London Christmas Lights Tour Prices

The lights are free; what you pay for is how you see them. The fares run from $29.69 for a bus seat to $620.27 for a black cab for the evening, and the unit changes too: some are per person, some per group. This guide sets out what each kind of evening costs, what it includes and what it leaves out, so you can compare London Christmas lights bus tours with the cabs and the walks on equal terms.

Are the lights free?

Yes. Every street display hangs over a public street, and you can walk under it at any hour without a ticket. A tour buys you a seat, a cab, a guide or a route, never entry. The same is true of the tree in the square. The light trails are different: those are ticketed, and they are at the end of this guide.

What does each tour cost, per head?

Here is every fare, with what each of you pays if two of you go and if six do. A per-person fare stays the same whoever joins you; a group fare shrinks as the group grows.

Fares are the adult fares from the booking pages. Child fares, where offered, are lower; the booking page shows yours when you pick a date.

What does a bus seat cost?

$29.69 to $59.65 a person. The Routemaster is the cheapest, at $29.69 for 75 minutes, and the only bus that promises a top-deck seat. The open-top bus from the wheel costs $40.45 for 60 to 90 minutes, the vintage double-decker $43.15 for up to two hours, and the bites bus $59.65, with a hot drink and festive snacks. For two people the cheapest bus comes to $59.38. The buses are compared on London Christmas lights bus tours.

What does a black cab cost per person?

It depends how many share it. Each cab is priced for up to six: $372.16 to $620.27 for the cab. Split six ways, the lowest comes to $62.03 each and the highest to $103.38. Split two ways, the lowest is $186.08 each.

So a cab is a group purchase. For a couple it costs several times the bus; for six, about the same as a seat on the dearest bus. The cabs are compared on private London Christmas lights tours.

What does a walk cost?

$51.91 to $133.49 a person on a group walk. The silent-disco walk is the cheapest, at $51.91. The markets walk and the walk from Covent Garden cost $60.68 each; the first includes a glass of mulled wine. The Christmas Carol walk costs $120.01, and the lights and bites walk $133.49, with snacks, a light meal and Christmas cake. The walks are compared on London Christmas lights walking tours.

Per person or per group: which is cheaper?

For one to three people, per person. For four to six, look at the group fares. The private walk from the opera house costs $242.71 for up to ten: $60.68 each for four, and $24.27 each for ten. The private walk with a Londoner costs $262.94 for up to eight. The private walk from Bond Street is the exception: it is private but priced per person, at $114.62.

What is included?

The tour itself, always: the seat, the cab or the walk, and a guide or a guide-driver. Some add more:

• A hot drink and festive snacks on the bites bus.
• A glass of mulled wine on the markets walk.
• Snacks, a light meal and Christmas cake on the lights and bites walk.
• A coffee or tea on the private walk from Bond Street.
• Bottled water in the three-hour cab; Wi-Fi and parking in the cab from your address.
• A bike, a helmet and a Santa hat on the bike ride.

What is extra?

Food and drink, on most. The open-top bus and the Routemaster list food and drinks as extra, and so does the cab from your address for coffee or tea. The private walk from the opera house lists snacks and alcoholic drinks as extra, and the walk from Bond Street leaves out transport and rain gear. You also pay your own way to the start, except in a cab, which collects you.

Does a dearer tour score better?

Not always. The top scores are spread across the price range. The markets walk holds 5.0 at $60.68, and the Christmas Carol walk 5.0 at $120.01. The four-hour guided cab, the dearest fare here, also scores 5.0. The Routemaster, the cheapest, holds 4.0 from 1,137 reviews.

What you pay more for is length, privacy and extras, not a better view of the same lights. A two-hour walk with a guide who knows the streets is the best value for most couples. For a family of six, the cab is. For a big group of friends, the private walk for ten costs least a head.

Do children pay less?

On some tours. The open-top bus lets children under 5 ride free on a lap, without a seat, and sells a child fare from 5. Several walks sell a child fare too. A cab or a private walk costs the same whoever fills it, so there a child is free in effect. The markets walk takes no children at all: it is for adults 18 and over. More is in the lights with children.

Should you tip?

It is up to you. The black cab from your hotel, the cab from your address, the vintage double-decker and the private walks list gratuities as not included, and the walk from Covent Garden calls a tip optional. If your guide made the evening, a tip is the usual thanks.

When is a cab cheaper than the bus?

Almost never per head, but it comes close with six. The lowest cab at $62.03 each for six is a little more than the bites bus at $59.65 and about half as much again as the open-top bus at $40.45. What the extra buys is a pickup, a warm seat and your own route. For a family of six with small children, many would call that cheaper in every way that matters.

What do the light trails cost?

The ticketed trails price in pounds, on their own sites. Christmas at Kew starts at £25.50, a timed ticket separate from daytime entry. The Chelsea trail in Ranelagh Gardens costs £18 to £29.95 for an adult, and its tickets are non-refundable. Hampton Court's Winter Palace is included in palace admission. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is free to enter online when you spend £25 in one transaction. Details are on the light trails.

What if you cancel?

Each tour listed refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before it starts; inside those 24 hours the fare is not refunded. That makes booking early cheap insurance for December, when the best evenings go first. Which evenings those are is on the best time to see the lights.

Frequently asked questions

The lowest fare of each kind

London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

A 1960s open-top Routemaster for 75 minutes, a top-deck seat promised, from outside the Grand Hotel by Charing Cross.

From $29 per person

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Magical Christmas Lights in London: Private Black Cab Tour

A private London taxi for up to six from a central pickup, for two and a half hours with short stops on foot, and infant seats listed.

From $372 per group (up to 6)

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London Christmas Lights Private Guided Taxi Tour

Three hours in a private cab for up to six, with bottled water, finishing wherever suits you in central London.

From $411 per group (up to 6)

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