The 12 Hop-On Hop-Off Tours in London That Earn Their Price

1.London Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10,803 reviews · 3 hours 35 minutes (approx.) · from $39Our pick

Use a 24 or 48-hour Big Bus pass to connect London’s major sights, from Buckingham Palace and Westminster to the Tower and Notting Hill. Recorded commentary is available in seven languages, Wi-Fi is included, and selected tickets add a Thames cruise, guided walks, or an evening panoramic ride. Activate your mobile ticket at a designated stop.

“Great way to see London! We loved the variety of routes and having the app was so helpful to see when the busses were arriving.”

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2.London Eye, River Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,332 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $74

Combine three classic London views in one ticket: open-top Big Bus routes, a one-way Thames cruise, and a timed London Eye ride. Use the 24-hour pass for a fast overview or choose 48 hours for slower sightseeing and three guided walks, including Royal, Harry Potter, and Jack the Ripper themes.

“Everything was very well organised and especielly the LondonEye was worth the money! So nice and beautiful to see London from above. We had standard tickets and even if it was a lot of people there everything flow on and the waiting was short. In the cabin it was not crowded and we could really enjoy the ride. Bus and River Cruise was also very nice! Ake Andersson, Taby, Sweden”

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3.Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off with optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4,327 reviews · from $41

Use a 24, 48, or 72-hour Tootbus ticket to reach London highlights including Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Choose the Thames cruise option for a one-way City Cruises trip between Westminster and Tower Pier. Audio is offered in 10 languages, with children’s commentary in English and French.

“The ease of accessibility! Great bus drivers who ensures my boys alight safely”

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4.Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off with Optional River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,875 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $35

Use a one, 24, or 48-hour Big Bus ticket across three routes and more than 50 stops. See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s, the Tower of London, and Kensington. Longer tickets add a one-way Thames cruise, while the 48-hour option can include Royal, Harry Potter, and Jack the Ripper walks, plus a 19:30 evening tour.

“It was a great way to see the city and get off when we wanted”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,834 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $53

See London from an open-top double-decker bus across three routes linking Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, St Paul’s, museums, Covent Garden, and more. Use the included audio commentary, Tootbus app, and Thames River cruise ticket to build your own sightseeing day. Passes last one, two, or three days.

“This was our first time visiting London and this was a great way to see all the sites. There were plenty of busses so we didn’t have to wait long for another one when we got off to wander around”

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6.Tootbus Must-See Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,653 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $52

Use a 24, 48, or 72-hour Tootbus pass to see London by open-top bus and Thames boat. Hop off for the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s, Borough Market, and more. The app shows live bus locations, holds your ticket, and adds four self-guided walks.

“This was a great option to have on hand for when walking around became too tiring for some or there was a lack of direction. It's great to just hop on, learn about the sights, and then hop off when something interests you.”

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7.River Thames Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,112 reviews · 1 day · from $33

Use a 24-hour City Cruises ticket to ride between Westminster, London Eye, Tower, and Greenwich piers. Sit inside or on the open deck, listen to live commentary, and stop for the Tower of London, Borough Market area, Tate Modern, or Cutty Sark. Crew members such as Dom add humor and useful historical detail.

“Great experience good value for money and the guys on board running it was excellent very informative and amusing much better than an audio recording”

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8.Gray Line London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,064 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $32Best value

Use Golden Tours Gray Line buses to see London landmarks from the open top, with routes covering Westminster, the City, Buckingham Palace, museums, Paddington, and Notting Hill. Audio commentary comes in 12 languages, with children’s commentary and live guides on selected blue routes. A one-way Thames cruise is included with the 24-hour ticket.

“Seeing the sites in London was very exciting. We learned how to navigate the city to get to the attractions we wanted to visit.”

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9.Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing River Cruise on the Thames

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,256 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $33

Use a 24-hour City Cruises pass to ride between Westminster, Waterloo by the London Eye, Tower Pier, and Greenwich. Choose indoor or open-deck seating, hear onboard commentary, and hop off for sights along the Thames. Boats run from 10am to the last sailing, but check times carefully because service gaps can affect your plans.

“We had a lovely cruise with many must see sights. We enjoyed this venue. People were very accommodating.”

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10.City Sightseeing London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour & Bookable Extras

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,224 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $37

See London from an open-top double-decker bus on three routes covering Westminster, the City, Kensington, the British Museum, and King’s Cross. Choose a 1-day to 72-hour ticket, follow live bus locations in the app, and add a Thames cruise, Greenwich trip, heritage Routemaster ride, or night tour on longer passes.

“For travelers who have limited time in which to see London, the Red route covered all the most iconic sights, and we especially liked going over thr London Bridge. A minus was that the recorded narration doesn't always match up with what was in our view at the moment, and a couple stops require a longer wait if you are not leaving the bus.”

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11.Golden Tours Gray Line Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 1,112 reviews · from $52

Use a 1, 2, or 3-day Golden Tours pass to ride three London bus routes with more than 70 stops. See Big Ben, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, museums, and West End sights. A Thames cruise and walking tour are included with 24, 48, and 72-hour passes. Audio commentary comes in 12 languages.

“The two of us had a great day seeing the sights and managed to do all 3 tours. Slight hiccup on the second tour as we had no sound, but once we transferred to a bus with sound it was fine. Did not know that the buses were not allowed to drive in certain areas, so it was disappointing that we didn't get a good view of Buckingham Palace. I thought more could have been said about Westminster Abbey but as so much happens in a small area there perhaps there wasn't enough time in the commentary to say more. Top marks to the friendly tour bus controller who comes…”

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12.Hop-On Hop-Off 1 Day River Thames Adventure – Uber Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 707 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $34

Use a one-day Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pass between Putney and Barking Riverside. Board at Westminster, Tower, Greenwich, or other piers, then hop off for sights such as the London Eye, Tower of London, Tate Modern, and Cutty Sark. Indoor seating, covered decks, a café, and regular service make this both sightseeing and transport.

“The best thing is that you can go up and down the Thames all day if you want. Taking in all the sites along the way.”

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