City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
4.5
Full view
City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
By City Sightseeing Edinburgh
An Edinburgh city sightseeing bus tour means you can enjoy all the benefits of a guided tour—including hassle-free transport and onboard audio commentary—but still explore the sights at your own pace. Your ticket is valid for 24 hours, so you can hop on and off at attractions such as Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, and Arthur’s Seat, or stay on board and take in the views aboard an open-top double-decker bus.
from per adult
$20.11
from per adult
$20.11
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-99
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
German, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
Highlights
- Convenient hop-on hop-off transport on an open-top double-decker bus
- Multiple city stops include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and Grassmarket
- Onboard audio commentary ensures you don’t miss anything
- Buses depart regularly:Â save time for more sightseeing
- 24 hour unlimited hop on hop off bus pass
- On-board multilingual audio commentary in 10 languages + free headphones & kids commentary!
- Discounts at local attractions
- Vouchers valid for 12 months
- 3 kids go free with every paying adult until 31st March 23
What's not included- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Make your way to any of the City Sightseeing bus stops to validate your 24-hour ticket, then hop aboard one of the open-top double-decker city sightseeing buses. Stay on board for the entire circuit or jump off at any of the stops along the way to tour the sights, visit the city’s museums, or stroll around the UNESCO-listed Old Town on foot. While on board, don’t forget to plug in your headphones and listen to the onboard audio commentary, which points out all the main attractions along the way and offers background history and fun facts to help you get the most out of your visit.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2065EDI- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Visit Scotland 5 star award-winning tour and Gold Green Tourism award winner
- Season: All Year Round (Times may vary - check on arrival)
- 9:00am - 4:00pm, every 30 minutes
- Tour Duration: 60 minutes
- Vouchers are valid for 12 months
- 3 kids go free with every paying adult until 31st March 23
- CS Edinburgh bus will be diverted until further notice between Chambers Street and Canongate via Nicolson Street, West Richmond Street, The Pleasance and St Mary’s Street.Â
- Most travelers can participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- What you can expect during your visit
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Community- Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
- Which attractions will I visit with City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour on Tripadvisor
- How much is City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour?
- City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour price starts from $20.06. Discover and book City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour cancellation policy?
- City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour?
- City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour is hosted by City Sightseeing Edinburgh. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact City Sightseeing Edinburgh on Tripadvisor. Discover and book City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour on Tripadvisor
- 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: 2065EDI
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.
KayLarry
00Hop on hop off bus
We bought a 48 hour ticket from Peter Richardson, a very friendly and helpful member of staff. This included 3 tour…
BCMorgan
00A great way to see the city
Our first open top bus experience. It was really good to see all around the city and hop on and off whenever we wan…
Morag S
00Tour
My son is over from Germany for a holiday after working through the lockdown there. He wanted to see more of Edinbu…
SelbyKarl
00Not COVID safe
Booking was easy. Tour was average. However if you want to stay COVID-safe please don’t book. We got on at St Andre…
lisaloach1977
00Love an open top bus
We book open top buses whenever we can and the Edinburgh ones were great. You can hop on and off as much as you li…
488petem
00Good routes but lacklustre, generic information
Me and my partner were visiting Edinburgh for the day and she - a local from a nearby town - and I were looking for…
Dubya666
00Brilliant
Kept two young children mesmerised for over an hour - witty and informative commentary, careful driving, great view…
Brandon F
00Nice way to travel
Just the fact that it takes you to Edinburgh castle is good enough, can be expensive to park near the castle. It'll…
39jonm
00Competitor £10 cheaper.
Purchasing the ticket from Groupon was no cheaper than buying from the staff at Waverley Bridge. Even more annoyin…
Lillybet1972
00Well worth it
Lovely staff, great tour. We were able to go around a few times to get our bearings and then hop on and off. The ti…
WelshRover75
00One day in Edinburgh
Had a great time. What a vibrant place to visit. Loved the castle and Holyrood palace. A great atmosphere as the ci…
ronaldb416
00good for an orientation
City bus tours like this are always ok to get around. It give s a good view on the city. Some stops take to long an…
725vickib
00Hop On-Hop Off Bus Tour-Should be your first experience when visiting Edinburgh
We have visited Edinburgh 6 times in the last 3 years and each time we do the Hop On-Hop Off tour of the city. You …
mikeGBUK
00Too much time in traffic jams
We thought this would be a good option to see the city with limited time. the tour takes about 1 1/4 hours and whil…
Wilfyprem
00Great way to see the city!
