Big Bus Tours London - Reviews and experiences

I saw their stand near Baker Street after a friend suggested it. I was wary — price sounded too good and the seller was pushy. In the end the trip worked out okay; buses were slow and the guide was mediocre, but tickets were valid and overall it wasn’t a total waste.

a solid way to see London, even if it's not flawless. My buddy Alex tipped me off and I first noticed the blue bus outside Westminster. The route hits the big spots, audio is clear, seats comfy to be fair — James at Bridge Street helped me plan stops. Little delays and some repeats, but overall decent, would recommend.

I first saw Big Bus on a London travel blog and a friend swore by it, but I was sceptical — worried about long waits and indifferent staff. On the tour we did sit idle while crew switched drivers and chatted, which annoyed me, but the driver stayed calm and polite. The company later apologiz(ed) by email, gave a partial refund and a voucher. Not flawless, but my doubts eased enough that I’d consider them again, cautiously.

30 p.m., but three blue buses rolled by at Big Ben and he insisted none of them were the right one. We ended up waiting nearly an hour, watched most of the red and blue runs finish for the night, and almost got left behind as the evening closed in. Hop-on/hop-off should be straightforward — instead it felt random and poorly coordinated. Had smoother experiences with other companies, so this was pretty disappointing. Not something I'd recommend at all.

I saw the bus at the waterfront kiosk and a hostel mate had suggested it, so I bought tickets. I was dubious about the audio guide and those doubts weren't eased. The driver arrived on time and the stops were where they should be, but the ride had more music than facts. Big landmarks passed with almost no commentary. When there was narration it was often repetitive or sounded like it belonged to the loop going the other way. The kids lost interest after half the circuit so we got off and grabbed the subway. Not totally useless. It gives a quick overview, but I won't use them again.

staff barely looked up. One guy, Kabil, slipped a leaflet into my hand and carried on chatting with colleagues like we weren't there. There was a protest, fine, that happens, but no one told us what to expect. We stood waiting, crowd growing, and a rep from another company actually told us we needed to go to Buckingham Palace to catch our bus. That left us tight on time; we were rushed and ended up on a bus that spent half the trip looping around. It felt weirdly pointless — like a sightseeing carousel, not a birthday treat. I laughed about it later, but at the time my daughter and I were disappointed. It'll work sometimes, but staff communication needs fixing.

We took this tour on a sunny Wednesday afternoon — thought it'd be a chill way to see the city, and honestly there were moments I loved. The views from the top deck are great for photos and the driver was friendly, so that was a plus. That said, the route felt all over the place and they rarely announce what stop you're at — which is annoying when you're trying to plan photos or get off at a specific spot. Someone suggested using the app; sure, it works okay, but I shouldn't have to stare at my phone the whole time. If they broke the route into shorter runs or improved the recorded info it would be so much better. All in all, enjoyable but messy—worth it for the scenery, just expect to be a bit patient and proactive.

Halfway through the blue route the bus just stopped — I remember thinking "not again" because I almost didn't book this at all. A colleague had recommended Big Bus and I saw the route on the city tourism site, but reviews were hit-and-miss so I hesitated. We climbed to the top deck because of the drizzle, and for about 30 minutes the commentary actually made sense and the views were fine (when you could see anything). Then we sat. For roughly an hour. The driver kept saying "ten, fifteen minutes" and that was the pattern, which was annoying and felt sloppy. When it finally restarted we were told the bus wouldn't finish the full loop and we'd have to switch — so we waited at the designated stop. After another 30 minutes in the rain we bailed. Annoying. Having said that, customer service later credited the tickets and offered a discount for a future ride, which calmed my doubts more than I expected. Communication on the ground was poor, but the aftercare was decent and that changed my initial scepticism into cautious approval. Won't forget the wait though — and bring a hood next time.

no proper stops, just little glimpses of things with the commentary saying “it’s a short walk”, no map given so we had no clue what was next. We rattled through back streets — maybe roadworks, maybe not — but it didn’t feel like the tour we expected. When I checked my card on the bus, it was £98, not the roughly £58 I thought we were paying. We got off and went back to the same guy. He pointed to a City Tour hat under the Big Bus jacket and said the red line was only on Wednesdays. He tried to justify the price by saying a river cruise was included. We did the cruise — it was pleasant, short though — but that didn’t fix the feeling of being bamboozled. So yeah, my doubts before buying weren’t really eased, they were justified. If you’re thinking of doing this, double-check on the official kiosk or book online directly, ask for a printed ticket and a map, and don’t let anyone hustle you into “just hop on.” Small nice moments, but overall left a sour taste.

skip the bus and do a walking route if you can. We chose the bus because we had a sore back and only a long weekend in London, so wanted a sit-down overview. Sounded sensible. In practice it dragged out and frustrated more than it helped. Traffic slowed everything, sure—London traffic is what it is—but we looped past the same spots more than once and still missed decent on-foot time. Midway through the driver switched off, grabbed his bag and walked off. Engine off, people sitting there, twenty minutes of awkward waiting while a replacement showed up. I get shifts end, but that felt careless. The routes only go one way, so you can’t jump off and wander without risking being stuck later. That’s what stopped us from exploring the few places we actually wanted to see. The audio guide wasn’t great either. It would tell you about a landmark either minutes too late or while you were looking at something else, so it never quite matched what you were seeing. Some staff were friendly and the idea is fine on paper, but timing and execution were off. A little disappointed. If mobility is the reason you’d pick this, weigh the risk of delays and missed stops first.

a bus showed up, then it sat until it filled before leaving, so you end up waiting longer than you expect. For the money we paid, I guess I expected more engagement or at least a smoother cadence. Still, I’m kind of relieved it wasn’t worse — clean bus, decent views, no drama — and I’m glad we only tried it once. Next time I’ll take the subway or pick a tour with a live guide.