Big Bus Edinburgh 24 or 48 hour Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
As Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh packs in plenty of historical monuments and cultural destinations—and this hop-on hop-off bus tour provides a thorough introduction to the city’s top sights. Choose a 24- or 48-hour ticket and explore Edinburgh’s most famous landmarks at your own pace, including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and more. With panoramic open-top views, convenient stops across the city, and the freedom to create your own itinerary, it's an easy way to experience Scotland's capital.
- Choose a 24 or 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticket and explore Edinburgh at your speed
- This hop-on hop-off bus tour offers a flexible and accessible way to explore
- Learn stories about Edinburgh’s landmarks and history as you go
- Upgrade to a selected 48-hour ticket and enjoy access to the Britannia Tour
What's Included
- 24- or 48-hour hop-on, hop-off bus ticket
- Access to City Tour (available with all options)
- Access to Britannia Tour (available on 48-Hour Tour on City & Britannia Routes option only)
- Audio commentary available in 9 languages
- Dog friendly
- Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Start time.9:00 am
Departure Point
- You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.
Ticket Redemption Point
27 Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3BG, UK
Itinerary
Big Bus Edinburgh City Tour (Red Route)
15 Stops
41 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes
Operating Schedule: Summer (May–October): First departure at 09:00 from Stop 1 (Waterloo Place), every every 15minutes till 17:00 then every 20Minutes, last tour at 18:20. 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.
1
29 Waterloo Pl
2
St Andrew Square
3
Lothian Road
4
Bread Street
5
The Mound
6
George IV Bridge
7
Grassmarket
8
National Museum of Scotland
9
Canongate Kirk
10
Palace of Holyroodhouse
11
Dynamic Earth
12
Abbeyhill
13
Regent Road
14
Lauriston Place
15
John Knox House
Points of interest passed by on this route
Multrees Walk
Saint Andrew Square
Princes Street
Princes Street and Gardens
Scott Monument
St Cuthbert's Parish Church
Festival Square
Grassmarket
Greyfriars Kirk
Greyfriars Bobby
Museum of Fire
Edinburgh Castle
National Galleries Scotland: Portrait
Usher Hall
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh Farmers' Market
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Gladstone's Land
Writers' Museum
National Library of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
Museum of Childhood
John Knox House Museum
The Museum of Edinburgh
The Scottish Parliament
The King's Gallery
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Dynamic Earth
Arthur's Seat
Holyrood Park
Regent Road Park
The Burns Monument
Calton Hill
Nelson Monument
Observatory House
National Monument
Waverley Mall
Edinburgh Waverley Station
Irene Forte Spa, Edinburgh
Melville Monument
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.2
based on 500 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Wonderful way of seeing the city with limited time with commentary. Love that you will learn the history the audio is great it allows us to learn more of the history.
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring Edinburgh with us! It's especially lovely to know that our audio commentary made your sightseeing experience even more memorable by bringing the city's fascinating history and stories to life.
We believe that even a short visit should be filled with discovery, and we're so pleased we could help you make the most of your time in Edinburgh!
Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours. We hope to welcome you aboard again for another adventure!
Madalina@BigBusTours
Fun way to learn some history and stop for pictures, shopping, and food. Ride on the top even in the cold, worth the views.
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Hi Tommy.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our hop-on, hop-off tour as a fun way to explore Edinburgh's rich history, shops, and food spots. Braving the Scottish chill on the top deck is definitely worth it for those spectacular, unobstructed views of the castle and city skyline!
We hope to welcome you aboard another Big Bus tour in the future.
Kind regards,
Razvan@BigBusTours
Bus was comfortable. It was a nice break from walking Edinburgh. Audio guide could be a bit better. Down load their app so you can see interactive map of where the busses currently are.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for your review!
We're delighted to hear that you found the bus comfortable and that it provided a welcome break from walking around Edinburgh. It's also great to know that you found the app useful for tracking bus locations and navigating the route.
We appreciate your feedback regarding the audio guide and will share your comments with the team for review as we continue to improve the experience for our guests.
Thank you for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you on board again soon! Alex@BigBusTours
Great! The bus was easy to identify and hop on or off. Good commentary on sites to see in Edinburgh!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're delighted to hear that you found our buses easy to identify and enjoyed the hop-on, hop-off experience. It's also wonderful to know that you appreciated the commentary and learning about Edinburgh's fascinating sights.
We hope to welcome you aboard again soon for another memorable Big Bus Tours experience! Alex@BigBusTours
This is a great way to get around the city. I did the 48 hour hop on, hop off. Friendly drivers with information to get where I needed to go.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Hi Lori,
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your 48-hour Hop-On Hop-Off experience and found our drivers friendly and helpful.
