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I by no means tire of strolling London’s streets, discovering a few of the metropolis’s secrets and techniques, however there’s no query that top-of-the-line methods for households to discover is by boarding one of many string of bus excursions in London with children.

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The hop-off hop-off bus routes in London are an effective way to get round – the open-top bus is all the time successful with my daughter, and it’s useful for attending to A to B whilst you sightsee, when you fancy a break from the tube.

However you’ll additionally discover themed excursions, together with enjoyable choices for teenagers and toddlers, and may even mix a visit with afternoon tea. Should you’re undecided the place to begin, I’ve picked out the most effective London bus excursions with children, plus a few of the finest methods to discover a low cost.

For extra concepts on how to economize on days out in London with children, try my prime ideas

TOOTBus London Hop On Hop Off Tour

With extra freedom and suppleness than continuous bus excursions (perfect with children), there are two essential choices if you would like a hop-on hop-off tour of London.

TOOTBus is likely one of the finest bus excursions in London with children, with a fleet of open prime buses making 35 stops throughout two jam-packed routes, plus an app for real-time bus data and particulars of close by stops – scroll down for particulars of their different family-friendly excursions too.

The Yellow Route takes you across the West Finish and alongside the River Thames to the Metropolis of London and Tower Bridge. The Blue Route additionally covers the landmarks of the West Finish in central London earlier than travelling additional west to South Kensington, Hyde Park, Notting Hill and Paddington.

There’s at the moment 15% off Tootbus London Discovery Excursions and Should See London – legitimate to March 31, 2024 (excluding household tickets) Click on right here to ebook

Audio information commentary is offered onboard, plus there’s a channel only for kids which is specifically designed to seize their consideration all through the journey.

You may also alternate your Tesco Clubcard factors for TOOTBus vouchers to ebook your London tour with children.

London bus tour + Thames river cruise

You may select both a one, two or three-day possibility for the Should-See London tour ticket, which additionally features a Thames river cruise. A 24-hour ticket prices £42 for adults and £24 for youngsters (5-15) when you purchase on-line upfront. Tickets are legitimate for 12 months.

Below 5’s journey without spending a dime and are beneficial to sit down on an grownup’s lap. You may convey buggies on board however are requested to maintain them with you – if the bus isn’t busy, you must be capable of retailer them downstairs, however might have to have the ability to fold them.

London Discovery hop on hop off tour

Or the London Discovery ticket is cheaper at £35/£20 however the River Thames sightseeing cruise just isn’t included – when you’re trying purely for the hop-on hop-off bus tour of London with children, go for this one.

There’s additionally an awesome 60-minute Christmas lights tour throughout November and December (and the primary few days of January) in addition to a 90-minute London by Night time tour which departs at 7pm, when you fancy seeing the town all lit up on a night tour.

Huge Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

The opposite essential possibility for hop-on hop-off bus excursions of London, Huge Bus’s Hop-On Hop-Off Tour has open-top sightseeing buses that run usually all through the day and allow you to soar on and off at any of their 37 stops across the capital, and embrace a river cruise alongside the Thames.

The excursions additionally function pre-recorded commentary so you may be taught extra concerning the websites you see alongside the best way, with tickets permitting you to attempt each of the corporate’s three London sightseeing routes.

The Purple Route takes you round London’s most iconic landmarks, from Buckingham Palace and the Homes of Parliament within the west to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London within the east.

Buses run round each 20 minutes – obtain the app to get dwell bus occasions – and permit round two and a half hours for the complete route (relying on site visitors).

The Blue Route takes you to discover London’s West Finish, with stops together with Marble Arch, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Notting Hill, and takes round 90 minutes, whereas the Inexperienced Hyperlink route runs between Waterloo and Kings Cross.

Guide tickets with free cancellation, discover particular affords on Huge Bus Excursions when you ebook upfront, or hold a watch out for offers on websites equivalent to Wowcher for some large Huge Bus reductions, which might make them loads cheaper than the competitors.

London bus tour + Thames river cruise

Their traditional 24-hour ticket together with a river cruise prices £31.50 for adults and £22.50 for youngsters between 5-15. Below 5’s journey without spending a dime. Household tickets are additionally out there (2 adults & 2 kids), together with tickets together with additional perks equivalent to an evening tour.

London bus tour + attraction entry

Or try the Huge Metropolis Saver ticket when you’re planning to go to London’s Merlin attactions, with choices together with the Huge Bus Tour and London Eye entry (for normal entry, if you would like London Eye quick monitor entry, you’ll have to ebook that individually).

For extra hop-on hop-off bus excursions of London, try Metropolis Sightseeing and Golden Excursions

TOOTBus Youngsters Tour

Tootbus can be one of many few tour corporations within the capital that runs a devoted London children bus tour, aimed particularly at youthful kids.

The Tootbus Youngsters Tour is a brief 45-minute tour that takes you across the websites of London’s West Finish.

From the highest of the double decker bus, you get wonderful views of well-known points of interest equivalent to Huge Ben, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus and extra. An enthusiastic information gives dwell guided commentary for youngsters, filled with fascinating information and enjoyable tales.

