Top 15 Open-Top Bus Tours in London

1.London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,516 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $29Our pick

This 90-minute evening loop takes you from Green Park past London’s grandest sights, including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and Piccadilly Circus. A live English-speaking guide such as Michael or Shannon adds jokes, history, and well-timed photo cues. Dress warmly for the exposed upper deck.

“shannon and michael were excellent all around! wesley handled the bus well, also. a fun, affordable way to get a feel for london landmarks and learn interesting tidbits. glad i went.”

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2.Guided Sightseeing Tour on a Vintage Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,890 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $40

Ride a 1960s open-top Red Routemaster from Embankment for a fast, narrated look at London’s essential sights. Guides such as Johnny, Paul, and Will mix history with humor as you pass St. Paul’s, the Tower of London, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. Bring a warm scarf and camera.

“It was a great tour. I was on top of the Bus, but could hear every single word. The guide was a profound specialist on London hustory. And he was very funny.”

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3.Afternoon Tea Bus Tour – 1960s Routemaster Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,032 reviews · 1 hour 25 minutes (approx.) · from $87

Ride a vintage 1960s Routemaster through central London while enjoying tea, sandwiches, scones, cakes, and pastries. The 85-minute route passes Harrods, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park, and Mayfair, with recorded commentary, music, and service from hosts such as Alex, Taino, Azu, Nella, and Cristian.

“A lovely experience of high tea while seeing the sights of London comfortably in a custom double decker bus. Wait staff was friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend this tour, especially for those who want a unique type of tea experience.”

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4.Nighttime Open-Top Sightseeing Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,558 reviews · 1h 30m · from $39

Ride through London after dark with an English-speaking guide who points out Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and the City. The open top gives you the best views, while audio commentary in 12 languages and kids’ narration helps everyone follow along. Bring a warm coat and arrive early for an upper-deck seat.

“My tour was great and beautiful. We saw the main London places at night and discovered a lot about the city’s stories. The guide was awesome.”

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5.London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,132 reviews · 1h 15m · from $37

Ride a 1960s Routemaster through London’s Christmas-lit streets for 75 minutes. Your English-speaking guide, often praised guides such as Ben, Pete, or Max, adds jokes and city stories as you pass Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Harrods, and major landmarks.

“I highly recommend the tour. Only tip is I would recommend taking tissues to wipe down the chairs at the top purely because it rained and the chairs were still wet.”

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6.London by Night Sightseeing Tour – Open Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,060 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Ride an open-top double-decker from Green Park through Piccadilly, Westminster, the Thames, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, and Kensington. Live English commentary, often led by guides such as Michael, adds history and humor. Upper-deck seats are first come, first served, and winter rides can be cold.

“Absolutely lovely! Had to book this tour last minute because another tour fell through and I'm so glad it did! Shay made the process seamless and Michael was an absolute gem of a guide. Incredibly entertaining and insightful tour of London. Great recommendations on places to visit as well.”

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7.London by Night Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 977 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Ride through central London after dark on a 90-minute open-top bus tour with a live English-speaking guide, such as Joe, Tim, Emma, or Tom when available. See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, and Tower Bridge, with audio guides in 12 languages.

“The tour was exceptionally enjoyable. Our guide, Tim, had an incredible sense of humor that made the tour a delightful experience for both kids and adults. Highly recommended!”

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8.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 770 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $48

Ride an open-top 1960s Routemaster from Embankment through London’s West End. A live English-speaking guide such as Rory, Lola, or Katie shares Christmas facts and city stories as music plays beside Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Big Ben, and the London Eye.

“We had a fantastic team. Our guide Lola and her driver/dad Ross were fabulous. The tour was excellent, fun and great value for money. Thank you for your patience with all the questions from our 10 yr old xx”

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9.Children’s Open Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 542 reviews · 45 min · from $32

Take a 45-minute open-top bus ride past Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and more. A live English guide such as Jez, Tom, or Sophie keeps children involved with jokes, quizzes, and clear stories. The Tootbus app adds bus tracking, audio commentary, and self-guided walks.

“Great tour, lots to see, but lots of traffic as it was day before jubilee celebrations. so ended up leaving late.”

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10.Panoramic Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 256 reviews · 2 hours · from $47

Take a two-hour, non-stop open-top tour from the London Eye past Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Tower Bridge. Choose a live English guide when available, or use commentary in 12 languages. Guides such as Tim and Andy are known for humor and strong storytelling.

“I loved Tim! He was so funny and very knowledgable! I was surprised at how rich the history was of London and learned a lot along the way! 10 stars!!! Love the human touch.”

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11.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 245 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

Meet at Gate 0 in Victoria Coach Station for a 90-minute English-language tour aboard a restored vintage double-decker bus. You’ll pass the lights of Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Knightsbridge, with views of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and the Palace of Westminster. Guides such as Clive, Frank, and Toby add lively local detail.

“Such a wonderful Christmas experience. The tour guide Frank was extremely knowledgeable and very cheerful. The bus driver Michael drove us around extremely safely. Highly recommend this tour. Very well organised.”

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12.Christmas Lights Santa Sleigh Open-Top Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 233 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

Set out from Embankment on a 90-minute English-language open-top bus ride through London’s Christmas-lit West End. Pass St James’s, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Whitehall, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Choose Trafalgar Square or Embankment at the end, but dress warmly and expect first-come seating.

“Quand on se trouve en haut du bus, la musique ne fonctionne pas. Le trajet est extrêmement court et dans les embouteillages. Un prix exorbitant (160 euros pour 5 personnes). Une véritable arnaque. Un conseil : prenez le bus 453 ; il fait le même trajet ; on voit très bien les illuminations et cela ne coûte pas grand-chose.”

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13.Vintage Bus Tour and London Eye Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 148 reviews · 4 hours · from $130

Spend four hours seeing central London by vintage double-decker bus, short Thames cruise, and London Eye capsule. Your English-speaking guide points out Parliament, St. Paul’s, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and more. Morning departures may include the Changing of the Guard.

“John the irish exellent tourguide, and the unbrella fantastic touch.”

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14.Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 134 reviews · 1 hour · from $41

Ride the upper deck of a yellow See London By Night bus for a one-hour evening tour through London’s Christmas displays. An English-speaking guide points out Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, and the London Eye. Bring warm layers and expect city traffic.

“It was severely impacted by NY Day road closures which hadn’t been allowed for. The tour ran much longer than expected and still didn’t get to some of the sights listed. We also had to get off the tour on the other side of London and make our own way back.”

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15.Big Bus Panoramic Evening Tour by Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 96 reviews · 2 hours · from $49

Join Big Bus Tours at the London Eye for a two-hour, non-stop evening ride past the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Parliament. Audio commentary comes in seven languages. Bring warm layers, arrive early, and remember that the open top offers no shelter from rain.

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