London clicks into focus from a bus seat. I love the hop-on hop-off freedom that lets you plan a quick hit list, hop off where something grabs you, and keep moving without wrestling the Tube. I also love the Thames cruise add-on, which turns the same landmarks you saw from above into something you can actually watch drift by.
The one thing to watch is route timing: the buses run on set schedules, and the Thames cruises have specific last-departure times. If you’re trying to pack this into a tight day, it helps to line up your hop-off points early (especially around Tower and Westminster).
In This Review
- Key things that make this tour worth your time
- Why this hop-on hop-off setup works in real London time
- Price and what you’re really buying (bus + cruise + app)
- How the pass and routes work (and where you can actually board)
- What you’ll see from the open-top deck (the famous stuff, in the right order)
- The best way to use the bus: build a hit list, then switch to walking
- Thames cruise from City Cruises: when the river view is the payoff
- Where the cruises depart
- How to plan your hop-off time
- Audio that actually helps: 10 languages, plus a kids channel
- The four walking tours (Soho + Kensington Gardens, and two more)
- A practical 1-day plan (and an easier 2-day version)
- Timing details that can make or break your day
- Comfort, service, and small rules you should know
- Who this tour suits best (and when another plan might fit better)
- Should you book Tootbus London with cruise?
- FAQ
- How long is the ticket valid?
- Can I hop on and off as many times as I want during my ticket validity?
- Does the price include the Thames river cruise?
- Where do the Thames river cruises depart from?
- How often do Thames cruises run, and what are the last departures?
- What is the meeting point for the Yellow Route?
- How do I find the best place to board the bus?
- Are there kids’ audio options?
- Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Key things that make this tour worth your time
- Open-top views for photos and orientation without spending your whole day walking
- Thames cruise from City Cruises with departures every 40 minutes from Tower Pier and Westminster Pier
- Tootbus app with GPS bus tracking so you can get on at the nearest stop
- Audio in 10 languages + a kids channel in English and French
- Four audio-guided walking tours (including Sense of Soho and Kensington Gardens)
- Wi‑Fi onboard for map checks, transit help, and sanity
Why this hop-on hop-off setup works in real London time
London is big. And your feet are not. This tour is built for the way cities actually go: you start with broad views, then you refine your day when you see what you care about.
You get an open-top bus circuit with audio commentary, plus a Thames river cruise. That combo matters because it covers two different London “modes.” From the bus, you read the city by street-level landmarks like Westminster and Trafalgar. On the river, you get the long, slow perspective that makes Tower Bridge, Parliament, and St. Paul’s feel less like names on a map and more like a place you understand.
You can also read our reviews of more boat tours in London
Price and what you’re really buying (bus + cruise + app)
At about $52 per person, the value is that you’re paying once for a bundle of time-saving tools:
- A 24-, 48-, or 72-hour hop-on hop-off ticket (unlimited boardings during validity)
- A river cruise from City Cruises
- The Tootbus app with GPS tracking, audio commentary, and self-guided walking tours
- 10-language bus/app audio plus kids audio in English and French
- Wi‑Fi onboard and headphones (with a good reason to bring your own)
You’re not paying for a sit-still guided lecture. You’re paying to move around efficiently, then choose what deserves your time on the ground—exactly what you want when schedules, weather, and energy levels are all competing.
How the pass and routes work (and where you can actually board)
Your ticket is valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours depending on what you select. During that window, you can hop on and off as many times as you want.
There are 46 meeting points, and you can use the Tootbus app to see the list of stops plus real-time bus tracking using GPS. After booking (on GetYourGuide), you’ll download the Tootbus app and use it as your guide to the nearest bus.
If you want a clear starting point, the Yellow Route (Stop 1) meeting spot is:
- 1 Coventry Street, in front of Shake Shack
You can also board at other stops along the routes. One helpful detail: there’s a stop just in front of Eurostar station, which is handy if your itinerary includes rail days.
What you’ll see from the open-top deck (the famous stuff, in the right order)
This tour is strong on the “big London” skyline. From the bus, you pass or see views of major sights including:
- Tower of London and Tower Bridge
- Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
- London Eye
- Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square
- Covent Garden
- Buckingham Palace
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- St. James Palace
Here’s why that list is more useful than it looks. When you’re new to London, your brain fills in connections slower than you’d like. Seeing these landmarks in one loop gives you instant context. You start to understand how close (or not) places really are, and that makes your later choices—walking, museum visits, dinner areas—much easier.
The best way to use the bus: build a hit list, then switch to walking
The tour is designed for a simple rhythm:
- Ride the route to get oriented
- Write down the places that catch your attention
- Hop off at the nearest stop
- Spend time on the ground
- Return to the bus when you’re ready to go again
This is especially helpful if you’re traveling with kids or anyone who gets tired fast. You’re not committing to a long walking day upfront.
Thames cruise from City Cruises: when the river view is the payoff
The river cruise is one of the most praised parts of the experience, and with good reason. It’s where London stops feeling like traffic and starts feeling like a city with a story you can actually watch.
Where the cruises depart
Departures run from two areas:
- Tower Pier
- Westminster Pier
Cruises depart every 40 minutes between 10:00 AM and the final departures:
- Last cruise from Tower Pier: 5:15 PM
- Last cruise from Westminster Pier: 6:00 PM
How to plan your hop-off time
Because the cruise has a schedule, you’ll want to treat it like a real appointment. If you’re riding the bus all day, aim to reach your cruise pier with some cushion—especially if you need to walk from a bus stop to the water.
