Review: Hopping On A London Bus Tour

I would often scoff at the open-top bus tours filled with poncho-wearing tourists, thinking it was all a bit cheesy and, well, touristy. But, I’ve always had a secret urge to see my home city of London from a different view, discover a bit more about the history and be a tourist in my own town.

With my friend, Gen, over from Singapore it felt like the perfect opportunity to embrace the tourist inside me. Along with my three-year-old daughter, we embarked on our adventure around London with Big Bus Tours. There are a number of London bus tour operators available but Big Bus Tours has the biggest fleet of open top buses in London and live commentary which was both informative and entertaining.

We started at Waterloo, there is a stop close to the station, in view of the London eye on York Street. We went on a Wednesday afternoon and started far later than we would have liked (tip: get there early).

Unbeknownst to us, there were student protests in central London. This meant the traffic was even worse than it normally is in central London and diversions were in place so the route was slightly different. It also meant we were waiting a while to get on the bus due to the unexpected circumstances. Usually buses on the red route are every 5-15 minutes.

Once on the bus, there was room to leave the buggy downstairs and we headed up to the top deck. Being a November day it was a cloudy, drizzly affair but we managed to refrain from using the ponchos (although they were useful to sit on so our bottoms didn’t get wet). My daughter and I spent most of our time in the brilliant area undercover on the top deck so we stayed dry and out of the elements.

The red route took us all around the key London landmarks from St Paul’s to the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament.

It’s a hop-on and hop-off service so you can get off at most of the big sites and have a look around. We decided to stay on for most of the way around which takes around one hour. It’s a brilliant way to get your bearings in the city so good to go around once and then decide which landmarks you want to take a closer look at.

Our guide, Neil, was excellent. After what must have been a frustrating day with route closures and bad traffic he remained upbeat and friendly. I’ve lived in London for ten years and didn’t know many of the little gems of knowledge he had to share with us nor many of buildings, like Lambeth Palace. Hidden away in the shadow of Westminster, it is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Then there is the structure, Monument, designed by Christopher Wren and built in 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London. But I didn’t realise that it is the tallest hollow structure that you can climb. Yes, there are 311 steps to the top – and you even get a certificate as proof when you get back to the bottom.

Then there is the magnificent Tower of London, home to Kings and Queens, the Crown Jewels and the scene of beheadings, the most famous being King Henry the VIII’s second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn. But, did you know that people actually live at the Tower? The Beefeaters, who act as tour guides around the tower, and who are ex-military  servicemen and women, live inside the fortress with their families. Now that’s an impressive address to have!

Even as a Londoner who has walked past the city’s famous monuments time after time, it was enlightening to see London from a different perspective and learn more about the city I live in so I would recommend this bus tour for tourists and non-tourists alike. In fact, I will definitely do it again at some point.

As for my daughter, well, she really enjoyed riding on the bus and commented on some of the buildings but she was more concerned with spotting squirrels running up trees and pointing out the cranes around Victoria station – currently a building site. You’ve got to love them! Fortunately, under fives go free!

Tickets for the Big Bus Tour are £26.50 full price for an adult, £12.50 for children over five – for 24 hours – starting from when you board the bus. Discounted tickets are available if bought online and family tickets are available. The tour also includes a river cruise on the Thames and three free guided walking tours. When you take into account these perks, the knowledge you are provided with and the amount you would spend anyway on London transport getting around – the price is a lot more reasonable than it may at first appear.

**Disclaimer: I was given complimentary tickets for the Big Bus Tour for the purpose of this post but all my opinions are honest and my own.