Youngsters excursions run at 2pm each Friday, Saturday and Sunday all year long and day by day throughout college holidays, plus there are generally particular Christmas children excursions in December, for a enjoyable festive household day trip in London.

Tickets value £20 for adults and kids, and youngsters beneath 4 go free.

Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

Brigit’s Bakery is well-known in London for its themed afternoon tea bus excursions, which embrace seasonal menus together with spooky Halloween teas and festive Christmas teas.

However for youthful children, the massive hit is the Peppa Pig themed afternoon tea bus tour for youths, aimed toward kids aged two and up.

Together with the colorful interiors, you’ll discover particular tablets on every desk that present a Peppa Pig guided animation of the London tour, plus themed candy and savoury treats, and an exercise ebook for little ones to take residence with them.

The bus additionally has a kids’s bathroom (not out there on their different excursions) in case of any emergencies. For barely older children, there’s additionally a Paddington Afternoon tea bus tour, aimed toward age 5+.

Whilst you get pleasure from your afternoon tea, Brigit’s Bakery classic Routemaster bus takes you on a 90-minute journey across the capital’s most well-known landmarks. Excursions run from Thursday to Sunday every week.

Harry Potter Bus Tour

Harry Potter followers each young and old are certain to like the Wizards London Bus Tour. You’ll spend a bit of over three hours travelling round London’s prime Harry Potter locations, together with filming areas from the flicks and the muggle websites that impressed JK Rowling’s unique books.

The Wizard Bus Tour takes you previous magical areas such because the inspiration for 12 Grimmauld Place, the doorway to the Leaky Cauldron, Gringotts Wizarding Financial institution and extra.

There are additionally a number of photograph stops, together with Kings Cross Station the place you may take the long-lasting photograph pushing a trolley via the wall at Platform 9 ¾.

Excursions run on Sundays all year long and on Wednesdays throughout college holidays. Should you’re travelling to London by practice with Nationwide Rail, you may seize 2for1 tickets for the bus tour through the Days Out Scheme.

For extra Harry Potter areas in London, try my prime picks for followers to go to, together with guided strolling excursions

Ghost Bus Tour

Older kids and youths can get pleasure from listening to darkish tales from London’s previous on this Ghost Bus Tour, the UK’s solely comedy-horror theatre sightseeing expertise on wheels.

On the 75-minute London bus tour, you’ll go to the town’s most well-known points of interest and listen to tales of murders and hauntings that almost all different excursions miss out on. So whether or not you’re a neighborhood or simply visiting the capital, you’re assured to be taught one thing new. 

You’ll be guided by a dwell ‘conductor’, and some thriller company alongside the best way, who’re there to verify the interactive tour is a enjoyable, spooky, and memorable expertise for all of the household.

The tour departs from a bus cease on Northumberland Avenue at 19:30 and 21:00 every night – appropriate for youngsters 5+, though realistically this one’s higher with older children.

Take a look at my assessment of the Ghost Bus Tour of London – with children, or with out

Classic London Bus tour

Should you’ve received your coronary heart set on travelling on one of many traditional London Routemaster buses – the standard crimson double-decker buses that are so iconic – you’ll have to ebook a particular Classic London Bus tour.

The route is designed to begin in central London, boarding at Victoria and passing a few of the metropolis’s iconic points of interest together with Huge Ben and the Homes of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, earlier than letting you be a part of a sightseeing cruise on the River Thames.

After eyeing up extra of the town’s sights from the water, you board the bus as soon as extra and drive in the direction of Buckingham Palace (though buses can’t go near the monarch’s residence, you may hop off to take pictures). The tour has 5 stops and you may get on and off at any of those.

You may also improve your ticket to get admission to the London Eye and even so as to add a tour to Stonehenge on to a morning tour. Tickets value from £52 for adults.

Create your individual London bus tour with children

Should you’re trying to economize on a household vacation in London, the most cost effective bus tour in London with children is a DIY possibility.

Taking a trip on a iconic crimson double-decker bus is all the time a favorite with children, however you should utilize the common Transport for London routes to see the sights as nicely when you select your route rigorously.

Bus journey is free for youths beneath 11 (age 11-15 want a Zip Oyster card to get the free rides, in any other case there’s 50% off when you add the Younger Customer Low cost to a regular Oyster card), and single Hopper fares for folks are £1.75 with limitless journeys inside one hour of touching in together with your Oyster go or contactless card – you may’t purchase a bus ticket if you board.

Route 15

Head as much as the highest deck of Route 15 and also you’ll go the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Sq.. On financial institution holidays and at weekends from late March to the top of September, you may even discover the traditional Routemaster buses operating.

Route 26

Route 26 is one other nice possibility, travelling from Victoria to Horseguards Parade through Westminster Abbey, then on to Trafalgar Sq. and St Paul’s (the outdated Route 11 has modified so now not stops right here).

Route 9

Should you’re travelling to the South Kensington museums, route 9 goes from Trafalgar Sq. previous Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Kensington Palace.

Take a look at my ideas for utilizing the London Underground with children right here

PIN FOR LATER: THE BEST BUS TOURS IN LONDON WITH KIDS

Disclosure: This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee

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