The 13 Christmas Bus Tours in London That Earn Their Price

1.London: Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5,410 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $33Our pick

Spend 60 to 90 minutes touring London’s festive lights with an English-speaking guide such as Brennan, Shaun, Ethan, or Emma. See Regent Street, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, and the London Eye from an open-top bus. Choose an upper-deck view or the warmer lower deck, and dress for winter weather.

“This was a great way to see the Christmas lights in London! We sat on the top of the bus in the covered part which made for a great view but kept us warm. Our guide was funny and informative. We were stuck in traffic for a bit but still had a great time. Highly recommend!”

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2.London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,040 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $41

Ride from the London Eye through The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Fortnum & Mason, and Big Ben. A live English-speaking guide provides history, jokes, and festive facts during the 60 to 90 minute loop. Arrive early for the best chance of an open-top seat, and dress warmly.

“Very nice live guide. He was lovely, fun and very good speaker . It was a cold evening, but we did not feel it during our journey- enjoyed unique information about Christmas in London- traditions, buildings, lights!”

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3.London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,132 reviews · 1h 15m · from $37

Ride through central London for 75 minutes on an original 1960s Routemaster. Your English-speaking guide adds jokes, music, and history as you pass Oxford Street, Regent Street, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, major department stores, and seasonal displays. Top-deck seating is guaranteed, but seats are first come, first served.

“Really enjoyed this trip. Great way to see the Xmas lights. Our guide, Ben, was informative and funny imbibing the fun and ambiance of Xmas. Could highly recommend this trip 👍”

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4.London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 770 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $48

Board an open-top 1960s Routemaster at Embankment for a 90-minute Christmas lights tour through London’s West End. An English-speaking guide such as Rory, Lola or Katie shares festive facts while music plays onboard. Expect Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben and the London Eye, with an optional drop-off at Trafalgar Square.

“We all really enjoyed the tour and Lola was a great guide.”

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5.London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 245 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

Ride through central London for 90 minutes on a restored vintage double-decker, passing Oxford Street, Regent Street, Knightsbridge, Big Ben, Westminster, and Trafalgar Square. An English-speaking guide provides live commentary, with guides such as Clive, Toby, and Frank praised for humor and local detail. Upper-deck seating is not guaranteed.

“Good idea. Ended well. Company needs to have better back up plans when equipment fails.”

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6.London: Christmas Lights Santa Sleigh Open-Top Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 233 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

You’ll spend 90 minutes on an English-led open-top bus tour from Embankment, passing the Strand, St James’s, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Whitehall, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Festive music plays onboard, though the upper deck can be cold and music may be hard to hear there. Finish at Trafalgar Square or return to Embankment.

“Quand on se trouve en haut du bus, la musique ne fonctionne pas. Le trajet est extrêmement court et dans les embouteillages. Un prix exorbitant (160 euros pour 5 personnes). Une véritable arnaque. Un conseil : prenez le bus 453 ; il fait le même trajet ; on voit très bien les illuminations et cela ne coûte pas grand-chose.”

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7.London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 135 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes (approx.) · from $43

See London at Christmas from a restored 50-year-old double-decker bus, passing Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Harrods, and more. Guides such as John, Steve, and Magnus add London stories and humor. The open upper deck offers the best views, but bring warm layers.

“The guide on the bus gave a very informative commentary. This tour was much more than a Christmas lights tour in our opinion.”

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8.London: Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 134 reviews · 1 hour · from $41

Ride the upper deck of a yellow See London by Night bus for a one-hour Christmas lights tour. An English-speaking guide points out Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Westminster, and Mayfair. The route begins near the Ritz Hotel and Green Park station.

“It was severely impacted by NY Day road closures which hadn’t been allowed for. The tour ran much longer than expected and still didn’t get to some of the sights listed. We also had to get off the tour on the other side of London and make our own way back.”

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9.Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $67

Spend 90 minutes on a panoramic London coach tour with Christmas afternoon tea, including smoked turkey, salmon, scones, and sweet treats. Guides such as Megan, Anthony, Andy, Oliver, and Betsy have been praised for lively commentary. The route features Regent Street and Oxford Street, with pickup near Victoria and no hotel transfers.

“deux bémols : on ne savait pas trop où était le rdv - uniquement explications en anglais. pour le reste, top :-)”

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10.Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 31 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $39

See London’s Christmas lights from an open-top bus on a one-hour evening ride from Green Park. A live English-speaking guide points out festive streets, famous buildings, and unusual city facts. The upper deck offers the best views, but it can be cold, and heavy traffic may affect the route and timing.

“Cool and very enjoyable night. Christmas lights was nice and the tour guide was great with the commentary”

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11.Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 20 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $66

You’ll ride a branded PG Tips double-decker from Evan Evans Tours on a 90-minute evening route past Big Ben, Parliament, the Thames, Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Harrods. An English-speaking guide, onboard chef, Christmas afternoon tea, and Prosecco or mulled wine are included. Front upper-deck seats offer the clearest views.

“The tour was very good. The tea was excellent and the guide was really sweet.”

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12.London Christmas Day 1 Day Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $80

Spend Christmas Day seeing London from an open-top hop-on, hop-off bus. Your one-day ticket covers the bus and onboard Wi-Fi, with stops around London, Holland Park Avenue, Notting Hill Gate, and Bayswater Road. The tour is in English and does not include a river cruise, walking tour, food, or attraction entry.

“What a wonderful way to see the sites of London! we enjoyed this tour very much and saw many things that were incredible”

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13.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus in London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $38Top rated

Ride an open-top vintage bus for about 90 minutes through central London at Christmas. You will see Oxford Street’s 5,000 LED stars, Regent Street’s angel lights, Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square’s Norwegian tree. Christmas music plays on board. Depart from Embankment Stop 40B and return there.

“Friendly service. Bus was waiting exactly where it said it would be, and it was very easy to find. Overall we had a great experience.”

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