★★★★★
The open-top bus from the London Eye
A good chance to see the city and the best of the displays, with history, jokes and facts in the mix.
Reagan_J · December 2025
London Christmas Lights Tour Reviews
What travellers wrote after an evening on a top deck, in a black cab, on foot with headphones or on a bike under the lights. Comparing the ways to take a festive lights tour of London? The operators' own ratings and fares sit side by side below.
What travellers said afterwards
These are travellers' own accounts, paraphrased, each tagged with the tour it belongs to. Most are five stars, but not all: a bus stop a map app could not find, a cab evening lost to traffic, a small cab with fogged windows, a start point moved by email on the day and a food walk with few lights are all here. They tell you what to check before you book.
The bus reviews say the same two things again and again: it is cold on top, and traffic sets the pace. The cab reviews praise the photo stops and the driver's stories. On the walks the complaint is the crowd, and the advice is comfortable shoes.
★★★★★
The open-top bus from the London Eye
A lot learned from a funny guide; good for every age, and sit on top.
Janet_H · December 2025
★★★★★
The open-top bus from the London Eye
Informative all the way round; a little cold at night, but the lights were beautiful.
Govind_B · December 2025
★★★★☆
The open-top bus from the London Eye
Stuck in traffic most of the way, but still a good time under beautiful lights.
Kimberly_H · December 2025
★★☆☆☆
The open-top bus from the London Eye
The meeting point was hard to find by map app, and a bus swap before the start cost half an hour and the good seats; the guide was the best part.
Troyce_H · December 2025
★★★★★
The black cab from your hotel
Laughing and learning the whole way round; a good way to see the lights when it is cold and crowded.
mary_s · December 2024
★★★★★
The black cab from your hotel
The lights are spread across the city, so a private cab is the easiest way to see them.
Sandee_H · December 2024
★★★★★
The black cab from your hotel
Stops along the way for photos, and a driver who made the evening.
Graham_W · December 2024
★★★★★
The black cab from your hotel
Thoughtful stops, every request handled, and the timing worked out to catch an hourly advent display.
Mary_N · December 2023
★★★☆☆
The black cab from your hotel
Traffic jams took up most of the evening, the route missed one hoped-for store, and the close driving made a nervous passenger anxious.
Bruce_G · November 2024
★★★★★
The silent-disco lights walk
An evening of holiday joy with a great host; leave your inhibitions at the start.
Lori_V · December 2025
★★★★★
The silent-disco lights walk
Bring your singing voice and your dancing shoes: the energy runs high all the way.
Melanie_C · December 2025
★★★★★
The silent-disco lights walk
Young nephews aged seven and nine loved it, on a second tour with the same company.
Amy_M · December 2024
★☆☆☆☆
The silent-disco lights walk
The start point was changed by email on the afternoon of the walk and the email went unseen; check your inbox on the day.
Kate_L · December 2023
★★★★★
The vintage double-decker from Victoria
A third time on this bus and the best yet; it is freezing on top, so bring layers, blankets, hats and gloves.
Jill_K · January 2025
★★★★★
The vintage double-decker from Victoria
A busy shopping night, and good to be high above the street with a guide who knew every building's story.
Paul_L · December 2025
★★★★☆
The vintage double-decker from Victoria
A wet winter night and a microphone that needed a second try, but the stories made up for the weather.
Angelia_L · December 2025
★★☆☆☆
The vintage double-decker from Victoria
Mostly a ride through the shopping district, with fewer lights than hoped for, though the history was good.
Chris_J · December 2024
★★★★★
The open-top Routemaster
Informative and funny commentary, and a good way to see the lights.
Julie · December 2025
★★★★★
The open-top Routemaster
A great ride, though Christmas music would have made it better still.
Sandra · December 2025
★★★★★
The open-top Routemaster
A vintage bus and a different view of the city's lights by night, though the jokes were hard to catch without fluent English.
Matthieu · December 2025
★★★★★
The bites bus with snacks aboard
Good vibes and drinks topped up all the way; do not expect much from the snacks.
