Sydney and Bondi Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour with Optional Cruise

Sydney, Australia

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Morning or Afternoon Half-Day Sydney City Sightseeing Tour

Sydney, New South Wales

4.6

(647)

Morning or Afternoon Half-Day Sydney City Sightseeing Tour

from $111

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Join a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour by double-decker bus to discover the highlights of Sydney and Bondi Beach. Enjoy unobstructed views and recorded onboard commentary as you travel along two routes to top destinations including the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Darling Harbour, and Bondi Beach. Go in-depth wherever you like by hopping off the bus to explore. Experience the city’s most noteworthy attractions at your own pace.

Use the pass as much as you like for either 24 or 48 hours
Enjoy great views from the open-top, double-decker bus
Upgrade for a 1-day Captain Cook hop-on, hop-off harbor cruise pass
Enjoy the structure of a guided tour without a rigid schedule

What's Included

A 24- or 48-hour hop-on, hop-off bus ticket
Pre-recorded commentary in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean
Access to 2 routes covering 23 stops
Free WiFi Onboard
A 1-day Captain Cook Hop-on, Hop-off Harbour Explorer Pass (with selected option)
1.5-Hour Panoramic Night Tour (if option selected)

Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

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

Itinerary

Sydney's climate makes this open-air double-decker bus tour an ideal sightseeing option. Travel to numerous Sydney highlights, including the historic Rocks district, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District). Bondi Beach is a suburb with a popular beach located just east of Sydney’s city center. Enjoy the spacious beach and warm sea, or check out the cafés, restaurants, and shops around town, many with fantastic ocean views.

Hop off the bus to browse the stores in modern shopping areas or admire local institutions such as the bustling Sydney Fish Market. Stretch your legs as you stroll around the Royal Botanic Gardens or take tree-shaded paths through Hyde Park.

Hop aboard the open-top, double-decker bus at any of the 34 conveniently located stops around the city. Enjoy pre-recorded commentary, available in several languages, as you sit back and relax on the full ride. Hop off the bus to explore any given destination at your own pace.

Tickets are valid for 24 or 48 hours from first use. Please check the current schedule for operating hours; the bus does not operate 24 hours per day.

Red Route - Sydney City Tour

15 Stops

15 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Operating Schedule: Operational Hour between 9am - 5pm Frequency every 25-30 minutes Customers are advised to visit the Big Bus website or to download the Big Bus app to see the most up to date bus stop locations and timings. For live bus tracking on the day of travel - please download the Big Bus App in advance of arrival.

Justice and Police Museum

Memory is Creation without End

Hyde Park Barracks

1 Art Gallery Rd

El Alamein Fountain

Bellevue Woolloomooloo

Australian Museum

Central Station

Sydney Seafood School

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour

29B Harbour St

30A Lime St

Hickson Road

12D Hickson Rd

Ribs & Burgers The Rocks

Points of interest passed by on this route

Hyde Park Barracks

Australian Museum

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Darling Harbour

The Rocks

Bondi Beach

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Sydney Town Hall

Hyde Park

Circular Quay

City Sightseeing Sydney

Madame Tussauds Sydney

Big Bus Sydney

Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck

Blue Route - Bondi Tour

9 Stops

5 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes

Operating Schedule: Operational Hour between 9.30am - 4.45pm Frequency every 30-45 minutes Customers are advised to visit the Big Bus website or to download the Big Bus app to see the most up to date bus stop locations and timings. For live bus tracking on the day of travel - please download the Big Bus App in advance of arrival.

Justice and Police Museum

68 York St

The Intersection Paddington

52 Oxford St

Bondi Beach Police Station

296 Campbell Parade

401 New South Head Rd

Australian Museum

St James Station, Elizabeth St

Points of interest passed by on this route

Paddington Markets

Centennial Park

Bondi Beach

Rose Bay

Double Bay

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
When booking the 24 hour Pass, only the lead passenger name is required for a booking. At time of booking you only need to enter 1 adult to complete your booking
Children aged 2 and under travel free of charge

Supplied by

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

3.9

based on 2,756 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Easy & Awesome

Bharat_M, Mar 2026

Good service well explained easy to follow the route. I have downloaded the app and will do this tour in other cities too.

