As one of the world’s biggest tourist destinations, it’s little surprise that Paris has a wealth of tours available – including several bus tours that let you hop on and hop off at your leisure.
(Photo: Tootbus / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
From the Eiffel Tower to the Sacre Coeur to the bustling boulevard of the Champs-Élysées, the City of Lights is jam-packed full of iconic landmarks. One of the best ways to see them all is by booking yourself onto a Paris city tour – and for maximum freedom and flexibility you might want to consider a hop-on, hop-off tour that lets you board and disembark tourist buses at designated stops across the city. Below you’ll find our selection of four of the best Parisian hop-on hop-off bus tours currently available.
Discovery Bus Tour
Available as a one or two-day ticket, this open-top bus tour is run and operated by Tootbus and invites visitors to learn about the city’s main attractions via an informative and multilingual audio guide while stopping off at popular landmarks at their own pace. From the upper level of their comfortable buses travellers get to enjoy panoramic views of Paris’s most historic, romantic, fashionable, fun, and shopper-friendly spots. Tour guests also receive a booklet that allows for discounted entry to many of the city’s museums. From €38 per person.
Bus Tour with Self-Guided Walking Tour
(Photo: REWIND / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Another option is the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours run by renowned global tour operator Big Bus. As with our previous selection, these tours are also available as 24 or 48-hour options, and all passengers are given a map of Paris, headsets for informative and entertaining onboard commentary and free onboard WiFi. At any time of your choosing, you can also embark on a self-guided walk tour using easy-to-follow directions downloaded directly to your smartphone as part of the tour price. From €55 per person.
Batobus Sightseeing Cruise
(Photo: BATOBUS / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
If you prefer the idea of seeing Paris from the wate, then this hop-on hop-off riverboat tour may well fit the bill. The shuttle service lets you board as often as you want over a choice of either 24 or 48 hours. Along the way, you can jump off at any of the nine designated stops to see famous Parisian sights such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. While onboard, you can also enjoy panoramic views from your glass-covered boat, and take in the fresh air from the terrace. From €23 per person.
Bus Tour with Optional River Cruise
(Photo: Big Bus / Courtesy Viator)
Combining travel on land and water, this Big Bus tour treats you to the best of both worlds, first with a hop-on hop-off bus tour and then the option to join a cruise along the iconic River Seine. During the bus leg of the tour, you can see sights like the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower at your own pace, and listen to informative audio-commentary, available in eight languages, while onboard the bus. As well as a boat tour add-on, several other optional extras are available including entrance to the Arc de Triomph. From €43 per person.