Nadia · December 2025
★★★★★
The bites bus with snacks aboard
A comfortable seat, tasty snacks and a view of the crowds in the streets below.
Jessica · December 2025
★★★★★
The bites bus with snacks aboard
Upstairs was a bit cold, and small knee blankets would help.
Steve · January 2026
★★★★★
The black cab with short walks
Short guided walks out of the cab, off the beaten path, and the lights at their best.
Brigitte_P · December 2023
★★★★★
The black cab with short walks
A bit pricey, but it paid off by the end of the evening.
Jocelynn_A · December 2023
★★★★★
The black cab with short walks
Picked up at the hotel at 4pm and taken to lights across several parts of the city.
Susan_B · January 2026
★★★★★
The three- or four-hour private taxi
A third time on this tour: the best way to see all the lights, and you learn a lot from the driver.
Tish_D · January 2026
★★★★★
The three- or four-hour private taxi
A long layover well spent, the evening shaped round their own interests.
Marina_R · December 2023
★☆☆☆☆
The three- or four-hour private taxi
A small cab with fogged windows and no glass roof turned up; they cancelled and were refused a refund.
Laura · December 2025
★★★★★
The tailored private taxi
The highlight of the trip: a boutique evening shaped to them, and every good photo spot known.
Raymond_M · December 2025
★★★★★
The tailored private taxi
Places they would never have found alone, and teenage daughters who enjoyed it too.
Pascal_P · December 2024
★★★★★
The four-hour private black cab
The whole family kept entertained, a six-year-old included.
Peter_V · November 2025
★★★★★
The four-hour private black cab
Street closures for a parade meant a different route, and the evening was better for it.
Robin_L · January 2024
★★★★★
The markets walk with mulled wine
A good balance of history, folklore and what is happening now, with an upbeat guide.
Eileen_D · December 2025
★★★★★
The markets walk with mulled wine
Stories of how the Christmas traditions began, Father Christmas included, all along the route.
David_S · November 2024
★★★★★
The markets walk with mulled wine
A small group of six, a leisurely walk, and a cup of mulled wine at one of the markets.
Emily_K · December 2023
★★★★★
The markets walk with mulled wine
A great evening; the one wish was one more Christmas market on the route.
Lia_A · November 2024
★★★★★
The Christmas Carol walk
Dickens and A Christmas Carol brought to life, well informed and well paced.
Joseph_B · December 2025
★★★★★
The Christmas Carol walk
A second time on this walk, now with four children aged 7 to 17, to see the places behind the story.
Catherine_S · December 2025
★★★★★
The Christmas Carol walk
Worth it even if you are not a devoted Dickens reader, and outstanding if you are.
Robert_S · July 2025
★★★★★
The walk from Covent Garden
A sea of people at Christmas, but worth it; wear comfortable shoes.
Guy_S · December 2025
★★★☆☆
The walk from Covent Garden
Not sure it was worth the money: an hour of research beforehand would have found the same streets.
Mark_B · December 2025
★★★★★
The lights and bites walk
A fun evening with a great guide and plenty to learn.
Kamela_D · December 2025
★★★☆☆
The lights and bites walk
Not many lights or markets, and basic food, though the walk covers a lot of ground.
Kevin_h · December 2025
★★★★★
The private walk from the opera house
A team night out, with facts new even to the Londoners in the group and plenty of stops at a good pace.
Kirstie_S · December 2024
★★★★★
The private walk from the opera house
More than a tour of the best lights, with Ian Fleming facts for a son who loved them.
Kristen_K · December 2023
★★★★★
The private walk from Bond Street
The only person on the walk, and a good pick for a solo traveller.
MARTI_F · December 2025
★★★★★
The private walk from Bond Street
A walk shaped to each person by a guide who clearly loves the city.
Chris_C · December 2024
★★★★★
The private walk with a Londoner
Very festive, though the crowds were overwhelming, which nobody could help.
Felicia_B · December 2025
★★★★★
The bike ride
A great way to see the city, but stressful if you do not know the rules of the road, with so much time spent in traffic.
