sightseeing tour

Meaning

A sightseeing tour is a planned journey, usually by bus, boat, or on foot, to visit the most famous and interesting places in a city or region. It is commonly used by tourists who want to see key landmarks quickly and learn about their history from a guide. The tone is neutral and highly practical for travel contexts.

Examples

• We booked a double-decker bus sightseeing tour of London for our first day.

  We booked a double-decker bus sightseeing tour of London for our first day.

• The hotel offers a guided sightseeing tour that covers all the major monuments.

  The hotel offers a guided sightseeing tour that covers all the major monuments.

• Taking a sightseeing tour is a great way to get your bearings in a new city.

  Taking a sightseeing tour is a great way to get your bearings in a new city.

• I found the walking sightseeing tour a bit exhausting but definitely worth it.

  I found the walking sightseeing tour a bit exhausting but definitely worth it.

• Our sightseeing tour was cut short because of a sudden heavy downpour.

  Our sightseeing tour was cut short because of a sudden heavy downpour.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We went on a sighting tour of Paris.

  ✓ We went on a sightseeing tour of Paris.

  The correct noun/adjective is 'sightseeing' (looking at sights), not 'sighting' (which means spotting something rare).

• ✗ I want to make a sightseeing tour tomorrow.

  ✓ I want to go on a sightseeing tour tomorrow.

  In English, we 'go on', 'take', or 'do' a tour, rather than 'make' a tour.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you only have one day in Rome, I highly recommend taking a ___.

  💡 A guided trip to see the main attractions

  Show answer

  sightseeing tour

• We bought tickets for an open-top bus ___ of the city.

  💡 A journey to view famous landmarks

  Show answer

  sightseeing tour