Top 12 Open-Top Bus Tours in the UK

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.Hop-On Hop-Off Belfast Open Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,539 reviews · 2 days · from $13Best value

Use a 48-hour ticket to tour Belfast by open-top bus, with stops at Titanic Belfast, St. George’s Market, Queen’s University, the murals, peace walls, and Crumlin Road Gaol. English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish commentary is available, with some drivers adding lively local stories.

“Fantastic tour. Very informative. It is a must do in Belfast xx”

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6.Open-Top Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,224 reviews · 1 day · from $18

Start at Royal Albert Dock for a one-day Liverpool City Sights ticket, live English commentary, and multilingual audio. Ride past the waterfront, cathedrals, Cavern Club, Chinatown, and St George’s Hall. Hop off to explore, then claim complimentary fizz at the Philharmonic Dining Rooms.

“So glad we chose this Hop On Hop Off tour bus (first bus on 17/6/25) - it's a great introduction to Liverpool. The tour commentary was given by a lovely local lady by microphone, so it was really informative but also great humour - really felt like an 'insider guide' to what to visit on foot later. So glad we followed her advice to pop inside the Library, the Wallace and The Adelphi to take a quick look. The Guide and Driver were so good that we stayed on board for the whole circuit! - we didn't 'hop off'! Once back at the Start we then decided to stay on…”

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7.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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8.Big Bus Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour by Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,079 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $24

Start at Waterloo Place and choose the City Tour, Britannia Tour, or both if your ticket allows. Ride past Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, Holyroodhouse, the Royal Yacht Britannia, and the Botanic Garden while listening to audio commentary in nine languages. Use the bus for city views, planning, and relief from Edinburgh’s hills.

“A nice break from walking around the town, definitely worth booking to get an overview of the main attractions. There was no guide on this tour, just headphones and an audio guide on the bus”

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9.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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10.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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11.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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12.Vintage Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea or Gin

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 699 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $57

Join Red Bus Bistro for a 90-minute vintage Routemaster ride through Edinburgh, with prosecco, warm scones, sandwiches, cakes, and unlimited tea or coffee. Choose the gin option for a floral Edinburgh Gin cocktail served in a teapot. Staff such as Alice, Helen, and Jimmy add friendly service and humor.

“It was a fantastic experience for my friend visiting from San Francisco. Such an easy way to see the city without having to worry about parking!! Sandwiches and petite fours were delicious as was the gin cocktail. Would have been nice to get a bit closer to the Castle, but that’s probably another tour🙂 For future visitors, there is a bathroom break, but could be a little shorter - it’s only an hour and a half round trip😂”

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