Are you wondering if it’s worth it to buy the London Hop-on Hop-Off bus tour? I purchased the 48-hour Hop-on, Hop-Off tour bus for my family of four during our London trip. Was it worth it?
Below I will go over the pros and cons of the London Hop on Hop Off Tour, my personal experience taking the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus in London, tips on how to make the most of your hop-on, hop-off experience in London and whether or not the London hop on/hop off bus was worth it.
Pros of the London Hop On, Hop Off Tour Bus
Get an Overview of London
Taking the Hop On, Hop Off tour bus is a good way to get an overview of London. On our first day in London, we took the hop on, hop off bus for 2 hours. The bus took us around and gave us a good overview of London.
It was a great way to spend our first day in London because our hotel room was not ready, so instead of waiting in the hotel lobby, we decided to go on the hop on, hop off bus.
We boarded the bus from Kensington and got off at the Tower of London stop to take the River Cruise (which came free with our Hop On-Hop Off ticket).
We saw the major London attractions from the bus and got the lay of the land on our first day. It was very helpful because then we knew where we wanted to go during the rest of our London vacation.
Good Value
I got the 48 hours Essential Ticket from the Big Bus Tour and it came with a free river cruise and walking tours. I thought that was a good value.
We ended up taking our river cruise on our first day. It gave us a different perspective of London. The kids enjoyed cruising down the Thames River.
We also joined the Jack the Ripper Walking tour which was a lot of fun since we got a peek into what life was like in the East End of London in the late 1800s. We would have never walked around the East End of London on our own if it was not for the walking tour.
48 Hours Bus Tour
I like that the hop on/hop off bus tour is 48 hours from when you first board the bus. That means if you boarded the bus at 3pm on Monday your hop on/hop off bus is active until Wednesday 3pm.
We boarded the bus on Saturday at around 1 pm and were able to use the hop on/hop off bus on Sunday until Monday morning since our ticket was active until Monday at 1pm.
Cons of the London Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour
Subpar Pre-Recorded Commentary
The Big Bus Hop On/Hop Off Tour had free recorded commentaries. They gave free headphones which you plug in to listen to the audio commentary on the bus.
It’s not a live commentary. To be honest, I was disappointed with the recorded commentary, it wasn’t detailed enough and there was a lot of music to fill in the gap.
I wished the commentary was more educational and robust. There wasn’t a lot of information about the attraction.
There were a lot of anecdotes and music trivia that had nothing to do with the London attraction we were driving by. If I were to rate the recorded commentary from 1 to 10, I’d rate it 4 out of 10! Yes, it’s that bad.
I wished they had live commentary!
Not a Mode of Transportation
I had originally thought I could use the Hop On, Hop Off Bus as a mode of transportation to get around London. I was wrong! The Hop On, Hop Off Bus was a roundabout way of getting around London.
Our hotel is in Kensington so we would get on the hop on hop off bus at stop number 34 on Kensington high street.
To get to the Tower of London, we had to loop around Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, all the way to Oxford St., Regent Street then we had to cross the bridge a couple of times just to get to Tower of London.
It took us 2 hours just to get to the Tower of London from Kensington on the Hop on Hop off Bus!
While if we took an Uber to the Tower of London from Kensington, it would have taken us only 30 minutes and if we took the Tube, it would have taken us only 45 minutes to get from Kensington High Street station to the Tower of London station.
It’s definitely a time waster if you use the Hop On, Hop Off Bus to get around London. But that is because we were staying in a hotel in Kensington.
If we were staying in central London near Buckingham Palace, St. James Park area or wherever the red line bus is, then I think it’s Ok to use the Hop On, Hop Off Bus because the loop is smaller.
Tips for Taking the London Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour
Check the Weather Forecast
The London Hop on/Hop Off busses are double-decker, open-top tour buses. It’s nice to sit up at the open top part of the bus.
But sitting up top is very weather dependent, if it’s raining you will get wet and if it’s scorching hot, you will get sunburned!
I suggest checking the weather forecast to plan your London Hop on/Hop off tour. There is a small section on the second level of the tour bus that is covered but it’s not easy to get a seat. If the weather is bad, you will end up having to sit downstairs.