We are glad we could make getting around the city easy and enjoyable. Alexandra@BigBusTours
The route was changed because of road work and that was not communicated to us. We arrived and had to hunt for an hour to find where to board the bus. When we found the right place, the bus driver, seemingly intentionally, would not stop long enough for us to board to the bus and then smiled and waved to us as he pulled away. We paid a second time for the time a couple days later and found the commentary on the bus very uninteresting as compared to other tours we took.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating it must have been to spend so much time trying to find the correct boarding point. We also regret that the route changes were not clearly communicated and that you felt you were not given enough time to board the bus. This is certainly not the experience we want for our guests.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback about the commentary as well, and we’ll make sure your comments are shared with the relevant team. We hope we’ll have the opportunity to provide you with a much smoother and more enjoyable experience in the future. Mihai @BigBusTours
There are various bus tours of Edinburgh - I chose this one because it seemed to take in the largest number of landmarks, and I wasn't disappointed , getting a whistle-stop tour of both Old and New Town. The commentary could have been more detailed - there were interesting-looking buildings on the way which didn't get a mention, with spells of Scottish music instead - and on one of my rides got a bit out of synch with what we were passing, but the highlights were all there and I saw everything I didn't have time to visit.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your review!
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and felt it covered a wide range of Edinburgh's landmarks. It's great to know that the route gave you the opportunity to see both the Old Town and New Town, especially those places you didn't have time to visit in person.
We also appreciate your feedback regarding the commentary. We're pleased that the key highlights were covered, and your comments about the level of detail and occasional synchronization issues have been shared with the team for review.
Thank you for choosing us, and we're glad we could help you make the most of your time in Edinburgh! Alex@BigBusTours
Very easy to book online through Viator. Easy to find the bus and it stopped at all the interesting places in Edinburgh. The audio guide was very good too
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi Kay,
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the booking process easy and enjoyed exploring Edinburgh with us.
It’s also great to know that you enjoyed the audio commentary and found the tour a convenient way to discover the city’s highlights. We hope to welcome you aboard again on another Big Bus adventure soon!
Madalina@BigBusTours
There was construction in the city and bus stop 1 was not being used. The app told us to go to bus stop 1 and no one was there and the bus never arrived. When we finally went to bus stop 2 we waited 30 minutes for a packed bus to show up. Many were unable to get on bus. We were told they had a bus out of service. We finally got on bus and it was ok. Not great. Will never book an on and off bus until I arrive in the city and can physically see which company has more buses and is better run.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi!
Thank you for sharing your feedback.
We’re sorry to hear about the disruption caused by the construction and that the information in the app directed you to a stop that was not in use.
We also understand how frustrating it must have been to wait at the next stop and then have difficulty boarding due to the bus being so busy.
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. If you would like us to look into your experience further, please feel free to contact our Customer Support Team via email or chat, and we’ll be happy to assist. Andreea@BigBusTours
We got a 2-day pass . The first round we rode the bus all the way around and seen what we wanted to do. Next round we started doing the hop on and hop off. Very convenient. Saved us a lot of money. We took the Tram downtown and it stopped very close to where you catch the Hop on and Off bus.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi Sara!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that our 2-day pass gave you the perfect opportunity to map out your adventure and explore the city at your own pace. It is wonderful to know that our hop-on, hop-off system was both convenient and budget-friendly for you! We also love that you highlighted how easy it is to connect with the local downtown Tram—navigating a new city should always be that seamless. Thank you for riding with Big Bus Tours, and we hope to welcome you back on board the next time you visit! Razvan@BigBusTours
Very friendly and informative staff. Simple map and routes to follow. Stopped at all key areas and places of interest in Edinburgh. Headphones providing history along the route open top buses. Can take endless trips and get on and off at all the stop points. An enjoyable and comfortable tour of Edinburgh avoiding the crowds!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review!
We're delighted to hear that you found the staff friendly and informative and that the routes were easy to follow. It's great to know that the tour helped you explore Edinburgh's key landmarks and places of interest while learning more about the city's history through the onboard commentary.
We're also pleased that you enjoyed the flexibility of hopping on and off throughout the day and the comfort of the open-top buses. Thank you for choosing us, and we're glad we could help you experience Edinburgh while avoiding the crowds.
We hope to welcome you on board again soon! Alex@BigBusTours
They used to have live guides who knew everything. I know there was a diversion in place but I found the tour hard to follow quite often.
