Edinburgh Open-Top Tour: Explore Iconic Sights

Hop on and hop off the Edinburgh City Tour to explore iconic landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, and more. Enjoy 24 hours of unlimited sightseeing from the best seats in town!

Duration: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Big Bus Edinburgh City Tour (Red Route) (Route)

Operating Schedule:

  • Summer (May–October): The first departure is at 09:00 from Stop 1 (Waterloo Place), with buses every 15 minutes until 17:00, then every 20 minutes, with the last tour at 18:20.
  • Winter (November–March): Departures start at 09:00 every 15 minutes, with the last tour at…
What's Included
  • 24- or 48-Hour Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-Top Bus
  • Two Routes available: City & Britannia Tours
  • Entertaining Audio Commentary available in 9 languages
  • Dog friendly
What's Not Included
  • Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off
Additional Information

Experience Edinburgh like never before with Scotland’s official Hop-on-Hop-off open-top tour! Enjoy the best seats in town and the ultimate way to discover the capital.
Feel free to hop on and off as often as you wish to fully appreciate the sights on our city tour, including Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland, Dynamic Earth, Greyfriars…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.2
(427 Ratings)
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Raybt4146yu
Jan 13, 2026
well-organized and reliable bus tour with appropriate information - We have already done many hop-on/hop-off bus tours worldwide – even with less good experiences. On this tour, however, we have to say that everything worked very well overall. The bus driver was nice and friendly, and the tickets could easily be bought the same day right at the stop. We had our own headphones with us; the audio explanations were well-matched to what you just saw, and thanks to the GPS control, the commentary was very timed to match the route. A small criticism is the background music between the sights: This sometimes runs for a very long time and seems rather euthanizing in the long run. In winter, you should also bear in mind that it can get very cold up in the open area of the bus – warm clothing is definitely recommended here. Conclusion: A well organized and reliable bus tour with appropriate information and friendly staff that we can recommend overall.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Audrey_w
Dec 23, 2025
Good way to get around city - All day hop on hop off, a great way to get around the city. I do wish they used a live guide and not an audio recording though, I didn’t know what was being pointed out most of the time
Review provided by Viator
Fearless25795629874
Dec 4, 2025
Great way to see Edinburgh - Did what it said in the leaflet. Found Owen the ticket salesman on Princes Street very helpful and courteous. Buses every 20 minutes. Great way to see city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C5831utjohnc
Nov 27, 2025
Affordable and great! - We had limited time to explore Edinburgh, but our new friend at Big Bus Edinburgh, Owen, sorted us out. We had such an amazing experience at a very reasonable price. Thanks Owen!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margaret_t
Nov 26, 2025
Edinburgh in an afternoon. - The recorded narrative was pretty good. It would have been helpful to mention the # of the site to match the map. It ends at four. Don’t get too busy and miss the last bus!
Review provided by Viator
Jprice1969
Nov 18, 2025
Great way to see the sights - This is the best way to see Edinburgh in one day, it was great as we just hopped on and off (obviously) the driver we had was great, he came and chatted to us. It does get busy but it saves your legs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sungodezz
Nov 6, 2025
Great tour, great people - Great tour to give you a solid overview of this interesting city. Thank you Ben for looking after us so well and going out of your way (twice!) to make sure we got on the right bus. Fabulous customer service. Friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Thank you ☺️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda
Dec 10, 2025
Big bus tour - We went on the big bus yesterday 9th December. We got the tickets from a guide in the Christmas market. We paid for red and blue tour but only used the red route, we ran out if time. A great way to find your bearings and do a full loop first to help you decide your itinenary. The automated tour guide was good, but could of been more extensive with information, lot of quiet spots and big buildings not explained.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simongn9149za
Dec 3, 2025
Enjoyable trips. - Owen was very helpful and assisted us with both trips making them enjoyable. He is friendly and made us welcome and kept us company whilst waiting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vanstul
Dec 22, 2025
Didn’t get tix - Never received tickets. Emailed company and no response. Went to address with no luck ad we were told couldn’t get the tickets from there. Requested refund
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $26
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).