Has anyone taken an evening bus tour around London? (Not a hop on-hop off type). Any recommendations? We were thinking it might be nice after a lot of walking during the day (museums, shops, parks). We’re staying near the S Kensington tube stop. Thanks for your suggestions!
Posted by
Penzance
265 posts
You just want to go for a bus ride?
If you download the CityMapper app it will tell you which buses to take.
Posted by
London
2595 posts
I've never taken one myself, but I was interested in your question. It seems all the operators that run the daytime hop on hop off buses also run a night tour. The main three are Tootbus, Golden Tours and Big Bus Tours. Golden Tours claims to be the only one with a live narration. There's also Ghost Bus Tours, for something that looks a little more spooky (never been on one, seen their buses around though). Take a look at their websites and see if any take your fancy.
As Trelawney points out, it's an alternative to make up a route with regular service buses. That's different, but can be fun to ride and look out the window too. It's good doing it in the evening when buses get a bit quieter and move through traffic easier. I'll paste a link to Transport For London's suggestions for sightseeing on a regular bus below.
https://londonblog.tfl.gov.uk/2025/07/22/tfl-bus-leisure-routes/
Posted by
OP
Alexandria, Virginia
3 posts
Thanks for the suggestions. GerryM - the GoldenTours with live guide sounds like fun. Seems like a good way to get an overall view. Thanks!
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1932 posts
Not sure what you consider "evening," but Brigit's (the tea bus) offers a 5pm departure. https://b-bakery.com/london/bus-tours
Also, Bustronome offers dinner on a slow-moving bus. I haven't done this in London but have in Paris and really enjoyed it. https://bustronome.com/en/london/
I would suggest also looking at evening river cruises.
Posted by
California
42 posts
I highly recommend Bustronome, I did this last week. You get a 6 course, high quality meal in a double decker bus with glass ceilings and windows as they drive you past several sites for nearly 3 hours. It's a little pricey but quite enjoyable, excellent food and service. They have a QR code you scan to listen to info about the sites you are passing by. You have to eat dinner so why not do it in style while you take in the sites?