Darwin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
4.5
Darwin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
By Big Bus Darwin
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Ages 5-99
Duration: 1h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Audio guide: English
More
- Choice of 24 hour or 48 hour pass
- Pre-recorded commentary
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Admission
- Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5010DARWIN- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infants aged 0 to 4 years travel free of charge
- Most travellers can participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5010DARWIN
From
AU$47.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- 307kamalp0 contributionsWas extremely usefulIt was a very useful service for us to travel to the important attractions and to appreciate the beauty of Darwin. It covered almost all-important centres in the Darwin city and we were able to join the bus at a stop close to the Crocosaurus cove purchasing our tickets from the Crocosaurus cove counter. Bus drivers were very friendly and there was a fine commentary with an educational value about Darwin. After seeing Crocosaurus cove we were able to spend a fair time at the Museum and Art gallery (MAGNT) and the Darwin Military Museum using “Big bus” as our mode of travel to them. The bus route passed stretches of the ocean front and this area was extremely beautiful.Written 11 September 2024
- 618malj0 contributionsHighly recommended to see the highlights of Darwin.Excellent way to get around Darwin and get your bearings for the rest of your stay. Stops at heaps of the tourist spots and points of interest. We visited the Art Gallery and Military Museam using the bus, and revisited other areas on other days as you don't have time to do them all in a day.Written 10 May 2023
- Lynne S0 contributionsEasy way to see DarwinThe driver's were friendly, helpful and made it easy to see Darwin. Natural air-conditioning LOL with shade upstairs. Good commentary and value for money.Written 9 November 2022
- Kay B0 contributionsTop Marks for the Darwin Hop On, Hop Off Big BusI chose to buy the 48 hour bus ticket and bought my senior’s ticket from the Booth at Stop One. The driver was super helpful explaining the options when I was deciding on my purchase and recommended the purchase of tickets for attractions I planned to visit over the two days. This proved to be a great choice as the line up to purchase tickets at some of the attractions was quite long. Every driver was courteous and readily provided assistance to those requiring help to enter or exit the bus. They also clearly explained the times for pick up, drop off and location even though the brochure clearly displayed the timetable. On the first morning a heavy shower saturated the top level seats so the driver quickly provided a chamois and the seats were soon dry, ready for departure. Up top there was a great view and often a cooling breeze which was most welcome. Downstairs was very popular as it was air conditioned, a must on 36 degrees days. The bus is great value, takes you to the major sites, and even provides a 5pm service on Thursday evenings to the Mindil Beach Markets. The commentary was interesting, informative and often presented with Top End humour. I’d highly recommend taking the bus if you don’t have your own transport or would prefer just to sit back and relax.Written 9 October 2022
- travelvoice0 contributionsWell priced and really good value.This is dead easy to do. Worth a full circuit to get oriented, then jump on and off at the places you like. Well priced, so it's really good value.Written 30 June 2022
- Vee19630 contributionsTrip around Darwin cityGreat thing to do to get your bearings first and then get off and explore, there are about 12 stops on the loop, they play an audio telling all about the things that have happened in the past as you are driving by, very interesting.Written 17 May 2022
- waynebooth500 contributionsThe Darwin Big Bus tour with commentary. Hop on & Off tour . Thumbs up 👍Great Way to accustom yourself to The Sights Of Darwin City. Commentary on the bus to improve your knowledge of the sights. A worthwhile day of touring.Written 30 April 2022
- DianneC5160 contributionsOlder busesIn their promotional material the Darwin Big Bus vehicle looks quite modern. The one that arrived at our stop was far from it. Air conditioning means open the window, and in the Darwin heat you really want that breeze. The stairs to the open upper deck were beyond my knees - and many others I imagine. Deep and steep! I was off a cruise ship in Darwin for the day, when we paid $37.50 each for a whole-day ticket. But there was still only one bus an hour, which meant that we spent a lot of time standing in the hot sun waiting for the next bus to arrive. This is not the bus to take if you expect to do any shopping in the town. It doesn’t have a shopping area stop. But there is a local bus stop quite near the cruise terminal. The Big Bus route includes the main tourist destinations. Considering that two of them are quite a way out of town probably the $37.50 fare is cheaper than a taxi.Written 4 December 2019
- Colcata450 contributionsShort & ExpensiveWe had a once interrupted - at the museum - 70 minutes round trip of the city which was ok. But in view of the heat and humidity the bus should have at least downstairs ac, such as you find f.e. in Singapore. In view of all A$ 40 per person is quite expensive. More so I wonder what tourists do when not speaking English.Written 24 November 2019