Big bus tour

Irozenell_P, Mar 2026

It was hard to find the bus stops at first, but once I got familiar with the signs it was easier. The audio information was very informative. The route gave me insight into areas outside of the city center.

Bus

Margaret, Mar 2026

Great to do at the beginning of your trip Get scope of everything and then go back to where you want to spend time

Thoroughly enjoyable (even in the rain!)

Andy_F, Mar 2026

Enjoyed both the Red and Blue routes over the course of the 2 days we were in Sydney. Even the rain showers did not deter us from enjoying the views from the completely open topped bus!

Save money, use public transit

Lisa_B, Mar 2026

Bus stops hard to find. States it's 90mins to do full trip. We only did half in that time. Audio quality was bad. Buses were few and far in between. I have done similar tours in other cities. This was the worst one.

Missed tour.

Sherry_A, Mar 2026

Couldn’t find meeting point. Way too many obstacles to get tickets on my phone. Ended up not going on tour.

bus tour

Louise_N, Mar 2026

The usual bring a jacket or sweater and an umbrella or rain coat for unexpected rain fall. The tour was informative.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Louise_N, Thank you for your feedback! We are happy that our service left you with a good impression! We want to make sure you get the best service possible. We would be happy to see you again in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

24 hour hop on hop of a...

Laurie_B, Mar 2026

24 hour hop on hop of a bit deceiving, only operates from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Good commentary on board. Please extend the hours even by a couple of hours.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Laurie_B, Thank you for your feedback! We are very sorry for the confusion created regarding the tickets validity. The tickets can be used during the operational hours, indeed, however they are valid for 24 hours once activated, so you can use them the next day as well. We hope that you will give us another chance in the future. Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Another great hop on hop off experience!

DOROTHY_M, Mar 2026

The bus routes are great with very convenient stops. We really felt like we saw so much of the city and outskirts.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi DOROTHY_M, We really appreciate your feedback! We are glad to hear that you got to explore the beautiful sights of the city. We can't wait to have you back on one of our buses again! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Fantastic tour

Maria_E, Mar 2026

Great tour - we did the day tour, the boat ride to a great beach at manly, and the evening tour. I loved all, especially the night tour which was a great way to really see the beautiful landmarks of the city and get great photos. We only had 1.5 days in Sydney and this tour was ideal for seeing the beautiful city.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Maria. Thank you for your lovely review. We are happy that you had a fantastic tour with us. We hope to see you soon! Ana from Big Bus Tours.

The buses were very...

William_P, Mar 2026

The buses were very crowded. Once we got a seat, we hated to get off and give it up. The audio narration was very good.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi William! Thank you for your review. Whilst we strive to be the #1 thing to do in big cities, we understand that being too busy can sometimes impact our customer's experience. We're very sorry to hear that this was the case during your tour, and would suggest jumping on our live chat if you're unhappy with the service so one of our dedicated team can help set things right. We're available 24/7 through the chat icon on our app or website. Best, Ana from Big Bus Tours.

Convenient for visiting the tourist areas of Sydney

Adele_P, Mar 2026

The Hop-on Hop off bus is very handy for tourists if you are only touring the iconic visitor areas of Sydney.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Adele_P, thank you for the great review. We are happy that you had a positive experience with us. We look forward to your next visit with us! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Sir rates a lot

Tom_H, Mar 2026

Night bus was great. Boat was just a ferry to two spots. Red and blue buses had hour to hour and a half between so nobody dared to get off thus leaving standing room only many times.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Tom_H, we appreciate your honest feedback. We are sorry to hear about the long waiting times. As you can imagines, depending on the traffic conditions our buses can have some delays, but we are happy that you had a positive experience overall. We hope to have the chance to welcome you on board again one day soon! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Sydney in a Day

Susan_W, Mar 2026

Excellent way to see Sydney’s wonderful sites. Drivers were very helpful and friendly. We did have some difficulty finding one meeting point, but using the Big Red Bus website provided a picture of where to meet.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Susan_W, thank you for the great review. We are happy that you had such an amazing experience during the tour with our staff. We recommend to use also our app whenever you have difficulties in finding any location, and remember that we are available 24/7 via live chat to assist you. We look forward to your next visit! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Sydney in one day