Didn’t start well as the first guy told me the tour started in a different place and I wondered around for an hour eventually finding another stop and getting on at 2, which I was ok with, but after doing the really confusing tour to find where 1 was at the end did annoy me as it really was close to the first guy, but he sent me off in the opposite direction. such a shame as I usually opt for Big Bus if they’re there. I think I may try another company if in Edinburgh again
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hello, Charlote!
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience in Edinburgh, especially since you regularly choose Big Bus Tours when you travel.
Getting sent in the wrong direction and wandering for an hour is immensely frustrating, and we apologize for the misdirection and the confusion caused by the route diversions. We hold our staff to high standards for accurate customer guidance, so we are sharing your notes with our local management team to ensure our street staff are fully aligned on route changes.
We truly value your loyalty and hope you will give us another chance to provide the smooth, high-quality experience you usually expect from us. If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to us directly at https://www.bigbustours.com/contact-us.
Best regards, Mihaela@BigBusToursTeam
Easy to find, great way to see Scotland. Close to train station, food, markets. Staff helpful and timely arrivals and departures., I use this on many cities always good.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hello Julee! We truly appreciate your feedback. It's wonderful to know that our tours provide an excellent way to explore Scotland. Looking forward to your next visit! Best, Ana from Big Bus Tours.
The stops are close together, be ready and know where you need to get on and off! Beautiful city and the stops are all worthwhile.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hello!
Thank you so much for the great review and for sharing your tip with fellow travelers! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the city and that you found all our stops worthwhile. We hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Melisa@BigBusTours
The big bus tour was amazing! The staff was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Edinburgh I absolutely beautiful and it was so fun seeing all of the beautiful infrastructure and monuments. My family and I had a blast! I would definitely recommend big bus tour for your vacation in Scotland!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hi Ife_M,
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you and your family had such a great time exploring beautiful Edinburgh with us.
It's wonderful to know our team helped make your experience memorable. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you onboard again on your next visit to Scotland!
Alexandra I. @ Big Bus Tours
The big bus was easily identified, the stops are handy & regular. You get earphones to plug in (on the back of the seat in front)& listen to the commentary. Our driver was Taurie( I hope I've spelt that correct)what a lovely guy, very friendly,funny welcoming & great craic. He was our driver the whole day 😁
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hello Kim! Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are delighted that you found our buses easy to spot, our stops convenient, and the audio commentary enjoyable. Most of all, thank you for giving a special shout-out to Taurie! He is indeed a fantastic asset to our team, and we are thrilled he brought so much warmth, and great fun to your full day with us. We will definitely pass your kind words along to him. We hope to welcome you back on board with us soon Razvan@BigBusTours
It is a great way to see the city in the pouring rain and give our legs a little break. The rain doesn't last long but the rain on the open deck stays on the seats. Bring sometging to wipe the seat off. Although it had an audio tour, I thought I had signed up for the live commentary tour. A great view from the top deck!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hi, Crystal!
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the views from the top deck and that the tour gave you a chance to explore the city while giving your legs a well-deserved break.
At the same time, we're sorry to hear that the seats remained wet after the rain and that the tour did not meet your expectations regarding the commentary. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention, as your feedback helps us improve both our service and our buses.
We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board again in the future for an even better experience. Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours! Andreea@BigBusTours!
Driver was rude. Didn’t give any instructions. Didn’t tell me to get headphones. When I realized I had to go back down from the top to get them, his jerky driving made me fall down the steps. He didn’t ask if I was okay. The stops were off, some skipped and route was reversed. Driver didn’t tell us. I had to ride it for 3 rotations to finally figure out that routes were skipped. Terrible experience. 3 hours!!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Peggy! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience and disappointed to learn that it did not meet your expectations.
We sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered, including the lack of guidance when boarding, the driver’s conduct, the difficulties with obtaining headphones, and the confusion regarding the route and stops. We understand how frustrating it must have been to spend so much time trying to navigate the service, especially after experiencing a fall on the stairs.
We take feedback like yours very seriously and would like the opportunity to learn more and improve your experience. Please contact us through the following link so we can investigate this matter further: https://www.bigbustours.com/en/edinburgh/contact-us.
Calin@BigBusTours
Very convenient way of going around and sight seeing through Edinburgh as it is very hilly and has plenty of stairs
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We're delighted to hear that you found the tour a convenient way to explore Edinburgh, especially with all those hills and stairs giving everyone an unexpected workout!
We hope you enjoyed discovering the city with us, and we'd love to welcome you aboard again on your next adventure.
