London Vintage Bus Tour Including River Thames Cruise with Optional Lunch
London, England
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Hop aboard a vintage double-decker bus—and then board a cruise down the Thames River—for a 2-in-1 sightseeing tour of London. On this fun-filled excursion, see main attractions like Big Ben and the Tower of London, cruise past Westminster and the London Eye, and capture photos outside Buckingham Palace. You can also upgrade to include a fish and chips lunch at a traditional British pub.
- Tour London on a vintage double-decker bus for fabulous views
- See top London attractions during your Thames River cruise
- Upgrade to include a traditional fish and chips lunch in a central London pub
- Travel with ease, and see more of the city than on foot
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Don't just be limited to sightseeing by land—you'll also see London from the River Thames.
What's Included
- Panoramic tour of London by 1960's Vintage bus
- Thames River Cruise
- Fish and chips meal (if option selected)
- Local guide
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Victoria Coach Station, 164 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 9TP, UK
Located on164 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria. approximately 7 minutes walk from Victoria Underground and Railway station. Morning tour departs at Gate 19 at 7:45am (Boarding starts at 7:30am) and Afternoon tour departs at Gate 0 at 1:00pm (Boarding starts at 12:45pm).
End point
- Victoria St, London SW1E 5ND, UK
Operating hours.1:00 pm
Itinerary
Your half-day London tour begins in the city center. Meet your guide and grab a seat in the vintage red double-decker bus, then sit back and take in fantastic views of the city awakening around you. As you ride, hear interesting anecdotes about passing local sites such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey—the venue for every coronation since the 11th century and 16 royal weddings!
Next head to the banks of the Thames River, where you get an up-close view of the formidable Tower of London. Built by William the Conquerer in the 11th century, the site has a long and stormy history as a prison and execution site. Before continuing on, hear a bit about the famous Beefeater Guards and the Crown Jewels that are housed in the impenetrable fort.
At Tower Pier, board a sightseeing boat and grab a seat in the glass-encased saloon or on the open deck. Drift in comfort along the banks of the historic Thames River and discover London’s history through lively audio commentary. Relax as the boat makes a short loop under the London Bridge, passing the Houses of Parliament, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the London Eye.
Your tour concludes back at your original departure point. You can also upgrade your tour to include a traditional fish and chips lunch at a London pub.
Next head to the banks of the Thames River, where you get an up-close view of the formidable Tower of London. Built by William the Conquerer in the 11th century, the site has a long and stormy history as a prison and execution site. Before continuing on, hear a bit about the famous Beefeater Guards and the Crown Jewels that are housed in the impenetrable fort.
At Tower Pier, board a sightseeing boat and grab a seat in the glass-encased saloon or on the open deck. Drift in comfort along the banks of the historic Thames River and discover London’s history through lively audio commentary. Relax as the boat makes a short loop under the London Bridge, passing the Houses of Parliament, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the London Eye.
Your tour concludes back at your original departure point. You can also upgrade your tour to include a traditional fish and chips lunch at a London pub.
1
Buckingham Palace
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Westminster Abbey
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Houses of Parliament
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Big Ben
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Trafalgar Square (Pass By)
St. Paul's Cathedral (Pass By)
5
Tower of London
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Thames River
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
London Bridge (Pass By)
London Eye (Pass By)
Premium Tours - London Tours (Pass By)
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Lunch option (if option selected) is a choice of either Fish and Chips or Vegetarian dish available on the day. Drinks are available at additional cost. The pub is located a 5-7-minute walk from the drop-off point.
- Please note: this is an open top bus tour, please be prepared for the possibility of rain. On rare occasions the open top bus may be changed to a closed top bus.
- You’ll enjoy a great photo stop outside Buckingham Palace. In the afternoon, there are often fewer crowds, making it easier to take in the views and capture the perfect picture of this iconic landmark.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
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 287 reviews
Thomas_E, Oct 2025
The best tour is great. I wouldn’t have added the boat. If I known it was gonna be less than 30 minutes I would do the bus again, but not the boat.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback with Premium Tours. We’re delighted you enjoyed the bus tour. While the optional boat ride is under 30 minutes, it does cover the most iconic highlights along the Thames and adds a different perspective of London’s landmarks.
Kind regards,
Premium Tours Team
Angela_D, Sep 2025
Fun bus ride through London with an awesome guide. It was a great day and I enjoyed sitting on the top of the double decker!
