London Sightseeing Bus Tour - The Original Tour

Click here for the Original London Sightseeing Tour ROUTE MAP.

Bus Tours

Yellow Route - Covers central London's main attractions, every other bus is live guided/multilingual

• Duration: approximately 2 hours
• Main attractions: Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, The National Gallery, Downing Street, Big Ben, London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London & Westminster Abbey
• Live commentary with an English-speaking guide
• Audio guide in 11 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, European Portuguese, Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese and Arabic plus Kid's Club commentary (in English)

Blue Route - Covers all London's most famous museums

• Duration: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
• Main attractions: Kensington Palace, Baden-Powell House, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Brompton Oratory, Harrods, Knightsbridge, Harvey Nichols, Hyde Park, Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue, British Museum, Russell Square, Wellington Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Albert Memorial, Kensington High Street & the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
• Audio guide in 11 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, European Portuguese, Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese and Arabic plus Kid's Club commentary (in English)

Green Route - Covers the top 10 sights in central London and more

• Duration: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
• Main attractions: Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, Downing Street & Piccadilly Circus
• Audio guide in 11 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, European Portuguese, Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese and Arabic plus Kid's Club commentary (in English)

Orange Route - Covers the route to the British Museum, the most popular museum in London. Also use this line to connect to the other sightseeing routes

• Duration: approximately 20 minutes
• Main attractions: The British Museum, Shaftesbury Avenue & Piccadilly Circus (The heart of London’s ‘theatreland’)
• Audio guide in 11 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, European Portuguese, Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese and Arabic plus Kid's Club commentary (in English)

Purple Route - New and improved for July 2018! Connector Route only.

• KidZania London: Now stopping at KidZania London – simply take the 9.31am from Marble Arch, Speaker’s Corner to arrive before KidZania opens at 10am!
• Portobello Market & Notting Hill: Hop-off the bus at #60 or #61 to visit Portobello Market & Notting Hill – first bus leaves Marble Arch at 8.51am
• Frequency: The Purple Route now operates every 20 minutes throughout the day!
• Paddington Station: Now stopping at Paddington Station all morning AND all afternoon!

Free Thames River Cruise

• To receive your day pass for free sightseeing cruises on the River Thames, simply ask a member of staff on board the bus
• Depart from Westminster Pier near Big Ben (view on map) and travel to Tower Hill
• When you get to Westminster pier, show the free cruise pass to the staff and then you can hop on and off the boats at as many stops as you like, within the same 24 hour period as your bus ticket
• With a 48 hour ticket you can take a free return River Cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich
• See the cruise timetable here

Free Walking Tours

All walking tours last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

The Original Changing of the Guard Walk

• Departs: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 10am from The Original London Visitor Centre
• The tour: takes in Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and the regiments that guard them. On non-guard change days the tour still takes place and there are plenty of photo opportunities at the palace. Changing of the Guard does not take place if it is raining

Rock ‘n’ Roll Walk

• Departs: daily at 1pm from The Original London Visitor Centre
• The tour: takes guests to locations including The Beatles on a roof top, the studio where The Rolling Stones recorded their first album and the location of the Sex Pistols’ first gig

The Original Jack The Ripper Walk

• Departs: daily at 4pm from The Original Tour bus stop 11 at the Tower of London (and finishes at Aldgate East Tube station)
• The tour: follows in the footsteps of the world’s most notorious serial killer and reveals the secrets of his murderous rampage in east London

How to book

When you book, you will be emailed an e-voucher. Print it out and bring with you to any of the 80+ stops on the three Original London Tour bus routes. When you get on the bus, give the voucher to the Original London Tour staff, who will exchange it for your ticket(s).

Tour dates and times  

• Yellow Route: First bus from Coventry Street, Piccadilly Circus at 8.30am. Buses depart every 15-30 minutes
• Blue Route: First bus from Kensington Palace Gate at 8.13am, or Woburn Place, Russell Square at 8.30am. Buses depart every 15-30 minutes
• Orange Route: First bus from the Royal National Hotel, Woburn Place at 8.30am. Buses depart every 20-30 minutes
• Last full tours depart between 5.30pm and 8pm depending on season.
• There are no tours on 25 December (Christmas Day)

Disabled access

• 90% of the Original Tour’s buses  are wheelchair-accessible
• Accessible buses run daily on all tour routes. Check with staff at bus stops for more details
• All river cruise boats are wheelchair-accessible

Group visits

If you are booking for a group of 20 or more, please contact us to let us know the amount of people and the date/time of the tour. Groups may be refused if this information is not sent prior to taking the tour.  

• How long are tickets valid for?

Tickets are valid for 24 or 48 hours from when they are first used.

• Can I get on the tour anywhere along the route?

Yes, you can board or get off the buses at any of the 80+ stops – you don’t have to start or finish at a certain stop.

• Do I have to choose a certain route or can I change between the different routes?

Your ticket is valid on all routes so you can change between routes as much as you like.

• Is the tour suitable for children?

Yes, all are welcome on the tour and children aged 5 – 12 are specially catered for with kids’ commentary on the sights of London and activity packs, on the blue route.

• What are the walking tours and river cruise that come free with the bus tour?

As well as the open top bus tour, your ticket includes a choice of three walking tours and a cruise along the River Thames. These extra tours must be taken in the same 24 hour period that your bus ticket is valid, so plan your day accordingly:

• Changing of the Guard walking tour: departs 10am
• Rock ‘n’ Roll walking tour: departs 1pm
• Jack The Ripper walking tour: departs 4pm

Please refer to the 'The Tour Routes' tab for full details of all tours.