Best London bus tour?

Don't forget the various Thames River cruises (water taxi, water bus, river clipper, etc.). A lot of the most famous London sites can be seen from the river. You can take these to Greenwich and Hampton Court. We also rode the public buses around town: there are several routes that take you past many of the great historic buildings. Most of the sites that the World identifies as London are right near the city and government buildings...so walking distance for you. The Museums and Buckingham Palace are just a short bus ride. Take the Underground for fast trips.

When you say you will be staying near Westminster, what do you mean?

"Westminster" said by itself is both a borough and a city on the north shore of the river Thames in the conurbation of London with a population of a quarter million stretching all the way from Lords Cricket Ground and the London Zoo all the way to Pimlico and the river. It contains the very diverse neighborhoods of Victoria station, Marble Arch, the length of Oxford Street, Mayfair, Marylebone, St Johns Wood, Belgravia, Pimlico, Bayswater, Paddington, Maida Vale (and Maida Hill), Kensal Green, Bayswater, and Little Venice among others. You won't find much of a bigger socioeconomic gap than between some of Westminster's neighborhoods. It also is a slang term for the government. Westminster is the name of a tube station, too.

It is best when in the UK to use the full name for somewhere because we have so many similar sounding names, and names with qualifiers which are very different places.

You might also have meant that you will be near:--

Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Abbey
The Palace of Westminster.

But neither Westminster Road nor Westminster Street are anywhere near Westminster.

Sorry to be pedantic, I'd like to help, but could you please be a touch more precise?

The best bus ride through the 'tourist' parts of Westminster and onto The City is the ordinary 11 bus. No commentary of course but it will take you by plenty of sights if you do the full round trip.

To clarify, our lodging is near the intersection of Tothill Street and Dean Farrar St. Thanks for enlarging my perspective.

Having stayed more than once in the very same area of Tothill St, I can say that the number 11 bus is definitely a tourist's friend. For example, if you will be visiting St Paul's Cathedral, take the #11 instead of the tube--starting at Westminster Abbey and Parliament, you will pass the Cenotaph, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Courts of Justice, then St Paul's (and beyond). Get a seat up top in the front for a great view.

For a formal but non-HOHO bus tour, I've seen mention of a new city tour offered by Megabus but have no first hand experience with it. The reviews of Megabus on TripAdvisor are decidedly mixed but mostly refer to their intercity routes rather than this new London city tour because the city tour is brand new.

Here are three links so you can check it out for yourself:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k11434941-A_new_option_for_those_wanting_a_London_bus_tour-London_England.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186338-d10663223-Reviews-Megabus_UK_Europe-London_England.html

https://uk.megabus.com/city-guides/london

Enjoy London!

In that area Tothill Street and Dean Farrar Street (in St James') you are in a great location. Just a hop skip and a jump from Whitehall but best of all St James' Park.

At this time of the year there may be a bit left of the Cherry Blossom, but after the rain and wind recently maybe not. But nevertheless it is a very beautiful park with very special birds ...

Thanks! Sounds like the Number 11 bus will take us most of the places that we don't walk to. I appreciate the tours mentioned and the links, as well.

If you're on the 11 at St Paul's, change there to a 15 in the same direction to get to the Tower of London.

And from the Tower of London area you can take a Thames clipper ( waterbus, not cruise) back to Westminster.