Smoke-stained buildings watch the busy streets with ancient eyes, silhouetted against a white sky that shows off just a sliver of sunlight as if blue skies were one of the city's many hidden secrets. An open top bus tour in Edinburgh is one of the best ways to experience Scotland's unique capital.
Edinburgh offers so much to see that every visitor should try to stay for more than a day. But if a day is all you have, it's still possible to get a good look at this amazing place. The best way to do this is to take an open top hop-on hop-off bus tour of the beautiful city.
This was a new experience for me as I usually like to explore places on foot, and try to stay away from overly touristy activities like group tours, but it's now one of my favourite ways to see the main sights of a city in a short amount of time.
NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated with these Edinburgh bus tours, nor do I get any compensation for promoting them. Views expressed here are completely my own.
EDINBURGH'S HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS TOURS
There are three different Edinburgh hop-on-hop-off bus tours that all leave from Waverley Bridge - the City Sightseeing Tour (red bus), The Edinburgh Tour (green bus) and The Majestic Tour (blue bus). Though all three bus tours stop at Holyrood Abbey, Canongate Kirk, John Knox House and Market Street; the rest of their routes take a different path through the city.
Single tickets for each tour cost £16 for a 24-hour pass, or you can purchase a ticket that includes all 3 tours for £20 (valid 24 hours) or £24 (valid 48 hours).
Those who only have a few hours in the city (like I did) can stay on the bus for the entire trip. Though the full tour is advertised as 1 hour long, some stops may take a bit of extra time, so plan for the trip to take at least an hour and a half.
All three of the Edinburgh bus tour routes (with approximate stopping points) are viewable in the interactive map below, and visibility can be toggled via the menu in the top left corner.
THE CITY SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Edinburgh's City Sightseeing Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour (red bus) shuttles visitors around the city center with an audio commentary in nine different languages about the sights and history around Edinburgh. Many of the stops are the same as the Edinburgh Tour, though this is the best option for those who would like to hear the commentary in their own language. This is the only one of the three routes to stop at Lothian Road and Loristan Place.
STOP 1: Waverley Bridge (Waverley Railway Station, Sir Walter Scott Monument)
STOP 2: Lothian Road (St John's Church, Waldorf Astoria Hotel)
STOP 3: Grassmarket (Historic Old Town, Flodden Wall) •
STOP 4: Lauriston Place (Edinburgh College of Art)
STOP 5: Johnston Terrace (Saturday Farmers Market) •
STOP 6: Lawnmarket (Edinburgh Castle, Camera Obscura, Scotch Whisky Experience)
STOP 7: Chambers Street (National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Bobby)
STOP 8: John Knox House (John Knox's House, Museum of Childhood) • •
STOP 9: Canongate (Museum of Edinburgh, Canongate Kirk)
STOP 10: Holyrood (Holyrood Abbey, Scottish Parliament)
STOP 11: Our Dynamic Earth (Dynamic Earth, Arthur's Seat) •
STOP 12: Regent Road (Robert Burns Monument, Calton Hill)
STOP 13: Hanover Street (Edinburgh New Town, George St Shops) •
STOP 14: Market Street (Edinburgh Dungeon) • •
• Transfer location for Majestic Tour • Transfer location for Edinburgh Tour
THE EDINBURGH TOUR
The Edinburgh Tour (green bus) is also a great way to see the main sights around the city center and features a live commentary in English only. This hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Edinburgh's city centre adds on a stop at Charlotte Square, where you can view the beautiful Georgian architecture and statue of Prince Albert.
I opted for the Edinburgh Tour on my visit, and wasn't disappointed. Though the live commentary was a bit hard to hear at times due to a few different groups of excited tourists, the guide's positive energy and sense of humour made this tour more enjoyable than a pre-recorded one.
STOP 1: Waverley Bridge (Waverley Railway Station, Sir Walter Scott Monument)
STOP 2: Regent Road (Robert Burns Monument, Calton Hill)
STOP 3: Holyrood (Holyrood Abbey, Scottish Parliament) •
STOP 4: Our Dynamic Earth (Dynamic Earth, Arthur's Seat) •
STOP 5: Canongate Kirk (Museum of Edinburgh, Canongate Kirk) • •
STOP 6: John Knox House (John Knox's House, Museum of Childhood) • •
STOP 7: Chambers Street (National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Bobby)
STOP 8: Grassmarket (Historic Old Town, Flodden Wall)
STOP 9: Johnston Terrace (Saturday Farmers Market) •
STOP 10: Lawnmarket (Edinburgh Castle, Camera Obscura, Scotch Whisky Experience) •
STOP 11: The Mound (Scottish National Gallery, Princes St Gardens)
STOP 12: Charlotte Square (The Georgian House, Prince Albert Memorial)
STOP 13: Hanover Street (Edinburgh New Town, George St Shops) •
STOP 14: Market Street (Edinburgh Dungeon) • •
• Transfer location for Majestic Tour • Transfer location for City Sightseeing Tour
THE MAJESTIC TOUR
The Majestic Tour (blue bus) makes a stop at the Royal Botanic Gardens before taking visitors to the coastal districts of Leith and Newhaven. This hop-on-hop-off tour is great for those who have already seen much of the city center, and gives an opportunity to get some different views of the Edinburgh skyline from Ferry Road or take a tour of the famous Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith. An audio commentary is provided along the way in 10 different languages.
STOP 1: Waverley Bridge (Waverley Railway Station, Sir Walter Scott Monument)
STOP 2: Canonmills (Water of Leith River)
STOP 3: Royal Botanic Garden (Royal Botanic Garden)
STOP 4: Ferry Road (Goldenacre Playing Fields)
STOP 5: Newhaven Harbour (Newhaven Lighthouse)
STOP 6: Cruise Terminal (Leith Cruise Terminal)
STOP 7: Ocean Terminal (Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre)
STOP 8: Great Junction Street (James Pringle Shopping Warehouse at Leith Mills)
STOP 9: Elm Row (Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre)
STOP 10: Holyrood (Holyrood Abbey, Scottish Parliament) •
STOP 11: Canongate (Museum of Edinburgh, Canongate Kirk) • •
STOP 12: John Knox House (John Knox's House, Museum of Childhood) • •
STOP 13: Market Street (Edinburgh Dungeon) • •
• Transfer location for Edinburgh Tour • Transfer location for City Sightseeing Tour
THINGS TO KNOW
• Tickets can be purchased from the info centre at Waverley Bridge, from the bus drivers or on the official website before your trip.
• Make sure you grab a brochure, or download one from the website in advance to be aware of the deals and discounts you're eligible for with your bus ticket.
• The top level of Edinburgh's hop-on-hop-off double-decker busses is open to the elements. There is a covered area at the front, but it may not shield you from the rain and wind, and may be full by the time you get on board. It's best to dress warm!
• All 3 Edinburgh hop-on-hop-off bus tours offer free wifi on board.
• Each of the 3 hop-on-hop-off tours of Edinburgh mentioned in this article are wheelchair accessible.
• Children under 5 years old travel free.
• Busses usually run every 20-30 minutes, though be prepared for delays due to traffic, etc. During busy seasons, you should also be prepared for the possibility of busses filling up, which might mean waiting for the next one.
• When you're ready to hop back on the bus, just look for the bus stop with the "hop on, hop off here" sign - this will show which of the 3 tours pick up at that stop.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 'EDINBURGH TOUR'
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