- Muchtravelled9820 contributionsWet season comes too earlywe were in Darwin oct 1 and booked the Big Bus. very good way to see the sights of Darwin IF you plan it propberly, otherwise you will wait a long time for next connection. We followes a route suggested by one of your members. Oct 1st was a bad day, 1st day of wet season timetable where buses run at 1 hour intervals in morning and 90 min intervals in the afternoon. 90 mins is way to far apart. especially at some stop over points where 1/2 and hour is long enough. Buses were very busy and ran late due to so many passengers buying tickets on the bus. drivers were very friendly and courteous.Written 9 October 2019
- John F0 contributionsWrong destinationWe booked and paid back in June so we could be very organised with this and other tours of Darwin. The Departure Point on the website ( we were told after we caught an Uber) was wrong due to noone changing this and therefore we had to wait an hour in the hot sun for the bus to come.Written 30 September 2019
- chriswomble0 contributionsHop on and hop off bus.The best way to see Darwin. Nice and cool with natural air con and plenty of sights to see. The commentary is informative and the drivers friendly.Written 26 September 2019
- kbower20160 contributionsA great way to see DarwinThe convenience of being able to hop on - hop off to explore Darwin is a major factor in enjoying this facility. The top deck is sheltered so sun screen is not necessary. The commentary is both informative and light hearted.Written 8 September 2019
- Andy W0 contributionsBrilliant for tourists.Bought a premium ticket (2 days and entry to 2 exhibits). Hop on and hop off whenever you want is so handy. It goes by many of the exhibits and displays around Darwin. Top deck was great with a nice breeze all the time. Thoroughly recommend it.Written 7 September 2019
- Taurangahawk0 contributionsExtremely good.This service is so easy to use, as it says, once you have your ticket you just hop on and off at the different stops. The attractions are very well explained by the running commentary so there is no excuse for not being aware that it is coming up.Written 26 August 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
184 reviews
Excellent
99
Very good
62
Average
13
Poor
1
Terrible
9
Maria B
Darwin, Australia35 contributions
Jan 2021
We are Darwin locals and absolutely loved the Bus Tour. We did the loop with the kids and didn’t get off. We enjoyed going around Darwin, sitting on the top deck, seeing the sights of our city. The commentary was enjoyable to listen to and we even found out facts about our city that we didn’t know. It’s a great way to see the city. Have done these types of tours around the world and would highly recommend. I would do it again in the dry season next time, and get off at some of the sights to show the kids properly.
Written 24 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words and support Maria,
Look forward to seeing you and the kids in the dry.
Written 5 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
kthomas013
Little Falls, NJ47 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
It is a double decker bus, quite hot! But it takes you all over the city of Darwin and stops at or near many of the main attratctions. Get a map as you enter. You can purchase your ticket on the bus and it can be good for either 3 hrs or 24 hrs. You can get on and off at any of the 12 stops it makes. Good narration of the area. Nice over view. Stay on for the whole loop and then go around again, getting off at the places that work for you. Whole loop takes about 1.5 hrs. It was a quick and easy way to find out about the town. Lower level is air conditioned. Upper level is not
Written 1 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AussieGlennB
Victoria, Australia428 contributions
I thought this was great way to get around Darwin’s main tourist areas. As car hire is so expensive this was a cost effective way to get on and off around some of the town’s highlights. The buses ran about every 35 mins. The map provided with a timetable was very useful.
Written 2 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma
Greater Perth, Australia11 contributions
We came via cruise ship. Midafternoon. Bought tickets $84 for the both of us (pensioners discount price)!
We asked the person who sold us the tickets if they stop at the museum. The answer was yes, but failed to mention that we probably will be short on time. We didn’t get off at any other stop but the museum only to realize that the museum would close in 1/2 hour at 4pm and even worse, last hop on hop off was 4.25pm from the museum. There would have been some more stops we would have hoped off, but they also closed 4pm.
So, you happily took our money, knowing very well we couldn’t utilize the tickets.
So if you come via cruise in the afternoon, don’t buy a ticket, it’s a total waste of money!!
We asked the person who sold us the tickets if they stop at the museum. The answer was yes, but failed to mention that we probably will be short on time. We didn’t get off at any other stop but the museum only to realize that the museum would close in 1/2 hour at 4pm and even worse, last hop on hop off was 4.25pm from the museum. There would have been some more stops we would have hoped off, but they also closed 4pm.
