If Big Bus is the workhorse of the London hop-on hop-off scene, Tootbus is the one trying hardest to make the bus itself worth the fare.
It runs electric open-top buses, and it is the operator I point families towards, because it is the one that bothered to build a tour specifically for children rather than handing them the same headset as everyone else. It also runs a rooftop bar on wheels at weekends, which is either exactly your sort of thing or firmly not.
Tootbus London Tickets
Which Tootbus Ticket Is Right for You?
Tootbus splits into two halves: the hop-on hop-off pass that runs all day across the network, and a set of fixed-time themed tours that are their own separate outing. Work out which half you want before you book, because they are not interchangeable.
🔵 London Discovery
The core hop-on hop-off ticket and the one most people want. Unlimited travel across the network, audio commentary in more than ten languages, and a separate children’s channel. Sold as 24, 48 or 72 hours, chosen at checkout.
🟢 Discovery + Thames River Cruise
The same bus pass with a river cruise folded in. Worth the step up for a first visit, because an hour on the water breaks up a day of traffic and gives you the Westminster skyline from the angle everyone photographs.
⭐ Must See London
The fullest pass Tootbus sells: unlimited travel on all four bus routes, the Thames cruise, and six self-guided walking tours you follow once you have hopped off. Also 24, 48 or 72 hours. Worth comparing against Discovery before you book, because the walks are the part people forget to price in.
Good to know
- Your pass starts the clock when you first board, not when you buy it.
- The Kids Tour, Bar Bus and night tour all leave from fixed points at fixed times. They are outings in their own right, not something you can hop onto.
- Children under 5 travel free on the hop-on hop-off routes.
- The buses take wheelchairs and pushchairs, and assistance dogs are welcome.
- Tickets are held on your phone, so there is nothing to print.
What Makes Tootbus Different
All the London operators drive past the same buildings. What separates them is everything around that, and Tootbus has picked a few things to do properly rather than trying to out-scale Big Bus.
Three Things It Does Better
Electric buses
Tootbus runs electric open-top buses in London, which matters less for the planet on a single trip than it does for the ride: no diesel rattle underneath you while a guide is talking.
A tour built for children
The Kids Tour has a live guide telling stories and running quizzes, rather than handing a seven-year-old the same headset as their parents. I have not come across another London operator that has bothered.
Evenings worth staying out for
The night tour and the Bar Bus are proper separate outings on fixed departures, not the day route run later with the lights on.
Tootbus Tickets and Tours
The three passes above cover most visitors. Tootbus also runs a set of fixed-time themed tours that are separate outings rather than something you can hop onto. Open whichever you are weighing up and check live availability underneath it.
London Discovery
The standard hop-on hop-off pass, and the one most visitors want. It runs across all four bus routes with recorded commentary in more than ten languages and a separate channel for children. Sold as 24, 48 or 72 hours, and the clock starts when you first board rather than when you buy.
What is included
- Unlimited travel on the Red, Blue, Green and Pink routes
- Recorded commentary in ten or more languages, plus a children’s channel
- Six self-guided walking tours you follow once you have hopped off
- Free WiFi on board
Good to know
- No river cruise on this one. If you want the boat, take Must See London or the cruise bundle.
- The buses are badged The Original Tour as well as Tootbus, so do not let that throw you at the stop.
Discovery + Thames River Cruise
The same bus pass with a Thames cruise folded in, running between Westminster and Tower piers. An hour on the water breaks up a day of traffic, and it gives you the Westminster skyline from the angle everyone photographs.
What is included
- Everything in the London Discovery pass
- One-way river cruise between Westminster and Tower pier
- Commentary on the boat as well as the bus
Good to know
- The cruise is one-way, so decide early whether you sail east or west.
- Boats run less often than the buses, so check the last sailing before you plan your afternoon around it.
Must See London
The fullest pass Tootbus sells, bundling the bus, the boat and the walks into one ticket. If you are the sort of visitor who wants to be out all day and does not want to think about what is or is not covered, this is the one.
What is included
- Unlimited travel on all four bus routes
- Thames river cruise
- Six self-guided walking tours
- Also sold as 24, 48 or 72 hours
Good to know
- Worth comparing against Discovery before you book. The walks are the part people forget to price in.