Jennifer_J · December 2025
★★★★☆
The bike ride
A lot of central London in one ride, squares and neighbourhoods not usually seen, with stops for photos.
Richard_W · December 2024
★★★★★
The bike ride
A good ride, though it was announced at the start as three and a half hours, not three.
Andrew_R · December 2025
What travellers keep saying
Dress for the top deck
The upper deck has the view and the cold. Reviewers on every bus say to bring layers, a hat, gloves and a blanket. One asked for knee blankets on board, and one simply called it freezing.
Find the exact stop first
The commonest bus complaint is the meeting point. The open-top bus boards at tourist bus stop 4 on Belvedere Road in front of the London Eye; the vintage double-decker boards inside Victoria Coach Station, at Gate 0.
Traffic sets the pace
In the weeks before Christmas the West End is slow, and both bus and cab reviewers lost time to it. A walk is the one evening traffic cannot stretch or shorten, and this season it is the only way along Oxford Street.
Crowds on the walks
The shopping streets are packed on December evenings, and walkers mention it more than anything else. Comfortable shoes, a small bag and an early start help; a small group or a private walk helps more.
Operator ratings and review counts
These figures are the operators' own, published on their booking pages and shown as they stand. They belong to the operators, not to us.
| Tour | How you travel | Where it starts | Rating | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide | Open-top bus | London Eye bus stop | 4.5 | 2,049 | From $40 per person |
| London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top | Open-top Routemaster | Northumberland Avenue | 4.0 | 1,137 | From $29 per person |
| London: Christmas Lights & Bites Tour | Vintage bus, snacks aboard | Embankment, stop 40B | 4.1 | 185 | From $59 per person |
| London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus | Vintage double-decker | Victoria Coach Station | 4.0 | 135 | From $43 per person |
| London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music | Group walk | Rathbone Street, Fitzrovia | 4.9 | 118 | From $51 per person |
| London Christmas Lights Private Tour by Traditional Black Cab | Private black cab | Hotel pickup | 4.8 | 92 | From $538 per group (up to 6) |
| Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine | Group walk | James Street, Covent Garden | 5.0 | 72 | From $60 per person |
| London Christmas Lights Bike Tour with Local Guide | Guided bike ride | Kennington Road | 4.8 | 67 | From $60 per person |
| London Christmas Carol & Charles Dickens Small Group Walking Tour | Group walk | Temple station | 5.0 | 55 | From $120 per person |
| Magical Christmas Lights in London: Private Black Cab Tour | Private London taxi | Pickup or Embankment | 4.9 | 51 | From $372 per group (up to 6) |
| The Christmas Lights and Bites Tour | Group walk | Embankment station | 4.8 | 46 | From $133 per person |
| London Private Christmas Lights Taxi Tour with Pick Up | Private black cab | Pickup from your address | 4.9 | 29 | From $471 per group (up to 6) |
| London Christmas Lights Guided Walking Tour | Group walk | Covent Garden station | 4.9 | 29 | From $60 per person, bookings of two |
| London Christmas Lights Private Guided Taxi Tour | Private black cab | Pickup or St Martin's Lane | 5.0 | 25 | From $411 per group (up to 6) |
| Private London Christmas Lights Walking Tour with a Londoner | Private walk | Charing Cross station | 4.9 | 15 | From $262 per group (up to 8) |
| London Exclusive Christmas Lights Guided Tour by Black Cab | Private black cab | Hotel pickup or Embankment | 5.0 | 14 | From $620 per group (up to 6) |
| London Christmas Lights Private Walking Tour | Private walk | Royal Opera House | 5.0 | 13 | From $242 per group (up to 10) |
| London Private Christmas Lights Walking Tour with Local Guide | Private walk | Bond Street station | 5.0 | 3 | From $114 per person |
A tour with two thousand reviews and one with a dozen are not a verdict on each other. The gap is mostly how many people each takes and how long it has been listed: the open-top bus seats up to 72, a black cab six. Read the lower-star reviews as well as the average; they tell you what can go wrong.
Read the practical detail in the visitors guide, check the FAQs, then compare every tour on London Christmas Lights Tours.