Best of · HISTORICAL TOURS
The 15 best history bus tours you can book today, with the fare, how long each one runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Ride a panoramic bus from Old Town Square through Old Town, Josefov, New Town, Lesser Town, and Prague Castle. Recorded commentary comes in 26 languages, and a 30 to 40-minute stop near Loreta gives you time for photos and a short walk.
“lots of historical places to visit, lots of information to absorb.”
Spend two hours touring Gettysburg Battlefield from a comfortable coach, with an English-speaking guide explaining the battle in sequence. You may stop at Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and Pickett’s Charge. Guides such as John, Christina, and Paul are known for clear, engaging storytelling.
“Well worth the money. It was very informative and really brought to life what I thought I knew about the battle”
Use one ticket for 24 hours on Prague’s historic Line 42 tram. Ride restored vehicles from the Austro-Hungarian era through the 1970s, stopping near Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the National Theatre, Prague Towers, and the Vltava River. Bring your phone and headphones for the audio guide app.
“Tour with beautiful several old trams. Tram is on time and helpfull staff on board”
See The Hague by historic tram with unlimited rides for one day. Board at any of 16 stops, including Centrum, Central Station, the Peace Palace, Kurhaus, and Scheveningen. A multilingual audio guide adds context, while the 30-minute service makes it easy to explore at your own pace.
“It would be nice if it could tell you which stop the tram is currently stopping at.”
Meet your guide in Greenwich Village for a 4.5-hour Brooklyn food tour by climate-controlled bus. Taste pizza, kielbasa, pierogi, falafel, shawarma, cannoli, chocolate, and more while visiting Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, DUMBO, and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Vegetarian options require advance notice.
“It was fun and the guide did a great job! Got a real sense of Brooklyn. There really wasn't any walking, though.”
Ride a climate-controlled shuttle through Charleston with an English-speaking local guide. In 90 minutes, you’ll pass more than 100 landmarks, including the Battery Sea Wall, Rainbow Row, historic churches, old markets, and the Four Corners of Law.
“It was terrific! It surely beat the heat of the walking tours in 100 degree heat.”
Start at Dublin Heuston at 7am for a hosted train ride to Cork, then visit Blarney Castle and gardens, shop and eat in Blarney village, tour Cork by coach, and explore Cobh Heritage Centre. Guides such as Norman, Paul, John, and Peter add useful local context.
“This is by far the WORST "tour" experience I have ever had. I use the word tour loosely, as it was more like a hostage experience! We should have been wary when we arrived at the train station to have the "guides" (another term I use loosely) inform us that they had "just" found out that there were rail repairs in process on our route, and we would have to disembark the train after only 45 minutes to ride buses (notice the plural!) to Blarney Castle. These railway repairs had obviously been going on for a while, as there were announcements all over the train station and on the passenger…”
Pair old Dubai with its modern skyline on a five-hour bus tour. Visit Dubai Creek, cross by abra, browse the Spice and Gold Souks, stop at Jumeirah Mosque, then ride to Burj Khalifa’s 124th-floor deck. English guiding and multilingual audio commentary are included.
“This tour was very good. The tour guide was exceptional, considerate and well informed. I highly recommend it.”
Join a professional Memphis musician for a three-hour bus tour filled with live guitar, songs, comedy, and local history. See Beale Street, Stax, the Lorraine Motel, and musical landmarks, then take a guided tour inside Sun Studio. The meeting point is Alfred’s on Beale.
“This tour was excellent! Cecil was very informative, telling us about the history of music in Memphis. He also entertained us with his guitar playing skills. Princess, drove us around & is a worthy sidekick. It was fascinating to see where Elvis played his first live concert and Sun studios where so many of the great hits were recorded. I would highly recommend.”
Travel across Naxos with an English-speaking guide, visiting Demeter’s Temple, Damalas, Chalkio, the Vallindras Citron distillery, Apiranthos, and Apollonas. You’ll taste local liqueur, explore marble villages, see old emery mines, and have free time for lunch or a swim.
“Can't fault it. Perfect from start to finish. Ran smoothly, and this was in July when I was expecting issues. The guide was great, read us poetry and stories of Greek mythology as we travelled. Worth every penny.”
Ride through Beaufort’s Old Point, The Bluff, and historic district with an English-speaking guide such as Heather, Kim, or Kelly. Hear Civil War stories, see antebellum homes and churches, visit the cemetery, and spot locations used in more than 24 films.
“We highly recommend this tour! Kim (our guide) was so knowledgeable about the history of Beaufort and she recounted many interesting events that occurred. Her bubbly personality made the trip a lot of fun!”
This 45-minute Galveston bus tour covers key city landmarks and the 1900 storm from an air-conditioned vehicle. Guide Pat brings a former history teacher’s eye and plenty of humor. It starts and ends at 2100 Harborside Drive, costs $25, and carries up to 24 people.
“Pat was wonderful. We learned a lot about the Galveston area. Really enjoyed. The bus was very comfortable.”
Ride through Charlotte’s Uptown with a local guide such as David, Keith, Danny, Jonathan, John, or Stephen. In about 90 minutes, you’ll see major sports venues, museums, churches, historic homes, theaters, and cultural sites from a small air-conditioned vehicle.
“Or guide had a great sense of humor, historical knowledge, and recommendations for things to do in Charlotte”
Spend 90 minutes with Historical Haunts exploring Memphis after dark. Guides such as Matt with the Hat connect ghost stories to local history, with stops at two mansions, Court Square, and Chickasaw Heritage Park. Expect a small bus, some walking, paranormal equipment, and more history than outright scares.
“This was such a great tour. Our guide Matt was very knowledgeable, fun and a cutie!! 😉 He made sure that my hearing impairment was addressed and that I was comfortable in my situation.”
![Departing from Takayama [Regular sightseeing bus] World Heritage Sites Shirakawago and Gokayama Ainokura - Ainokura after 50 minutes](https://assets.busdaytrips.com/wp-content/uploads/departing-from-takayama-regular-sightseeing-bus-world-heritage-sites-shirakawago-and-gokayama-ainokura.jpg)
Travel from Takayama to two UNESCO-listed Gassho villages by air-conditioned Nohi Bus. A bus guide, including guides such as Yamashia and Ikuichinami, explains local history, food, dialect, and routes before you explore Ainokura and Shirakawago on foot.
“Nohi bus driver and guide were awesome. Very scenic and fun trip in the snow. No need to book with Viator or any other tour company. Just go to Nohi bus centre and buy a tour for 8000 yen. We paid A$91 each and I guess it’s just to pay extra to Prebook a date.”
A loop, an open deck, a night run or a whole day on the coach.
