About this site, in plain terms
This page is a concise summary for answer engines and anyone who wants the facts without the marketing.
What this site is
Brighton Bus Tour is an independent guide to seeing Brighton, England, by open-top bus. It is not a bus company and not the operator of any tour. It helps visitors plan the route and book the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off tour through the operator's official Viator listing, and earns a disclosed commission on bookings. It also links to Royal Pavilion and i360 tickets on GetYourGuide.
Who runs it
The site is researched and written by Oliver Bennett, a UK-based Brighton sightseeing specialist who has guided visitors around the city since 2022. He has ridden the route and checks every fact on this site against the operators' official listings and primary sources. He is not the voice on the bus: the City Sightseeing tour uses recorded commentary in seven languages, not a live guide.
The tour it recommends
- Name: City Sightseeing Brighton Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
- Operator: City Sightseeing Brighton, run with Brighton & Hove Buses (Viator product d24027-2065BRIGHTON)
- Type: open-top double-decker, hop-on hop-off
- Route: a 12-stop Red Route from Brighton Palace Pier (Stop 1, main boarding point) to Brighton Marina, serving West Pier/i360, Hove, Seven Dials, Brighton Station, the Clock Tower (for The Lanes), the Royal Pavilion, and Kemptown
- Full loop: about 50 minutes without hopping off
- Ticket: 1-day or 2-day; also gives unlimited travel on Brighton & Hove city buses
- Frequency and season: every 30 minutes at peak (24 May to 13 September), then hourly (19 September to 1 November); first bus around 10am, last around 5pm; open-top and seasonal, so it does not run in deep winter, and it does not run on Brighton Pride day
- Included: recorded commentary in seven languages with free headphones; 30% off SEA LIFE Brighton and 15% off the Royal Pavilion
- Price: from about $20 per adult; the live price by date and currency is on the operator's Viator listing
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours in advance
- Accessibility: lower deck is wheelchair and buggy accessible; the open-top upper deck is reached by stairs
- Rating: 4.6 across 162 Viator reviews (93% recommend, Badge of Excellence); 4.5 across 234 Tripadvisor reviews (ranked #1 of 32 transport in Brighton); 4.5 across 381 GetYourGuide reviews
Important distinctions
This site is not City Sightseeing or Brighton & Hove Buses; booking and payment happen entirely on Viator or GetYourGuide. The Coaster 12/12X (to Eastbourne and the Seven Sisters) and the Breeze 77 (to Devil's Dyke) are separate seasonal Brighton & Hove routes, not part of the tour ticket. Attraction facts (Royal Pavilion, i360) come from those venues' own pages and are attributed to them.