London Eye Ticket, Big Bus Hop-on Hop-Off Tour & River Cruise

The best part of this package is the three-way view of London: from the street on an open-top bus, from above in a London Eye pod, and from the Thames on a river cruise. You can pass Big Ben, St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London without piecing together several separate bookings.

I especially like the London Eye and Thames cruise, which are the strongest parts of the day. The Eye makes a slow, roughly 30-minute rotation, while the boat adds live commentary and a calm break from city traffic. The bus is useful for getting your bearings and reaching far-flung sights, but delays, crowded vehicles, and confusing stop locations can reduce its value.

Key points to know before you book

• The London Eye requires advance time selection: Use the Big Bus Manage My Booking portal before your visit, then make sure your voucher is properly redeemed.
• The Thames cruise is one way: It runs between Westminster Pier and the Tower of London area, not as a round trip.
• Traffic is the main weakness: A route advertised as a little over three hours can take five hours in bad conditions.
• The 48-hour ticket adds walking tours: You get the Royal Walk, Jack the Ripper walk, and Harry Potter walk at set times.
• The bus covers a huge area: Central London, Kensington, Notting Hill, Paddington, King’s Cross, the British Museum, and the City are all linked by routes.
• Redeem the Eye ticket before you get off: A third-party QR code may not be accepted directly at the attraction entrance.

What the $82.38 package really gives you

At $82.38 per person, this is not a cheap ride around town. It becomes more useful when you plan to use all three parts: the bus, Eye, and boat. The London Eye and river cruise provide fixed attractions with clear value, while the bus gives you flexible transport and an introduction to London’s layout.

The 24-hour option suits a compact first day. The 48-hour option costs more when selected, but it gives you room to spread out the rides and add the three guided walks. That extra time matters in London, where a short distance can take a long time by road.

The package is sold with a mobile ticket, and the bus pass begins when you activate the voucher at a designated Big Bus stop. It is not simply an open ticket for any random date during your holiday, so check the voucher terms carefully before assuming you can use it later in the week.

The advertised experience takes about 3 hours and 35 minutes, but treat that as the combined sightseeing program rather than a firm door-to-door schedule. The bus portion can stretch badly in traffic. I would not book a London Eye time immediately after boarding the bus unless you have built in a generous cushion.

Begin in the West End, where the route is easiest to use

The central route begins around Piccadilly and Green Park, then moves past the Hard Rock Cafe, Queen Elizabeth Gate, Marble Arch, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Craig’s Court, Horse Guards Parade, and Whitehall.

This section is handy for a first look at London. You see the grand avenues of the West End, the open space of Green Park, the theaters around Haymarket, and the government district along Whitehall. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square are useful places to get off if you want to explore on foot before rejoining the bus.

The bus does not drive directly in front of Buckingham Palace, so do not expect a palace-front photo from your seat. The Buckingham Palace stop is reached later along the route, with nearby stops at Tothill Street, College Green, Lambeth Palace, and Victoria.

Open-top seating gives you better views, especially on clear days. It also leaves you exposed to London’s cool wind and rain. The lower deck can be warm, and at least one hot-weather ride was described as uncomfortable because the lower level had no air conditioning and only small vent windows.

The London Eye is the package’s surest highlight

The Eye stop is beside the London Eye, with Waterloo Station nearby. This is the attraction I would protect first when planning the day. The slow rotation gives you time to sit or stand in the pod and watch the city spread out around the Thames.

You can see a wide sweep of London from above, including the river, Westminster, and the central skyline. The ride takes about 30 minutes, so it feels relaxed rather than rushed. It is also a good choice for mixed-age groups because you are not walking continuously and can move around the pod at your own pace.

The key practical point is ticket redemption. Your phone QR code may need to be scanned by Big Bus staff before you go to the Eye. One visitor had to walk back toward Westminster Bridge to find a Big Bus representative, obtain a paper ticket, then return to the longer queue at the Eye.

I would handle this at the first possible opportunity. Ask Big Bus staff to confirm that your London Eye entry is activated and to provide any required physical ticket before you leave the bus. This small step can save a long detour.

Westminster and the river cruise

Westminster Pier is one of the most useful stops on the whole route. It is close to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. From here, City Cruises operates the included Thames trip.

The boat runs one way between Westminster Pier and the Tower of London area. That detail matters. You are not booking a complete circuit, and you should plan how you will continue after getting off. If you board near the London Eye, you may finish at Westminster, or you may ride toward the Tower depending on the operating direction and your boarding point.

