Big Bus Philadelphia: routes, stops and tickets

Route and stops

Big Bus tickets in Philadelphia

• 

  Gratis afbestilling

  Philadelphia Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus

  1 t. og 30 min.4,2(2 t)2k anmeldelser·Big Bus Philadelphia

  fra54 US$

Want to see every hop-on hop-off bus in Philadelphia, not just this one? Compare hop-on hop-off tours in Philadelphia.

What riders say

Across these tickets travellers rate Big Bus Philadelphia 4.2 out of 5 from 2,397 reviews.

Tour is a good overview of the City but beware if you do the hop off, it gets very crowded and seating is limited but other than that good overview of the City for the price

Philadelphia is a story of many different cultures and styles colliding. It’s fun, it’s energetic, it’s gritty, it’s kind, it’s inspirational and exciting. We went over Labor Day weekend to run the Rocky Stairs, we discovered rich history, amazing food and a passionate populace. At the end of the day, down just about every narrow street it all leads back to Benjamin Franklin.

Tour guide made it fun and educational. Had a great time! Look out for those low hanging branches on top. They don't make all stops unless you ask for a specific one.

Best time to ride

Spring and early autumn usually give comfortable weather for sitting on an open top deck, while midsummer can be hot and busy around Independence Hall. Winter rides are possible but the upper deck is cold, and the operator may pause service for weather or city events.

Who it suits

Families

Hopping off at the Liberty Bell area, LOVE Park or the Rocky Steps lets children stretch their legs between stretches on the bus.

Couples

The hop-on hop-off ticket covers daytime riding, and a separate panoramic night tour is listed that stops only at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Seniors

Hop-on hop-off lets riders pick a few stops across a spread-out city instead of walking between them. Check the operator for current accessibility details before booking.

First-time visitors

The Blue Route starts beside Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell and reaches the Constitution Center, City Hall and the Parkway museums, so it works as an orientation to the main sights.

Tips before you go

• Stop 1 is the Independence Visitor Center at the south-west corner of 6th and Market Streets, though you can join at other stops.
• Listings give different stop counts, from 26 to 27, so rely on stop names rather than numbers.
• Resellers describe a full circuit of about 90 minutes without getting off.
• Listings sell one, two and three day tickets; check the product terms for how the days are counted.
• Service can be paused for weather or city events, and individual stops are sometimes closed, so check live notices before you go.

Sights along the way

Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley, National Constitution Center, City Hall, LOVE Park, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Chinatown.

Top-ranked in Philadelphia: Liberty Bell Center, Carpenters' Hall , President's House, Betsy Ross House, Christ Church. All things to do in Philadelphia.

Why take the bus in Philadelphia

The strongest argument for a sightseeing bus here is the gap between the historic district and the Parkway. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell sit at one end, the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the other, and City Hall, topped by its statue of William Penn, falls between them. Covering that stretch on foot is possible, but it eats time and energy you may prefer to spend inside buildings. An open-top loop lets you take in the Parkway's sweep from above and then get off only where something deserves your attention.

The bus is a poor fit for the historic core itself. Several sights there are close together on foot, and it makes more sense to walk the cluster around Independence National Historical Park than to ride between its pieces. Liberty Bell Center, President's House and Carpenters' Hall are all within a few hundred metres of the first stop, so one boarding point serves the whole area and the rest is a stroll.

That also answers the common question of the bus versus a walking tour. A guided walk, typically a couple of hours with a local guide, goes deeper on the colonial story and suits people who want detail on one neighbourhood. The bus gives you breadth, a sense of how the city is laid out and a lift up the Parkway. Many visitors do both: a walk in the old city, then the bus for everything else.

The bus is also a sensible choice if you are short on days. If you have one day in Philadelphia, a loop gives structure without much planning. With two or three days, you can treat it as transport on the day you head to the museums and walk the rest.

How the routes work together

There is a single route, the Blue Route, so there is nothing to juggle. It is an open-top loop around Center City and the Parkway, and it takes about 90 minutes if you ride all the way round without getting off. Six stops make up the circuit, starting from the Independence Visitor Center beside Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Think of the loop in two halves. The first half is history and civic landmarks: the visitor center, the National Constitution Center, then Chinatown and City Hall. The second half is the Parkway, passing LOVE Park on the way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and its Rocky Steps. Because it is a loop, you can board at any stop and the order simply continues from there.

Some useful pairings follow from the stop positions. The National Constitution Center stop is about 100 metres from Benjamin Franklin's Grave and about 400 metres from Betsy Ross House. The Chinatown stop is about 250 metres from Reading Terminal Market, which makes it the natural point to get off for lunch. The City Hall stop is right at Philadelphia City Hall, and the museum stop is right at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Not every sight is served. Christ Church and Elfreth's Alley have no stop within walking distance of the route, so plan to reach them on foot or by another means rather than expecting the bus to drop you nearby.

A sample day on the bus

Start in the morning at the Independence Visitor Center. Spend the first stretch on foot around Independence National Historical Park, which is about 200 metres from the stop: the Liberty Bell Center is about 150 metres away and President's House about 100 metres. Carpenters' Hall is about 400 metres off. This cluster is the heart of the old city and rewards unhurried walking.

When you have had enough of the colonial core, board the bus and ride to the National Constitution Center stop. Get off there for the museum itself, and take the short walk to Benjamin Franklin's Grave if it appeals. Back on board, continue to Chinatown and step off for lunch at Reading Terminal Market, housed in an old railway shed and well known for baking and sandwiches.

In the afternoon, rejoin the loop and ride through City Hall and LOVE Park toward the Parkway. Hopping off at City Hall gives you a close look at one of the city's most distinctive buildings. Then stay on to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the Rocky Steps are a favourite photo stop and the galleries can fill whatever time remains. Families may like that LOVE Park and the Steps give children room to move between rides.

If you would rather skip the walking at the start, reverse it: ride first for orientation, then return to the historic core on a second pass with a clearer idea of what you want to see.

Booking advice

Check how days are counted in the product terms before you choose.

Across the city, several operators and a few products sell hop-on hop-off style tours, and the loop times on those pages come to about 90 minutes. Eight languages appear across them: German, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, English, French and Spanish. Which language options come with a given ticket is something to confirm on that ticket page. You will also see night tours and bundles that pair a bus ticket with an attraction or a second activity, so decide whether a bundle matches what you actually want to visit.

Before buying, look at the ticket page for the route description, the stops listed, what is included and any accessibility details. If you need step-free access or have specific requirements, the ticket page is the place to confirm them. Compare the options side by side, and pick the one whose route and inclusions fit your plan rather than the one with the longest list of extras.

Sights worth the stop

Liberty Bell Center and Independence National Historical Park anchor most visits, with President's House and Carpenters' Hall close by for anyone who wants more of the founding-era story. Betsy Ross House and Benjamin Franklin's Grave suit a short walk from the National Constitution Center stop.

Philadelphia City Hall is worth a proper look from the stop beside it, and Reading Terminal Market is the practical choice for a meal. The Philadelphia Museum of Art rounds out the loop, with its Rocky Steps outside and a major collection within.

Christ Church and Elfreth's Alley have no stop nearby, but both belong in the historic-core cluster that works well on foot. Elfreth's Alley, a lane of small 18th-century houses, is among the oldest residential streets in the country, so it deserves a deliberate detour rather than a skip.

More on Philadelphia sightseeing

• Big Bus Philadelphia FAQ

Questions about Big Bus Philadelphia