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Philadelphia Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour

Philadelphia, USA
High interest
Booked 2 times today.
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.2
·
· Victoria_C ·
Dec 2025
Harris & Keith were fantastic! Their knowledge and pride in Philadelphia truly stood out. My son and I learned a lot—thank you for an amazing tour!
· joann_m ·
Mar 2026
Great way to see the city. Nice weather and very informative tour guides. Got off the Rocky steps and walked around a bit. We waited about 30 minutes for the next bus. Very friendly staff. Truly enjoyed our experience with you guys.

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Overview

Skip the rigid itineraries of group tours and explore the best that Philadelphia has to offer, at your own pace, on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Select a 1-,2-,or 3-day pass to suit your schedule and visit up to 25 of Philadelphia’s top attractions, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Board at any of the stops and get to know the city your own way.
  • See Philadelphia at your own pace on a flexible tour
  • Visit many top Philadelphia attractions without having to navigate
  • Enjoy views from the open-top, double-decker bus with narration
  • A fun, fast, scenic, and flexible way to explore Philadelphia

What's Included

  • Live onboard commentary (English only)
  • Map of route and sites
  • Hop on Hop off Tour of Philadelphia
  • Up to 25 stops to Hop-on and Hop-off
  • 3 Ticket Types 1/2/3 Days
  • Entrance fees/attraction tickets
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Operating hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

Departure Point

  • You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Itinerary

Board an open-top double-decker bus and enjoy the views alongside live commentary from a guide who knows the city inside and out. Learn about the history of Philadelphia, a city that forged a nation, as the bus rolls from one location to the next. Hop off at any of the attractions for a closer look, then hop back on when it’s convenient.

Visit popular sites such as the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, United States Mint, Constitution Center, City Hall, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s famed “Rocky Steps” — plus America’s first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo — to name just a few. Or explore Chinatown or Antique Row. Stay on for the entire loop and stop at a number of popular dining, shopping, and entertainment venues. Don’t forget to try a Philadelphia cheesesteak and a soft pretzel along the way.

A sightseeing tour of Philadelphia has never been easier—or more fun—than this hop-on hop-off tour of the city.
Hop on Hop off Philadelphia Double Decker Tour

21 Stops

29 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Operating Schedule: Departures - Operating Daily with a 30 minute frequency on weekends and every 30-60 minutes on weekdays, departures from Stop 1 on SW Corner of 6th & Market between 09.30am - 4.00pm. PLEASE NOTE you must redeem your ticket at Stop 1 Before you can board the tour. Up to 25 Stop on route.

1

XR2X+7P Philadelphia

2

239 Arch St

3

151 N Independence Mall E

4

525 Arch St

5

North 12th Street & Arch Street

6

Center City West

7

North 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway

8

2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy

9

2151 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy

10

2124 Fairmount Ave

11

2525 Pennsylvania Ave

12

2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy

13

222 N 20th St

14

1625 Chestnut St

15

200 S Broad St

16

Pine Street

17

301 South St

18

South Christopher Columbus Boulevard & Spruce Street

19

201 S Christopher Columbus Blvd

20

Waterfront Parking

21

101 N Independence Mall E

Points of interest passed by on this route

Eastern State Penitentiary

Reading Terminal Market

Christ Church

Rodin Museum

Academy of Music

City Hall Visitor Center

Independence Visitor Center

Fairmount Park

Please Touch Museum

Rittenhouse Square

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

United States Mint

Antique Row

Penn's Landing

Old City Arts District

Philadelphia Zoo

Betsy Ross House

Memorial Hall

National Constitution Center

Love Park

Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Logan Circle

The Franklin Institute

Benjamin Franklin's Grave

Big Bus Tours

Barnes

China Town

Delaware River waterfront

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Schedules may differ slightly during peak and off-peak times
  • Please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q:How often does a bus arrive at each stop during the Philadelphia Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour?

A:A bus arrives approximately every 20-25 minutes.

