Big Bus Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-Top Bus
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 10 minutes
Mobile ticket
See Edinburgh like never before with Scotland’s official Hop-on-Hop-off open-top tour! We’ve got the best seats in town and the ultimate way to explore the capital.
Hop on and hop off as much as you like to truly take in the sights of our city tour, including Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Dynamic Earth, Greyfriars’s Bobby, Grassmarket and so many more!
Your 24-hour ticket means you can pack in all the must-sees at your own pace. Plus, our super-friendly team is here to make sure your time on board (and beyond) is unforgettable. Let’s make your Edinburgh adventure one to remember!
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Dog friendly
Entertaining Audio Commentary available in 9 languages
24- or 48-Hour Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-Top Bus
Two Routes available: City & Britannia Tours
Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off
What To Expect
Duration:1 hour 10 minutes
Operating Schedule:Summer (May–October): First departure at 09:00 from Stop 1 (Waterloo Place), every 10 minutes, last tour at 18:00. Winter (November–March): Departures from 09:00 every 15 minutes, last tour at 16:00. For the latest stop locations, timings, and live bus tracking, visit the Big Bus website or download the Big Bus App before you travel.
Stop 1 - Waterloo Place (Opposite the Apex Hotel)
Stop 2 - St Andrew Square (North side)
Stop 3 - Lothian Road (outside kirkyard)
Stop 4 - Bread Street ( opposite Dubble Tree by Hilton Hotel)
Stop 5 - The Mound (west side of National Gallery)
Stop 6 - George IV Bridge (outside the Scottish library)
Stop 7 - Grassmarket ( opposite apex hotel)
Stop 8 - National Museum of Scotland (opposite Museum of Scotland)
Stop 9 - Cannongate Kirk (outside Canongate Church)
Stop 10 - Holyrood Palace (opposite north side of Scottish Parliament)
Stop 11 - Dynamic Earth ( Outside Dynamic Earth)
Stop 12 - Abbeyhill (North entrance to Holyrood Palace)
Stop 13 - Regent Road (At Robert Burns Monument)
Options
48-Hour City & Britannia Tours
Duration: 2 days: Unlimited use, valid for 48 hours from the time of first use.
Travel on 2 routes: Unlimited Hop-on, Hop-off Access on both the City and Britannia Tours.
48-Hour Edinburgh City Tour
Duration: 2 days: Unlimited use valid for 48 hours from time of first use
Edinburgh City Tour: Hop on Hop off over 10 central stops!
24-Hour Edinburgh City Tour
Duration: 1 day: Unlimited use valid for 24 hours from the time of first use.
Edinburgh City Tour : Hop-on, Hop-off at over 10 central stops.
Reviews
415 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour, great people
Sungodezz,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour to give you a solid overview of this interesting city. Thank you Ben for looking after us so well and going out of your way (twice!) to make sure we got on the right bus. Fabulous customer service. Friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Thank you ☺️
Thoroughly spoiled our visit to Edinburgh
nickrV618HF,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00What they told us: - busses every 15 mins till 6pm - free entry to Edinburgh City Pass sights, worth £20 on average (an over-estimate) What they didn’t tell us: - change to winter programme the next day, with busses every 30 mins till 4pm - main sites (castle, Holyrood Palace) not included - half the sites included in the Edinburgh City Pass were not on the bus circuit! - of the few experiences accessible and of interest, Dynamic Earth closed at 3pm, (with, according to another angry TripAdvisor reviewer, entries closing at 1pm)! Papers we were given included a competitor’s brochure, with a much better service. We only found out it was a competitor when we tried to get on one of their busses! Receipts were QR codes, making comprehension and discussions with personnel difficult.
Pleasant ride but could do with a kids guide
947frant,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00The drivers are super friendly and willing to answer any questions. The driving was safe and steady the way i expected it. My only snag is that the kids couldnt absorb the information as there was no kids version of the history which another bus had for Oxford. Having said that, we do enjoy bus tours altho paid for 2 lines for 2 days but only ended up 1 line for 2 days.
Great tour but audio not working.
lucyh750,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The tour was great and the guys standing around the bus stops were so friendly and helpful. We were, however, very disappointed in the bus and audio equipment. Most of the audio plug in consoles were either not working at all or no sound/ buttons not working to change language. You had to keep moving seats to get one that worked. A handle was broken on the bus which could have been dangerous and lots of litter. The commentry was good but sometimes didn't match up with where you were on the route. It was a shame the bus did not go nearer to the Brittania.
Fun and relaxing way to see the city
Skye F,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Really liked how there’s the option to listen to commentary on the bus while’s it’s driving round to give you information about each area and stop alone the way.
Amazing!! Big up Ben !!
624abbieb,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Totally worth the money , so easy and convenient to use! We had great experience with Ben In Edinburgh he was most helpful and kindest soul! Ben made the experience so much easier to use by guiding us through it all!!
Drivers were friendly and...
Ronald N,
Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Drivers were friendly and patient. Buses were very clean and timely. Would have preferred an actual person instead of the recording for the narrative.
Highly recommend
Jane F,
Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.005 star!!! I came with my family from England for a city tour, and Connor truly made the experience wonderful. From the very start he was cheerful, polite, and welcoming. He couldn’t have been more helpful when I asked for directions and recommendations, and he went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. His positive attitude made the whole tour so enjoyable for all of us. Thank you, Connor, for helping make our family trip so memorable!
HOP ON STAY ON!!!!
charlottefI9464BO,
Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had the best time on our city tour with Connor! I wanted to write this to him as I can only imagine how difficult it is driving round the city but from the moment we got on the bus, he was so cheerful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble – I asked him for directions and recommendations, and he went out of his way to help. You can tell he genuinely enjoys what he does, and that made the whole experience even more fun. Honestly, he couldn’t have been more helpful. Thanks, Connor – you made our day!
Amazing
mathewj534,
Oct 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We recently took a trip into Edinburgh for a change and got the city tour with Connor as our driver he was cheerful and helpful on food recommendations and cracked plenty jokes with the kids as we got on the route and commentary coudnt be better absolutely loved it we wait to come try the Britannia tour next time we visit
From £18.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Chat with us on social
Related Experiences
Operated by Bright Bus Tours Hop On Hop Off