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Big Bus Tours
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Big Bus Tours

See all things to do
See all things to do
Big Bus Tours
4
11,502 reviews
#441 of 1,738 Tours & Activities in London
Hop-On Hop-Off Tours • Walking Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Bus Tours
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About
Hop on board an open-top bus with 360-degree views and explore all that London has to offer – by bus, by foot and by river! From historic sites and iconic architecture to bustling streets and the world famous River Thames – immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of the English capital. Explore London and enjoy the ultimate freedom to take in the city at your own pace. A choice of live guided commentary in English or personal commentary 12 languages are available.
London, England
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Tours and Tickets by Big Bus Tours
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(204 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
11,504 reviews
Excellent
5,348
Very good
2,603
Average
1,152
Poor
954
Terrible
1,448
mum0ffive
London, UK39 contributions
Wowcher big bus tour with River cruise
Jul 2022 • Family
Went with the my son who wanted an open bus tour. Definitely delivers in seeing a lot of famous sights of London.

Excellent value on Wowcher although you need to print the tickets off which is a bit eco unfriendly! However I found Wowcher were doing the best deal currently for this

The bus tour is interesting and the bus commentary quite engaging with up to date facts like "this is where Jonny Depp had his recent trial"

The river cruise is included and I'd advise getting off at Tower bridge for this. Thank goodness there was live commentary from Sid, very witty and engaging with jokes on the boat.

Live commentary is so much more fun than the pre recorded commentary!! Please get a contactless card donation point as there was a bucket for tips but I like many don't have cash/coins & would have donated as the experience he gave was excellent.

The buses come quite frequently 10/20 mins approximately at their designated stops.

Definitely recommend big bus tours! Staff were very friendly and helpful from drivers to tour guides. All pleasant and smiley.

Happy & tired mum and son at the end of the day
Written July 25, 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.
Vicky
Hi, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent experience with Big Bus Tours. We will be sure to pass your feedback onto the team. We hope to see you on board again soon. Best Wishes Vicky
Written July 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
darceyhorse
Swansea, UK243 contributions
Highs and lows
Aug 2021 • Family
The best bit about Big Bus Tours were the staff. Everyone we came across were so friendly and helpful! They really made the experience for us.

We bought the ticket that includes 48 hours on the HOHO bus, a river cruise and a night bus ride. In the main, this had reasonable value.

The night bus was the same route and same commentary as the hop on/hop off bus. We felt this was a bit of a waste of time during the summer but it might be different in the winter, where we imagine you can see the city in the dark.

The cruise was great and we really enjoyed it. Again, staff were fab and the live commentary was informative and appreciated.

The hop on/hop off bus was a bit hit and miss. Although the busses were frequent and we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus - they were always really busy with no room to sit upstairs. The downstairs was very warm and as soon as the seats were full, standing passengers were allowed to get on. This meant that there was no ability to socially distance if you were choosing to even after the restrictions were lifted. These buses were much busier than any of the underground trains we used!

The commentary wasn’t particularly good. There are so many interesting facts that could be included and we found ourselves googling what buildings were, as they weren’t always pointed out.

There was a particularly annoying theme of announcing bus stops by saying a witch was dead. We didn’t really understand this and there were lots of questions from young children about who had died.

