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: 2026-09-07T09:00:00
End: 2026-09-07T16:00:00
Location: Edinburgh

4.5/5(824)

Blayne P

Family

Verified booking

Last week

Really enjoyed the tour we hoped on and off along the journey and discovered a few places we would have missed without the tour. The whole family enjoyed the horrible history's guide as well

Lucia F

Couple

Verified booking

Jul 2026

My mom and I went to Edinburgh for the first time; we stayed near downtown. I recommend this experience to get a general sense of the city.

Davinia M

Couple

Verified booking

Jul 2026

With the sightseeing bus, you can see Edinburgh’s top attractions without having to walk too much; it drops you off near all the major sites and is comfortable. Plus, if it rains, you can stay dry, and the commentary helps you learn a lot more about the city. I recommend it 100%.

Paul L

Couple

Verified booking

Jun 2026

We got out of the rain. And everything else went really well. The guide was friendly and helped us a lot. The only downside was a sick family—they were coughing a lot—but everything went smoothly on every trail after that.

Roberta P

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

Great service for exploring the city with a brief tour. The ability to hop on and off as often as you like is fantastic for getting around comfortably. I recommend this service to everyone, especially those who have trouble walking long distances. The bus runs every 5–10 minutes at each stop; we never had to wait more than a few minutes to get back on. I’ll definitely use it again in the future, even in other cities!

Robert R

Group

Verified booking

May 2026

It was a great way to see the city and some of its highlights. We did the entire loop at first. Then got on and off where we wanted to. I can't believe I have never done this before.

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 DURATION1 hour 10 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 7 to 10 minutes
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:45 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 6:00 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. George IV Bridge
Get direction
1 attraction
Edinburgh Castle
5 minutes walk
5. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
6. John Knox House
Get direction
2 attractions
National Museum of Scotland
4 minutes walk
Bedlam Theatre
5 minutes walk
7. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
11 minutes walk
8. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction
1 attraction
The Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk

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

824 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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272
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Guests from United States, Germany, Australia and over 27 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Blayne P
Family
Verified booking
Last week
Really enjoyed the tour we hoped on and off along the journey and discovered a few places we would have missed without the tour. The whole family enjoyed the horrible history's guide as well
Tereza K
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
The audio was excellent. And the fact that we could get off and visit the sites we wanted was great . The times were convenient
Janet R
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
It was great to see Edinburgh from the top deck. We went round the City 3 times. Less walking for my husband.
Lars W
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Friendly bus driver, great route, and the bus was spotless—first-class
Francesco B
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Well-explained concepts, monotonous and repetitive background music

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.

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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.