Mar 2021

The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.2
based on 2,350 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We perform checks on reviews

Philadelphia has a lot to...

Addie_F, Mar 2026
Philadelphia has a lot to see! The reason for the 4 star instead of 5, all our information said we could start our tour at any location, but that was not the case. We walked to the nearest stop to our hotel to hope on and after waiting 45 minutes for a bus in the cold, it drove by without stopping. They sent a van to pick us up at that time to take us to the first stop to start our tour. If our information would have said that, we would have gone to stop 1 to begin with. Other than that, and once we got to the buses, everything was great!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Addie_F. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the tour could not be started from any stop, as advised. We do our best to ensure that each guest can start the tour from any available stop, for a swift start. We are glad the rest of your experience with us was amazing. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Great way to see the...

joann_m, Mar 2026
Great way to see the city. Nice weather and very informative tour guides. Got off the Rocky steps and walked around a bit. We waited about 30 minutes for the next bus. Very friendly staff. Truly enjoyed our experience with you guys.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi joann_m. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that the tour was a great way to discover Philadelphia, and that our friendly staff made the tour even more enjoyable. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Don’t use Big Bus Hop on/off/ Viator not helpful!

Quintanyamoat, Mar 2026
The hop on hop off is supposed to pick up from different stops. We elected to pick up at Love Park. We waited for over 45 minutes another couple waited even longer and left. We had other plans and could no longer wait as well. I asked Viator to transfer to the next day or to receive my money back, they claimed they could do neither. I will be disputing this and don’t recommend using the hop off/ hop on unless you have all day to wait around

Good Overview of the City

Tericka_S, Mar 2026
The buses ran every hour instead of every 30 minutes. We found this to be inconvenient. We took this tour in March.

Best tour guide and driver combo ever - all things Philly

Natalie_V, Feb 2026
Fantastic tour! Our narrator/Philly expert and driver/captain were amazing. So informative and clear and the driving was top notch.

Great tour of the city,...

Chrishelle_M, Jan 2026
Great tour of the city, great place to start to get an idea of things to focus on. Do the whole loop first .

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hi Chrishelle_M. We appreciate your sincere feedback! It is fantastic that you were able to discover the city. We look forward to seeing you again in the future! Best wishes. Razvan, Big Bus Tours

The day after Christmas tour

Victoria_C, Dec 2025
Harris & Keith were fantastic! Their knowledge and pride in Philadelphia truly stood out. My son and I learned a lot—thank you for an amazing tour!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello Victoria_C, we truly appreciate your kind words! It brings us joy to know you had such a wonderful time with our staff, and we sincerely hope to welcome you back in the future!-Best wishes, Mara from Big Bus Tours

Guides on the Bus Make it Better

Ashlee_T, Dec 2025
We enjoy utilizing these bus tours when we visit a new city. We typically do the tour and also use it as transportation. We enjoyed that the Philadelphia busses have live guides. Each guide had their own take on the tour, which made it enjoyable for us.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Hi Ashlee_T! Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We're glad to hear that you have enjoyed the Philadelphia tour and the fact that live guides were available on the buses. We hope to see you again soon! Eugen, Big Bus Tours

Worth the price

Erika_A, Nov 2025
They work together with another hop on and off sightseeing tour company so you didn't have to wait long for the next bus to come by. They were all very informative, but you did have to start at #1 to get your ticket. Then there after you could get on and off at any stop. I would say the only drawback is that it wasn't connected to the app. I've used the Big Bus in other cities so it was convenient to see where the stops were in real time.

On Tuesday many buildings...

