First 23 Bus: Start of Service

The first 23 of the day from every stop on the route

Up early for a flight or an early shift? The first 23 bus of the day leaves Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace at 00:19 towards Aldwych / Drury Lane (Mon-Thu). The tables below show the scheduled first 23 departure from every stop, in each direction, for each day of the week. Stop names link to the full 23 timetable with every departure of the day.

To Aldwych / Drury Lane

Stop	Mon-Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace E	00:19	00:19	00:19	00:21
Paddington Station H	00:21	00:21	00:21	00:23
St Mary's Hospital P	00:21	00:21	00:21	00:23
Edgware Road / Praed Street ED	00:23	00:23	00:23	00:25
George Street EH	00:25	00:25	00:25	00:27
Marble Arch Station / Edgware Road H	00:28	00:28	00:28	00:30
Marble Arch Station / Park Lane R	00:29	00:29	00:29	00:31
Dorchester Hotel S	00:31	00:31	00:31	00:33
London Hilton Hotel B	00:32	00:32	00:32	00:34
Old Park Lane / Hard Rock Cafe C	00:35	00:35	00:35	00:37
Green Park Station J	00:38	00:38	00:38	00:40
Old Bond Street / Royal Academy L	00:40	00:40	00:40	00:42
Piccadilly Circus B	00:41	00:41	00:41	00:43
Haymarket / Jermyn Street R	00:44	00:44	00:44	00:46
Trafalgar Square B	00:46	00:46	00:46	00:48
Charing Cross Stn / Trafalgar Square E	00:48	00:48	00:48	00:50
Southampton Street / Covent Garden A	00:50	00:50	00:50	00:52
Aldwych / Drury Lane E	00:52	00:52	00:52	00:54

To Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace

Stop	Mon-Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Aldwych / Bush House H	00:03	00:03	00:03	00:03
Savoy Street U	00:04	00:04	00:04	00:04
Bedford Street J	00:05	00:05	00:05	00:05
Charing Cross Station H	00:07	00:07	00:07	00:07
Trafalgar Square S	00:10	00:10	00:10	00:10
Regent Street / St James's Z	00:13	00:13	00:13	00:13
Piccadilly Circus S	00:15	00:15	00:15	00:15
Old Bond Street / Royal Academy G	00:16	00:16	00:16	00:16
Green Park Station H	00:18	00:18	00:18	00:18
Green Park / Constitution Hill E	00:20	00:20	00:20	00:20
London Hilton Hotel Y	00:24	00:24	00:24	00:24
Dorchester Hotel T	00:25	00:25	00:25	00:25
Marble Arch Station / Park Lane W	00:27	00:27	00:27	00:27
Marble Arch / Edgware Road E	00:29	00:29	00:29	00:29
Burwood Place EK	00:32	00:32	00:32	00:32
Sussex Gardens ES	00:33	00:33	00:33	00:33
St Mary's Hospital G	00:35	00:35	00:35	00:35
Paddington Station F	00:36	00:36	00:36	00:36
Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace D	00:38	00:38	00:38	00:38

Times are TfL's scheduled first departures from each stop in the given direction; the final stop's time is an arrival. Columns cover the days shown in their heading, and the highlighted column is today. On busy mornings buses can run a few minutes later than scheduled, so allow a small buffer if the first bus matters for a connection.

First 23 bus FAQs

What time is the first 23 bus?

The first 23 bus leaves Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace at 00:19 towards Aldwych / Drury Lane (Mon-Thu). From Aldwych / Bush House the first bus is at 00:03. Use the tables above for the first bus from any stop on the route.

What time is the first 23 bus on a Sunday?

On Sundays the first 23 bus leaves Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace at 00:21. Sunday service usually starts later than on weekdays, so check the Sun column above for your stop.

Does the 23 run all night?

Yes. The 23 is a 24-hour route, so buses keep running through the night and there is no real "first bus". The times above are the first departures of each service day. Overnight buses usually run less often than during the day.

Where does the first 23 bus start from?

The 23 starts from Paddington Stn / Eastbourne Terrace and runs to Aldwych / Drury Lane, and in the other direction from Aldwych / Bush House. Buses reach stops along the route a few minutes after leaving the start, and the tables above show the scheduled first departure at every stop.

Planning the other end of the day?

See every 23 departure and the last bus from your stop, or check live arrivals while you wait.

Full 23 timetable → Live 23 arrivals →