CHRISTMAS IN THE UK

Christmas Lights Tours in the UK: Our 15 Picks for December

50 tours  ·  from $10 a head

A festive trip always has one evening too few. These 15 christmas lights tours in the UK earn the slot, priced and timed so you can decide quickly and get back to the mulled wine.

London: Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide - The route through Regent Street and Oxford Street
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London: Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

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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London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide - The Strand and the fairy lights near the Savoy
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London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide

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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London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top - Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and London after dark
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London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

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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London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus - Trafalgar Square, St James’s and Piccadilly Circus
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London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus

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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London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus - Oxford Street: London’s brightest shopping corridor
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London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

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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London: Christmas Lights Santa Sleigh Open-Top Tour - Starting at Embankment Station
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London: Christmas Lights Santa Sleigh Open-Top Tour

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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London: Tootbus Christmas Lights Tour incl walking tours - Starting at 1 Coventry Street
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London: Tootbus Christmas Lights Tour incl walking tours

7.London: Tootbus Christmas Lights Tour incl walking tours

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 227 reviews · from $45

This one-hour Tootbus ride begins at 1 Coventry Street and loops past Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Soho, Oxford Street, Marble Arch, and Grosvenor Square. You get a live English guide, audio commentary in 10 languages, Wi-Fi, festive music, and app-based walking tours. Expect traffic, so treat it as a seasonal overview rather than a full sightseeing tour.

“Not great if you don't speak English. We are bothered by the noise the guide makes with his microphone and we can't hear the audio through the headphones which barely work. We also spend more time in traffic jams and are stuck in place for an hour, in short I don't recommend it.”

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London: Christmas Lights & Bites Tour - Starting beside the Thames at Embankment
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London: Christmas Lights & Bites Tour

8.London: Christmas Lights & Bites Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 183 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $60

Ride a decorated vintage Routemaster through London’s Christmas lights, from Oxford Street and Regent Street to Big Ben and the London Eye. Your English-speaking guide, including hosts such as Will, Lola, or Tamerin, shares stories while you enjoy sweet and savoury bites plus tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or soft drinks.

“I had such an amazing time. The open top design gave stunning views of Big Ben, Tower Bridge, St Pauls and other iconic landmarks. Our guide was so friendly and engaging, she had lots of interesting facts and stories all about London. This tour is great if you want a complete tour of the city. The bus is beautiful, people stopped to take photos as we went past!”

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London: Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus - Oxford Street: London’s brightest shopping corridor
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London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

9.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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London: Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour - Regent Street adds grander architecture
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London: Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

10.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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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music - Neal’s Yard and a quick photo stop
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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music

11.London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 118 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $40Top rated

Join a 1-hour-45-minute guided Christmas walk through central London with silent disco headphones, festive music, and stories. You’ll see Oxford Street, Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials, Leicester Square, Regent Street, and Soho. Guide Kris has earned warm praise for bringing energy to this sing-along evening. The tour starts and ends at 2 Rathbone Street.

“The guides were amazing and made this tour! We saw a lot of lights but what really made it were the people! I highly recommend to anyone who wants to see London in a fun way!”

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Christmas at Warwick Castle - Light Trail & Ice Skating Packages - What the castle adds to the Christmas setting
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Christmas at Warwick Castle – Light Trail & Ice Skating Packages

12.Christmas at Warwick Castle – Light Trail & Ice Skating Packages

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 95 reviews · from $32Best value

Spend about six hours at Warwick Castle after dark, following a fully accessible Christmas light trail through the grounds. Expect glowing trees, projections on the castle walls, a Nutcracker-style entrance, festive food, a Christmas market, and optional ice skating beneath the towers. Santa visits and other child-focused activities may require separate packages.

“We visited Warwick Castle and booked the light trail for late December/New Year. We have visited quite a few times before, and we normally have a nice time. It’s definitely worth booking if in the area.”

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London Christmas Lights Private Tour by Traditional Black Cab - Meeting your driver and settling into the cab
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London Christmas Lights Private Tour by Traditional Black Cab

13.London Christmas Lights Private Tour by Traditional Black Cab

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Ride through Mayfair, Chelsea, Belgravia, and Kensington in a private London black cab, stopping for photos beside festive displays and famous sights. Your driver-guide, including guides such as Steve, Andrew, Gordon, or Greg, adds local stories and can finish at your hotel or Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland.

“Excellent tour & history of the city! This is the 2nd time I've taken this private tour of Christmas lights & this was even better with more stops & points of interest. Justin was so fun, knowledgeable & easy going. You will never be able to see everything on your own nor will you even know where to go. I know this is an expensive trip but it is well worth it to see everything up close & the comfort of a warm, dry taxi!”

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London: Christmas Lights Tour, Mince Pies, & Festive Drinks - Starting in Victoria at 5:30 or 7:30 PM
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London: Christmas Lights Tour, Mince Pies, & Festive Drinks

14.London: Christmas Lights Tour, Mince Pies, & Festive Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 82 reviews · 1h 30m · from $43

Join Golden Tours’ 90-minute Christmas bus ride from Victoria. You’ll pass Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, and Regent Street while Christmas music plays. The fare includes a mince pie, shortbread, water, and two drinks, with mulled wine for adults and hot chocolate for children.

“We enjoyed it but were expecting a singalong but the music wasn’t up to much which spoilt it somewhat The couple behind and the three in front of us were up for a sing song but the music was so slow everyone lost interest Everyone loves a bit of Rudolph the red nose reindeer and frosty the snowman no matter how old you are! If the music was more upbeat and cheery I would definitely be recommending it to everyone - never heard Feliz Navidad sung so slow! The mince pies and mulled wine were included but we were pleasantly surprised by the glass of Prosecco”

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Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine - Covent Garden: the natural starting point
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Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine

15.Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $62

Walk from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square with an English-speaking guide, passing festive lights, markets, craft stalls, and tucked-away corners of central London. The 90-minute tour includes hot spiced mulled wine and a group of no more than 10 people. Guides have included Tom, Henry, Carlos, and Jack.

“Henry was awesome we had a great time on his tour and thank you for treating us to cider. One feedback would be to add one more Christmas Market to the tour if possible.”

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