Independent guide
Big Bus London: routes, stops and tickets
Independent guide, not operated by or affiliated with Big Bus Tours.
We list 4 Big Bus ticket options in London, from 1–3.5 hr. Big Bus Tours sells the London hop-on hop-off routes on its own London pages. This guide covers 3 routes, its 48 distinct stops, when to ride and who it suits, then lines up the tickets.
- Routes3
- Stops48
- Shortest loop70M
- Tickets4
Route and stops
- Red Route
- Blue Route
- Green Link
Central London loop linking Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, the South Bank, St Paul's, the Tower of London and Westminster, finishing near Buckingham Palace and Victoria.
Red Route
Show all 25 stops
Longer east-to-west loop from Victoria through Hyde Park Corner, Harrods, the South Kensington museums, Kensington Palace, Paddington and Marble Arch, then across the West End to St Paul's, London Bridge and the Tower of London.
Blue Route
Show all 33 stops
Short loop around the Euston, King's Cross and St Pancras stations area, calling at the British Museum before returning towards the Embankment and Covent Garden.
Green Link
Show all 10 stops
Big Bus tickets in London
Want to see every hop-on hop-off bus in London, not just this one? Compare hop-on hop-off tours in London.
What riders say
Across these tickets travellers rate Big Bus London 3.7 out of 5 from 12,114 reviews.
Awesome tour! We saw all the important landmarks. The only drawback was the buses took too long to come back when you got off. Other than that, great experience.
Easy to book to access and a day filled with adventure and great food and drink
We had a great day. A must do is get the headphones. You are given so much information. We booked the 24hr trip with the river cruise. The river cruise was fantastic. We had one of the crew tell us about what we were seeing on the trip. He was fantastic and funny. Very easy to use.
Best time to ride
Spring and early autumn usually bring milder weather for an open-top deck, while summer is the busiest period at the big sights. Riding early in the day tends to mean shorter queues at boarding points, and the open deck is less comfortable in winter rain or cold.
Who it suits
- Families
- The hop-on hop-off format lets children get off at the stops nearest the British Museum, the South Kensington museums or the London Eye and rejoin later. The audio commentary comes in multiple languages.
- Couples
- The open top deck suits a relaxed overview of the West End, the river and the City, with easy stops at Kensington Palace or Covent Garden to break the loop.
- Seniors
- Hop-on hop-off lets riders choose a few stops rather than walk between sights. Check the operator for current accessibility details before booking.
- First-time visitors
- The Red Route covers the best-known central sights in a loop of roughly two and a half hours, so it is the usual starting point for a first visit.
Tips before you go
- The operator says you can hop on and off at any stop, so board at whichever is nearest rather than at the start.
- Stop numbers differ between the timetable, route map and service pages, so rely on stop names and addresses.
- Buses on the Red Route run every 15 to 20 minutes and Blue Route every 20 minutes, according to the service information page.
Sights along the way
Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Harrods, British Museum.
Top-ranked in London: St. Paul's Cathedral, Stonehenge, Tower of London, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, London Eye. All things to do in London.
Why take the bus in London
The strongest argument for a London sightseeing bus is geography. The big sights are spread along the river and across the West End, and the distances between them are awkward: too far to walk comfortably in a row, too short to justify changing underground lines. The bus links Trafalgar Square, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament in one seated ride, and the open deck gives you an overview of the city that a train cannot.
It is also a good fit for a first day, when you are still learning how the city fits together. Riding a full loop before choosing where to spend your time helps you decide which areas deserve a proper visit.
The bus is the wrong choice in a few situations. If your plan is one cluster of sights, walking is simpler. The area around Westminster has the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square within an easy stroll of each other, and a bus adds little. The same goes for the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and Borough Market, which sit together on foot. The Tube is quicker when you need to cross town to a single destination. A walking tour, typically led by a local guide at a slower pace through smaller streets, suits people who want stories and detail more than coverage. The bus is best for breadth and for resting your legs between stops; it is not a replacement for time inside a museum or cathedral.
How the routes work together
Think of the three routes as one central loop, one wider loop and one small add-on. The Red Route is the core. It links Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, the South Bank, St Paul's, the Tower of London and Westminster, with stops near Buckingham Palace and Victoria. For most visitors it covers the landmarks they came to see.
