoy the experience again.
Written September 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Linda W, Thank you very much for your rating. Indeed, The Original Tour buses are one of the easiest and safest way to travel around London. We work really hard to offer the best service to our customer so I am happy to see that reflected on your visit. We hope to see you again soon! You can try our London Bar Bus! Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written September 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lauramno1
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
We used the bus on Friday 14/2 we got on at stop 6 where the lovey guy that sold us our tickets walked us to the stop. It was the middle of a huge protest! We headed to the top deck and listened to Sean’s guided tour he was excellent, learnt some fascinating history of London, and he was a really good guide both informative and funny. We intended on getting on another bus however the tour was so good we stayed on all the way to stop 5! Peter and another driver came on for the last few stops due to delays with a protest, the driver that got on was fab we were going to get off to join a purple route for a train, we enquired how long the next bus would be, he kindly called up the purple driver to check. He informed us it’ll be 45 mins so we stayed on yellow til the end. Our 4 year old also loved it and had a great sleep around 1/2 the route! Anyway I’d recommend this tour it was realty worth it. Thanks again
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Laura, Thanks so much for your lovely review. We are very proud of our team and it really is great to hear about your experience of our tour and the staff who you met on the day. We work really hard to offer the best customer service so I am happy to see that reflected on your last visit. I will be sure to pass on your praise to the staff. Hope we can welcome you back onto our buses one day! Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written February 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

qsman
United States147 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
The recorded commentary was very good. It would be helpful if the narrator would say "On your left" etc as we often had to hunt for the landmark in question. We stayed on the bus for most of the tour since we were only on a flight layover.

We had the entire bus to ourselves, so the driver took on the role of personal narrator and pointed out things that he said were not in the audio tour.

It would be helpful if there was a mobile app or Google Maps overlay to help find the stations and/or bus finder.
Written March 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello qsman Thank you for the feedback, we are so pleased you enjoyed the tour and the personal guide! Our App is currently undergoing a revamp and will be back up and running again soon. Our fantastic Customer Service team are always on hand to help customers who call, email or pop into our Visitor Centre. We hope to welcome you again when you next visit London. Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written March 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FrednEthel
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Went on a rainy day in early Feb with a Swiss friend as our guest.

We got off the bus at the Tower and took the boat back to Westminster. This part of the trip was excellent with a live commentary well delivered but the bus trip was disappointing and worst of all, long delays were experienced every time we wanted to get back onto a bus.

When we bought the tickets we were told that there would be a bus along in a few minutes. There wasn't for about 15. At St Pauls we had a very long wait, at least 20 minutes and the other 2 bus companies both had several buses pick up their clients while we stood there. No-one there from Original Tours either..

Worst of all, when we tried to rejoin the tour at Westminster after the boat trip, to complete the rest of the tour, we had to stand in the rain and wind from 16h00 to 16h30 before giving up and going home. Both other bus companies again had several collections during this time.

Sfter the trip I sent an email to the company and received an automated reply that they would look into it and be in touch. I've heard nothing so they're obviously not all that fussed. This review is the result of that.

Go with someone else and I'm sorry to say, don't chance it with the Original Tour..

Once we got going, the first part of the tour was sort of OK but the tape recorded audio guide was not fully co-ordinated with the distance travelled and also didn't say which side of the bus certain sights were on, ie left or right, so sights were often missed. The commentary on the bus showed up how bad the one on the bus is.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello FrednEthel1 We are sorry you were disappointed with the tours. We are also concerned you didn't receive a reply to your email. All customer correspondence we receive is logged and responded to withing 24 working hours. Please could you contact us again directly at customer.service@theoriginaltour.com so we can look into this? Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written February 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ursula
3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Went on three buses, on one the audio guide did not work, after a while a live guide started talking, unfortunately impossible to hear. Traffic made the bus a poor tranport option, the guiding was good, when working, but it is not posssible to use the bus for transportation between sightseeings, waste of time.

In addition, the selling staff at Hyde park were too intense in my opinion, like being in a totally different country.