Deborah_M, Aug 2025
This was the highlight of our trip! We saw all of the major London attractions with a knowledgeable, helpful, and informative guide (John) who told interesting stories about thehistory of London. And also included the beautiful ride on the Thames River with fish and chips at the Jagged Hare after the tour. Lots of great picture opportunities!
Jennifer_R, Jul 2025
Great way to get acclimated to the city and then decide what you want to see! Loved it and learned quite a bit. Recommend to people who have not visited London before!
Ivy_C, Jun 2025
The tour leader was very good and knowledgeable, However. The vehicle was horrible. There were awful fumes from the bus. There is no climate control so we were there in the heat, and the top part got even more fumes and was in the sun. The bus also was very bumpy and loud. - you literally drive by most sights and only quickly glimpse them except for the 2 stops. The cruise part was physically more comfortable and we weee able to see the sights pointed out
Rosemary_B, Jun 2025
A great way to get an overview of the city. Tour guide, Magnus, was very knowledgeable.
The only downside was on the River Thames portion. The windows were so dirty you couldn’t really see.
Leo_W, Jun 2025
The afternoon traveling throughout London was fabulous! Our guide John was so knowledgeable and I highly recommend him if your visiting
frank, May 2025
The tour leader was very accomplished and knowledgeable and also British, which was definitely a plus!
Miriam_P, May 2025
The tour was a lot of fun, and our host was quite the character—definitely kept things lively! One thing to note: the bus pickup location is inside the bus terminal, not on the street like many other Hop-On/Hop-Off tours. It would be helpful if that were made clearer in advance. That said, the terminal does offer restrooms, benches, and snack options, which was convenient.
We sat on the upper deck of the bus, which made for a fun (and breezy) ride. The sights were enjoyable, although the traffic was heavy—nothing you can really do about that. Still, we were entertained throughout the entire ride.
The cruise portion lasted only about 30 minutes, which felt surprisingly short—I almost couldn’t believe we had cruised the Thames!
I highly recommend adding the optional fish and chips—it was incredible. The portion was huge, the fish perfectly crispy, and the fries just the way I like them. Enjoying it in the pub, watching people wind down at the end of the workday, made for a great atmosphere.
sherries, May 2025
Very minimal commentary. Sometimes hard to hear/understand. Would have appreciated Vox boxes. Terrible traffic so sat for long periods of time. Somewhat unprofessional.
Wendy_N, Mar 2025
We took this tour because we only had one day to see London. We made a great choice! Our guide, John, was so knowledgeable, very friendly, helpful and professional. He REALLY knows what he’s doing! The Vintage bus is beautiful and the driver, Shawn, is very sweet and always smiling. We took the bus, river tour and fish and chips option. The river cruise was beautiful and the “non guide” ( a different John) was hilarious. We ran out of time for the fish and chips, but managed to gulp down one of the beers brewed by the pub. We had to get back to the train station and asked our bartender, Eleanor, to call us a can. She told us that the black cabs were so busy at that time of day that she would order us an uber. She even walked us out to the car and invited us back. It was a great experience!
Barbara_M, Oct 2024
Too long without bathroom breaks. Not enough history highlights. It was ok. The river cruise info was the best but short.
colleen_j, Oct 2024
We did see quite a bit of the major landmarks in London. We were allowed a few minutes at Buckingham palace to take pics, but that was the only opportunity to do so. The guide Lisa was wonderful and added wonderful commentary. However, the boat ride did not provide much of an opportunity for pictures as there was no rooftop deck and the windows inside were too dirty to get pics through. The boat commentator was very nice and had some additional information, and the ride was pleasant. We opted for the fish and chips afterward and I'm so glad we did! It was absolutely delicious! Overall, it's a good excursion to get a real eyeful of Londons most important sites.
Dorothy_C, Oct 2024
Buckingham Palace. Narration by Rich. He was very patient as I was walking with a cane. He clearly enjoys his job. Would highly recommend.
Mary_K, Sep 2024
Good tour to start with if you have never visited London. Overview of central London to help get your bearings. Kind and knowledgeable tour guide, Magnus.
Donald_H, Sep 2024
On the first bus stop, the guide led us to a huge crowd of people entering the Buckingham Palace and said "go in, walk around a bit and come back", then disappeared with no further guidance. My wife needs a cane to walk so we move slowly. After clearing the Palace security system, we got a call to return to the bus. Our fastest route to return took us to the garden exit which we reached 30 minutes later. Then outside we walked several blocks looking for the bus, finally gave us and took a taxi back to our hotel.