Vicki_R, Nov 2025
On Tuesday many buildings are not open. We unfortunately also did not know that more were impacted by the fact it was Veteran’s day. Neither did the tour guide he felt they were all still open.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hello Vicki_R! Thank you so much for your feedback. We're sorry to learn that your tour was affected by the closed attractions on Veteran's Day. We look forward to welcoming you back soon on another day, so we can showcase the beauty of Philadelphia to you. Best regards, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Reliable

JoseD_B, Nov 2025
Tour was great. However, the app does not include a live map. So it was difficult timing hop on, hop off.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hi there, JoseD_B! We appreciate your feedback. It's unfortunate to hear that the app lacks live tracking for Philadelphia. We're actively working on this and are committed to making sure the buses are frequent enough to minimize your wait time. Additionally, we do our utmost to keep the timetable available on our website. We hope to see you again soon! Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Perfect way to see the...

Samantha_B, Nov 2025
Perfect way to see the city and get an idea of the places you want to explore more. My recommendation is to do the full loop first then start your hop on hop off.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hi Samantha_B, Thank you for your feedback! It's great that you had the chance to explore the city! We recommend using the Live Tracking feature on our app to help plan your route on the day. We hope to see you on a Big Bus Tour again soon! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Tour around town was...

Ashraf_A, Nov 2025
Tour around town was good. Gets crowded at times with unclear departure time and location. In general was ok

Wonderful time learning...

Brenda_R, Nov 2025
Wonderful time learning Philly's history with my grown kids!!!! Took 3 busses.. all 3 guides were very informative...

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hi Brenda_R, Thank you for your feedback! We are pleased to know that you and your children got to explore the city and learn some of its history! We prioritize ongoing training for our team to ensure you receive outstanding service. We can't wait to have you back on one of our buses again! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Good tour

Cindy_A, Nov 2025
This is a great way to see and hear about downtown Philadelphia and its history. Suiting up top on the open air bus gives you a great view!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hello Cindy, we are delighted to learn that you had a great time on our Philadelphia tour and considered it a wonderful way to discover and appreciate the city's history. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we look forward to welcoming you back on a Big Bus Tour soon! Best, Alice @ Big Bus Tours

Well worth the price but a little wonky

Karl_F, Nov 2025
Ride on the top deck of the bus! Take the whole tour first and then ride again to pick the stops you want.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hello Karl_F, we really appreciate your feedback and taking the time to share your experience with us. we look forward to your return to join our tours in the near future. We are eager to see you again soon participating in our tours. Best wishes, Flavius from Big Bus Tours

Great option to experience Philly!

Noemi_G, Nov 2025
The bus tour was great. It's the best way to experience Philly. At times the microphone wasn't working so well, so sometimes we didn't hear everything the tour guide said. Other than that, it was just the smell of exhaust fumes that bothered me.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hello Noemi_G, we are pleased to learn that the bus tour was enjoyable. However, we regret to hear that there were instances when the microphone was not functioning properly, which resulted in us missing some of the tour guide's commentary. Additionally, we understand that the odor of exhaust fumes was a concern for you. We anticipate receiving more details from you via the Contact Us form on our website, enabling us to further investigate the issue and provide an appropriate resolution. Best wishes, Flavius from Big Bus Tours

This was the best way to...

Elizabeth_C, Oct 2025
This was the best way to view all of the important things in the city in one day! Such an incredible experience, and so easy to maneuver. Sebastian & Darrel (I think was our drivers name) were the best guides we had all day, and we had them to start & to end!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Elizabeth_C, We really appreciate your feedback! We are pleased to know that our staff provided you a great experience! We pride ourselves on our 5* service and regularly refresh our staff training across all cities to make sure that you get the best possible experience. e can't wait to have you back on one of our buses again! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Fun tours

Sarah_E, Oct 2025
Fun and informative guides that made the day fun. I could see a lot in one day! You get to see all the major spots without all the walking!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Sarah_E, Thank you for your feedback! We are so glad to know that our guides made your day better! Our staff receives training regularly so that you get the best possible experience! We would be happy to see you again in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Great way to get a little...