I like the bus guide idea as it gives a quick overview of a city, but is it good for the Environment and the traffic situation to drive almost empty busses around the city?
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello TantenUN Thank you for the review. Any problems with the commentary are reported by the driver or the guide to be fixed as soon as possible; we are sorry you experienced issues on your tour. We are proud to have the first electric sightseeing tour bus in London and plan to continue reducing our environmental footprint! Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written February 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Natty
9 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
We have been 3 years in a row. Both other years were amazing! This year we was made to sit under cover on the top deck, so no open top roof, which is what we payed for. I was 8 rows away from my 6 year old kids, the mic man stank to hug heaven of wee!! All in all take a number 8 up the road on a Oyster card much cheaper n smell free!! Have contacted the customer service and they have refused to do anything about it. I didn’t not even get to spend the experience with my kids!! Absolute waste of time and money.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Natty2020x, Thank you for your review. As mentioned in emails from our Customer Service Team, your group were the last to arrive which is why we were unable to seat you altogether. We do express on our website and on our vouchers that all seating is on a first come first served basis. You and your group were offered the option to have your tour refunded however you all decided to travel on board the Christmas Lights Tour, after witholding our bus from leaving at its sheduled time and the time spent sharing your dissapointment with our staff who cited your group as rude and intimidating. Once again I am sorry to have read your comments regarding our tour guide on your date of travel which we take issue with, especially as this guide had received many positive reviews for the same tour. We have also to date recieved no complaints regarding their personal hygiene as you mentioned into disrespute. We really appreciate all customer feedback and will use it to continue improving our service, where possible. The Original Tour
Written January 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chloe N
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
So so disappointed, first time into London since before Covid and we were looking forward to catching our tour bus up to the Natural History Museum. I wish I hadn’t paid £71 and bothered, when we did get on a bus, the commentary was 90% music 10% useless anecdotes about Brexit, the cost of British private schools (???) and an Oyster card. No historical info whatsoever. When we did get to the bus stop we wanted, we waited 40mins for a driver training bus to go past (ended up getting a cab) and when we went to try again after the museum, the app said no more busses running on the blue line today (at 2:30pm)????

Such an utter shambles and such a shame, I have contacted customer services but will wait to see if they respond.
Written April 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear O2472PWchloen, Thank you very much for taking the time to give us your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience with Tootbus was not satisfying. As our goal is to give you the best experience, please be assured that all feedback from our customers is read and considered with great care by our team. Please contact us directly at customerservice-london@tootbus.com if you haven't already and we will try to rectify the situation for you. Best wishes from all of us at Tootbus
Written April 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Beth
3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We booked tickets using Tesco Clubcard which made it excellent value for money. We had a 24 hour ticket and manly did the yellow route which took us to all the main tourist attractions. We switched over to the blue route to go to Harrods. The river cruise was a highlight for the children with the guide on board the boat being both humorous and informative. We did have to wait at some stops but I would say it was generally within the stated time scale of 5-20 minutes in fairness. The audio guide was clear and concise - we preferred this to the on board guides in all honesty. Drivers in general were OK but not particularly engaging. Still a great way to see the sights and get our bearings for the remainder of our visit.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Bethcernyw, Thank you so much for your review and we are glad to hear you and your family enjoyed your time in London. We really appreciate all customer feedback and will use it to continue improving our service. Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written February 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Muzie31
St. Neots, UK16 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Family
What an utter load of rubbish! Seems to be a common review with this company now! One of the stops was closed and was not shown on the app map. So like muppets stood out in the rain for 40 mins waiting for the bus!! We then see it and its cuts the corner straight past us! We then walked up to the next stop, bearing in mind we had two youngsters with us, trying to get the next one where the app said the bus was en route to! And as we were walking up the street its coming towards us!! BUT THE APP SAID IT WAS NEAR THE STOP!!! Luckily i had the sense to wave frantically and flag it down and luckily the driver was courteous enough to stop and let us on! To which we were greeted with no guide! No info! Where we were going! The timing was so awful we missed the river cruise and didnt even do the blue route!!! So £77 do be driven round sights we saw for about 30seconds, no river cruise, one route only and a shoddy app that even made siri maps look half decent!! I will be seeking compensation and will take further if needs be. Absolutely ruined the day i will never return or recommend. And if you are reading this review just get a london bus day pass or the equivalent and hop on and off ones that run reliably and every like every 5 mins at a fraction of the cost!
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Muzie31, Thank you for your review. It is really disappointing for us to hear about your experience. Unfortunately any information regarding diversions, traffic updates or bus stop closures is only available on our website. We are taking your feedback on board to improve this in future. Our tours are available with live guides or pre recorded commentary. Please contact us directly at customerservice-london@tootbus.com so we can take steps to rectify the situation for you. Best wishes from all of us at Tootbus
Written March 5, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lucy M
Wolverhampton, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Well organised and set out. We had two tour guides, Cliff was head and shoulders better than any tour guide I’ve experienced before - his knowledge of the city was quite frankly unbelievable. Roland, who was driving, paced the speed just right too enabling us to get a great view of the major sites. Our second tour team for the final part of the trip didn’t live up to the first duo we experienced, however luckily we were with Cliff and Roland for the majority of the way. Thank you guys for making our daughters first trip to London so special!
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello lucym868, Thank you so much for your positive review and we are glad to hear you enjoyed your time on our tour. I will be sure to pass on your praise to Cliff and Roland. Hope we can welcome you back onto our buses one day! Best wishes from us all at The Original Tour
Written August 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

London Tootbus Hop on Hop off Bus Tour and Thames River Cruise provided by Tootbus London

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