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





Explore at your pace
Free cancellation
Book now, pay later
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.
Mary S
Cornelia C
Amelie G
Jill C
Beverley N
Jennifer G
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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24/48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour of Edinburgh
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Access to 3 routes: City Sightseeing Tour, Edinburgh Tour & Regal Tour ([route here](https://cdn-imgix.headout.com/media/images/54bf7dd63b9451f36023dfe020caf2a8-Edinburgh bus tours map_page-0001 (1) (1) (1).jpg))
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Audio commentary in English, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Scottish, German, Portuguese, Spanish & Chinese (City Sightseeing & Edinburgh tours)
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English-speaking guide (Edinburgh tour)
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Discounts at the Royal Botanic Garden, Royal Yacht Britannia, Palace of Holyroodhouse & more (full list here)
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Headphones (Regal tour)
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- TOTAL DURATION1 hour 20 minutesFREQUENCYEvery 15 minsFIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:40 AMLAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:25 PMTimelineMap
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction2 attractionsCalton Hill
1 minute walkScottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk2. North St. David Street
Get direction3. Royal Botanic Garden
Get direction2 attractionsRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
1 minute walkInverleith House
4. Newhaven
Get direction2 attractionsNewhaven Harbour Lighthouse
2 minutes walkNewhaven Fish Market
2 minutes walk5. Ocean Terminal
Get direction2 attractionsRoyal Yacht Britannia
4 minutes walkOcean Terminal Mall
7 minutes walk6. Leopold Place
Get direction1 attractionGayfield Square
5 minutes walk7. Holyrood
Get direction3 attractionsPalace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walkScottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walkTOTAL DURATION1 hour 5 minutesFREQUENCYEvery 15 minsFIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:50 AMLAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:50 PMTimelineMap1. Waterloo Place
Get direction2 attractionsCalton Hill
1 minute walkScottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk2. St. Andrew Square
Get direction2 attractionsSt. Andrew Square Gardens
Scott Monument
3 minutes walk3. Holyrood
Get direction3 attractionsPalace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walkScottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk4. Museum of Childhood
Get direction5. Chambers Street
Get direction1 attractionEdinburgh Castle
4 minutes walk6. Grassmarket
Get direction2 attractionsGrassmarket Square
1 minute walkVictoria Street
6 minutes walk7. Charlotte Square
Get direction2 attractionsThe Georgian House
Princes Street Gardens
9 minutes walk8. Frederick Street
Get directionTOTAL DURATION1 hour 10 minutesFREQUENCYEvery 7 to 10 minutesFIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:45 AMLAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 6:00 PMTimelineMap1. Waterloo Place
Get direction2 attractionsCalton Hill
1 minute walkScottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk2. Lothian Road
Get direction2 attractionsUsher Hall
3 minutes walkTraverse Theatre
1 minute walk3. Grassmarket
Get direction2 attractionsGrassmarket Square
1 minute walkVictoria Street
6 minutes walk4. George IV Bridge
Get direction1 attractionEdinburgh Castle
5 minutes walk5. St. Andrew Square
Get direction2 attractionsSt. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walkScott Monument
5 minutes walk6. John Knox House
Get direction2 attractionsNational Museum of Scotland
4 minutes walkBedlam Theatre
5 minutes walk7. Holyrood
Get direction3 attractionsPalace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walkScottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
11 minutes walk8. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction1 attractionThe Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
- 553 reviews4.7
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.
4101211624Guests from United States, Germany, France and over 23 countries have loved this experienceWhat our guests say
MMary S
CoupleVerified booking2 days ago5/5Really enjoyed this 3 route tour to see all of Edinburgh. All the staff were friendly and helpful but Andrew was exceptional advising us on how best to get the Regal bus from Haymarket. We loved the National Museum of Scotland, Royal Yacht Brittania, Dungeon tour and the Firth of Forth boat trip. Even though it was Holyrood week with diversions in place it only affected the Regal route briefly and the driver was apologetic and kept us well informed.AAlexander. Lance H
CoupleVerified booking2 weeks ago4/5We took Three-line, one day option after having been in Edinburgh multiple times since 1969. Used two of the lines (blue and red), and found the audio commenentary excellent. It gave us the most complete sense of the city's historical and geographical layout we have ever had.JJill C
CoupleVerified booking3 weeks ago5/5Went on the regal and green routes. Both were great and perfect for visiting the yacht Britannia and Holyrood palace. John on the green route was a hoot! Buses are plentiful, the app is great and the audio on the regal route was brilliant. Overall well worth the moneyCCornelia C
SoloVerified booking3 days ago5/5I liked it a lot. I took the 48h-ticket. Total I had a woderfull tour around the city. Now I planned my stopps and visits for tomorrow. I found places of interest, that I did'nt knew before. I'm able to take my time tomorrow on the few stopps.BBeverley N
FamilyVerified bookingLast week5/5The tours were nice. The green and red bus tours are almost the same, except the green omitted the Dynamic area. Should combine both, make red bus another new route, that would be value for money and more to see
What to bring
- Carry a valid photo ID along with your mobile voucher or ticket.
What’s not allowed
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Smoking on the bus is not permitted.
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Unfolded mobility scooters cannot be brought on board.
Accessibility
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This experience is wheelchair accessible.
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Folded mobility scooters are allowed and can be stored as luggage.
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Low-floor ramps make boarding easy.
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Screens are available on the lower decks of City Sightseeing and Regal Route buses.
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Guide dogs and small pets are welcome on board.
Additional information
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The City Sightseeing Edinburgh tour lasts about 70 minutes.
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Children aged 5–15 can travel for free with a 24-hour ticket.
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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.
100% ticket guarantee
Receive tickets on time, for the experience you've booked.
100% experience guarantee
Get a refund if your experience doesn't happen as promised.
100% assistance guarantee
Available before, during, and after your trip.
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