Hop-on Hop-off Tours Edinburgh

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Name: City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
Start: 2026-04-29T09:00:00
End: 2026-04-29T16:00:00
Location: Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle viewed from a hop-on hop-off tour bus with tourists.

Edinburgh hop-on hop-off tour bus in front of historic buildings.

Family enjoying City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour in Edinburgh.

Tourists enjoying a hop-on hop-off bus tour in Edinburgh with views of Arthur's Seat.

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

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Extended validity

Visit anytime until 20 Apr, 2027 without worrying about committing to a date today

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.4/5(791)

Le R

Family

Verified booking

6 days ago

The welcome on the bus was great. The seating arrangement was also great, since we could change seats whenever we wanted—especially to avoid the rain, since there weren’t many passengers! The audio guide was easy to understand and translated into French! We learned so much about Edinburgh!

Bala R

Family

Verified booking

Last week

The booking process is seamless, with clear information on available options and the tour itinerary. Additionally, the staff at the bus stops are incredibly friendly and provide helpful guidance.

Moses K

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

I was allowed to use your office bathroom by your friendly staff and the driver of the Red bus took a beautiful picture of my wife and I.....Ovarally we had a great time...Below is one of the pictures taken by the bus driver..he is really a cheerful man..

Breanna J

Family

Verified booking

Dec 2025

We had a great time and would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh! It really helped us get a layout of the city and decide what attractions we wanted to visit. We loved that we could get off and explore and then come back to the bus to go to our next stop. It really cut down on transportation costs, and we weren't walking across the city all day. My boys loved sitting upstairs and looking out and listening to all of the history. It is great for all ages!

Christine J

Group

Verified booking

Nov 2025

Helpful staff, interesting stops and information throughout the tour. Great for the kids that there was a more "narrative" version of the information to listen to for them. Very convenient to have tickets valid for 24 hours! And great view from the front window upstairs!

Make the most of your time in Edinburgh by curating the perfect itinerary with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass, valid for 12 months, offering flexible travel.

Access the Red Route, with 14 stops spread across the city, and hop on and off as you please, with buses arriving every 20 minutes.

With your pass, learn about the city’s history through a multilingual audio guide, along with a dedicated kids’ commentary channel for younger travelers.

Enjoy 360-degree panoramic views from an open-top double-decker bus, perfect for sightseeing, including landmarks like John Knox House, Grassmarket, Holyrood, and Johnston Terrace.

24-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off pass

Access to Red Route

Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian

Horrible Histories' kid's commentary

Headphones

Free kids' tickets

Flexible validity for up to 12 months from your selected date

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.

791 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.
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Guests from United States, Germany, France and over 36 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Le R
Family
Verified booking
6 days ago
The welcome on the bus was great. The seating arrangement was also great, since we could change seats whenever we wanted—especially to avoid the rain, since there weren’t many passengers! The audio guide was easy to understand and translated into French! We learned so much about Edinburgh!
Bala R
Family
Verified booking
Last week
The booking process is seamless, with clear information on available options and the tour itinerary. Additionally, the staff at the bus stops are incredibly friendly and provide helpful guidance.
Fernando F
Family
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
A very comprehensive tour. It’s very user-friendly, and the bus schedule is very convenient. The audio guide is very interesting.
Catherine C
Family
Verified booking
2 days ago
Really interesting commentary. Loved the fact the kids could listen to Horrible Histories.
Carmelo B
Group
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
To have visited the city's main attractions in a single day.

These tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

Accessibility

This experience is suitable for wheelchair users.

To board the bus, wheelchairs must be within 70 cm wide, 120 cm long, and 135 cm high.

Only one wheelchair can be accommodated per bus.

Additional information

Tickets remain valid for 12 months.

Children aged 5 and under can travel free of charge.

Child tickets should be added during the final step of booking.

Small dogs in carriers are permitted, provided they are well behaved.

Buses operate daily from 8:55 am to 3:55 pm. The Red Route follows a loop that takes about 70 minutes to complete, with buses running every 10 minutes, ensuring you have plenty of time to explore Edinburgh at your own pace while enjoying regular service throughout the day.

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.