Glasgow has nice subway connectivity but it won’t take you too many out of the way sights like the Riverside Museum or the in city busy ones like the Glasgow Cathedral. And in spite of Glasgow being walker-friendly, there is unpredictable rain most of the time, so it’s not advisable to plan a walking tour for all attractions. The Hop on Hop off tours are a good way for a basic introduction to Glasgow city. One tip would be to sit on the upper level of the bus if you want really great photos.
Know more about the top attractions of Glasgow.
Hop on Hop off bus tours are usually offered in one and 2-day formats. A good way to explore Glasgow thoroughly will be to do the whole tour (without hopping off) in one day and reserve the next day for hopping off at the attractions you like the best. This will allow you to maximise sightseeing value out of your hop on hop off ticket and also see parts of Glasgow that you like the most.
Keep in mind, however, that walking tours and specific tours like Underground tours allow a more comprehensive look at different attractions than a hop on hop off bus tour possibly could. Tours of this kind are meant more as an introduction to the city. Taking the tour is also a great way to fulfil specific purposes like to get to the best shopping zones of the city or to reach specific attractions without bothering about public transport options.
Hop on Hop Off Tours by City Sightseeing
The brightly coloured cherry red city sightseeing buses are recognizable from far off. They are by far the most popular Ho Ho (that’s how hop on hop off is referred to) in Glasgow. In peak summer months the buses are so frequent that a new one is seen every 10 minutes.
There are more than 20 stops on this tour and like any hop on hop off tour you can get off at whichever attraction you want and enjoy sightseeing. Audio commentary is available in multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Polish & Mandarin) with a special commentary track for kids. Complimentary headphones are available for each visitor on the tour. One of the commentators of the recorded commentary is Neil Oliver and he does a good job with the sometimes limited script. You will find history and culture details of most attractions though some of the attractions like Lord Provost’s House, Templeton Carpet Factory etc. have not been mentioned.
The buses with live guides perform much better. The special kid’s commentary is called Ghoulish Glasgow and it focuses on the ghosts, djins, mysteries and horror stories circulating in this busy city and caters to the imaginations of young kids and teens. You won’t get the Ghoulish Glasgow commentary on the buses which have live guides so you need to choose. The Ghoulish Glasgow tour commentary has two voices Ingle Ramus Kilgour-Thompson III (Ingles) and Emily McPhee simulating two ghosts so the commentary is kind of fun!!!
Stops
The usual 22 stops on a city sightseeing hop on hop off tour are as follows: George Square, Glasgow Cathedral, Merchant Square, Barras Market, Glasgow Green (Arrival and Departure), St Enoch shopping centre, St Vincent Place, Central Station, Glasgow Marriott, Clyde Arc, Scottish Events Campus, Clydeside Distillery, Riverside Museum (arrival and departure points), Kelvin Way (Arrival and Departure points), University of Glasgow, Byres Road, Kelvingrove Museum, Finnieston, Beresford, Sauchiehall Street, Theatre Royal, Royal Concert Hall and George Square. The stops are pretty comprehensive and give a good introduction to the city.
Special Benefits
One great thing about city sightseeing Ho Ho tours is that there is decent accessibility for wheelchair users. The lower deck of each red city sightseeing bus has one dedicated wheelchair space.
City sightseeing offers unlimited subway travel at a discounted rate in collaboration with Glasgow Subway.
You get a 20% discount on the entry ticket to Glasgow Science Centre when you present the city sightseeing ticket.
Some of the tour buses have live guides though you need to check the timings in which they are available.
No large luggage bags are allowed on the tour. However, there are luggage storage facilities at Queen Street station (next to stop 1).
The bus frequency is great so you can simply get off at any stop and wait for the next bus if yours has an issue like there is no live guide or you haven’t got your desired seats etc.
Duration and Timings
Buses leave between 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. every 10 to 30 minutes and a typical bus tour completes a full loop in 80 minutes (if you don’t hop off anywhere). Tours after 4.30 p.m. are much less in frequency and run till 6.20 p.m.
Night tours are offered from 1st July to 1t September and the buses are available every 20 minutes from 6.40 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. however you need to keep checking their website for fresh updates… schedules can change at a day’s notice.
Booking
You can book this tour (one or two-day) online through Viator.
City Sightseeing goes a step further and plans out some suggested tour schedules for visitors. Check out the suggested schedules like half-day museum tour, half-day food and drink tour and full-day park tour.
In addition, there is the option of booking the one day tour plus subway which includes unlimited subway travel for the day in which you book tickets (costs 19.50 pounds).
You can also buy the tickets from the city sightseeing pavement staff who will be found at George Square or from the bus driver after boarding.
Contact Details
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0141 204 0444; Website
The City Sightseeing Hop on Hop off tours has a tourist office on Buchanan Street and they give out tour maps to visitors which may turn out to be very useful.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.