London's open-top bus tour operators on this page have logged more than 17,000 Google reviews between them, and the ratings run from 4.1 up to 4.7, a real gap once you factor in that most of them are selling nearly the same hop-on hop-off route past Big Ben and Tower Bridge. What actually separates them is commentary style, route flexibility, and whether you want history or a night of ghost stories instead.
Short answer: City Sightseeing London holds the strongest rating at 4.7 stars across 3,635 Google reviews, ahead of The Ghost Bus Tours at 4.4 and Big Bus Tours London, the most-reviewed operator on this page with over 9,300 reviews. Tootbus, the only operator here publishing fares, lists single-day hop-on hop-off tickets from £24.99.
How we score
Every number on this page is computed from public Google data on the date shown, not from opinion or payment. Rating is the business’s live Google star average. Review volume is how many customers have rated them, ranked against other London bus tour operators. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a rating built on thousands of reviews carries more weight than one from a few hundred. Recency reflects how recently customers are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change these numbers.
How much does a London bus tour cost? (2026)
Hop-on hop-off tickets are typically sold in single-day or multi-day bands, with discounts for combined packages like river cruises or attraction entry. Themed tours like the ghost bus are priced separately as a one-time experience rather than a day pass.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|
| Tootbus hop-on hop-off, 1 to 3 days | from £24.99 (was £44.00) |
| Tootbus hop-on hop-off + river cruise | from £33.99 (was £49.00) |
| Tootbus single bus ride, one route | from £25.00 |
Prices compiled August 2026 from Tootbus London’s own published ticket pricing in the operator’s site text. Big Bus Tours, City Sightseeing and The Ghost Bus Tours do not publish fares in the data collected here. Prices vary by season, ticket length and add-ons; confirm current pricing on each operator’s own site.
Serving central London and major tourist routes
These tours run through central London’s main sightseeing corridor, covering Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the West End, with pickup points concentrated around Victoria, Southampton Row, Coventry Street and Northumberland Avenue. Searching for a bus tour near me in London? Each listing includes a live phone number where available, plus directions to the nearest stop.
What to ask before you book a bus tour
- Is the ticket a single day, or does it cover multiple days of unlimited hop-on hop-off travel?
- Does the ticket include a river cruise or other attraction, and is that operated by the same company?
- How long is the wait typically between buses at peak times?
- Is live commentary offered, or is it pre-recorded audio through headphones?
- Is the tour suitable for young children, and how long does the full route take?
Frequently asked questions
How did you choose these bus tour services?
We started from bus tour operators in London with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency, and recency. See How we score above.
Are these rankings paid?
No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.
How often is this updated?
The data carries a verified date (August 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.
Which London bus tour has the highest rating?
City Sightseeing London holds the highest rating on this page at 4.7 stars across 3,635 Google reviews.
Is there a bus tour in London that isn’t standard sightseeing?
The Ghost Bus Tours runs a themed, live-guided tour focused on ghost stories and dark history rather than a standard hop-on hop-off sightseeing route.
The bottom line
City Sightseeing London is the safe default for the highest-rated standard hop-on hop-off experience, while Big Bus Tours covers the widest network of routes if brand recognition and reach matter more. If you want something different for an evening, The Ghost Bus Tours is worth adding on top of, not instead of, a daytime sightseeing tour.