Madalina@BigBusTours
first of all.. we were greeted by the best tour operators ever! DEBBIE! There was a lovely gentleman with her but he was attending to other riders but let me tell you.. DEBBIE WAS THEEEE BEST! I mean just listening to her talk with her scottish accent was a treat but her being really passionate about Big Bus and Edinburgh is really what traveling is all about. I always recommend a hop on/ off bus tour bc it’s a great way to see alot of different sites in one city in a short time but meeting debbie and her helpfulness (she fixed my ticket bc the viator app was giving me a hard time!) was top notch. Good job hiring her Big Bus! she deserves a raise! also she has great nails!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Sarah,
What a wonderful review, thank you! We're so happy to hear you had such a great time exploring Edinburgh with us.
And Debbie certainly made an impression! We're delighted to hear how welcoming, passionate, and helpful she was, especially when the app decided to put up a fight. We'll make sure your lovely comments are shared with Debbie and our Edinburgh team. Great nails included!
Thank you for choosing Big Bus and for recommending us. We hope to welcome you aboard again for another city adventure soon!
Madalina@BigBusTours
It takes over an hour to go all the way around. It's a good way to see where everything is but it is time consuming. If you wanted to turn Edinburgh Castle and then go to Holly Road it would take you an hour to get there in an hour to get back. It's too bad they don't have a bus just to go up and down the Royal mile.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your review. We're glad to hear the tour helped you get an overview of Edinburgh and its attractions.
As Edinburgh's city center can be busy and traffic levels vary throughout the day, journey times between stops can sometimes be longer than expected. We appreciate your feedback on the route and will be sure to share it with the local team.
Alexandra I. @ Big Bus Tours
Good overview of the city, be mindful of the weather. Can be clubbed with passes. Highly recommended as day 1 experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the city overview and found the tour a great way to start your visit. We appreciate your helpful tip about checking the weather and are glad you found the pass options convenient. We hope to welcome you on another Big Bus Tours experience soon! Daniel@BigBusTours
We booked so we could ride the red and blue routes as we had tickets for the Royal Yacht Britannia . It worked out well so we made our reservations and also made it back to the downtown area.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Mary_J. Thank you for your valuable feedback! We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed our bus tour, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back on board in the future. Best regards, Razvan @BigBusTours
Overall positive experience. Equipment worked well. Commentary was good, but could have used more. Easy way to see the highlights of a city.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We’re glad to hear that you had an overall positive experience and that you found the equipment easy to use. It’s also great to know the tour helped you see the highlights of the city in a convenient way.
We also appreciate your comment regarding the commentary because your feedback is very valuable, and we will certainly take it into account as we continue to improve our service. We hope to see you again soon for more adventures! Calin@BigBusTours
Great experience to see the city and decide where to get off and explore. Very helpful employees at every stop helping answer your questions. Very friendly people and the audio was very informative.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted you had a great experience exploring the city and found our team helpful and friendly throughout. It’s great to hear the audio added to your visit as well!
Raul@BigBusTours
Totally worth it. Very well done. Perfectly timed. 10:00-12:15, as scheduled. Then we spent three more hours at the castle. Ricky was a great personality, full of history and fun stories. I highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you found the experience totally worth it and that everything ran smoothly and on schedule. It’s great to know you were able to enjoy extra time exploring the castle afterward as well.
Ricky will be especially happy to hear your kind words—he truly loves sharing his knowledge and stories, and we’re glad his personality made your visit even more memorable.
We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again for another fantastic experience in the future! Alex @ Big Bus Tours
Very nice views of the castles and prince street also like the hop on hop off options able to visit different places
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful views of the castles and Prince Street. It truly is a stunning area with so much to take in.
It’s also great to know that the hop-on, hop-off option added value to your visit and gave you the flexibility to explore different locations at your own pace. That freedom is something we’re proud to offer, so it’s wonderful to hear it enhanced your overall experience.
We really appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable visit! Alex @ Big Bus Tours
It is very informative and we had a lovely day to sit on top. The hop on hop off system is a good way to cover a lot of distance when your visit is only a day or so . Well worth it
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear you found the tour informative and enjoyed a lovely day on the top deck. The hop-on hop-off option is indeed a great way to see a lot in a short time, and we’re so glad you found it worthwhile.
Florin @ BigBusTours
Please book the castle prior to doing the tour during high season. Bus ticket doesn't give you automatic entry.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the helpful tip! We appreciate you pointing out the importance of booking castle entries in advance during peak season, as they are not included with the bus ticket. This is great advice for future travelers to plan ahead and make the most of their visit.
Florin @ BigBusTours
Some current road/street construction has the route altered, but manages to cover everything listed covered.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear that despite the temporary road and street changes, you were still able to enjoy a full overview of the sights included on the route.
We appreciate your understanding as adjustments are sometimes needed, and we’re pleased the experience still covered the highlights. We hope you had a great time and look forward to welcoming you on board again soon!
Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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