London by Night
Ninety minutes after dark, and a genuinely different tour rather than the daytime loop run late. It leaves from Coventry Street and takes in Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Piccadilly Circus with the floodlights on, which is the version of London most visitors never see because they are at dinner.
What is included
- A 90-minute evening circuit of the illuminated landmarks
- Audio commentary in ten languages
Good to know
- This is a standalone tour on a fixed departure, not part of the hop-on hop-off pass.
- Departure times follow sunset, so they shift a great deal between summer and winter. Check yours when you book.
- In midsummer it will still be light when you set off, which rather defeats the point. Late autumn through winter is when this tour is at its best.
- Food and drink are not included.
Kids Tour
Forty-five minutes with a live guide, built around stories and quizzes rather than a recorded commentary. It is the main reason I send families to Tootbus over the other operators: someone actually thought about what a seven-year-old wants from a bus tour.
What is included
- A 45-minute live-guided tour aimed at children
- Storytelling, royal history and quizzes along the way
Good to know
- This is a standalone tour on a fixed departure. It is not part of the hop-on hop-off pass and you cannot flag it down.
- It runs at weekends, and daily through the school holidays.
- The departure point has been moved at times because of weekend road closures in central London, so confirm it on your booking rather than assuming.
Bar Bus
Ninety minutes with a bar on the open top deck, drinks included, running Fridays and Saturdays. It is a fixed circuit past the main landmarks rather than a sightseeing tour with any real commentary, and it knows exactly what it is.
What is included
- A 90-minute circuit of central London
- Drinks on board
- Music, and a top deck set up as a bar
Good to know
- Fridays and Saturdays only, and it sells out. Book well before you travel.
- Not a hop-on hop-off ticket. You are on for the full circuit.
- If you want to actually learn something about London, take the day bus instead and come back to this one in the evening.
Moco Museum + Tootbus
The bus pass bundled with entry to the Moco, the modern and contemporary art museum by Marble Arch. Sensible if the Moco was already on your list, in which case the bundle saves you booking twice.
What is included
- The hop-on hop-off bus pass
- Entry to the Moco Museum
Good to know
- The Moco sits right by Marble Arch, which is on the route, so the two genuinely do pair up.
- If you were not already planning on the Moco, take the plain pass. Do not buy a museum ticket to save on a bus fare.
The Routes
Tootbus runs four bus routes across London plus a short morning shuttle, and one pass covers the lot. The four interlock rather than compete, so you can change between them without buying anything extra.
One thing that catches people out: the buses carry The Original Tour branding as well as Tootbus. If one pulls up with the other name on the side, it is still your bus. Stops are numbered once across the whole network rather than per route, so go by the stop number and the direction of travel rather than assuming.
The central loop and the one to ride if you only ride one. A full circuit takes about 2 hours 15 minutes, the first bus leaves Coventry Street at 08:30 and the last around 20:00, with a bus roughly every 10 minutes until late afternoon and every 20 after that. These are the landmarks it takes in.
1. Coventry Street
The start of the route, by Piccadilly Circus. The night tour leaves from here too.
26. Trafalgar Square
Pall Mall East. The National Gallery is free and right on the square.
27. Whitehall, Craig’s Court
The closest the bus gets to Downing Street.
28. Whitehall, Banqueting House
By the Field Marshal Slim statue, near Horse Guards.
29. Parliament Street
For Westminster station, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
30. London Eye
Westminster Bridge Road. The busiest stop on the route, and it has been moved along the road before now.
31. Waterloo Station
York Road, by the M&S Food. Handy for the Southbank Centre.
32. Covent Garden
Outside One Aldwych. The market, the Royal Opera House and the Transport Museum.
33. St Paul’s Cathedral
Ludgate Hill. The Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern starts here.
34. London Bridge
For Borough Market and the Shard. Avoid the market on a Saturday.
35. Tooley Street
For HMS Belfast and City Hall on the south bank.
36. Tower of London
Tower Hill, with Tower Bridge alongside. Entry is bought separately.
37. Temple
Victoria Embankment, heading west past the Royal Courts of Justice.
38. Westminster Pier
Where the river cruise leaves from. Westminster Abbey is a short walk.
47. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Gate, by the King’s Gallery. Get here early for the Changing of the Guard.
17. Victoria Station
Buckingham Palace Road. Useful if you arrive by train or coach.
18. Grosvenor Gardens
Where the Blue Route begins, so change here for the museums.
5. Hyde Park, Queen Elizabeth Gate
Park Lane, at the southeast corner of the park.
15. Marble Arch
Park Lane by Speakers’ Corner, and the nearest stop to the Moco Museum.
16. Oxford Street
The last stop before the loop closes. For Selfridges and the shops.
The long way round, and the one to take for the museums. First bus leaves Grosvenor Gardens at 08:30, last around 18:15 on weekdays, with a bus every 20 minutes and slightly more often at weekends. Treat it as a way of reaching west London rather than a quick circuit.
18. Grosvenor Gardens
Where the Blue Route begins, a short walk from Victoria.
47. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Gate, by the King’s Gallery.
20. Horseferry Road
A quiet stop through Westminster, handy for Tate Britain.
21. Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace Road, on the south side of the river.
22. Westminster Bridge
For the London Eye and the South Bank from the other end.
23. Parliament Street
Stop C, for Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
24. Horse Guards Parade
Whitehall. Time it for the mounted guard change.
25. Trafalgar Square
Cockspur Street. Your interchange onto the Red Route.
2. Piccadilly
Piccadilly Arcade, in the middle of the West End.
3. Green Park Station
For Green Park and the walk down to the Mall.
4. Hard Rock Cafe
127 Piccadilly, at the Hyde Park Corner end.
48. Hyde Park Corner Station
Lanesborough Place, by Wellington Arch.
6. Harrods
Brompton Road, right outside. Worth a look at the food halls.
7. Museums
Thurloe Place. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A, all free and all within a few minutes.
8. Gloucester Road Station
A quieter way into the museum quarter when the main entrances are queued.
9. Kensington Palace
Kensington High Street, for the palace and the gardens.
10. Notting Hill Gate
For Portobello Road Market. Best on a Saturday, calmer otherwise.
11. Bayswater Road, Hilton Hotel
The northern edge of Kensington Gardens.
12. Bayswater Road, Thistle Hotel
Further along the park, near Lancaster Gate.
13. Paddington Station
London Street. Useful if you come in on the Heathrow Express.
14. Praed Street
Just around the corner from Paddington.
16. Oxford Street
Park Lane, for Selfridges and the shops.
17. Victoria Station
Closing the loop back towards Grosvenor Gardens.
A connector rather than a sightseeing loop, and genuinely useful if you are staying around Bloomsbury or arriving by train. About an hour end to end, first bus 08:20 from Wyndham’s Theatre, last around 19:20, but only every 30 minutes, so check the time before you rely on it.
39. Wyndham’s Theatre
Charing Cross Road, where the route starts, on the edge of the West End.
40. St Martin’s in the Fields
Duncannon Street, by Trafalgar Square. The crypt cafe is worth knowing about.
32. Covent Garden
One Aldwych. Your interchange onto the Red Route.
41. Russell Square
Woburn Place, in the heart of Bloomsbury and its hotels.
42. Euston Station
Upper Woburn Place, for trains to the northwest.
43. King’s Cross Station
Pancras Road. Platform 9 3/4 is inside if you have children in tow.
44. St Pancras Station
Midland Road. The stop to know if you arrive on the Eurostar.
45. Royal National Hotel
Bedford Way. A stop that exists for the Bloomsbury hotels.
46. British Museum
Great Russell Street. Free to enter, and the last stop on the route.
A smaller northern loop covered by the same ticket. Seven stops, first bus 08:34 from Park Lane and last around 18:29, but only every 35 minutes, so check the time rather than turning up. It is the route to know if you are staying around Marylebone or Regent’s Park.
16. Oxford Street
Park Lane, where the Pink Route starts. Shared with the Red and Blue routes.
15. Marble Arch
Park Lane by Speakers’ Corner, and the nearest stop to the Moco Museum.
49. Craven Road
Just east of Paddington, and only on this route.
14. Praed Street
By Paddington Station, shared with the Blue Route and the shuttle.
50. Baker Street Station
Marylebone Road, for the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds.
