Private company

Big Bus Tours

Logo: The Big Bus Company, PD, via Wikipedia⁴

Global operator of hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours

Big Bus Tours (formerly Les Cars Rouges and The Big Bus Company), is an operator of open top bus sightseeing tours formed in May 2011 after "Les Cars Rouges" and the "Big Bus Company" merged. The company operates in 28 cities of 18 countries with 444 buses operating around the world. Most of the cities it serves are in the United States.² It is headquartered in London.¹ Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1991Founded¹

HeadquartersLondon¹
Websitehop-on-hop-off-tickets.com
Legal formprivate company limited by shares¹
LEI213800TB9BV4785ZXZ93³
StatusActive³
LEI statusLapsed (not renewed)³
Registered address110 BUCKINGHAM PALACE ROAD, SW1W 9SA London, United Kingdom³
Registered withCompanies House, 07524891³

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Big Bus Tours (formerly Les Cars Rouges and The Big Bus Company), is an operator of open top bus sightseeing tours formed in May 2011 after "Les Cars Rouges" and the "Big Bus Company" merged. The company operates in 28 cities of 18 countries with 444 buses operating around the world. Most of the cities it serves are in the United States. Typically, Big Bus Tours use open top double-decker buses in burgundy and cream-coloured livery.²

Corporate structure

Big Bus Tours sits at the top of its group. 2 entities, 2 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Big Bus Tours London, United Kingdom
- Big Bus Sydney Subsidiary

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

"Les Cars Rouges" was founded in 1990 by Abdallah El Azm in Paris, France. Over the course of the next two decades, it went on to operate in Paris, Rome, Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, and Istanbul. The "Big Bus Company" first started operating in London, England in June 1991 with three buses by the Maybury family. It later expanded to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Philadelphia, and so on.

"Les Cars Rouges" and "the Big Bus Company" merged in May 2011, and formed "Big Bus Tours". Les Cars Rouges was the larger of the two companies, but for international namesake purposes, the name "Big Bus" was retained.

In May 2007, the Abu Dhabi company the Al Fahim Group purchased a 30% shareholding.

In February 2015, the business was sold to Exponent Private Equity. In February 2016, Merlin Entertainments bought a 15% shareholding.

From Wikipedia’s article on Big Bus Tours, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.⁵

Products and brands

Overview of operation

Buses travel near major landmarks around the city it tours. Pre-recorded or live commentary about the landscape is provided through small headphones worn by each passenger. Users may leave the bus and board again without limit (hop-on, hop-off) at special bus stops on a circular route. In large cities, buses go on more than one route. In some cities (such as Hong Kong) some variants of the ride include travelling by boat.

Operations by country

Australia

Big Bus Sydney

Big Bus Darwin

Austria

The Big Bus Vienna

Read the full text

Canada

Big Bus Vancouver

Czech Republic

Big Bus Prague

France

Big Bus Paris

Germany

Big Bus Berlin

Big Bus Munich

Greece

Big Bus Athens

Big Bus Thessaloniki

Hong Kong

Big Bus Hong Kong

On 15 December 2008, The Big Bus Hong Kong was established. With the largest fleet of open-top buses in the city, it serves three sightseeing routes: Hong Kong Island (Red Tour), Kowloon (Blue Tour) and Stanley (Green Tour). The tour offers a wide range of packages which include free travel on the Peak Tram, entry to the Sky Terrace on Victoria Peak, a traditional sampan ride, and a Star Ferry harbour tour.

Hungary

Big Bus Budapest

Ireland

Big Bus Dublin

In August 2018, Big Bus Dublin was officially launched with the most up-to-date fleet in the city. It operates a single route (the Red Route), which covers the city centre and Phoenix Park.

Italy

Big Bus Rome

Oman

Big Bus Muscat

Singapore

Big Bus Singapore

Big Bus Tours Singapore operates two routes, the red and the yellow route, using Scania K230UB and MAN 18.240 HOCL-NL (A69) double-decker buses. Their future fleet includes 10 electric buses, with a planned deployment in 2027.

Big Bus Tours bought over local sightseeing tour operator Duck & Hippo (established 14 January 2011) in September 2018.

Spain

Big Bus Madrid

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Big Bus Abu Dhabi

Big Bus Dubai

United Kingdom

Big Bus London

Big Bus Tours London operates three routes with stops at these tourist destinations: Madame Tussauds, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Covent Garden, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens.

Big Bus Edinburgh

United States

Big Bus Chicago

Big Bus Las Vegas

Big Bus Los Angeles

Big Bus Miami

Big Bus New York

Big Bus Philadelphia

Big Bus San Francisco

Big Bus Washington, D.C.