The Original Tour

What The Original Tour does

The Original Tour is a London-based sightseeing operator running Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours aboard classic red open-top double-decker buses across four routes covering more than 50 landmarks and four Thames river piers. Founded in 1951 and claiming heritage as the world's first sightseeing tour operator, the company operates a fleet offering multilingual audio commentary in 10 languages, free 5G Wi-Fi on board, and digital ticket delivery via PDF, Apple Wallet, and Google Wallet. The product portfolio consists of three core tour tiers (Half-a-Crown single-trip, Deluxe 1-3 day, Deluxe 7 day), three premium bundled packages (London Skyline Experience, Ultimate London Experience, All-Inclusive London Experience incorporating five Merlin attractions), and three specialized live-guided experiences (Kids Tour, By Night Tour, Christmas Lights Tour). The business is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, a publicly-listed UK transport group, with shared corporate functions including data protection oversight.

The Original Tour generates revenue through direct-to-consumer ticket sales priced from £20.99 to £109 per ticket, distributed primarily through its own e-commerce website (theoriginaltour.com) backed by the Ventrata booking platform, with phone support as a secondary channel. The core customer segments are international and domestic tourists visiting London and families with children; marketing runs through organic and paid channels on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google. Partnerships with Merlin Entertainments, UberBoats by Thames Clippers, the London Cable Car, and POP Guide extend the product into a multi-modal sightseeing bundle, increasing average ticket value and lengthening the in-London customer journey. Pricing is unit-based with one-time purchases, free cancellation up to 24 hours before travel, and children under five travelling free on most tours.

Name

The Original Tour

Legal name

The Original Tour Limited

Website

https://theoriginaltour.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Original Tour is a London-based sightseeing operator running Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours across four routes covering 50-plus landmarks, selling tickets directly to tourists via its website and bundling with Merlin attractions, river cruises, and walking tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tours

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (487990), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Scenic Viewpoint Tours (THAJAAAI)

Keywords

• Sightseeing bus tours
• Hop-on hop-off tours
• London city tours
• Guided bus tours
• Tourist bus services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tour Ticket Sales: Direct sales of tour tickets to consumers through the company's website. Tickets are sold as one-time purchases for specific tour durations (single trip, 1-7 days). Pricing varies by tour type and duration. Revenue is generated at point of sale with free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the tour date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Original Tour operates Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing tours in London aboard classic red open-top double-decker buses. The company sells flexible duration tickets (single trip, 1-3 days, or 7 days) that include unlimited bus access across four routes covering 50+ stops, Thames river cruises, multilingual audio commentary in 10 languages, and access to walking tours via the POP Guide app. Bundled packages add partner attractions such as London Cable Car, UberBoats, and Merlin Entertainments venues.

Product overview

The Original Tour is a London sightseeing company offering Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours aboard classic red open-top double-decker buses. The portfolio consists of three core products (Half-a-Crown Tour, Deluxe 1-3 Days, Deluxe 7 Days) providing flexible panoramic bus tours with multilingual audio commentary in 10 languages. These core products can be enhanced with three add-on modules: London Skyline Experience (adds cable car and UberBoats cruise), Ultimate London Experience (adds 1 attraction choice), and All-Inclusive Experience (adds 5 Merlin attractions). Three specialized sub-brands target niche segments: Kids Tour (45-min live-guided family tour), By Night Tour (90-min twilight experience), and Christmas Lights Tour (75-min festive tour). All packages include Thames River Cruise, free 5G Wi-Fi, and access to 6 walking tours via the POP app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Original London "Half-a-Crown" Tour Single 4-hour panoramic ride covering London's best landmarks in one circuit, with river cruise and 6 walking tours included. Designed for tourists wanting a concise introduction to London in half a day.
• Deluxe London Tour: 1-3 Days Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour with flexible 1, 2, or 3-day passes offering unlimited rides across 4 bus routes with 50+ stops, plus matching Hop-On Hop-Off River Cruise. Tickets valid within a two-week period.
• Deluxe London Tour: 7 Days
• London Skyline Experience
• Ultimate London Experience (Plus 1 Attraction)
• All-Inclusive London Experience
• The Original London Kids Tour
• The Original London By Night Tour
• The Original Christmas Lights Tour

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ London sights accessible from four bus routes
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Merlin EntertainmentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Merlin Entertainments provides bundled attraction tickets. The All-Inclusive package includes entry to 5 Merlin attractions: London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon, London Sealife Centre, and Shrek World. Customers receive access to the Merlin Portal for booking additional attractions.
• UberBoats by Thames ClipperscoreTechnology or IntegrationRiver cruise partner providing Hop-On Hop-Off Thames river services. Included in Skyline Experience and available with other tour packages. Cruises depart from Westminster Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier, and London Eye Pier.
• VentratacoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking platform technology provider powering the online booking system. Uses ventrata_consent cookie for consent management.
• FirstGroup plccoreOthersParent company and ultimate holding company of The Original Tour Limited (company number 02328599). FirstGroup is a major transport operator. The company's Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email protected].

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Evan Evans Tours: Established London tour operator offering day trips and sightseeing tours, with a complementary rather than purely hop-on hop-off model. Targets the same inbound tourist customer seeking structured London experiences.
• Golden Tours: Major London tour operator running hop-on hop-off bus routes alongside day trips to Stonehenge, Windsor, and Oxford. Directly comparable bundled-product model and tourist customer base.
• City Sightseeing: Global franchise-based hop-on hop-off bus tour operator present in London and 90+ other cities. Operates direct London routes with multilingual audio and bundled attraction tickets using the same red open-top bus format.
• Big Bus Tours: The largest dedicated hop-on hop-off bus operator globally, with London as its flagship market. Operates near-identical 4+ route network with multilingual commentary and bundled attraction tickets, directly competing with TOT for the same tourist customer.
• Premium Tours: London tour operator running hop-on hop-off services alongside airport transfers and day trips. Directly comparable pricing tiers and customer demographic for sightseeing bus products.
• Tootbus (formerly The Big Ticket / London Original Tour): London-focused open-top bus tour operator owned by Transdev, offering similar hop-on hop-off routes. Notably shares the 'Original Tour' legacy branding in some markets and competes head-to-head on price and route coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Gray Line: Global sightseeing tour brand offering bus, walking, and day-trip tours across many cities. Provides a broader portfolio comparison for asset utilization, multi-product bundling, and B2B travel-trade distribution strategy.

Others

• Merlin Entertainments: Owner of London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon, and Sea Life - all bundled into TOT's All-Inclusive product. Not a direct competitor but a critical strategic partner whose product mix and pricing shape TOT's monetization ceiling.
• Uber Boats by Thames Clippers: River transit and cruise partner currently embedded in TOT's bundled offerings. Adjacent comparison for water-based London tourism product design and partnership economics.

Regional players

• Les Cars Rouges: Paris-based sister-product hop-on hop-off bus operator under RATP Dev. Operates an essentially identical product model in a different capital city, valuable for benchmarking operating economics and product evolution outside London.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61577458023341
• Instagraminstagram.com/theoriginaltour
• TikToktiktok.com/@originaltour
• Xx.com/original_tour

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Original Tour