City Sightseeing Italy

City Sightseeing Italy: hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses in Italy

City Sightseeing Italy is the company that operates the City Sightseeing brand in Italy, specialising in city tours on red double-decker buses with a hop-on hop-off formula. The first tour of this kind began in Florence in 2003 and, since then, the company has expanded its activity across the country to operate in 11 Italian cities, with a fleet of around 100 buses and a workforce of more than 550 people.

The company presents itself as the national leader in the open-top double-decker bus segment. Its offering consists of predefined routes that cover the main tourist attractions, with stops near museums and points of interest, and multilingual commentary on board explaining the history and curiosities of each city.

How the hop-on hop-off service works

The hop-on hop-off formula allows you to get on and off the bus as many times as you wish with the same ticket. The ticket validity varies depending on the city chosen: 24, 48 or 72 hours. According to the company, this format offers an overview of the city and its attractions, and allows you to organise visits independently according to each traveller's preferences and schedule, without the burden of planning journeys between points of interest.

Tickets can be purchased online or directly on board, through a dedicated service available on all bus lines.

Destinations with confirmed presence

The website lists the following Italian cities and towns among its most popular destinations:

• Rome
• Florence
• Milan
• Naples
• Palermo
• Turin
• Verona
• Genoa
• Livorno
• Padua
• Messina
• Civitavecchia
• Portofino

Excursions, museums and experiences

In addition to city tours, the company sells excursions outside the city, museum visits, food and wine experiences and other tours and activities. This line of business operates under the Sightseeing Experience brand, created in 2014 with the aim of offering a 360-degree experience. The company notes that it initially focused on Italy and is working to gradually expand its offering to new international destinations.

Within this catalogue, Shore Experience stands out, a tailor-made excursion service for cruise passengers, designed to adapt to the needs of this type of traveller.

Mobile app, coupons and other services

The company offers users a mobile app that brings together its experiences, as well as coupons and a section with content and news. It also offers a newsletter with discounts for subscribers. The website includes dedicated channels for suppliers, resellers and promoters interested in collaborating with the company.

History and corporate structure

The company's tourism activity spans four generations. Its origins date back to 1928, when Florindo Maddii travelled through Tuscany with the first minibuses. Over time, the business evolved from coach rental to becoming a tourist transport operator, and since 2003 it has incorporated the City Sightseeing service in Italy.

The company listed on the website is Sightseeing Experience s.r.l., with registered address at Via Londra, 5 (Bomba industrial zone), 52022 Cavriglia (Arezzo). The registration shows tax code and VAT number 02193530512, share capital of 10,000.00 euros and REA number 168593.

Change of ownership

On 15 January 2026, City Sightseeing Italy became part of Busitalia (FS Group) with a 100% stake. The company frames this operation within a strategic project aimed at developing and strengthening integrated tourist mobility, with a focus on innovation, sustainability and enhancing the value of local areas. According to its own presentation, this incorporation consolidates its mission to offer high-quality tourist transport services and experiential solutions adapted to an increasingly intermodal and accessible tourism sector.

Location and contact

Via Londra, 5 (Bomba industrial zone) - 52022 Cavriglia (Ar)