When visiting a city for the first time, I like to ride a hop-on-hop-off bus to show me a first impression of where I`ve landed my feet. It`s not always the cheapest option though and when Laura told me about Bus 11 being a good alternative, I wanted to give it a try.
The Bus 11 route takes you from Fulham Broadway to Liverpool Street or vice versa, whichever direction you`re riding it, taking you along most of London`s major highlights.
Starting at Fulham Broadway the route travels King`s Road in Chelsea with many boutiques and antiques shops. After a while (about 40 minutes, depending on traffic) you see Westminster Cathedral appearing and this is where the sightseeing really begins. You`re reaching Parliament Square with the Houses of Parliament, but also the lesser known Supreme Court which you can visit for free.
You pass the Horseguards Parade on to Trafalgar Square, the Strand and Aldwych.
You move along the Royal Courts of Justice and St Paul`s Cathedral with its world-famous dome. When you decide to make a stop here, there is plenty to visit in this area, like the Museum of London, where you can learn more on the history of London: the Great Fire of London, … (The museum is open daily and free!). Or have lunch at the Postman`s Park, a cozy little park where you can reflect at the memorial built to remember the people who gave their live to save that of others.
Insiders tip: for a great view over St Paul`s Cathedral and the London skyline, take the elevator up to the roof terrace of One New Change.
If you`re still looking for sights to see, visit the Bank of England where you can try to lift a gold bar! (The Museum has a free entrance and is open from Monday to Friday, 10.00 – 17.00 (last entry at 4.45pm).
The Bus 11 route will take you to Liverpool Street where it will stop (or start its journey, depending which direction you`re riding the bus). At Liverpool Street you can see the Gherkin, a skyscraper in London`s financial district, the City of London.
Practical information
Map of route 11
Timetable of route 11
Length of trip: depending on traffic it takes between 1 h and 1,5 h to complete the whole route.
If you just want to drive by all the highlights using an Oyster Card is the cheapest option. If you would like to use this bus as a hop-on-hop-off system, and interrupt your bus tour to see the London attractions along the way, you`re better off buying a daily travel card.
Nice piece of advice and some great pictures in here!
Thanks!
Love the photos, makes me want to revisit London. 🙂
Thank you Matt. Hope to see you in London soon then 😉
Isabelle, the No 11 bus is a good idea. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a resource of similar bus routes in all the major cities of the world with perhaps an MP3 commentary.
Thanks John…maybe an idea for you to start 😉
This makes me miss London! We loved hopping on and off random bus routes and finding out where they go. Another route that is good for sightseeing is bus RV1. It runs from Covent Garden to the Tower of London, crossing Tower Bridge and passing most of central London’s sights. There are also two heritage routes (9 and 15), which means that the old original routemaster buses still run on them and they also pass lots of sights (9 runs along Hyde Park & Green Park to Trafalgar Square and 15 heads east from Trafalgar Square to St Paul’s Cathedral).
Looks like you know your bus routes, Dani. Thanks so much for sharing these tips!
We had a wonderful time in London. Touring in the London bus is really enjoyable and great experience.