The cruise adds something the bus cannot. You see the riverfront without road noise, and the live commentary gives the ride a stronger sense of place. The route connects several useful sightseeing zones, including Westminster, the South Bank, London Bridge, and the Tower.

Boats can fill up, especially around busy periods. If finding a seat is important to you, avoid treating the cruise as a last-minute extra at the end of a long day. One crowded sailing left an older passenger standing on the upper deck, so consider waiting for the next boat if staff confirm that another sailing is coming.

Waterloo, Covent Garden, and St. Paul’s

After the London Eye and Waterloo, the route heads toward Covent Garden and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Covent Garden is a natural place to hop off for restaurants, shops, street performers, and a walk through the West End. It is also a good break from sitting in traffic.

St. Paul’s is one of London’s great visual landmarks. The bus gives you an easy orientation, but the stop is only an introduction. If you plan to enter the cathedral, allow separate time and check how that fits with your Eye and cruise booking.

The route continues to the Monument to the Great Fire of London, London Bridge, Southwark, and the Tower of London. These stops take you into the City and along the river, where London’s older core meets its modern business district.

At Monument, the stop is identified near a Pret location. Small details like this matter because bus-stop signs can be difficult to spot in central London. Keep the official app open and use its directions rather than relying only on a printed list.

The Tower of London route is best paired with the boat

The Tower of London stop is close to one of the city’s most important historic sights and makes a natural endpoint for a Thames cruise from Westminster. If you want to visit the Tower inside, you need a separate admission ticket and several hours.

London Bridge and Southwark are useful for the riverfront and City Hall area. Temple Underground Station gives you another central connection, while Westminster Pier brings you back toward Parliament Square.

I like this part of the route because it lets you compare London’s main corridors from three angles. From the bus, you follow the streets. From the boat, you see the river as the city’s organizing line. From the Eye, you understand how the districts fit together.

The catch is time. A ride from one end of the route to another may be much slower than it looks on a map. Several rides took close to three hours for a journey that normally appears straightforward, and one full circuit took more than five hours instead of about three hours and 15 minutes.

Buckingham Palace, Victoria, and Kensington

The second major route covers Buckingham Palace, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Harrods, the Natural History Museum, Gloucester Road, Kensington Palace, Notting Hill, Kensington Gardens, Bayswater Road, Lancaster Gate, Paddington Station, and Marble Arch.

This is the better route for London’s west side. You can hop off at Buckingham Palace, then continue toward Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. Harrods is a useful landmark even if you do not plan to shop, while the South Kensington Museums stop puts you near the Natural History Museum and other major museums.

Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens provide a change from the formal streets of Westminster and the commercial West End. Notting Hill and Bayswater add residential streets and neighborhood atmosphere, though the bus cannot show you every small lane from the main road.

Paddington Station is a practical stop if you are staying nearby or connecting with rail services. Marble Arch links this route back to the West End, while Baker Street, Oxford Circus, Regent Street, and Piccadilly Circus continue the loop.

The Kensington route is also where service gaps can be especially frustrating. One review described waiting more than 30 minutes for the green route, and another passenger waited close to an hour before taking a taxi. Use the live tracking feature in the Big Bus app before walking to a stop.

King’s Cross, St. Pancras, and the British Museum

A third route runs through Russell Court, Euston Square, King’s Cross, St. Pancras, Euston Road, the British Museum, Temple, and Covent Garden.

This route is useful if your sightseeing is based north of the West End or if you want to connect King’s Cross and St. Pancras with the British Museum. The museum stop is available in both directions, which makes it easier to plan a short visit without riding the whole loop.

The King’s Cross and St. Pancras stops also help you orient yourself around two major transport hubs. Do not assume the route will run at the same frequency as the central red route. The full bus network has different lines, and some are less frequent.

The British Museum stop can be a strong reason to choose the 48-hour ticket. You can use one day for Westminster, the Eye, and the river, then return another day for the museum and northern route without forcing every sight into one long circuit.

The 48-hour ticket and walking tours

The 48-hour ticket includes three guided walking tours. They are scheduled at fixed times:

• Royal Walk: departs from Stop 8 at 10:00
• Jack the Ripper walk: departs from Stop 19 at 13:00
• Harry Potter walk: departs from Stop 21 at 16:00

These walks give the longer ticket more substance than simply adding another day on the bus. They also turn some of London’s major districts into walking experiences rather than views from a vehicle.