51. Albany Street, White House Hotel
Osnaburgh Terrace, on the edge of Regent’s Park.
52. Baker Street, University of Westminster
Marylebone Road, the last stop before the route closes back to Oxford Street.
Not a sightseeing route at all, but a short morning shuttle that exists to get people staying out west onto the network. Seven stops, and only five departures, all before 10am, from Holland Park Avenue. If you are not staying that way, you can ignore it entirely.
53. Holland Park Avenue
Where the shuttle starts. Departures at 08:34, 08:50, 09:10, 09:30 and 09:50, and nothing after that.
10. Notting Hill Gate
For Portobello Road Market, and shared with the Blue Route.
11. Bayswater Road, Hilton Hotel
The northern edge of Kensington Gardens.
12. Bayswater Road, Thistle Hotel
Further along the park, near Lancaster Gate.
13. Paddington Station
London Street. Useful if you come in on the Heathrow Express.
14. Praed Street
Just around the corner from Paddington.
16. Oxford Street
Park Lane, where the shuttle drops you onto the main network.
Stops are numbered once across the whole network rather than per route, which is why the numbers jump about as you change between them. For the full stop-by-stop picture, see our routes and map guide.
What’s Included
What it does not include is entry to anything. The bus will drop you outside the Tower of London or St Paul’s, but you buy admission to those separately.
Who It’s Best For
Tootbus is a good fit if you:
- Are travelling with children, particularly under about ten
- Want the walking tours as well as the bus, which is where Must See London earns its keep
- Fancy an evening out that is not just dinner, whether that is the night tour or the Bar Bus
- Would rather ride an electric bus than a diesel one
Look at the other operators if you:
- Want the shortest possible wait at a stop, where Big Bus still has the edge on frequency
- Are relying on live bus tracking through an app, because there is not one in London
- Know London well enough to be quicker on the Tube
Still deciding? For a proper side-by-side on frequency, routes and what you actually get, read our Big Bus vs Tootbus comparison, or see the full London hop-on hop-off guide.
Good to Know and How to Book
Five things that will save you standing about wondering what went wrong.
Look for two names on the bus
The buses are badged The Original Tour as well as Tootbus. If one pulls up with the wrong name on the side, it is still your bus.
There is no app in London
Tootbus has an app elsewhere but it does not cover London, so do not plan on live bus tracking. Use the printed timetable at the stop.
The extras run to a timetable
The Kids Tour, night tour and Bar Bus all leave from a fixed point at a fixed time. You cannot flag them down, so build the day around the departure.
Your pass starts when you board
Not when you buy it. So book in advance without worrying about burning a day, but do start the clock on a morning you can commit to.
Sit upstairs, bring a layer
The open top deck is the whole point and it is genuinely cold once you are moving, even in summer. The front row goes first.
FAQ
Is Tootbus worth it?
If you are travelling with children, yes, largely on the strength of the Kids Tour, which no other London operator matches. It is also the pick if you want the walking tours bundled in or fancy an evening tour. If your priority is simply the shortest wait at a stop, Big Bus runs more often.
What is the difference between London Discovery and Must See London?
Discovery is the bus pass with the self-guided walking tours. Must See London adds the Thames river cruise on top. Both are sold as 24, 48 or 72 hours and both cover the same bus network, so the cruise is the deciding factor.
Is there a Tootbus app for London?
No. Tootbus runs an app in other cities but it does not cover London, so you cannot track buses live here. Check the timetable at the stop instead.
Can I use my hop-on hop-off pass on the Kids Tour or the Bar Bus?
No. The Kids Tour, the Bar Bus and the night tour are separate tickets on fixed departures from fixed points. Your day pass does not cover them and you cannot flag them down on the route.
Do children travel free on Tootbus?
Children under 5 travel free on the hop-on hop-off routes. Older children need a child ticket, and family options are usually available. Check the current terms on the ticket page when you book.
Are the buses accessible?
Yes. The buses take wheelchairs and pushchairs, and assistance dogs are welcome. If you have specific access needs it is worth confirming with the operator before you travel, as space on each bus is limited.
Why do the buses say The Original Tour on them?
Tootbus London operates alongside The Original Tour and the buses carry both names. If a bus pulls up with the other name on the side, it is still the right one.
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