The company behind the world’s first hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour is returning to London under its original name as The Original Tour, celebrating 75 years of showing visitors the capital’s most famous landmarks.
Originally launched by London Transport as Service J for the Festival of Britain in 1951, the sightseeing service invited passengers to spend two hours travelling “around the town for half a crown” aboard a circular tour of London. What began as a simple sightseeing route departing from Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria would go on to create a tourism format now used in cities across the globe.
Now, following FirstGroup’s acquisition of the business in December 2025, the brand has officially returned as The Original Tour, bringing one of London’s oldest tourism experiences back to its roots.
When The Original Tour first took passengers around London in 1951, the city was still recovering from the Second World War. The South Bank had been transformed by the Festival of Britain, many bomb sites still remained across the capital, and landmarks such as the London Eye, The Shard and Canary Wharf were still decades away.
Few businesses have had a better view of London’s transformation than The Original Tour. Its buses have witnessed the capital rebuild after the war, celebrate royal milestones, welcome millions of international visitors, host the 2012 Olympic Games and evolve into one of the world’s most visited cities.
For Jez, a Tour Host at The Original Tour since 2005, one memorable encounter highlights how sightseeing tours can become part of people’s personal stories long after the journey ends. After welcoming back an Australian guest who had previously toured London with her late husband, Jez witnessed firsthand how a day exploring the capital could provide comfort and lasting memories.
Jez said, “One guest returned to London alone after losing her husband, having previously joined one of our rock ‘n’ roll tours together years earlier. She told me how much the experience had meant to them and how a guitar they bought afterwards had become a cherished reminder of their trip. During the tour, we had a chance encounter with her favourite actor, Bill Nighy, who kindly stopped for a photograph, and it completely made her day.
“By the end of the tour, she was smiling from ear to ear. Moments like that remind me that what we do is about far more than showing people London’s landmarks. Sometimes these experiences become part of people’s lives and memories in ways we could never have imagined.”
The company has also been responsible for many of the innovations now considered standard across the sightseeing industry. The Original Tour was the first operator to introduce open-top sightseeing buses in London, hop-on hop-off tours, multilingual commentary, 24-hour tickets, multiple sightseeing routes and complimentary river cruises.
When The Original Tour launched, passengers could travel around the capital for half a crown, equivalent to just 12½p today. The average weekly wage was around £8, the average house cost approximately £1,900, and television was still a novelty in many British homes.
Meanwhile, the London skyline looked very different. Attractions including the London Eye, The Shard and Canary Wharf did not exist, while millions of visitors were descending on the capital for the Festival of Britain. Visitors can explore a city transformed by decades of cultural, architectural and technological change, while still enjoying one of London’s most enduring tourism experiences.
The business has continued to evolve in recent years, becoming the first sightseeing operator in London to introduce a fully electric open-top sightseeing bus and investing in more sustainable ways to help visitors explore the capital.
Today, The Original Tour operates four sightseeing routes and a shuttle service, taking visitors past iconic attractions including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, the British Museum and London Zoo.
Alongside hop-on hop-off sightseeing tours, tickets include a Thames River Cruise, multilingual commentary, complimentary WiFi and family-friendly experiences designed to help visitors discover the capital at their own pace.
Terry Gabriel, Chief Manager at The Original Tour, said, “Over the past 75 years, London has changed beyond recognition, but the desire to discover and experience this incredible city has remained constant.”
“Since our first tours in 1951, we’ve seen 17 prime ministers serve in Downing Street and witnessed the reigns of two monarchs, while London’s skyline, culture and global reputation have been transformed. From the post-war streets of 1951 to the modern skyline visitors see today, The Original Tour has been there to witness every chapter of London’s story. Bringing back the Original Tour name is a celebration of that heritage, but it’s also about looking ahead. As we invest in new technology, more sustainable vehicles and even better visitor experiences, we’re proud to continue helping millions of people explore London for generations to come.”
As The Original Tour celebrates its 75th anniversary, the relaunch marks both a return to its heritage and the beginning of a new chapter for a business that helped shape the way people explore cities around the world.
For more information on The Original Tour, click here.
