When we lived in Northumberland and used to visit Newcastle we would always see the open top sightseeing bus driving around. We would always have to be somewhere or get home for something so we never really had the chance to go for a ride on it as much as we wanted to so when we had a little break away in Newcastle it was something we really wanted to do.
Explore the city on an open top bus with the Newcastle Gateshead Toon Tour! With the option to hop-on and hop-off at any stop along the route, it's the perfect way to sightsee in Newcastle and Gateshead!
Operated by Go North East the tour leaves from Newcastle's Central Station and takes a circular route that passes by some of the city's finest sights from the Quayside and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art to Newcastle Castle and St James' Park, plus many more!
The service runs from 10am until 5pm daily from late May until early September, then weekends only until October. There are 2 buses on the route so they come to each stop every 30 minutes.
How much is a Newcastle Gateshead Toon Tour bus ticket?
Adult, 1 day: £12.50
Concession / Student, 1 day: £10
Children under 16, 1 day: £6
Group (any 4 people), 1 day: £30
Adult, 3 day: £25
Concession/ Student, 3 day: £20
Children under 16, 3 day: £12.50
Group (any 4 people), 3 day: £50
These tickets also allow unlimited travel on all Go North East buses on the same day, including the AD122 Hadrian's Wall Bus.
We got on at Gateshead Quayside and the driver was very helpful and explained what the bus was all about and how the best way to experience the tour is to stay on for one whole lap and then get off at whatever stop interests you and then you can get back on and travel somewhere else in the city.
When we got on the bus we were in the middle of the bus but after a few minutes some people got off and we could sit at the back which had the best views.
There are speakers which play on-board commentary telling you all about what sights you are seeing and a bit of history about the city. Those voices are Steve and Karen from Metro Radio which really made me smile. Even though you are in a loud city and on an open topped bus it is loud enough to hear every word. There is also free WiFi onboard all the ToonTour buses which meant we could share the beautiful sights of the city straight away if we wanted!
Attractions and sights across Newcastle and Gateshead that you see includes:
St James' Park - the home of Newcastle United.
Great North Museum: Hancock.
The Laing Art Gallery.
The Biscuit Factory.
Ouseburn.
The Quayside.
Baltic - The Baltic is a centre for contemporary art.
The Millennium Bridge.
Sage Gateshead.
The Tyne Bridge.
Grey's Monument.
Grey Street - the street is regarded as the finest street, not just in Newcastle, but in the North.
Newcastle Castle.
We all loved riding on the Toon Tour bus. There is a lot more to see and a lot to learn from this tour, you get a fantastic view of everything being higher up than the street and you see things that you have never noticed before if you have previously visited the city.
We had been walking a lot so it was nice to rest our legs a bit on the tour and it was such a gorgeous day so the breeze on top of the bus was lovely apart from that I ended up with a little sunburn on my forehead.
The highlights for me were going over the Tyne Bridge. We don't drive so never get to experience that and visiting Ouseburn which I had never been to before. For some reason I thought it was miles away from Newcastle not just over the river and up the road. Stu of course loved seeing St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United.
It was well worth the money. We got on at Gateshead Quayside near the Baltic and did a full lap and got off at the central station. We did use it to get across the city later on in the day which was very useful. If we had have had more time we would have for sure gone to see the Angel of the North or visited the Metrocentre shopping centre.
Have you been on an open top bus tour before?
It looks like a great tour! And amazing value too, I've looked at other similar city bus tours and they are a lot more expensive!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like so much fun! I haven't been on an open top tour bus before but we have something called a duck tour-- it's a vehicle that can drive on streets and in the water and we've done two of those; one around Boston with our kids and one around Cape Cod with just my husband and I. They are fun and informative ways to learn more about each little area.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so fun! I have always wanted to ride an open top tour bus and I see them around the city when I visit. But the tickets are super expensive which is a shame. I just looked it up and at the moment the price start from $65.00!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun experience x
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