Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine
A small-group walk of ninety minutes with a glass of mulled wine at a market on the way; adults only.
From $60 per person
Check AvailabilityThings to Do in London at Christmas
A lights tour fills two hours of your evening. The rest of the day can be a winter fair in a royal park, a market by the river, a tree from Norway and a light trail in a garden. If you are building your days around Christmas lights in London, here is what runs, when, and how it fits round a tour.
Everything here has a date from its own organiser. Where the 2026 dates are not out yet, we give last year's and say so.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November to 3 January
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in Hyde Park, a short walk from Marble Arch, at the western end of Oxford Street. It is a winter fair: rides, an ice rink, a big wheel, circus shows, bars and food stalls.
Entry: ticketed by time slot; you book online in advance for the best prices
Free entry: online, when you spend £25 or more in one transaction on rides, packages or food
Cheapest slots: £1 off-peak entry, Monday to Thursday, through November
With a tour: go in the afternoon, then walk to Oxford Street as it gets dark
Rides and attractions cost extra on top of entry. Weekend evenings in December are the busiest, so if you want a quieter visit, pick a weekday afternoon in November.
Christmas markets near the lights
The market closest to a lights tour is the Southbank Centre Winter Market, in wooden chalets along the riverside below Hungerford Bridge. Last season it ran from 3 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, open daily from 11am to 10pm, and closed on 25 and 31 December. The 2026 dates are not announced yet.
The lights and bites walk ends at that market, and the open-top bus from the London Eye starts a few minutes' walk away. Across the river, Covent Garden and Leadenhall Market dress their halls and arcades for the season too.
The Trafalgar Square tree and carols
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, Norway's gift to London since 1947, is lit at a ceremony in early December and stays until just before Twelfth Night. Carol singing returns to the square in December. The 2026 lighting date is not announced.
You can see the tree on your own at any hour, and many tours pass it. The markets walk with mulled wine ends in the square.
A light trail after dark
Light trails are ticketed walks through gardens lit for the season. Christmas at Kew runs on selected dates from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, from 4.20pm, with tickets from £25.50. A trail in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea runs from 25 November to 28 December.
A trail takes a whole evening, so do it on a different night from your lights tour. Dates, gates and prices are on the illuminated trails.
Before a bus tour: an afternoon plan
Whichever of the London Christmas lights bus tours you book, its start time is on your booking. It gets dark before 4:40pm from late November, so plan the day to be near your start point by mid-afternoon.
- Walk Regent Street and Carnaby Street in daylight, then have a late lunch in Soho.
- Go to your stop and arrive 15 minutes early. The open-top bus boards at tourist bus stop 4 on Belvedere Road, in front of the London Eye.
- After the tour, walk back over the river to the Strand for dinner.
For a whole evening built round the lights, with a market, a tour and dinner in order, follow a festive evening in London, hour by hour.
After a walk: where the routes end
Most London Christmas lights walking tours end somewhere with food, drink and a station. Plan dinner near the end point, not the start.
| Tour | Where it ends | What is close by |
|---|---|---|
| Group walk from Covent Garden | Carnaby Street, 5 minutes from Oxford Circus | Soho's pubs and restaurants; Regent Street's lights |
| Private walk with a Londoner | Carnaby Street, in Soho | The same, and Liberty |
| Private walk from the Royal Opera House | Piccadilly Circus station | Leicester Square and St James's |
| Private walk from Bond Street | Covent Garden station | The piazza and its market |
| Markets walk with mulled wine | Trafalgar Square | The Norwegian tree; the Strand |
| Lights and bites walk | The South Bank Christmas market | The riverside and the wheel |
| Open-top bus from the London Eye | Back at the London Eye | The South Bank; Waterloo |
| Private black cab | Your hotel, or anywhere central | Wherever you choose |
The black cabs among the private London Christmas lights tours take you back to your hotel, or anywhere central, so you can book a table anywhere. Some cabs stop for short walks, which is a good way to see a market without a second trip.
Ready to pick your evening?
Compare every lights tour by where it starts and ends, how long it runs and what the fare buys.
Rainy evenings under the lights
Every tour runs in the rain. On a double-decker the lower deck is covered, and in a black cab you stay dry between stops. On a walk, bring a hood rather than an umbrella: the streets are crowded.
If the weather turns, you can shelter under Leadenhall's roof or in the market hall at Covent Garden. Several walks end on Carnaby Street, a short dash from the Tube at Oxford Circus. Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before.
Questions about Christmas in London
When is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland open in 2026?
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Entry is ticketed, and online entry is free when you spend £25 or more in one booking.
Is there a Christmas market near the lights?
Yes. The riverside market below the Royal Festival Hall ran daily from 3 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, and one walk ends there. Its 2026 dates are not announced yet.
Can I hear carols at Trafalgar Square?
Carol singing returns to the square in December, beside the Norwegian tree. The Mayor's office publishes the programme; we do not print one until it does.
What can I do before an evening bus tour?
See the lights in daylight, have an early meal, and be at your stop 15 minutes before the start. It is dark before 4:40pm from late November, so a late lunch works well.
What is there to do on a rainy evening?
Take a bus or a black cab: the lower deck and the cab stay dry. Covered markets and arcades, like Leadenhall, keep you under a roof while you look.
Where these facts come from
Winter Wonderland's dates and offers are its own. The market's hours and dates are South Bank London's, for 2025-26. The tree and the carols are the Mayor of London's. Kew's trail dates and price are Kew's, checked 29 September 2026.
- Winter fair dates and entry offers in the royal park (official)
- The riverside Christmas market, 2025-26 edition (South Bank London)
- The Norwegian tree and carol singing in the square (Mayor of London)
- Christmas light trail dates, gates and prices (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
- Winter village and light trail in Ranelagh Gardens: dates and times (official)
Tours that fit round a day out
London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top
A restored open-top Routemaster for 75 minutes, a top-deck seat promised, leaving from Charing Cross in the late afternoon.
From $29 per person
Check Availability
Magical Christmas Lights in London: Private Black Cab Tour
A private black cab for two and a half hours, with short stops on foot, dry and warm between the displays on a wet night.
From $372 per group (up to 6)
Check AvailabilityNext: see each display on the lights, street by street, read the visitors guide, or compare every tour on London Christmas Lights Tours.