The Blue Route is the longer east-to-west option. It starts from Victoria and heads out through Hyde Park Corner, Harrods and the South Kensington museums, then on to Kensington Palace, Notting Hill, Paddington and Marble Arch. After that it crosses the West End and reaches St Paul's, London Bridge and the Tower of London. It shares a good stretch of central stops with the Red Route, including Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Covent Garden and St Paul's, so the two overlap at those points. The Blue Route is the one to add if the Kensington side of the city matters to you.
The Green Link is a short loop around Euston, King's Cross and St Pancras, calling at the British Museum before returning towards the Embankment and Covent Garden. It makes sense mainly if you are arriving at one of those stations or want the British Museum without a long walk. Covent Garden and Temple Underground Station appear on both the Red Route and the Green Link.
Only some sights have a stop right beside them. St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace each have a stop at their door. Others take a short walk: Tower Bridge is about 300 metres from the Tower of London stop, and Westminster Abbey is about 400 metres from Westminster Pier. Borough Market is about 400 metres from the London Bridge stop.
A sample day on the bus
A good half-day starts with the Red Route at a stop close to where you are staying rather than at the start of the loop. Begin at Trafalgar Square, staying on the bus through Whitehall and the South Bank for a first overview. Get off at the London Eye stop if the river views appeal; from there the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster and Westminster Abbey are an easy walk along the water, and the bus stop at Westminster Pier is about 150 metres from Parliament.
Back on board, ride on to St Paul's Cathedral and take time to go inside, since a cathedral deserves more than a photograph from the deck. Continue to the Tower of London. That stop puts you within about 300 metres of Tower Bridge, and Borough Market is a short way from London Bridge, so it works well as a late lunch. Eating there before the afternoon ride makes the open deck far more pleasant.
Finish at the Buckingham Palace stop, which is about 100 metres from the area where the Changing of the Guard takes place. If the ceremony matters to you, build the day around it, because arriving late means standing behind crowds. Spreading the same plan over two days gives you room for the museums and for the Blue Route's Kensington section.
Booking advice
Settle your ticket before you travel, and plan the days around any timed entries to places like the Tower of London or the London Eye.
The main choice is how long the ticket lasts. Ticket options on this city's listings vary in length, so compare them against your actual plan. Think about how many hops you will make: a single loop with a few stops is a different plan from riding the Red Route, adding the Blue Route and taking proper time at the museums.
Before buying, check which routes the ticket includes, whether the Green Link is part of it, and what the validity period is. Look at the accessibility details if anyone in your group needs them, and at the commentary languages if that matters. Compare the options on the ticket page to see exactly what each one includes.
Sights worth the stop
Some sights justify getting off, and others are fine from the deck. St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London are worth going inside: both have a stop at the entrance and reward unhurried time. Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament are mostly seen from outside, so a short stop for photographs is enough, unless you are timing the Changing of the Guard.
Trafalgar Square is a natural place to board or change, with the National Gallery close by. Borough Market is the best food stop on the route. The Thames is the thread through the whole day, and the riverside views along the South Bank come with the ride itself.
More on London sightseeing
- Big Bus London FAQ: Your Questions Answered
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus vs Public Transport in London
- Hop On Hop Off vs Walking Tour in London
- 1 Day in London: An Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
- 2 Days in London: A Two-Day Itinerary Built Around a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
- 3 Days in London: A First-Timer's Itinerary
- Romantic Things to Do in London: A Relaxed Itinerary for Two
- London with Kids: A Family Itinerary Built Around a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
Questions about Big Bus London
How long does the London Red Route take?
The service information page puts a full circuit at about 2 hours 30 minutes, with buses every 15 to 20 minutes.
Which London route goes to Kensington Palace?
The Blue Route calls at Kensington Palace, along with Harrods, the South Kensington museums and Paddington.
Which route ends at the Tower of London?
Both the Red and Blue Routes call at the Tower of London.
What is the Green Link?
A shorter loop of about 1 hour 10 minutes around Euston, King's Cross, St Pancras and the British Museum, with buses roughly every 45 minutes.
Can I hop on at any stop?
Yes. The operator states that you can hop on and off at any of its stops.
How many Big Bus ticket options are there in London?
We list 4 Big Bus ticket options in London, lasting 1–3.5 hr, rated 3.7 out of 5 across 12,114 traveller reviews.
Route and stop details checked 2026-10-13; routes and times change with the season, so confirm on the ticket page before you travel.