The drivers and staff were extremely helpful and friendly. It was a great way to see the city and go to the main to…
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
760 reviews
Excellent
464
Very good
204
Average
42
Poor
23
Terrible
27
jayem76
Leeds, UK82 contributions
Mar 2023
We (me and my pensioner aged Mum) were in Edinburgh for only a couple of days, so we thought the best way to see as much as possible was to jump on the sightseeing tour bus! We boarded on Waterloo Place after getting our tickets from the staff that are on the street just before you get to the boarding point. We sat upstairs under the covered section got ready for our tour. We decided to do one full circuit first, then decide where to get off second time round. Our guide for our first trip was Johnnie(ably assisted by driver James) ,who was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We decided after our first circuit to go round again as far as Edinburgh Castle so we could explore the Royal Mile, so after the bus returned to Waterloo Place we stayed on. For this second circuit the lovely Elaria took over guide duty, and for someone who does not have English as a first language she did a marvellous job (she's Italian). She got a bit overwhelmed with the support she was getting from the passengers, because she thought she was doing badly, but she was amazing. She clearly has the passion for the city that's needed. After exploring the Royal Mile we re-boarded the bus back to the starting point. The ticket was valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase, so we had time for another circuit the following morning before catching our train home (our guide for this trip was Blair, the driver was Neil) . If you are short on time, or want an informed and relaxed way to the see as much of the city as possible I can heartily recommend jumping on board!
Written March 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jayem76
What a lovely review of our live guided Edinburgh Tour. Thank you for taking the time to mention each member of the team by name - they will be over the moon to hear how much you enjoyed exploring Edinburgh with them.
It sounds like you really made the most of the 24 hour validity and learned loads about our beautiful city.
Many thanks
Elaine
Written March 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Traveler009
St. John's, Canada103 contributions
Jun 2022
Did all three tours. First the red tour in its entirety to get an overview of Edinburgh. Commentary was good.
Then we did blue route, which is great to get to the Royal Britannia.
The green route has live commentary and the guides were very good. I actually would recommend first taking the Green route full circle to get a better overview of the history of several places you see, then take the red route to go to your points of interest.
We did the Royal Edinburgh, which included 3 entry fees (Britannia, Holyrood, Castle). This is a good deal, as each entry for an adult is 18 pounds, so the bus for 2 days was actually only 10 pounds pp.
Note: We bought tickets in advance via their website, but you need to get to Stop 1 FIRST on your own to get them validated and exchanged for actual ticket for the busses.
Then we did blue route, which is great to get to the Royal Britannia.
The green route has live commentary and the guides were very good. I actually would recommend first taking the Green route full circle to get a better overview of the history of several places you see, then take the red route to go to your points of interest.
We did the Royal Edinburgh, which included 3 entry fees (Britannia, Holyrood, Castle). This is a good deal, as each entry for an adult is 18 pounds, so the bus for 2 days was actually only 10 pounds pp.
Note: We bought tickets in advance via their website, but you need to get to Stop 1 FIRST on your own to get them validated and exchanged for actual ticket for the busses.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Traveler009
What a brilliant comprehensive review of your time with us and how to use the Royal Edinburgh Ticket. Thank you.
The Royal is very popular as saves money and guarantees entry to the three attractions.
I love your recommendation of hopping on the green Edinburgh Tour first to let one of our fantastic Guides give you an overview of the city before hoping on and off the other routes.
I hope others read your review and come and join us too.
With best wishes
Elaine
Written June 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melissa
15 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Definitely get on the Emerald Green bus. This bus has a live tour guide as opposed to wearing headphones. This is only good if you speak English but the experience of having the stories told by a live tour guide is much better than the pre-recorded tours. This tour is awesome and your ticket is good for a 24 hour period so you can get a lot of use out of it. You can use the bus as much or as little as you want and the bus comes very frequently. Highly recommend as a way to see the all of the major attractions then decide which ones you would like to see closer up. This makes it much easier to plan your time
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
What a lovely review - thanks so much. It's good to hear how much you appreciated our live guided Edinburgh Tour and enjoyed hopping on and off to explore the city.
I hope your kind words will encourage others to take our green Edinburgh Tour.
With best wishes
Elaine
Written September 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Baron R
Copthorne, UK134 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
Whilst in Edinburgh we decided to do an open top bus tour. We picked up the service at Edinburgh castle and was sold £16 tickets (beware, looking at the website there are cheaper ticket options available that are not offered to you!). We just wanted to do the single tour and get back to the castle in time for a lunch booking, we were told the bus was on a continual loop and would take 75 minutes.
When we got to the main bus stand, the bus just stopped, when we enquirers we were told it would leave at 40 minutes past the hour (this was about 25 minutes), so we went for a stroll in this area of the city.
When we returned to the stand, the bus started to pull away, the ticket seller asked if we wanted to get on and knocked on the door of the bus, but the driver just waved the ticket guy away.
The supervisor then approached and told the ticket guy to never stop a bus (or words to that effect), he said but the bus has left early and these customers (us) wanted to get on. The supervisor then said no it did not leave early (even though at this point it was still not 40 passed the hour!), we work on a special EV…. Time (what ever that is!).
So, we missed the second part of the tour and had to walk back to the castle.
Therefore, feel a bit ripped off and had awful service.
When we got to the main bus stand, the bus just stopped, when we enquirers we were told it would leave at 40 minutes past the hour (this was about 25 minutes), so we went for a stroll in this area of the city.
When we returned to the stand, the bus started to pull away, the ticket seller asked if we wanted to get on and knocked on the door of the bus, but the driver just waved the ticket guy away.
The supervisor then approached and told the ticket guy to never stop a bus (or words to that effect), he said but the bus has left early and these customers (us) wanted to get on. The supervisor then said no it did not leave early (even though at this point it was still not 40 passed the hour!), we work on a special EV…. Time (what ever that is!).
So, we missed the second part of the tour and had to walk back to the castle.
Therefore, feel a bit ripped off and had awful service.
Written March 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
So sorry to hear of your poor experience. Please email me with further details and we shall investigate fully and get back to you.
With best wishes
Elaine
egreen@lothianbuses.co.uk
Written March 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John R
United States9 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Waste of money right now. The traffic is so bad the buses are well off schedule. My wife and I were never able to catch a bus the first afternoon despite waiting over 30 minutes at a stop. Second day were were walking to a stop and a bus was parked . However the driver would not let us on since he was about to pull away. He still had to wait a minute to pull out due to the traffic while we were just standing there. If you can walk - highly recommend doing a walking tour and avoiding the bus tours. Again, we paid in advance and we’re never able to board a City Sightseeing Bus. Disappointed to say the least.
Written June 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
S8835DCjohnr
So sorry to hear of your poor experience. As tours are every 15 minutes they are frequent even if running behind schedule.
Please email me details so I can investigate further - it would be helpful if you include your booking reference.
Many thanks
Elaine egreen@lothianbuses.co.uk
Written June 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AquariusVoyager
7 contributions
May 2022
I got the 48+ ticket because I wanted to also get on the boat tour outside Edinburgh - weather was meh, but can't control that :)
I enjoyed all the routes (did the full Majestic and Green, part of the Red). If English speaker I would recommend the tours with guides, otherwise opt for one with audio guide which has several languages.
Edinburgh is a very busy city with lots of traffic and road constructions going on at the moment, but overall it was still enjoyable.
For someone interested in a bit of history and to see the main attractions all together, this was great.
I enjoyed all the routes (did the full Majestic and Green, part of the Red). If English speaker I would recommend the tours with guides, otherwise opt for one with audio guide which has several languages.
Edinburgh is a very busy city with lots of traffic and road constructions going on at the moment, but overall it was still enjoyable.
For someone interested in a bit of history and to see the main attractions all together, this was great.
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
What a lovely positive and realistic review.
Thank you for sharing that Edinburgh has lots to see and do regardless of the weather.
It sounds like you made the most of your visit and particularly enjoyed the live guided Edinburgh Tour.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback here.
With best wishes
Elaine
Written May 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
James F
17 contributions
We queued far to long at the ticket office to get our tickets, about 45 minutes as they seemed short staffed. Don’t do this as their is plenty of people at the St. Andrews square selling the tickets.
Price was reasonable at £8 for one or all 3 buses for £16, we opted for all 3!
The first one was a yellow and blue bus, this one was by far the best - had a live tour guide who was very knowledgable and full of fun and exciting facts. Each bus is about an hour.
We stayed on for this one
For the duration, the other two, one a red one that was a horrible history tour and we got off half way round to go to a Museum. We did the final bus the following morning as the tickets are valid for 24 hours to hop on and off. This one took us to the
Royal yacht Britannia - both these tours tours have a pre recorded guide and head phones are provided as you enter.
If you only want to do one, choose the one with a live guide if you want to see the sights and find out about the city.
Price was reasonable at £8 for one or all 3 buses for £16, we opted for all 3!
The first one was a yellow and blue bus, this one was by far the best - had a live tour guide who was very knowledgable and full of fun and exciting facts. Each bus is about an hour.
We stayed on for this one
For the duration, the other two, one a red one that was a horrible history tour and we got off half way round to go to a Museum. We did the final bus the following morning as the tickets are valid for 24 hours to hop on and off. This one took us to the
Royal yacht Britannia - both these tours tours have a pre recorded guide and head phones are provided as you enter.
If you only want to do one, choose the one with a live guide if you want to see the sights and find out about the city.
Written September 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks for your comprehensive review of your time in Edinburgh.
It's good to hear how much you enjoyed our green , live guided Edinburgh Tour as well as the audio commentary on City Sightseeing and the Majestic Tour.
I am sure those looking to visit Edinburgh will use your review as a guide of which tour or ticket to choose.
Many thanks
Elaine
Written September 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MrsHeys1979
Birkenhead, UK21 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
A brilliant way to see the city of Edinburgh and learn some information about the city along the way.
Ticket sellers are located everywhere so it’s easy to buy a ticket & pick up your map and headphones for the commentary. It’s well worth paying £16 for the 24 hr pass for all 3 buses as you get different information & views from each tour. Your time doesn’t start until you use it for the first time (if you buy it at 10am but don't get on the first bus until 12.30 then it’s 24 hrs from 12.30). The red bus is the usual sightseeing bus, the majestic tour covers a little further out to the Royal yacht Britannia & Leith, but my personal favourite was the Edinburgh tour with a live commentary from a guide. Each guide has different facts about the sights you pass (Philip has a variety of Sean Connery facts!) so it’s worth taking the tour a few times to get different perspectives.
Special recognition for our driver who negotiated some tricky sudden road closures due to an accident on the main road meaning diversions, while Philip saved the day with commentary along the new route.
Would highly recommend to anyone and is suitable for all ages.
Ticket sellers are located everywhere so it’s easy to buy a ticket & pick up your map and headphones for the commentary. It’s well worth paying £16 for the 24 hr pass for all 3 buses as you get different information & views from each tour. Your time doesn’t start until you use it for the first time (if you buy it at 10am but don't get on the first bus until 12.30 then it’s 24 hrs from 12.30). The red bus is the usual sightseeing bus, the majestic tour covers a little further out to the Royal yacht Britannia & Leith, but my personal favourite was the Edinburgh tour with a live commentary from a guide. Each guide has different facts about the sights you pass (Philip has a variety of Sean Connery facts!) so it’s worth taking the tour a few times to get different perspectives.
Special recognition for our driver who negotiated some tricky sudden road closures due to an accident on the main road meaning diversions, while Philip saved the day with commentary along the new route.
Would highly recommend to anyone and is suitable for all ages.
Written September 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
What a lovely review, thank you.
It sounds like you really enjoyed exploring Edinburgh with our GRAND24 ticket.
Yes, if you buy online the validity of your ticket starts when you first present it, if you buy from our sellers on street or on board the validity starts straight away.
You've made me want to hop on Philip's tour for the Sean Connery facts!
Many thanks
Elaine
Written September 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CyberXploits
London, UK109 contributions
Sep 2021
We took advantage of the £8 promotion being offered by the green bus for an introductory tour of the city and took three tours. It was interesting noting each tour guides take on the city and where their emphasis, interests and inconsistencies lay. The first placed a lot of emphasis on the history and architecture of the city, the second appeared to placed more emphasis on the history and legends and the third focussed on the darker side of the city's history. Overall a useful introduction.
Walking around the following day helped us realised just how small the tour coverage was but that was presumably for the green bus tour route so the £8 was good value.
Walking around the following day helped us realised just how small the tour coverage was but that was presumably for the green bus tour route so the £8 was good value.
Written September 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you for hopping on our live guided Edinburgh Tour. It's good to hear how much you appreciated the different tour guides.
The Edinburgh Tour covers the Old and Georgian New Town in the City Centre. We do offer a GRAND24 ticket covering all three of our routes so that you can also head down to Leith, Britannia and the Botanic Garden.
We appreciate you pointing out the good value fo the Edinburgh Tour ticket.
Many thanks
Elaine
Written September 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Luke-n-LauraB
St. Helier, UK477 contributions
Dec 2022
We are big fans of the city sightseeing hop on hop off buses, as they are always good ways to see the cities and learn a little. Edinburgh is a popular city so these guys have some tough competition, but I think they still excel. They are well priced and visit all the major landmarks with regular buses. They provide good commentary with the free headphones and the clincher for us was the kids commentary, with the horrible histories input, they loved it. The ticket sellers in the square were really helpful with timings and information and the driver was really friendly too. Great way to bookmark points to visit during your stay, would definitely recommend.
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Luke-n-LauraB
It's always good to hear from City Sightseeing Superfans, so glad you loved your Edinburgh experience.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts here, especially highlighting our popular Horrible Histories commentary, it sounds like it was much appreciated.
Don't forget to keep hold of your Edinburgh ticket to save 10% off your next CS destination.
Enjoy
Elaine
Written January 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi are well behaved dogs allowed on the Edinburgh tourbus
Melissa
15 contributions
Unless your dog is a licensed service animal I would think they would not allow your dog on the hop on hop off bus. You could always call them ahead of time to ask.
Where is the best place to park so that we can pick up this bus
paul19602013
Brighton, UK859 contributions
We were lucky as we had parking at our hotel.
Your bus schedule is from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. Them what do you mean by duration 1 hr
sinha_rga
Jhansi, India74 contributions
The duration means for one complete route coverage by the bus. DOn this route you can get off anywhere.
Incidentally there are three different hop and off tour routes,including the city tour and the majestic tour.
