Christmas Lights London 2026: Open-Top Bus Tour

London’s West End Christmas lights are traditionally switched on in early November and stay up until early January. The London Christmas Lights Tour is a 60-to-90-minute open-top bus ride through the illuminated West End, running every evening from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Buses leave from three points — the London Eye every 30 minutes from 4:30pm to 10:00pm, Victoria every 30 minutes from 4:15pm to 10:15pm, and Green Park every 30 minutes from 5:00pm to 9:30pm, with a final departure at 10:30pm. A live English-speaking guide travels on board. It is not a hop-on hop-off service: the bus does not stop along the route. From £25 on the lower deck and £32 on the upper deck, with children under 5 travelling free without a seat.

The cheapest way to see the whole thing lit

From November to early January the West End keeps its lights on and the pavements fill with people looking at them from underneath. From the top deck of an open bus you are above the crowd and at the height the displays were designed for — Regent Street's angels, Oxford Street, the Bond Street chandeliers, Covent Garden, Piccadilly.

It is the least expensive of our three Christmas bus tours and the only open-top one. There is no meal, no table and no singing: you look, you photograph, and in ninety minutes you have seen what would take an evening of walking.

Three departure points, three different timetables

The route is broadly the same, but the departure you choose changes what you see and when. Each stop has its own timetable, listed in full in the departure information below, and you choose the stop and the time when booking.

One detail is worth more than any other when booking: the 4:15pm departures from Victoria do not pass along Oxford Street. If Oxford Street is on your list, take a later bus. The route maps for each departure are published below, under the departure information.

Before you book

You cannot get off and back on. This is a single continuous ride, not a hop-on hop-off ticket, and the bus makes no stops between departure and return. There is no toilet on board, and the tour runs 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic.

Seats are allocated first come, first served and cannot be reserved: a lower-deck ticket does not allow you upstairs. London traffic is heavy in December, so the route can vary slightly from day to day — on a clear night the tour may finish in 60 to 70 minutes.

Children aged 0 to 4 travel free but without their own seat; buy a child ticket if you want a seat for them.

Or the two indoor versions

If an open top in December sounds like too much, the same lights can be seen sitting down. The Singalong Christmas Lights Tour is a closed, heated bus with mince pies, hot drinks and carols — but it does not admit children under 5. The Snowman™ Afternoon Tea Bus Tour serves a full afternoon tea at your table and takes children from 3.