Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour with Live Guide London

Regent Street's angels and Oxford Street's lights

Regent Street's Christmas display is among the most photographed in London, with its sweeping curve of shops lit by a canopy of glowing angels and lights. The nearby Oxford Street is Europe's busiest shopping street, and its overhead decorations and glittering shop windows give the West End its festive feel. From the top deck you see the lights at their height and at eye level with the displays.

On this Christmas lights bus tour, the route passes both streets when the roads allow. Please note that the 4:15 pm departures from Victoria do not go down Oxford Street. Traffic in London is heavy in the weeks before Christmas, so the route can vary slightly, and your guide adjusts the tour to show as many of the lights as possible.

Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus

Trafalgar Square holds one of the city's best-loved Christmas traditions, a giant Norway spruce that Oslo has given to London every year since 1947 as thanks for Britain's support in the Second World War. The tree stands beside Nelson's Column, with the National Gallery lit up behind it, and it is a highlight of the festive season.

Piccadilly Circus is the glowing junction of bright screens and the statue known as Eros, the memorial fountain from 1893. The bus passes through both, and your guide tells the stories behind them. If you are looking for the best way to see the Christmas lights in London without walking through the crowds, a bus tour keeps you warm, comfortable and moving.

The Strand, Big Ben and the London Eye

From the West End the route usually heads down the Strand, the old road linking Westminster with the City, towards the river. You pass Somerset House and other historic buildings, and your guide points out the theatres and stories along the way, which gives the tour more than lights alone.

At Westminster, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament stand floodlit beside the Thames, and the London Eye, opened in 2000, glows on the South Bank. Both are landmarks that look their best after dark. The tour shows them as part of the festive evening rather than as separate stops, with the whole loop lasting up to 90 minutes, or 60 to 70 minutes on quiet traffic days.

Choosing your deck and departure point

There are three departure points, London Eye, Victoria and Green Park, and each has a lower-deck and an upper-deck option. The upper deck is open to the air, so it gives the best photographs and views but it is cold in December, and you should dress warmly. The lower deck has windows and is warmer, and it works well for young children or anyone who dislikes cold weather.

Choose the departure point that is closest to your hotel or evening plans. Seats are allocated on the deck you book, and food and drinks are not allowed on board. There is no toilet on the bus. Children aged four and under travel on a lap without their own seat; if you want a seat for a young child, book a child ticket.