ðə sˈɪɾi sˈaɪtsiːɪŋ nˈeɪm wʌz fˈɜːst jˈuːzd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti tˈuː ˈæftɚ pˈiːɾɚ nˈuːmən jˈuːzd ɪt fɔːɹ hɪz sˈɪɾi kˈoʊtʃ lˈaɪnz kˈʌmpəni, wˌɪtʃ ɹˈæn tˈʊɹz ʌv lˈʌndən fˈoːɹ tˈaɪmz ɐ dˈeɪ.
The City Sightseeing name was first used in 1972 after Peter Newman used it for his City Coach Lines company, which ran tours of London four times a day.