One practical tip from how people use this: the Thames part can function like a “one-way” style outing (people report it ending around London Bridge). So don’t assume you’ll just cruise back the exact way you came. Plan your next move afterward with the bus stop locations in mind.
Audio that actually helps: 10 languages, plus a kids channel
The audio setup is a quiet win. You get commentary on the bus, and you also get audio commentary in the app for the route information.
What’s included:
- Audio commentary in 10 languages: Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic
- Kids’ audio guide in English and French
- Headphones provided, and the tour encourages you to bring your own (because your comfort matters after a few hours)
This matters because London landmarks can feel intimidating when you don’t know what you’re looking at. The audio gives you the “why” behind what you see—without demanding you pay attention every second.
And with kids: that English/French kids channel is the difference between a family day that drags and a family day that keeps everyone listening.
The four walking tours (Soho + Kensington Gardens, and two more)
In addition to the bus and the cruise, you get access to four audio-guided walking tours through the app. The ones named clearly include:
- Sense of Soho
- Kensington Gardens
That’s a smart combination: Soho helps you “read” London’s neighborhoods and street vibe. Kensington Gardens gives you a calmer counterpoint, good for a break from nonstop landmark chasing.
You’ll want to use these as flexible add-ons, not mandatory homework. When you hop off and find a spot you like, switching into an audio walk can turn an accidental detour into a planned mini-experience.
A practical 1-day plan (and an easier 2-day version)
If you only have one day, this is how I’d structure it so you don’t waste time:
- Morning bus loop: focus on Westminster area landmarks and then keep heading toward major hubs like Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
- Midday hop-off: choose one neighborhood to actually walk (Covent Garden is a common win if you want lively streets).
- Late afternoon cruise: aim for the Thames at Tower Pier or Westminster Pier before the last departures (5:15 PM from Tower; 6:00 PM from Westminster).
If you have two days, you can make it more relaxed:
- Day 1: do the orientation loop and pick your favorite “front-runner” sights (like Tower Bridge/Tower of London, or Buckingham Palace area).
- Day 2: spend more time off the bus—using the app for walking tours in Soho or Kensington Gardens—then finish with any sightseeing gaps you noticed on Day 1.
With three days, you can treat it like an ongoing London sampler: bus when you need speed, walks when you want detail.
Timing details that can make or break your day
The schedules matter because London isn’t predictable, and this tour has set run windows.
You’ll see a couple of different service patterns:
- Green Tour
Runs Mon–Fri from stop 39 Wyndham’s Theatre at: 08:20, 09:20, 10:20, 14:20, 15:20, 16:20
No service 11:20–14:20
On Sat–Sun: 08:20, 09:20, 10:20, 15:20, 16:20, 17:20, with no service 11:20–15:20
- Yellow + Blue Tour
Mon–Fri: First 08:30, last 16:00
Sat–Sun: First 08:30, last 17:00
For the Thames cruise, remember: departures are every 40 minutes from 10:00 AM, with the last departure depending on pier (Tower is earlier than Westminster).
Comfort, service, and small rules you should know
This is a straightforward tour, but a few details can keep your day smooth.
- Headphones are included, but you’re encouraged to bring your own.
- Wi‑Fi onboard can help if you need to check the app or map your next hop-off.
- Wheelchair accessible.
- Not allowed: oversize luggage and alcohol and drugs.
On the service side, the overall tone in the feedback is that staff and drivers help when you need it—especially when traffic gets weird or directions aren’t clear at a stop. People specifically called out drivers like Adrian for being helpful, and Christina for a great experience aboard the bus.
Who this tour suits best (and when another plan might fit better)
This tour is a strong match if:
- You want a fast overview of classic London sights without planning a route.
- You’re traveling with kids and want child-friendly audio.
- You want an easy “I can rest” option between walking chunks.
- You like structure but still want control—hop on, see what you want, hop off.
It may be less ideal if:
- You hate schedules and prefer wandering without time windows (the Thames cruise does run on a clock).
- You’re expecting a traditional guided walking tour from a person—this experience is mainly audio-guided plus self-guided walking tours.
Should you book Tootbus London with cruise?
I’d book this if you’re the type of traveler who wants your first day (or first two days) in London to feel organized without feeling locked in. The bus loop gives you instant orientation, and the Thames cruise adds the kind of London view that doesn’t happen when you’re stuck in traffic or walking.
If you’re planning a tight timeline, just build in time for the cruise and check the route service times so you’re not hunting buses at the end of the day. For most people, that’s the difference between a smooth day and a stressful one.
FAQ
How long is the ticket valid?
Your ticket is valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours depending on the option you choose.
Can I hop on and off as many times as I want during my ticket validity?
Yes. You can board and leave the bus unlimited times during the validity window.
Does the price include the Thames river cruise?
Yes. The experience includes a river cruise from City Cruises.
Where do the Thames river cruises depart from?
They depart from Tower Pier and Westminster Pier.
How often do Thames cruises run, and what are the last departures?
Cruises depart every 40 minutes from 10:00 AM. The last cruise is 5:15 PM from Tower Pier and 6:00 PM from Westminster Pier.
What is the meeting point for the Yellow Route?
The Yellow Route (Stop 1) meeting point is 1 Coventry Street, in front of Shake Shack.
How do I find the best place to board the bus?
Download the Tootbus app after booking. It shows meeting points and real-time GPS bus tracking so you can get on at the nearest stop.
Are there kids’ audio options?
Yes. There is a child-friendly audio channel in English and French.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Yes, it is wheelchair accessible.
