London Bus Tours Are More Than Just Sightseeing

There are a number of different London Bus Tours available, but all these companies operate the same way. You get a ticket that is valid over a 24 hour period from the time of purchase. You can then hop on and off the tour buses for that company as often as you like.

Each tour runs a number of different routes around the city, taking in all the major tourist sights, museums and art galleries. A colour coded map will help you plan your itinerary and work out the best way to make the most of your ticket.

The buses are all double-deckers with open tops, allowing a particularly personal view as you travel around. There will be a tour commentary, with some tour buses specialising in a particular language. However, most will have headphones, allowing you to choose the commentary that suits best, based on language or age.

Many adults find the children’s commentary a pleasant change to the usually more dry adult narrations. In addition to the bus tour, you get a ticket to take a ferry ride on the River Thames. Even if you’re on a tight schedule, it is well worth taking a once in a lifetime trip down this famous waterway.

You’ll also have opportunities to take walking tours, also included in the ticket price. In particular, you won’t want to miss the walking tour to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It is worth noting that tour buses are not allowed to travel in front of the Queen’s residence, or down the Mall.

You can buy a ticket from most of the tourist information offices, or outside any of the mainline train stations dotted around the capital. The tours have their own bus stops, and these are clearly marked. If you travel about on the Underground, you’ll miss a lot of sights you might otherwise see above the ground as you travel between tourist spots.

For this reason alone, the London bus tours are the best way to see the capital.