Hop-on Hop-off Tours Edinburgh

3-Route Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Name: 3-Route Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Start: 2026-06-16T09:00:00
End: 2026-06-16T18:00:00
Location: Edinburgh

Visitors with map preparing to board red HOHO bus.

HOHO bus on street near Edinburgh Castle with cityscape in background.

Tourists on HOHO bus near Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.

Guide speaking into a microphone on an Edinburgh HOHO bus tour.

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

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Guided tour

Discover Edinburgh's literary ties and iconic royal heritage on a 24/48-hour hop-on hop-off tour along 3 prime routes with a multilingual audio guide.

4.7/5(529)

Rose O

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

Using hop on hop off was the best way to get a tour of the city. On the first day we did all 3 tours getting off in a couple of spots to eat or have a coffee. We kept track of the places we wanted to see and used the red line bus the next day to get to specific sites like Edinburgh Castle. Great experience

Andrea G

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

The blue bus was great because everything was in German The green one wasn't as great because everything was in English As for the route, both were fantastic We saw and checked out so much Awesome 👍👍👍

Dr. Jutta M

Couple

Verified booking

2 weeks ago

With these buses and the excellent audio guide, you can get a good first impression of this beautiful city pretty quickly—even in the rain :-). Handy!

Linda W

Solo

Verified booking

May 2026

I appreciated the commentary along the way and especially enjoyed my stop and walk about on Calton hill. A wonderful service for folks who are visiting and like to get a guided tour.

Janet B

Couple

Verified booking

Apr 2026

The Hop on Hop off experience was great! We did all 3 tours and would definitely recommend and do again. The audios were amazing and the guides were amazing too. First time my 28 yo granddaughter ever did a bus tour like this and she's sold on doing them where available. Thanks for making our Edinburgh experience wonderful!

Astrid K

Family

Verified booking

Apr 2026

We really enjoyed the red and green tours. All the drivers, guides, and staff were in good spirits and very friendly. The buses were very punctual and clean. We’ll definitely do it again on our next visit!

Get a full city overview of Edinburgh, with a 24- or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour aboard an open-top double-decker bus.

Travel through both the Old and New Towns on 3 routes with 15 convenient stops, enjoying the freedom to hop on and off as often as you like.

Follow a live guide on the Green Route sharing fascinating stories of the city’s past, or tune into a multilingual audio guide, and take advantage of exclusive discounts at popular attractions along the way.

See Edinburgh’s highlights up close: explore Scottish history at the National Museum, stroll through the lively Grassmarket, admire the panoramic views from Calton Hill, and relax in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

24/48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour of Edinburgh

Access to 3 routes: City Sightseeing Tour, Edinburgh Tour & Regal Tour

Audio commentary in English, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Scottish, German, Portuguese, Spanish & Chinese (City Sightseeing & Edinburgh tours)

English-speaking guide (Edinburgh tour)

Discounts at the Royal Botanic Garden, Royal Yacht Britannia, Palace of Holyroodhouse & more (full list here)

Headphones (Regal tour)

TOTAL DURATION80 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 15 mins
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:40 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:25 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk
3. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
4. Royal Botanic Garden
Get direction
2 attractions
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
1 minute walk
Inverleith House
5. Newhaven
Get direction
2 attractions
Newhaven Harbour Lighthouse
2 minutes walk
Newhaven Fish Market
2 minutes walk
6. The Shore
Get direction
2 attractions
The Shore
1 minute walk
Nelson Monument
12 minutes walk
7. Ocean Terminal
Get direction
2 attractions
Royal Yacht Britannia
4 minutes walk
Ocean Terminal Mall
7 minutes walk
8. Bonnington Rd
Get direction
2 attractions
The Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches
10 minutes walk
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
5 minutes walk
9. Leopold Place
Get direction
1 attraction
Gayfield Square
5 minutes walk
TOTAL DURATION65 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 15 mins
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:50 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:50 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
3. Charlotte Square
Get direction
2 attractions
The Georgian House
Princes Street Gardens
9 minutes walk
4. Lothian Road
Get direction
2 attractions
Usher Hall
2 minutes walk
Traverse Theatre
1 minute walk
5. Grassmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Grassmarket Square
1 minute walk
Victoria Street
6 minutes walk
6. Lawnmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
1 minute walk
Writers’ Museum
1 minute walk
7. John Knox House
Get direction
2 attractions
National Museum of Scotland
2 minutes walk
Bedlam Theatre
2 minutes walk
8. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk
9. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction
2 attractions
Our Dynamic Earth
The Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk
TOTAL DURATION70 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 20 minutes
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:55 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 3:55 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. Lothian Road
Get direction
2 attractions
Usher Hall
3 minutes walk
Traverse Theatre
1 minute walk
3. Grassmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Grassmarket Square
1 minute walk
Victoria Street
6 minutes walk
4. Nicolson Square
Get direction
1 attraction
The Festival Theatre
1 minute walk
5. Chambers Street
Get direction
1 attraction
National Museum of Scotland
6. George IV Bridge (for Edinburgh Castle)
Get direction
1 attraction
Edinburgh Castle
5 minutes walk
7. The Mound
Get direction
8. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
9. John Knox House
Get direction
2 attractions
National Museum of Scotland
4 minutes walk
Bedlam Theatre
5 minutes walk
10. Canongate
Get direction
11. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
11 minutes walk
12. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction
1 attraction
The Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk
13. Abbeyhill Crescent
Get direction
14. Carlton Terrace Brae
Get direction
15. Burns Monument
Get direction

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

529 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
390
117
16
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Guests from United States, Germany, France and over 22 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Kathleen M
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
The buses were neat, clean and punctual. Drivers and sidewalk personnel were very friendly and helpful with directions and recommendations.
Lao T
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
On trouve facilement le changement de bus , si il y a un attend , ça ne dure que 3 mn , bravo.
Stephen H
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Professional friendly drivers, availability of buses, very informative tours.
Rose O
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
Using hop on hop off was the best way to get a tour of the city. On the first day we did all 3 tours getting off in a couple of spots to eat or have a coffee. We kept track of the places we wanted to see and used the red line bus the next day to get to specific sites like Edinburgh Castle. Great experience
Linda W
Solo
Verified booking
May 2026
I appreciated the commentary along the way and especially enjoyed my stop and walk about on Calton hill. A wonderful service for folks who are visiting and like to get a guided tour.

What to bring

Carry a valid photo ID along with your mobile voucher or ticket.

What’s not allowed

Smoking on the bus is not permitted.

Unfolded mobility scooters cannot be brought on board.

Accessibility

This experience is wheelchair accessible.

Folded mobility scooters are allowed and can be stored as luggage.

Low-floor ramps make boarding easy.

Screens are available on the lower decks of City Sightseeing and Regal Route buses.

Guide dogs and small pets are welcome on board.

Additional information

The City Sightseeing Edinburgh tour lasts about 70 minutes.

Children aged 5–15 can travel for free with a 24-hour ticket.

Tip: Take advantage of discounted tickets to popular dining spots, including Street Burger by Gordon Ramsay, Hard Rock Café, and Bread Street Kitchen & Bar.

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.

Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.