We’d describe this as a day time travel ticket rather than a sightseeing tour.
Written August 14, 2021
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.
EMK
Liverpool, UK50 contributions
Worth it if you book ahead
May 2022 • Family
Great way to get round & see sights but saves getting taxis everywhere if you follow the route and its going where you want to be. 1 yo & 3 yo with us and if they weren't sleeping they loved it.
BOOK IN ADVANCE! The price of it is shocking and although it's good ita not worth the price they can charge. As soon as you know you're going to London (or any city really) book the bus tour and you can get it alot cheaper.
Written May 31, 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.
Vicky
Hi, Thank you for taking the time to review your experience with Big Bus Tours. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the tour. We will pass your feedback onto the team. We hope to see you onboard again soon. Best Wishes Vicky
Written June 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BirminghamUKVisitor
Birmingham UK242 contributions
missed opportunities
Mar 2023
This was a good way to hide from the torrential rain that persisted almost all day. I chose the Blue Route, which looked to be the most comprehensive offered by any of the similar service providers as it covers most of the must see sights on one journey. The bus was very chilly so coats and gloves stayed on the whole trip. Driving was competent, the bus was clean, but there was no engagement with passengers from the staff that I noticed. I got on at Craigs Court which was unstaffed. London traffic is notorious, so I wasn't surprised to be at a standstill for a very long time, particularly around the Tower of London-Embankment stretch of the journey. The audio 'presentation' was full of missed opportunities. As other reviewers have said, commentary is totally outdated. No mention was made of the King. There were several references to where the Queen usually lives and also mention of "William & Kate, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge". Unfortunately, the intermittent blaring trumpet and shouting every few minutes of "OI! BIG BUS BANTER!" became intolerable and there were more landmarks ignored than commented on. Most of the noise was someone's view of noteworthy British pop music. There's only so many times you can sit through The Smiths' "Panic" in the cold, so I made my escape by diving into Harrods for a couple of hours. Happily, when I emerged, the next bus was only 2 minutes away. I completed the route as the weather hadn't improved much and I had paid for the day ticket. Overall, I found the trip very disappointing for the fare, and the narration was brash, repetitive and full of omissions. The app is a plus- I could easily locate the stops and the live maps showed the nearest buses clearly en route. But the company has commented for several months in response to reviews here that they will look at improving the commentary. I won't be booking again to see if they do in future.
Written March 11, 2023
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.
Ollie - Big Bus
Hi Birminghamukvisitor thank you for taking the time to leave us your honest feedback. I have passed your feedback onto the team to review and make improvements where possible. Best Wishes Marcelo
Written March 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tri D
1 contribution
Terrible experience!
Jul 2022 • Couples
We paid over 100 pounds for the 2 day premium because we wanted the night time tour. Well, it was very hard to catch a bus. The buses don't provide any information as to where they are going. Also, the Big Bus App is not accurate. We got back in time for the last bus but it had left. We waved down another driver and he told us "the app is wrong" and said he is done. So we were stranded and had to pay money to take the tube back. The next day we tried 3 stops to get a bus and they never showed due to construction yet other buses were using the road. This information was nit communicated to us in any way. An hour later we finally found a ticket seller on the street and he got us straightened out. Then we head out an hour early to get our night time tour bus and we could not find it and missed our night time tour. We finally found a driver but yet again she was done for the day. We asked if she could get hold of the night-time driver and she said they have no way to communicate. So for over 100 pounds we were on the bus for an hour total. Very upset.
Written July 26, 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.
Vicky
Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We are sorry to hear your experience with us did not live up to expectations. It is always our aim to provide all customers with the best sightseeing experience possible and it seems we were unable to deliver on this occasion. We will pass your feedback onto the team to investigate and make improvements where possible. Best Wishes Vicky
Written July 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynne B
1 contribution
Use other company do not go there
Jul 2022 • Friends
Terrible communication ticket attendant did not know schedules af routed told us 20 mins when it actually was 40. The bus does not have destination or route displayed on front of bus poor audio. Would recommend tootbus or golden tours as you know where they are going. Staff did not seem overly happy to help. Caution your ticket May say valid till midnight but in realty the services closed down at 8.
Written July 19, 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.
Vicky
Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We are sorry to hear your experience with us did not live up to expectations. It is always our aim to provide all customers with the best sightseeing experience possible and it seems we were unable to deliver on this occasion. We will pass your feedback onto the team to investigate. Best Wishes Vicky
Written July 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Denise R
Greenwood, IN293 contributions
Don't Pick this Tour
Jun 2022
Year ago, my family visited London and enjoyed a wonderful hop on hop off bus tour. The tour provided so much information about the city as we passed so many important buildings and areas. I don't know if The Big Bus tour was a different tour company or if the overall program has changed significantly, but there is no way I can recommend this company.

First, most of the employees we encountered were rude. Our first interaction involved an employee who wanted to sell us tickets realizing we had the London Pass and actually saying, "Oh ### me. Just get on the bus." I was absolutely shocked. He didn't even scan our London Passes.

The overall tour was ridiculous. The route didn't seem to follow anything shown on the app, and the audio program didn't seem to jive with what we were passing or where we were. The "tour" was mostly comprised of parts of songs and some type of comedy routine with narrators. I saw several people give up and take out their headphones.

One part of the trip was especially interesting when I got hit by tree branches while riding on the upper level of the bus. It hurt. I lost my sun glasses. I'm a 5'2" woman, who just happened to be sitting on the outside seat midway back on that level.

There are at least two Hop On Hop Off tour bus companies in London. Select a different one.
Written June 28, 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.
Simon J
Hi Robertsghs, we can assure you that we do not find this type of behaviour acceptable, and we would like to address the situation you have described. Please reach out to us at info@bigbustours.com when you can so we can address this situation directly. Thank you and have a great day. Best Wishes Vicky
Written July 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Giorgia M
Venice, Italy2 contributions
Really bad experience. Poor everything
Mar 2023 • Family
The explanations of the guide should be more interesting and engaging, without too long music fillers. The recorded guide was puerile, irritating and with irrelevant information that offends the intelligence of the listener. Tickets should not be sold at the stop causing long and boring stops. The bus should not carry more people than seats.
Written March 27, 2023
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.
Ollie - Big Bus
Magagiorgia1, we regret to hear that you had this experience with us. We will pass it onto the team to review and make improvements where possible. Best Wishes Marcelo
Written March 28, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
huw j
Pontypridd, UK750 contributions
A good service & informative
Jan 2023
Open top bus tour much appreciated my many people we saw on the bus including us. Cost 3 adults £133 taken by a ticket person before getting on the bus for 2 hour tour of the most popular sites in London both north & south of the river with interesting commentary via headphone supplied free with multiple language options to choose from. Worth the price i'd suggest.
Written January 23, 2023
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.
Ollie - Big Bus
Hi Huw J, we are very happy to have provided you with such a positive experience! Best Wishes Vicky
Written January 25, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nyh769
Israel48 contributions
Don't make the mistake of choosing Big Bus
Aug 2022 • Family
If you go on the Big Bus, be prepared to spend half the day waiting in bus stops. We stood up to one hour (!) waiting at each stop, while many other companies' competing tourist busses passed by. At one time while we were waiting for Big Bus, a seven (!) Toot Buses went by. Don't make the same mistake as us and choose Big Bus.
To add insult to injury, Big Bus claim that if you order their service online, you'll get a 10% discount. That's a lie. I ordered tickets online, and got the original high price without any discount.
Written August 6, 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.
Ollie - Big Bus
Nyh769, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback about your experience with us. We are sorry to hear that your experience with us was not a positive one. Here at Big Bus Tours London, we are always looking for ways to improve; we appreciate your input. If you would be willing, we would like to have you contact our manager at info@bigbustours.com to discuss ways we can better serve you in the future. Many Thanks Vicky
Written September 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Big Bus Tours (London) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go