Operator reference
About Big Bus London: routes, stops, hours and ticket types
Big Bus London is the official open-top hop-on hop-off sightseeing service in central London. This page is the canonical reference for the route, the stops, the operating hours, the ticket types and how the service actually works on the day you ride.
What Big Bus London is
Big Bus London is the operator of the open-top hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus loop in central London. The brand has been associated with London sightseeing for years and is one of the most recognisable operators in the city. One ticket gives unlimited boardings on the loop within its validity window, with recorded multilingual commentary on board so visitors understand what they are looking at.
The route and stops
The Big Bus London route is a central London loop covering the city’s main landmarks. Headline stops include:
- Westminster — Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
- Buckingham Palace
- Trafalgar Square — National Gallery
- Marble Arch — Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Moco Museum
- Victoria — railway and coach hub
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Tower of London and Tower Bridge
- South Bank — London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe
Buses run roughly every 15–20 minutes during the day so you very rarely wait long at a stop. A full loop without hopping off takes about two hours.
Operating hours
Big Bus London operates every day of the year except 25 December. Daytime services typically run from around 09:00 to early evening, with last departures earlier in winter and later in summer. The Night Tour is a separate evening service designed for illuminated landmark photography. Always check the live timetable on the Big Bus London booking page before you travel.
Ticket types
The five ticket types are designed for different trip lengths:
- Discover (24h): bus only.
- Essential (24h): bus plus a Thames river cruise.
- Explore (48h): two days of bus, Thames cruise, walking tour.
- One Day: a streamlined single-day pass.
- Night Tour: evening illuminated-landmark service.
Fleet and accessibility
The Big Bus London fleet is made up of open-top double-deckers with weather-protected lower decks and panoramic upper decks. Wheelchair-accessible buses with low-floor boarding are part of the rotation. Pushchairs can be folded and brought on board. For specific accessibility needs, contact customer support in advance so we can confirm an accessible bus on your travel day.
Where to next
For ticket-by-ticket detail read the London hop-on hop-off bus tour guide, or jump straight to the London sightseeing guide for itinerary planning.
Ready to ride? Book your Big Bus London ticket
Open-top double-deckers, recorded multilingual commentary, hop on and off across central London with one digital ticket. Skip the ticket counter — book online for instant mobile delivery.
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More London travel guides
London hop-on hop-off bus tour
Pillar guide to riding the open-top sightseeing bus across London — routes, stops, ticket types and what you actually see from the upper deck.
London sightseeing guide
Plan a sightseeing trip across London: top landmarks, the most efficient order to visit them, and how to combine the bus with a Thames cruise.
London Eye tickets guide
How to book the London Eye, how long the ride takes, what you see from the top, and how the pod stops near a Big Bus London stop.
Moco Museum London guide
Banksy, Warhol, Basquiat and digital art a few minutes from Marble Arch — opening hours, ticket prices and how to combine the visit with the bus tour.