Exploring London with The Original Tour bus

Last updated: 17 July 2023

Picture this… you arrive in London full of gusto.  You know what you want to see. Take a stroll along Southbank, bask in the sunshine weaving in and out of the Tate Modern, past the London Eye, then snap some pictures of the famous Elizabeth Tower & Big Ben, before crossing over Westminster bridge to see it for yourself.  Sound like a solid plan?

But what if it rains?

After saying that I realise now that’s less of an if and more of a “when?” As the chance of rain in London is more than just a maybe.

There are countless free museums to get lost in, but let’s face it; you can’t see the sites from inside a museum. I suppose you could take one of the city buses bypassing of the city’s best monuments in the process.  But don’t you want the insider knowledge and the unique narrations of a real city guide?  Someone that can give you legitimate insight into the city’s past, a funny & historically accurate anecdote or gory detail that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. Something that will leave you with a story to take home.  Stories that start with the phrase;

Did you know…?

We were invited along with a select set of privileged bloggers to explore London on The Original Tour bus.  My aim was clear; I set out to give the tour bus a scene a run for its money.  How much do those guides really know? Can they answer tricky questions or do they just regurgitate a script?

We started our day at the headquarters for The Original Tour based just near Trafalgar Square on a very rainy Sunday for a quick briefing before boarding the bus for the next few hours.

The buses themselves are a modern double decker style, with headphone jacks for access to recorded multilingual commentary.  For those traveling with children there is also a special Kids’ Club channel in English. The top deck has some 8 dry seats that are under the cover at the front of the bus. On swelteringly hot days or torrential downpour, these are the seats you want.  Plenty of windows to see out, high enough to get a decent view and protected from the elements; rain, hail or shine.

Our Original Tour bus took the yellow route. This route is the flagship itinerary taking passengers past all the major sites while in the company of live guide as commentary. On this day, we were wowed by the knowledge and humour of the delightful Sasha.

With The Original Tour there are 3 different sightseeing routes to choose from. Each have their benefits, with the yellow route it is the one to take you past most of the city’s main sites & attractions.  The usual suspects of Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Elizabeth Tower, Westminster Abbey & Houses of Parliament are all on the hit list.   The red route similarly does the top landmarks while the blue route is the museum tour. Both red & blue routes provide recorded commentary in eight languages.

Along with your bus tour ticket, you also have free access to three different walking tours & a river boat cruise to Tower Bridge from Westminster.  While the walking tour isn’t really ideal for a wet day, the river boat cruise is definitely possible.

Is The Original Tour for me?

In my opinion, the answer is unique to you.  I’ve personally used tour buses in some cities and loved it, in other cities I go straight for a walking tour to find my feet. I know these days a few people baulk at the tour bus concept.  These individuals seem convinced they don’t need an introduction to a city, preferring to find everything on their own. In my opinion, travel how you want to travel, and don’t worry about anyone else.

The Original Tour bus company was the first of its kind in the city, starting off in 1951, launching a live guided tour in 1984 for tourists to board. It’s been around for decades so you know it’s reputable and based on the experience I had first hand, I have no qualms about recommending it. In fact, if my mum visited London for the first time, it’s probably the first thing I’d do with her.

The Essentials

The Original Tour Bus

When: Hours change based on the season.  Best to check directly with The Original Tour for the latest information.

Where: Hop-on hop-off bus affords you the luxury to do as little or as much as you want in a specific time period.  Talk to an Original Tour representative at any of the bus stops to view the routes, get advice and buy tickets. More information can be found online.

Cost:  £30/£15 adult/child. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and include a river boat cruise and walking tour. You can extend your ticket to 48 hours for a small fee. Discounted tickets are available if bought online.

Disclaimer: While I was a guest of The Original Tour, all opinions, as always, are my own.