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London buses for tourists: routes, fares and tips

Every red bus journey is £1.75 with hopper fare, and the top deck of a route 11 is cheaper than any tour bus. How to ride London buses like a local.

5 min readPublished 9 Jun 2026

Single fare: £1.75

Every bus journey is £1.75, no matter the distance, contactless or Oyster only — no cash accepted anywhere on the network.

Hopper fare

Unlimited bus & tram journeys within 1 hour of your first tap cost the same £1.75. Tap on every time you board.

Daily cap

Bus & tram daily cap: £5.25. After that, all bus and tram travel is free for the rest of the day.

Best routes for sightseeing

  • Route 11 — Liverpool Street → Bank → St Paul’s → Trafalgar Square → Westminster → Sloane Square. The unofficial tour bus.
  • Route 15 — Trafalgar Square → St Paul’s → Tower of London. Often operated by heritage Routemasters on weekends.
  • Route RV1 — discontinued; check TfL Go for current riverside alternatives.

Boarding

Enter via the front doors only. Tap the yellow reader once. No need to tap again when exiting.

Night buses

Prefixed with N (N11, N15, etc.). Run when the Tube is closed. Same £1.75 fare.