During your guided vacation, CIE Tours offers the opportunity for independent sightseeing through The Original Tour – London’s most popular “Hop-On Hop-Off” bus tour. Rather than touring the city of London along with your tour guide and group, you will have the opportunity to choose any of the five routes covering many of the top tourist sights that the city has to offer. Along with your bus tour ticket, we also will provide you with tickets to additional tours and tourist attractions including the Changing of the Guard, the Rock and Roll Tour, the Jack the Ripper Tour, and a River Cruise on the Thames.

Changing of the Guard
Experience this traditional 500 year old ceremony as you watch the King’s Old Guard hand over responsibility for protecting Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace to the New Guard. Dressed in traditional red tunics and bearskin hats, this striking display is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of London. Accompanied with music by a regimental band or Corps of Drums, the Changing of the Guard is a formal ceremony that has been occurring for hundreds of years. This tour departs daily at 10AM from The Visitor Centre and lasts for about 90 minutes. On non-guard change days, this tour will visit St. James’s Palace and the Horse Guards Parade.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour
Get accustomed to London’s impressive music history with the Rock and Roll Tour. The heart of London’s music heritage, this tour will guide you through rock and roll history beginning in the swinging 60’s movement and continuing through the present day. Retrace the steps of legendary bands and artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and The Sex Pistols. See where these stars performed and began their iconic careers on this walking tour through various venues and recording studios. Departing daily at 1PM from The Visitor Centre, this tour will last for about 90 minutes.

Jack the Ripper Tour
Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, through the deadly Whitechapel streets on this chilling walking tour. Let yourself travel back in time to the year 1888 as you walk through the crooked cobbled alleyways and dimly lit passages to uncover London’s gruesome history and 19th century architecture. Engaging and thought provoking, this tour will give you an inside look into this bloodcurdling murder mystery that has baffled audiences for decades. This 90 minute tour departs daily at 4PM from The Original Tour bus stop at the Tower of London, and finishes at Aldgate East tube station.

River Cruise on the Thames
Enjoy a free pass from City Cruises to embark on a River Cruise on the Thames. Take pleasure in the magnificent views from the river as you travel through the heart of London from the relaxed comfort of City Cruises modern all-weather boats, with open upper decks and spacious lower saloons with panoramic windows. Float alongside famous buildings including Big Ben, The London Eye, Shakespear’s Globe, Westminster Abbey and many more, while traveling along the second longest river in the United Kingdom. Hop on the cruise as you please with 24 access from your free pass.