Summer Weekend Hopper fare
From 25 July - 31 August, plus Bank Holiday Monday in August, the Weekend Hopper fare gives you unlimited bus and tram journeys every Saturday and Sunday for £1.75 per day when you use pay as you go.
London hop-on hop-off bus tours are really popular with tourists and they’re a great way to see the city, but they are expensive.
So, let us show you another way – you can create your very own DIY London Bus Tour, and tick riding an iconic red London bus off your list at the same time. Read on to find out how…
Why do a DIY London bus tour?
Bus tours are popular for good reason – they’re a great way to see the sights whilst saving your legs. After all London is a huge city – it would take you days to walk everywhere here and tick off every attraction!
However when you’re planning out your trip and sorting your budget, a bus tour can take out a big chunk. They can cost over £40! So, we thought we’d help you out.
How much does it cost to do a DIY London bus tour?
A DIY London bus tour is going to cost you what it normally costs to take a single journey on a Transport for London (TfL) bus, which is £1.75.
How long can you ride a London bus for?
There are maximum journey times for the tube and trains in London, but there isn’t one for buses, so you can ride a bus from beginning to end if you really want to!
And what’s more, there’s a sneaky hack that means you can ride as many buses as you like, as long as it’s within an hour! This is known as a Hopper fare.
So, if you plan your journey right, you could switch from one bus line to another just before you hit 60 minutes of travel time, and you’ll get to extend your DIY London bus tour for free!
When I did my DIY bus tour, I made the most of this and even had time for a cheeky half pint in between! Goals!
Which TfL buses are best for touring the top London tourist attractions?
There are a number of different bus routes to take to see the top London attractions – it depends on what you’d like to see most.
For example, Route 88 passes through Westminster, where you can check out Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Then it goes up to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, along Haymarket to Piccadilly Circus, and up Regent Street to Oxford Circus.
Check out our suggestions for more bus routes you can take to see the top sights, or visit the TfL website.
My experience of doing a £1.75 DIY London bus tour
What route did I take?
Where did I get off?
What sights did I see?
The Tower of London to the Strand (Savoy Street)
Time: 18 mins
I started my DIY tour on route 15 at The Tower of London. From the front seat of the top deck(!) I saw The Shard, Sky Garden, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Courts of Justice. I got off on the Strand, at the Savoy Street stop. This part of the journey took 18 mins.
Hop off
Covent Garden and Leicester Square
Time: 41 mins
There are lots of things you could do in this part of town – head to Covent Garden piazza for a quick photo shoot, grab a gelato from La Gelateria and then walk through quirky antique shopping street Cecil Court. Like me you could pick up a Greggs sausage roll in Leicester Square or even some tasty viral treats from Chinatown Bakery. You should have about 40 mins for this bit.
Leicester Square station to St James’s Park
Time: 17 mins
With 30 seconds of my hour to go – talk about cutting it fine – I boarded route 24 by Leicester Square tube station, just before I was one hour into my journey. This meant I could use the Hopper fare so I didn’t have to pay twice. From the number 24 I saw Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. I got off the bus at the St James’s Park stop, and from there it was a short walk to Buckingham Palace!
Try Doing a DIY London Bus Tour for £1.75 Using Public Transport
So there you have it! Our experience of creating our very own £1.75 DIY London bus tour. I personally can’t quite believe how many sights I saw along the way. I use the tube a lot to travel and I think I forget just how interconnected a lot of places in London are!
If you can time your journey and switch buses just before you’re an hour into your journey, then you can travel pretty far and see a LOT for under £2. It’s an absolute bargain!