Javier_V, Aug 2024
Steve was SUPER. Informative, entertaining, and culturally inclusive—making sure everyone on board had a great time regardless of their background! The ticketing agent at Stop 24 (Carlos) was SUPER friendly and helpful, as well, making the whole experience a positive one. Highly recommended.
Rebecca_F, Aug 2024
We booked this tour as a way to see the key highlights of London while visiting friends. Our party consisted of 4 adults and 4 children ages 7-10. We were the last group to board the bus, and so sat in the only seats available which were in the front of the bus under roof. The information on the tour was sufficient for our needs / desires and we enjoyed seeing the sights, however we only made two stops on the tour (across the river from the House of Parliament / Big Ben and at St. Paul’s Cathedral) and the single speaker at the front of the bus was not working well. Any enjoyment of the tour was overshadowed by the tour guide (Lisa) approaching our group at the first stop and asking us to keep the kids quiet. While I would understand that request if the kids were screaming or carrying on, the kids were in their seats simply talking and excited about the sites like others on the bus.
Rose_L, Aug 2024
I love the tour guide he was very helpful and friendly. He knew the city very well. I love his outfit he looks like President George Washington.
Janette_H, Aug 2024
Having the opportunity to visit the Buckingham Palace was great and then to see the changing of the guards. The Fish and Chips lunch was the highlight. Enjoyed the tour guide.
Alfred_S, Aug 2024
The detail history the city that was given by the tour guide as we moved throughout the city. It was more than just a tour job for him. He was passionate about what he was sharing.
BETH_A, Jul 2024
What a wonderful day & tour of London. Our guide, John & driver, Sean were awesome. John took time to take personal photos for all of the people on the tour, had a great knowledge of the city & stops, and was professional throughout the tour. Would recommend to everyone.
Thank you for a great day.
Renee_A, Jul 2024
The driver does a wonderful job taking you to the most sought after sights and the guide provides a fabulous explanation of each. He is a very entertaining guide. We opted for the included fish and chips and had a wonderful meal. The Thames cruise gets on at the London Tower. You will have time for a very quick phot opt if traffic isn’t too bad. You get off at the London Eye. The driver makes sure that you know where you are heading off to before he takes of. He took us right to our restaurant and brought us in before leaving us.
Michele_J, Jun 2024
We were looking forward to this tour as we only had a brief time in London. We thought this would be a good way to see the most important sites. As we started out, we were excited to learn about London's history and its famous landmarks. That quickly went away as the tour guide began to describe the sites. There was a lot of traffic and some road closures that couldn't be helped. This led to extra time for our tour guide to fill and, unfortunately, he filled it with comments about his personal views on many topics (politics, race, Pride and more). He was offensive and unprofessional. This might have been a great tour with a different guide but, unfortunately for us, it was terrible.
Jenni_M, Jun 2024
It was good seeing the main buildings but it is all from a distant. Cruise was was good. Commentry coulb a little more interesting.
Sandra_B, Jun 2024
Alan our guide was great! He was funny and was able to pivot when the protests caused routes to be closed. Alan shared great amounts of history about the different buildings, drove home the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, and was able to adjust and show additional points of interest when we were unable to go the usual route. I would highly recommend!
Tracy_E, Jun 2024
We loved going on the water. Our guide was good at keeping everyone together. Glad we got off the bus a few times - especially at Horse Guards.
Bryan_C, Jun 2024
Guide was very informative and entertaining. Had some issue finding the pick up point for bus. No sign to find where to check in. Just happened to walk by someone with clipboard.
Matthew_M, Jun 2024
Our guide was fantastic, able to talk about all the sites with some anecdotes thrown in as well. Would totally do this again
clairegarcia786, Jun 2024
-Tour guide was basically pointing out buildings but not telling us the history
-The bus was filthy and worn down. The seats were run down and straight out of the 1970's
We were completely uninformed about how long the bus tour is, the boat tour (1/2 hour) and when we'd be eating the lunch (4:30 pm). We didn't know until it happened, but we had a 40 minutes between the bus and boat so we ate. We thought lunch was between bus and boat.
-We couldn't hear the tour guide. Not only was the mic a little low but there were a group of 5-6 teenagers and they were yelling and talking over him. Finally, when we got to the boat, the tour guide said something. The group continued to be loud so a fellow passenger walked over to them and had to tell them again to shut up (that finally worked). The teenagers ruined the trip for everyone but the guide just kept pointing out buildings trying to talk over them.
-the boat ride was an Uber boat with a horrible mic which kept making feed back noises. I think you're better off doing a separate boat tour which leaves from the same pier.
I wouldn't recommend this tour.
From $85.42
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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