We’ve all seen them. Those bright coloured, open top buses with loud talking coming from them. You know the ones, with tourists sitting atop them pointing and snapping away with their camera or phone! When I lived and worked in Sydney I would see them around. I always thought, ‘how embarrassing’ and ‘you won’t catch me on one of those’. 

Well…….. you know what, after going on one, (it was actually in Fremantle, WA) I now swear by them. Going on a hop on hop off city sightseeing tour is the first thing I usually do when I arrive in a new Australian city. Why? Well there are a number of reasons why.

In this post I will tell you why I love hop on hop off bus sightseeing tours and why I think you should embrace them in your travels around Australia too. I’m listing the pros and cons of hop on hop off sightseeing buses so whether you have 1 day in a new city or 7 days to spend in a new city or are moving to a new city on a working holiday visa, let me help you embrace hop on hop off bus tours. Get ready to hop on and off with me!

 

What is a Hop On Hop Off City Sightseeing Bus Tour?

 

Hop On Hop Off Bus – HoHo, or Jump On Jump Off Bus – JoJo are bus tours that have been around for a while. If you are wondering what is the concept of a hop on hop off bus, it is easy. They are basically buses that have their roof taken off so you can sit in the open air seats on the top level and get a birds eye view of your surroundings. The tours, if done in one go can last a couple of hours, but your ticket allows you to hop on and off at designated spots, usually within a 24 hour period.

These buses are found in major Australian cities. And they are a flexible sightseeing tourist bus that takes you to all the highlights of that city.

 

Pros and Cons of Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours

 

If you are wondering, what are the benefits of hop on hop off bus tours, well, there seems to be pros and cons to everything when you travel, and in life. Here are what I think are the pros and cons of riding aboard hop on hop off bus tours.

 

The Pros of Hop On Hop Off Bus Trips – Reasons Why I love them!

 

1. Take Me to All the Sights

 

That’s right. The biggest pro of a hop on hop off bus tour is it takes you to all the top sights of a particular town or city. All the major tourist spots are on the list of visits of the Hop On Hop Off bus. The buses have set routes so I can either sit back and enjoy the whole trip, or get off at one of the stops to explore.

 

TIP! For your first trip in a new city I suggest you go around the entire route first. While sitting back, relaxing  take a mental note of things you would like to come back to. Then on the next trip round, you can begin hopping on and off at the sites you want to see before hopping back on again to the next stop.

 

2. Short Time Visits

 

If you have limited time in a city, hop on hop off bus tours help you make the most of your time. Doing a complete circuit usually takes a couple of hours. So if you only have a day, or less in a city, these are great. However, even if staying longer, going on a hop on hop off bus tour will show you the places you can go back to if you have the time. 

 

3. Available in Most Major Cities

 

Yep. Most big cities have a hop on hop off bus. Plus, some even have a hop-on hop-off river cruise such as the Sydney Harbour Hop on Hop off cruise!

 

4. More than Just transport

 

You can discover the city you are in by local transport however, you will need to firstly do your research so you know how to buy a ticket, what lines to travel on and which train stations or bus stops to get off at. When going on a hop on hop off bus you don’t have to worry about these things as the bus takes you to all the famous sights. I don’t have to do any planning or thinking – it’s done for me! I just have to sit back and relax and enjoy the sights.

 

5. Don’t Have to Worry About Learning How to Drive in a Foreign Place

 

When going on hop on hop off bus tours you don’t need to learn how to drive in a foreign place. Also, I don’t need to learn specific rules, worry about getting fuel, finding a parking spot or research a route to follow if I have rented a car. And I don’t get lost while trying to find a place, particularly when travelling solo and I don’t have a navigator.

 

6. Time Saver

 

Most jump on jump off bus routes only take a couple of hours to complete if done in the one go making this option much faster when renting a car or using public transport to see the sights. Even though using public transport is a great way to get to know a city, it can be time consuming. As mentioned previously, when you rent a car you need to consider road rules, getting fuel, find parking and research where you will be driving to. Taking the hop on hop off bus is a time saver as it has done everything for me.

 

7. Affordability

 

Hop On Hop Off bus tours are affordable. Tickets to ride the hop on hop off sightseeing buses are available for 24 hours. In some cases it can be 48 or even 72 hours. During this time I can hop on and hop off as many times as I like within that time. This definitely is very affordable as my transport costs are covered for the whole time. As a budget conscious traveller, this is definitely one of the biggest pros of going one a hop on and off bus tour.

 

8. Discounts to Attractions

 

There are often deals associated with your hop-on hop-off ticket or the ticket may be part of a deal. Having discounts on attractions will help you save money so you can enjoy other things on your holiday, like a meal. For instance, the Sydney Pass can be teamed with the Sydney Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus and you will have entrance fees to certain places included.

 

9. Fun Facts!

 

Along with the bus ride comes a commentary. Sometimes a recorded commentary while other times a person providing facts and figures, historical backgrounds, things that happened at a particular place and quirky trivia about the places you are visiting. You can learn lots of fun facts going on a hop-on hop-off tour bus. Facts you may only learn by doing a lot of research. Sometimes I learn more by seeing a place rather than reading about it. This is one of the biggest pros to riding onboard HOHO bus tours.

 

10. Avoid Getting Lost / Wasting Time

 

Getting lost can be a fun part of travel (sometimes), however, if you don’t have the time to get lost it can be a waste of time. This is why I love the hop-on hop-off bus because it doesn’t waste my time. I often get my bearings of the city by going on the bus. It has proved useful on many occasions.

 

The Cons of Hop On Hop Off Bus Trips

 

There are some cons to riding aboard a hop on hop off bus tour.

1. The bus may not visit all the tourist destinations you want to visit.
2. You will have to time your trip around bus arrival and departure times at each stop.
3. It might be busy and you might struggle to get a seat and need to wait for the next bus.
4. The weather may not be the best to sit up top.
5. You will be seen with lots of other tourists on the bus. Unsavoury types may see you get on and get off the bus and may think of you as a tourist to rob – so be security conscious. There are ways how to not look like a tourist as you travel Australia.

 

TIP! Dress for the weather. Wear sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when it is warm and sunny. Take an umbrella or rain coat and a warm jacket for colder weather. It can also get a little windy up top – so hold onto your hats!

 

Some of the Best Australian Hop On Hop Off City Sightseeing Bus Tours

 

Here are some of the best hop on hop off city sightseeing bus tours. Click on the city to purchase your ticket to ride! Know of a city not on the list? Drop me a line so I can add it.

Sydney

Sydney Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus
Sydney Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise of Sydney Harbour
Blue Mountains Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing

Brisbane

Brisbane City Hop On Hop Sightseeing Bus
Brisbane Hop On Hop Off Bus to Tamborine Mountain

Melbourne

Melbourne has a free tram that circles the city that you can hop on and hop off.
There is a Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus that takes you from Melbourne into the Yarra Valley wine region. Visit the wineries of most interest to you that are on the list.

Adelaide

Adelaide has a free bus service that circles the city. It is mostly for people living in Adelaide to get around, however, tourists can ride aboard as the bus passes some of Adelaide’s best tourist spots, including Adelaide Oval and North Adelaide.
If you are wanting to visit the McLaren Vale wine region or the Barossa Valley wine region, there is a McLaren Vale Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus and a Barossa Valley Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus.

Perth

Perth Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus

Darwin

Darwin Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus

Hobart

Hobart Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus