When we went away for a weekend in London earlier this summer, we had a bit of a problem. My hubby was struggling with a knee injury, which had left him on crutches and not very mobile. Naturally this made getting around the city a bit of a challenge.
We’d talked about going on one of the city sightseeing tours on an open top bus, but I’d wavered a little over the price.
On the spur of the moment, after realising that we weren’t going to be able to walk around any attractions, we decided to give the tour a go, and I’m glad we did.
There are a variety of tours run by different companies, which take different routes around the city. They’re hop on hop off, which means that you can jump off the bus anytime you fancy exploring a particular place.
Tickets are for 24 hours, so you can catch a later bus once you’ve finished sightseeing.
The tour we went on was surprisingly comprehensive. We joined at the Tower of London and the journey took us through Westminster, past Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, all the way to Kensington and Hyde Park, before turning back and heading past even more famous landmarks.
The full journey lasted around three hours and as it was a nice day we enjoyed sitting on the open top bus taking photos and people watching. There is also an audio tour available, so you can learn more about the history of the city as you go.
The ticket price also includes a couple of extras, such as a free boat tour along the Thames.
Tickets generally cost around £27-£29, but if you book in advance online you can get a discount.
The tour really saved our trip and made us feel as though we’d experienced a lot more of London than we would have otherwise. Next time I’m in the capital, I’ll definitely use it again, only this time I’ll be stopping off to visit a few sights along the route.
You can check out the tours here.
Katie says
I’ve never done a bus tour before but it does sound pretty good! By the looks of your photos too, I guess it makes it easier to get photos without other tourists being completely in the way!
Amy Lord says
It’s a good way of seeing a lot in a short amount of time, and getting ideas for what to go back to later. You can get some good shots as you’re up a bit higher, but a couple of times the bus did get full with everyone scrambling to take pictures of a particular attraction. Nice on a sunny day though!
Sara Strauss says
Is is weird that these pictures are making me homesick and I’ve never been to London? I just want to go so so badly!!
~Sara
Amy Lord says
Not weird at all! Hope you get to make the trip one day, Sara 🙂
Pearl - Pretty Mayhem says
My hubby and I also did a open top bus tour when we were in London three years ago (mainly because I was super jet lagged on the first day and feeling really tired) and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Like you said it covered all the important landmarks and it was a good way to get a first taste of London. Bus tours are also great when it’s really hot or cold outside 🙂
Amy Lord says
Definitely! I’m looking forward to being to jump on and off the bus next time round too!