You need to plan around the departure times. If you want all three, your day will be tightly structured, and you may not have enough time for the London Eye, boat, museums, and palace stops as well. I would choose one or two walks that match your interests rather than trying to collect them all.

The Royal Walk fits well with Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and Whitehall. The Jack the Ripper walk pairs more naturally with the Tower and east London. The Harry Potter walk is a separate themed option, useful if that subject matters to your group.

Audio commentary and staff support

The buses provide audio commentary in seven languages, with complimentary earphones. Pick them up as you board. The commentary helps explain the major sights, especially when traffic prevents you from stopping close to a landmark.

The river cruise includes live English commentary. That was one of the more praised details, and it gives the boat ride a personal feel that recorded narration often lacks.

Staff experiences can vary. Drivers were often described as friendly, but some passengers found drivers unhelpful when routes changed or connections became unclear. If you are unsure where to change buses, ask at a staffed stop or use the app rather than relying on a quick answer while people are boarding.

Stop locations are not always obvious. London’s streets are crowded with signs, railings, traffic, and other tour operators. The app’s stop directions and live bus map are worth using before you set out.

How I would plan the day

For a one-day visit, I would begin with the Thames cruise if the schedule allows. Start near Tower Pier or Westminster, ride in one direction, then walk to the London Eye. This avoids trying to cross the city by bus before a fixed attraction time.

After the Eye, use the central route for short sightseeing hops around Westminster, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s, London Bridge, and the Tower. Do not stay on the bus for a full circuit unless you mainly want an orientation ride and have no tight appointments.

For two days, use the first day for the Eye, cruise, Westminster, and the central route. Use the second day for Kensington, Notting Hill, Paddington, King’s Cross, St. Pancras, and the British Museum.

Allow extra time for road closures, protests, marathons, strikes, and ordinary London traffic. Temporary diversions can close stops or remove large sections of a route. Check service information before leaving your hotel and again during the day.

The mobile ticket is convenient, but it also puts more work on you. Activate it at a designated stop, pre-book the Eye time through Manage My Booking, and confirm the Eye redemption with staff. If you need a refund, cancellation is free only when made at least 24 hours before the local start time.

Who should book this London package?

I would choose this experience if you have limited time, want a simple introduction to London, and value the Eye and river cruise. It is especially useful for families and mixed-mobility groups because the bus reduces walking, the Eye pod allows you to sit or stand, and the buses are equipped for wheelchair access.

I would be more cautious if your main goal is fast transport. The Underground and ordinary buses may get you across London more efficiently, while this sightseeing service is exposed to road delays and scheduled driver breaks.

The package suits first-time visitors who want to see the major landmarks before deciding where to return. It is less suitable for someone who wants a quiet, carefully paced day centered on one neighborhood.

Should you book it?

Book it for the London Eye and Thames cruise, then treat the Big Bus as a flexible sightseeing bonus rather than a guaranteed rapid transport system. At $82.38, the package can be good value when you use all three parts and plan around traffic.

Choose the 48-hour version if you want the walking tours or plan to visit both central London and Kensington. Choose the 24-hour option only if your schedule is open and you can protect enough time for the Eye and boat.

My practical verdict: book this when the three-part view appeals to you, but schedule the fixed attractions first, redeem the Eye ticket early, and never build a tight connection around the bus.

FAQ

What is included in the London Eye and Big Bus package?

The package includes entry to the London Eye, a Big Bus hop-on hop-off sightseeing ticket valid for 24 or 48 hours, and a one-way Thames river cruise provided by City Cruises.

How long does the experience take?

The listed duration is approximately 3 hours and 35 minutes. Your actual day can take much longer because the bus operates on London roads and may face traffic, diversions, or long waits.

Do I need to book a London Eye time slot?

Yes. You should pre-book your London Eye time through the Big Bus Manage My Booking portal. The instructions are provided on your voucher.

Can I use the mobile QR code directly at the London Eye?

You may need to redeem or activate the voucher with Big Bus staff first. Ask staff to scan the code and confirm your London Eye ticket before leaving the bus.

Is the Thames cruise round trip?

No. The included cruise is one way between Westminster Pier and the Tower of London area. Plan your onward transport after you get off the boat.

Are walking tours included with every ticket?

No. The three guided walks are included only with the 48-hour ticket. They are the Royal Walk at 10:00, the Jack the Ripper walk at 13:00, and the Harry Potter walk at 16:00.

What languages are available for the bus commentary?

Audio commentary is available in seven languages, and complimentary earphones are provided when you board. The river cruise offers live commentary in English.