Monique_P, Oct 2025
Great way to get a little knowledge on most historic sites and see the downtown area. The hop on, hop off is great if you start early enough.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Monique_P, Thank you for your feedback! It's great that you got to explore the city and learn some of its history! We make sure that our staff gets constant training to make sure you have the best time! We can't wait to have you back on one of our buses again! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Hop on hop off

Lawrence_R, Oct 2025
Good value and informative. Get on and off as much as you’d like. Goes by all the major city sites. It’s great

Day in Philly

Cynthia_N, Oct 2025
It was confusing to get on and was directed to a couple stops but once on board was a great day! I would do this again

Not the Best

Daniel_L, Oct 2025
The signs designating pick up location are not very visible. I would be helpful if the site gave a detailed location of stops

Viator did a terrible job...

Jenny_H, Oct 2025
Viator did a terrible job communicating with me regarding this experience. We waited outside in the cold for over an hour before a bus came by (supposed to be every 20 min). In addition, they weren’t starting tours at stop 1 on this day but at the Reading Terminal. Communication was terrible with Viator (kept getting cut off) and the tour operator (never responded to my messages). Super frustrating!

Hope you like waiting

Helen_M, Oct 2025
I would not recommend this tour unless you don’t mind waiting 45 minutes for the next bus. Maybe it’s the time we went, not sure if early October is low season, but we saw more buses parked as advertisements then out and about picking up customers. Even with the shared rides between this and the other sightseeing bus, waits were over 30 minutes. At one point we called after waiting 45 minutes and were told the stop we were at wasn’t taking pickups because of a detour. Live tracking wasn’t working so how would we know and as observation, lots of traffic was flowing on the specific stop street. Also, when we passed that stop again, they were picking up. In hindsight, I would have walked to what we could and ubered for the remaining.

Watch out for tree branches!

Lisa_S, Oct 2025
My mother and have been living in Philadelphia for a few years but wanted to take this tour. We were blessed with a sunny, warm October day and went for it. I was amazed at some of the things you see from the vantage point of the double decker bus. It was an enjoyable tour, except for the tree branches that whacked us in the head. Naomi was a wonderful tour guide and Ted was a great driver.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi there, Lisa_S! We really appreciate your feedback. It's unfortunate to hear that the tour wasn't as great as we hoped. If you have more details to share, we would be more than happy to assist you. Just contact us directly on our website. We can't wait to see you again soon! Best wishes, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Good info, fair overall experience

Shane_M, Oct 2025
A good way to see much of the city, but our guide was average at best. Not very engaging and only fair delivery. Bus did not routinely stop at all marked spots, and we were missed when we tried to hop back on at one of the stops. If you go and want to hop back on, flag the bus down-it may not stop if there are no people on the bus who want to get off at that stop!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hello Shane_M. Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled to know that you found the tour a great way to explore the city. However, we regret to hear that the guide didn't meet your expectations in terms of information. Please rest assured that we are actively working on training programs to improve our guests' experiences. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best regards, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Some guides are better...

Denise_R, Oct 2025
Some guides are better than others. Our first guide, John, was very clear, funny and informative. Our second ride guide tried to give a lot of info but he was not loud or clear enough, did not announce which stops we were approaching and neglected to say anything about the Franklin Institute or another stop we passed before he could catch up to talking about them.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hello Denise_R! Thank you so much for your feedback. We're thrilled to know that John was clear, humorous, and informative. We apologize that the second guide didn't meet your expectations, and we want to assure you that we are continually improving our training so that all our representatives provide the best tours possible. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best regards, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Phone in Philly

Trasi_F, Oct 2025
That you can ride both buses. We chose to ride the entire loop then we rode again getting off at areas we wanted to explore

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hello Trasi_F! We want to express our gratitude for your feedback. It's wonderful to know that you had an amazing experience in Philadelphia and enjoyed discovering the city with us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best wishes, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.

Fine tour of the city....

James_M, Oct 2025
Fine tour of the city. Regular on & off option very helpful. Tour guide was pleasant and informative.

From $54.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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On average, this is booked 13 days in advance.

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