Andrzej_J, Mar 2026

Service on the spot very friendly and helpful although timeliness on Sunday rather random. On Monday Coral Prince passengers invaded all buses👎

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Andrzej_J, thank you for the great review. We are happy that our team provided such an exceptional service and we regret to hear about the long waiting and full buses. We hope to have the chance to welcome you on board again one day soon! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Our tour guide really...

sera_f, Mar 2026

Our tour guide really made this tour fun and very informative. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Australia and also very knowledgeable about the species of trees and plants. He was also very funny telling us amusing stories that the tour fun.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi sera_f, thank you for the great review. We are so happy that our guide provided amazing service. We look forward to your next visit! Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Long lines

Connie_H, Mar 2026

It was so crowded and a long wait to get on a bus. Made it difficult to get off because it would be a long wait to catch another bus. Every stop was like that. People were waiting through 2 or 3 busses in order to get on.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Connie_H, we appreciate your feedback. Whilst we strive to be the #1 thing to do in big cities, we understand that being too busy can sometimes impact our customer's experience. We're very sorry to hear that this was the case during your tour, and would suggest jumping on our live chat if you're unhappy with the service so one of our dedicated team can help set things right. We're available 24/7 through the chat icon on our app or website. Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

Worst communication and service

Brett_D, Mar 2026

This was clearly the worst experience we have endured using Viator. The tour operator, Big Bus, is poor at communications even while using their app to attempt to resolve issues with their service. Do not recommend using them. They do not keep their schedules, over sell their service, are focused solution filling busses to the point that you fear getting off due to crowding knowing that you could be stuck for hours waiting for a bus to arrive with any room. We waited 1 hour and 45 minutes for a bus from Bondii Beach and other waited longer as the busses were full. Speaking the driver he said they have an issue finding drivers yet sell tickets knowing they cannot provide adequate service.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Brett_D, thank you for the feedback. Whilst we strive to be the #1 thing to do in big cities, we understand that being too busy can sometimes impact our customer's experience. We're very sorry to hear that this was the case during your tour, and would suggest jumping on our live chat if you're unhappy with the service so one of our dedicated team can help set things right. We're available 24/7 through the chat icon on our app or website. Best, Denisa from Big Bus Tours

The Big Red Bus is great

Louise_M, Mar 2026

Excellent commentary and we managed to do most of the blue and the red route. Great for seeing around the city when walking a lot is not an option.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Louise_M, Thank you for your feedback! It's great to hear that you had the chance to explore both routes! 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

Not a good experience!!

James_B, Mar 2026

What should have been a nice way to see a little of the city turned into a mess. And Viator was no help at all. 2 buses running, too many people, very long waits and no chance to use my tickets. This one is a NO GO!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi James_B, Thank you for your feedback! We are sorry to hear that you didn't get the chance to use your tickets! The frequency of our buses may be affected by traffic conditions, leading to possible delays. Additionally, buses may reach full capacity during peak seasons, and seat availability cannot be guaranteed. In such cases, please do not hesitate to contact us via our webform on the website or live chat, so we can offer you a solution. Our dedicated team is available 24/7 for you! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Too long of weight!

Susan_S, Mar 2026

Expect over an hour weight for a bus each time you want one! No worth the weight times!! Not easy to get a bus. Stops are not well marked.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Susan_S, Thank you for taking your time to write your feedback! We apologize for the long wait times. We understand this might have created frustration. We recommend checking out our website and app for finding the stop locations, as you can find the complete addresses there, along with some photos for locating them more easily. We hope that you will consider giving us another try in the future, as we are sure you would have a better time! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Great for all visitors to Sydney

Traci_B, Feb 2026

Fantastic way to get around all of Sydney. We did the 48 hr pass with Night Tour and still did not get to all the routes. Highly recommend

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Traci_B, Thank you for your feedback! We are grateful to know that you enjoyed our services so much, and we appreciate you recommending us! It means a lot to us to know that our guests enjoy their time on our tours. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon! Best regards, Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Good way to get around...