It’s Not Worth It to Buy the London River Cruise Tickets
Unless it came free with my hop on/hop off bus tickets, I don’t recommend buying the London river cruise separately. It’s just not worth it.
The river cruise from the Tower of London to Westminster Pier was really a tour of bridges. You will sail under a lot of bridges and the tour guide will give interesting facts and trivia about the bridges.
In my opinion, the bridges in London are nothing special- except for the Tower Bridge!
The way I see it, the River Cruise was really just a faster way, a short cut, to get to Westminster Pier from the Tower of London instead of looping around on the Hop On Hop Off bus!
Is the London Hop On/Hop Off Bus Worth It?
Yes, I think the London Hop On, Hop Off Bus is worth it. It’s an inexpensive way to get an overview of London and see all the attractions if you are short on time especially if this is your first time in London.
If I were to do it again, I wouldn’t buy the 48 hours Hop On, Hop Off Bus ticket. You only really need 24 hours so you can get an overview of London and then after that just take the Tube or Uber to get around the city.
BUT, it is a better value to buy the 48 hours Hop On, Hop Off Bus ticket when compared to the 24-hour ticket.
The upcharge is small for the 48 hours Hop On Hop Off ticket. For 10 pounds more, you can get an additional 24 hours and the walking tours. So in a way, I think it’s worth it to just buy the 48 hours Hop On, Hop Off tickets instead of the 24 hour tickets.
When we go back to London, I bet I will probably end up buying the 48 hours Hop On, Hop Off Bus ticket but only use it for a day to get an overview of London. Plus go on the River Cruise and do the walking tours. The rest of the time, I’d take the Tube and Uber around London.
Don’t expect to take the Hop On, Hop Off Bus as a mode of transportation to get around London because it is a very slow, roundabout way to travel around London. You will end up taking the Tube or getting an Uber because you waste too much time on the Hop On, Hop Off bus.
FAQ London Hop On Hop Off Bus
How Long Does Hop On Hop Off Bus Take in London?
It takes approximately 2 hours from Kensington to the Tower of London.
How Does the Hop On Hop Off Bus Work in London?
Your Hop On Hop Off bus is a self-guided tour bus in London. You are free to get on and off the tour bus as many times as you want.
The hop on hop off bus stops are strategically located near London attractions.
Depending on the type of hop on hop off ticket you purchased, you can go on the bus for 24 hours or 48 hours from when you first boarded the bus.
The night tour is different because you are on the bus without coming down.
Does the Hop On Hop Off Bus Pick You Up at Your London Hotel?
No, Hop On Hop Off Bus does not pick you up at your London Hotel. There are designated bus stops and you will have to board the Hop On Hop Off bus stop closest to your London hotel.
Will the Hop On Hop Off Bus Hotel Return Service Take You Back to Your Hotel?
No, the Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Hotel Return Service bus will not take you to your hotel. You will be dropped off at a bus stop close to your hotel.
The Hop On Hop Off bus Hotel Return service only applies to people staying in hotels in Bayswater, Notting Hill and Kensington.
How Does the Hop On Hop Off Bus Hotel Drop Off Work?
The Big Bus Hop On Hop Off will run a special hotel drop off bus at the end of the day. It’s rather confusing because, on the Big Bus app and brochure, it says the pick up point is at the Marble Arch and the bus will take you back to hotels in Bayswater, Notting Hill and Kensington.
But that was not the case when we took the Hotel Return Service bus. We happen to take the Hotel Return Service bus by luck. We were on the blue line and all of a sudden, the bus stops at Victoria Station.
The bus driver came around and asked everyone where we were heading. Depending on your destination, you will either be asked to leave the bus or stay on the bus.
Then the hop on hop off bus somehow transitions into the Hotel Return Service bus. We said we were going back to Kensington High Street and luckily, we were told to stay on the bus.
There was a change in bus driver, he took us on a route that was a short cut to Kensington and these bus stops are preset stops. Even if there was no one coming down, the bus still stopped at these bus stops.
We were nervous about missing our stop and made sure to tell the new bus driver that we wanted to get off at Kensington High Street which was near our hotel.
I suggest you ask the Big Bus representative when you board the bus if you plan to take the Hotel Return service because it’s unclear when/how the bus turns into the Hotel Return Service Bus.
