Hop-on Hop-off Tours Edinburgh

Big Bus: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Open-top bus tour passing the Scott Monument in Edinburgh.

Tourists taking a selfie on a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

Edinburgh hop-on hop-off bus with Edinburgh Castle in the background.

Open-top bus tour with view of Edinburgh Castle in the background.

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.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Explore Edinburgh’s medieval turrets, hilly landscapes, and Gothic charm on a 24 or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus adventure that lets you set the pace.

Ride as often as you like on the red route, blue route, or both, with buses running every 10–60 minutes, and take in 20 sights, some over 1,000 years old.

Think of the multilingual audio guide as your ride-along storyteller, sharing stories about the sights rolling past your window in the language of your choice.

See the spiky towers of Edinburgh Castle, Old Town’s cobbled charm, Britannia’s royal decks, and Greyfriars Bobby guarding the gates of Greyfriars Kirk.

24/48-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off bus tour

Access to Red & Blue routes (as per option selected)

Audio guide in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese & Mandarin

Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking

TOTAL DURATION55 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 1 hour
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 9:05 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 6:05 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Waterloo Place
1 minute walk
Calton Hill
2. St Andrew Square
Get direction
1 attraction
St Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
3. The Shore
Get direction
1 attraction
Leith Murals
4 minutes walk
4. Victoria Quay
Get direction
2 attractions
Victoria Quay
2 minutes walk
Water of Leith Walkway
17 minutes walk
5. Royal Yacht Britannia
Get direction
2 attractions
Royal Yacht Britannia
4 minutes walk
Port of Leith Distillery
5 minutes walk
6. Fishmarket Square
Get direction
1 attraction
Fishmarket Square
3 minutes walk
7. Royal Botanic Garden
Get direction
1 attraction
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
1 minute walk
TOTAL DURATION70 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 10-20 minutes
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 9:00 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 6:20 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
1 attraction
Waterloo Place
2. St Andrew Square
Get direction
1 attraction
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
3 minutes walk
3. Lothian Road
Get direction
1 attraction
Usher Hall
3 minutes walk
4. Bread Street
Get direction
1 attraction
The Lyceum Theatre
1 minute walk
5. The Mound
Get direction
1 attraction
National Galleries of Scotland
1 minute walk
6. George IV Bridge
Get direction
1 attraction
George IV Bridge
7. Grassmarket
Get direction
1 attraction
The White Hart Inn
8. National Museum of Scotland
Get direction
1 attraction
National Museum of Scotland
9. Canongate Kirk
Get direction
1 attraction
Canongate Kirk
10. Holyrood Palace
Get direction
1 attraction
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
11. Dynamic Earth
Get direction
1 attraction
Dynamic Earth
12. Abbeyhill
Get direction
1 attraction
Abbeyhill
2 minutes walk
13. Regent Road
Get direction
1 attraction
Robert Burns Monument
1 minute walk

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

28 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, Canada, Ireland and over 9 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Robert R
Couple
Verified booking
4 days ago
I purchased a 48 hr pass from Headout. On presenting this on a BigBus the driver could only issue a 24 hr ticket. This meant we had to take the ticket to the control point to have it countersigned to upgrade it to 48 hrs. We were very happy with Big Bus , The problem was with the Headout Big Bus interface.
Monika W
Solo
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
The tour showed me all the highlights and places I'll return to for a longer visit on my stay in Edinburgh. It's the perfect way to get oriented.
Tina T
Couple
Verified booking
Apr 2026
Loved the bus tour. So easy to use and the driver was very friendly and helpful. Also, the narrative is very interesting. However, some of the audio jacks did not function.
Patrice E
Family
Verified booking
Apr 2026
Friendly staff, great bus stopping at all the key spots. Frequency of the bus is great too.
Alessandra O
Group
Verified booking
Jan 2026
The friendliness of the staff.

What to bring

Carry a valid photo ID along with your ticket, as it may be required during validation.

What’s not allowed

Smoking and drinking alcohol are prohibited on the bus.

Accessibility

Most buses are wheelchair and pram/stroller friendly.

Guide dogs and pets are allowed on board.

Additional information

The 48-hour ticket must be activated on the selected date to make full use of its validity.

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.