Oluyemi_A, Feb 2026

Good way to get around the city. I would recommend starting early since the day pass runs from 9am to 4pm, unless you include the night pass when buying. I would definitely recommend downloading the big bus app. It helped identify the nearest big bus stop to the hotel we were staying. It also helps track the bus to know where it is while you’re waiting. I was able to add my ticket, which I purchased on Viator, to the big bus app using the number on my ticket. At one stop, we waited 30 minutes to switch from the red to the blue line but otherwise the waits were all less than 15 minutes.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Oluyemi! Thank you for your review. We are happy to hear that you had a good experience on your trip to Sydney. We hope to see you soon! Ana from Big Bus Tours.

Not good communication

Linda_L, Feb 2026

It does not run all day as the website says. We waited over a half hour and finally called the office at 6:30. They said the last bus route was at 5pm.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hello Linda_L, we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us! We are deeply sorry to hear about the confusion created around the operating hours. Our tours in Sydney are indeed operational until 5pm, which is the last tour of the day. Our tickets are indeed valid for 24 or 48 hours, but can only be used during the operating hours. For better planning during the day, we always suggest checking our Service Information page, where you can see any changes as well as our schedule. We are sorry to hear that you were unable to join the tour after 6pm, but we hope you were able to hop on the bus earlier on the day. We hope we'll have you on board again in the future! Take care - Alexa B @ Big Bus.

Not worth the money

Shruthi_W, Feb 2026

The buses do not run to the times mentioned on the website. Very irregular, we ended up waiting for 2.5 hrs and did not get off the bus due to the low frequency

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hello Shruthi_W, thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are so sorry to hear that your tour was impacted due to some frequency issues, and we can assure you this is not the experience we want for our customers. We understand the inconvenience this has caused, and we always recommend our customers to use the live tracking feature on the app or to check our Service Information page, in case any delays were announced. These might be a great help! We hope you'll give us another chance in the future, and we'll have you on board again. Best wishes - Alexa B @ Big Bus.

Pleasant staff...

Scott_G, Feb 2026

Staff was very helpful. Lost my ticket and they were able to fix the problem. Pretty long wait between buses.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Scott_G, Thank you for your feedback! We are glad to hear that our staff was able to find you with replacing your ticket, and we apologize for the long wait time for out buses. The frequency of our buses may be affected by traffic conditions, leading to possible delays. We offer regular training to our staff, to make sure you always receive a 5* service. We would be happy to see you again in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Good value

Yvonne_H, Feb 2026

We found this a useful way to familiarise ourselves with Sydney in a short time. However you need to make use of the app as the bus stops weren’t easy to find and it was the only way to know when to expect the next bus.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Yvonne_H, Thank you for your feedback! We are happy to know that you enjoyed our services! Indeed, 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

Sydney sightseeing

Taslin_T, Feb 2026

Bus tour took us to the main sights on red and blue line. We did night tour which was good with lots of photo stops (bring a jacket as it can get cold). We struggled with redeeming the cruise portion but luckily we get 7 days to avail it. Overall good way to see city. Beware buses stop around 5pm for the last departure.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Taslin_T, Thank you for taking your time to write your feedback! It's great to hear that you had the chance to explore the city with us! If you ever need help with information on how to redeem your tickets, we recommend adding your booking in the Big Bus Tour app. You can find all the information you need on there. We would love for you to join us again sometime! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Sydney big hop

Albert_H, Feb 2026

The hop on hop off big bus is a very good way to see Sydney and the people and staff were all helpful

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Albert_H, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We are happy to know that you found our service useful, and that our staff was helpful! We provide ongoing training for our team to ensure that you consistently receive a 5-star service. We hope that we will see you again riding with us in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours

Highly recommend for folk who are new to the city

Larry_M, Feb 2026

There's more than enough to do to make this worthwhile. Did it the first 2 days we were in Sydney and it served as a very good orientation to the city for beginners.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Larry_M Thank you for your feedback! We are glad to hear that you got to explore the beautiful sights while also discovering the city's history. We aim to ensure you receive the highest quality service. We hope that you will consider riding with us again in the future! Best wishes. Cristian T, Big Bus Tours