So, you happily took our money, knowing very well we couldn’t utilize the tickets.
So if you come via cruise in the afternoon, don’t buy a ticket, it’s a total waste of money!!
Written 15 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
goblin54
Plymouth, UK237 contributions
Mar 2023
This is a good way to get to some of the outlying attractions in Darwin if you don’t have a car & see some more of the city. However it is quite expensive at $42 for a senior for 24 hours. We only hopped off at two of the stops & I’m not sure too many of the other stops get used much. The bus runs every hour in the morning & every 90 minutes in the afternoon. Good option when the weather is bad.
Written 14 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lulubarro
Adelaide, Australia51 contributions
July 2021
We do this at every city we visit, and always find it valuable to help decide what attractions we want to go back and investigate. Darwin’s bus was no exception. Excellent commentary and an easy way to get your bearings…
Written 7 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RRB2389
Melbourne, Australia55 contributions
June 2022
This is a good way to see Darwin city and get your bearings. A one day ticket is enough. Because the whole circuit takes 45 minutes it is not a quick way to get from one point to the next in the city - better take a taxi! Also, by the second day the canned commentary starts to wear thin and become irritating.
Written 30 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter C
Dunsborough, Australia311 contributions
Sept 2021
The Darwin HOHO is like all others around the world - it's a great way to orient yourself to the city when you first arrive. The drivers were friendly, the commentary interesting, and the timings well structured to hop off at a couple of the more popular attractions. We did two loops to get a good feel for Darwin.
Written 15 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ringo1
Richmond, VA87 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Bought our tickets on line and arrived in Darwin via cruise ship.the lines to board the buses where crazy, understandable considering almost 3k people where on board the ship and no doubt a lot where going to use Big Red Bus!
No-one seemed to have a clue what was going on and obviously the guys running the show were not given any heads up there was a cruise ship on the way! Lines of people asking questions and reps just walking away as if to throw their hands up in the air plus hour long waits to board a bus we decided to just walk into town and have a look around, We did eventually get a bus but to be honest it was a waste of time and money would have used my time better to have just stayed aboard the ship relaxing!
No-one seemed to have a clue what was going on and obviously the guys running the show were not given any heads up there was a cruise ship on the way! Lines of people asking questions and reps just walking away as if to throw their hands up in the air plus hour long waits to board a bus we decided to just walk into town and have a look around, We did eventually get a bus but to be honest it was a waste of time and money would have used my time better to have just stayed aboard the ship relaxing!
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Iain F
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
Tour was OK but commentary difficult to hear as it was an old bus without headphones. Convenient that tour stops at cruise terminal but inconvenient in that the queue was more than 1 whole bus full, so further 20 minutes or so waiting in the heat for the next bus. App for the Big Bus Tours doesn't include Darwin maps so can't have live location of buses or details of stops. You can book tickets for Darwin via the app but it isn't one of the options if you want to "change cities" (it isn't listed). Maybe this is a work in progress...
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How frequently do the buses run, please? Is there a timetable to download?
Written 5 August 2023
The service operates Mon-Sat, starting at 9am
red ticket booth near the Information Centre cnr of Smith and Bennetts Streets and the last bus leaves there at 4.15pm. The morning route runs for 70mins and the afternoon route goes to another point of interest and runs for 90mins. It runs continuously and you can get on at any point and buy tickets from the driver. The map is numbered. There is an example of the red route and times on the big bus tours website.
Written 6 August 2023
can i use a48 hour ticket on the monday of the next weekone day ticket on saturday of the first ticket
Written 4 July 2022
Yes. When you buy the ticket they will write the two dates on it
Written 6 July 2022
Would like a map of the tour and approximate times between each trip please.
Written 19 February 2022
Was pre covid but things may have changed. Suggest email the company
Written 20 February 2022
We have a booking for two on 6th Aug but will not be travelling now due to Covid until Sept. We want to use the Big Bus now on 10th Sep., so can we still use the ticket barcode (JFM2Q) you have already emailed us?
Dave
Written 31 July 2021
norma c
Dubbo, Australia
I need to cancel this booking due to the covid lock down.
Written 30 July 2021
The bus tour seems to be available to Brooke during only on Friday in June. Is this correct?
Written 27 February 2021
From memory, the first bus leaves around 9am. They run frequently.
Written 11 February 2020
Can you buy tickets from the driver
Written 12 September 2019
When we visited in March of this year we got the bus at the cruise terminal and paid the driver for our tickets.
Written 13 September 2019
Showing results 1-10 of 17