Maybe you’re wondering if it’s worth the price to take the Buenos Aires city tour bus also known as the hop on hop off bus Buenos Aires. You see the yellow and red double-deck buses driving in the city and pretty tempting to sit on the upper deck in the sun. Hop on hop off!
Read also: top 25 things to do in Buenos Aires
The tours of hop on hop off bus Buenos Aires
There are 2 companies that provide hop on hop off bus tours in Buenos Aires. The yellow tourist bus by “Buenos Aires Bus” and the red double-deck busses by “Grayline”. You can choose based on budget and route.
Both buses are a hop on hop off system. It means you can start wherever you want, hop off and start again at the stop of your choice. When you take the sightseeing city bus you will see most of Buenos Aires.
Both busses the yellow bus from Buenos Aires bus and the red from Grayline do have stops at Recoleta, the Teatro Colón, Avenida de Mayo, the Plaza del Congreso, Parque Lezama, Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera stadium, La Boca, the Puente de la Mujer and the Reserva Ecológica.
Exclusively for Secrets of Buenos Aires readers, I made a map of the bus routes.
Which hop on hop off bus should I take?
There is a difference in the routes between the yellow and red bus lines. For example, the yellow bus has a stop in Palermo Soho and runs to the National Congress of Argentina.
If you want to visit the River Plate stadium, the red bus line is the one to take.
There are small differences in route throughout the route, but they both have stops at the most famous places.
Where to start and buy tickets for the city sightseeing bus?
It’s possible to buy your tickets online on Buenos Aires Bus and Grayline. For your comfort, buy your tickets for the hop on hop off bus online and start wherever you want in Buenos Aires. The ticket is 24h or 48h valid from the moment you hop on for the first time on your tour.
The Buenos Aires tour bus operates every day from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
BOOK YOUR BUS TICKETS HERE
The hop on hop off bus Buenos Aires: worth the money?
Depending on what type of tourist you are, it’s an easy way to discover the city.
Buenos Aires bus 24h: 6000 ARS or approx. USD 40
Grayline Buenos Aires city bus: USD 35
The quality of the audio system is moderate with a choice of up to 10 languages (Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Arabic). The seats are plastic but quite comfortable. A pair of small disposable earphones are provided by the company. The rooftop of the bus is divided into two parts: an open area and one cabin in front with air conditioning.
Check out my Youtube channel (link)
Buy ticket for the hop on hop off bus
If you want to buy a ticket for the Buenos Aires bus, you have two options.
One, you head to the main office at Florida 948 and buy the ticket there.
Second, you can buy your ticket online in advance. i strongly suggest buying the hop on hop off Buenos Aires bus ticket on their website and not third-party websites. On the website of the bus company, you can print the ticket and hop on everywhere you want.
When you buy the ticket on a third-party website, you need to go to the main office to turn the mobile pass into a paper one. Strange, but it’s like that?
For the Grayline city bus, you can buy your ticket online here.
TIP
- Don’t forget to put on a sun protector in spring and summer if you sit on the upper deck. It can be hot and sunny.
- Buy your tickets online here for the Buenos Aires tour bus.
- Take advantage of the hop-on and hop-off. Stop at some museums or places
The score
I rate it a 3,5 star on 5. Taking a public bus will get you everywhere but the upper-deck has its advantages.
19 Comments
I absolutely love the hop-on-hop-off bus experience in Buenos Aires! It’s such a fantastic way to explore the city’s vibrant culture and rich history at your own pace. I’ve had the pleasure of taking this tour myself, and it was a memorable adventure.
Hi Glen,
Thanks for this helpful Web Seite.
2 questions:
1) How much is a private Tour just for one day?
2) If we go with the yellow bus and buy the Tickets online, can we hop on everywher when we want to Start the Tour, or do we have to go to the Main Office first to get an official Ticket?
Hi Leon, a private tour depends on how long you want to have the tour. Mostly its around 3 hours. But if you want to have a private guided tour? Please contact me at info@secretsofbuenosaires.com 🙂
ABout the bus, you need to watch out for what the ticket mentions. For example on Get Your Guide you need to go to the head office to get the tickets after all. You can also book tickets directly on their website. Easier.
Hello Glenn
Thank you for your website.
I am trying to find maps and a list of stops the Hop On Hop Off buses in Buenos Aires.
Is there anywhere you can suggest?
Thank you
Bernie
Hi Bernie, I tried to create the map on my website because of the same reason. The maps you find on Google are outdated. The only thing they have are paper maps. But don’t have them right now with me :-/
Hi Glenn
This is Rakesh Shah from Atlanta, GA, USA. My wife and I will be in Buenos Aires 12 PM May 16 to 2 PM May 18.
Can you help us plan the itinerary to use our time best while we are in your beautiful city?
Hi Rakesh, thanks for visiting my website. I can recommend a private guide for two days to get the most out of your stay if you prefer?:-)
We are very disappointed. We bought the tickets and had to wait more than 1h to get in the bus. Next stop we had no possibility anymore to get in the bus. So we can’t recommend the busses
I will arrive AEP airport around noon time and like to take the tour bus in afternoon. Any way I can get on the tour bus from airport?
If I analyzed the map well there is no stop at the airport. It passes there but doesn’t stop.
Hi Glenn, I am a portena living in the US. My son and his bride are visiting BsAs next week. They asked me to prepare an itinerary for them. I am a bit at a loss because I know where I want them to visit but I don’t know how to design a schedule. Of course the Hop on Hop off is an important first step.
Any comments you can offer me? They’ll be staying in Belgrano.
My email is verabiro@comcast.net Thanks a lot for all your help.
Vera Biro
Hi Vera! Great that you contact me. I suggest downloading my phone app (available on Google Play and Apple Store). In the left menu you find day plannings 😀
Hi Glenn,
Thank you for the information. Can we purchase tickets from bus driver or somebody at the Teatro Collon stop? Can they accept cash payment? We are going to be in the city only one full day. Which line would you suggest to see the most? Thank you.
Roman
Hi Roman, you can buy tickets at the stand near the Obelisco. Normally cash and card payments are accepted. Both lines are more or less equal. The red line goes a bit further to the stadium of River Plate.
Hi Glen,
FYI it looks like the prices have terribly increased as it is now 6000AR$ for 24h and 7000AR$ for 48h.
Prices found on the official website.
Is it normal ?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Alex, Still with 100% inflation in Argentina… this is a big price increase. I updated the page. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi
How do you recommend to purchase the bus tickets online? I tried and its saying my card is invalid, and its an Americancard. Not sure what I am doing wrong.
Hi Christina, did you book online on the official website? Otherwise, Get Your Guide works too.
heyy editor,
wat een mooie website!! dank voor uw tips.
Ik zat naast je in het vliegtuig op weg naar BA. had natuurlijk even je whats app moeten vragen voor meer tips, maar natuurlijk vergeten…. mogelijk kan ik op deze manier nog met je in contact komen?
Groetjes Antoinet uit Nederland.