2023: The Best London Christmas Lights tours for your budget

By Discover More UK

Published:

Last Updated:

Sharing is caring!

There’s no denying that Christmas in London is magical, the lights, the shows, the ice skating, the Christmas shopping an the chill in the air!

But London is huge and if you’re not familiar with it then seeing the best of London Christmas lights can be a challenge, which is why London Christmas lights tours are the best way to see London Christmas lights.

If you’re planning the best things to do in London at Christmas, make sure a London lights tour is on your list, whether that’s a more affordable Christmas lights London bus tour or a private London black cab Christmas lights tour, this London Christmas lights tour overview and review can help you decide the best way to see this iconic capital city.

Looking for more London ideas? Check out these unique and quirky London experiences.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. While clicking these links won’t cost you anything, they will help us to keep this site up and running! See the full disclosure policy for more details.

A large lit up angel attached to a stone building at night
Regent Street and Oxford Street Lights

Top London Christmas Lights 2023 tour options

Best london christmas lights bus tour

If you’re looking for a budget friendly London Christmas lights tour, London has plenty to offer and this Christmas lights by night tour is a great option for large groups, families with young children or if it’s raining/snowing as it’s only 90 minutes and has inside seating.

Check out this Christmas lights London by night tour to not only see famous sights like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square, but also popular Christmas spots like Piccadilly Circus and Harrods.

Book your Christmas London Bus tour here.

Open top bus Christmas lights London tour

A great way to see the London Christmas lights tour route is on an open top bus and this London lights bus tour on a vintage bus is a super fun and unique way to see the city while also being budget friendly.

The vintage Routemaster bus harks back to London of old and the bus is decked out in festive decorations to add to the Christmas atmosphere.

Make sure you wrap up warm for this tour so you can take full advantage of the spectacular views from the open top deck.

Book your vintage bus Christmas lights tour here.

Christmas Markets and Christmas lights walking tour London

A Christmas tree in the centre of a large open indoor market with ornate fixtures and a glass dome in London at Christmas
Leadenhall Market

This London Christmas lights walking tour is a great option for combining a London Christmas walking tour with learning about the city’s history, sightseeing and enjoying the London Christmas markets.

This is also a fantastic budget friendly option as long as you don’t mind walking and make sure you wrap up warm!

Start the walking tour in the iconic Covent Garden and end the tour with a traditional mulled wine at the Christmas markets.

London Christmas markets are some of the best Christmas Markets in the UK, so this is a great chance to see the city in all its festive glory and learn about city’s history, festive traditions and role in some of the greatest festive tales we know today.

Book your London Christmas walking tour here.

Black cab London lights tour

A large colourful air balloon fixture hanging in the middle of a store with many floors with wooden balcony's
Liberty London

If you’re ready to splash the cash a bit more, then this London Christmas lights taxi tour in an iconic Black London cab is a great option.

This is a private tour for you and your travel partner or group (as long as you can all fit in the cab) and it’s a great option for London Christmas lights sightseeing, whatever the weather throws at you!

The private tour aspect means it can be curated for you by picking you up from your hotel and the best part is that the tour ends at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, giving you the option to wander the Winter Markets there and end the evening with a warming tipple or two.

Book your black cab Christmas lights tour London here.

Christmas Eve London illuminations tour

A brightly lit street in London with many Christmas lights strewn between buildings in the shape of large angels
Regent Street and Oxford Street Lights

If you’re looking for special things to do in London on Christmas Eve, then this is the perfect Christmas bus tour of London to make the night before Christmas memorable.

This is a luxury bus tour with a tour guide commentary as you view London from your bus seat, seeing the iconic sights as well as the festive illuminations.

This is a great budget friendly option for families and young children as the tour duration is only 1 hour 45 minutes.

Book your Christmas Eve London tour here.

River Thames Christmas dinner experience

If you’re ready to spent a bit of cash on a memorable Christmas experience in London, then what could be better than a Christmas Dinner Party Cruise?

This 4-hour cruise includes a welcome drink, half a bottle of wine per person and a 3-course meal with a DJ playing, all for a very reasonable price as you cruise past the famous sights of London lit up for Christmas

The food is a traditional Christmas dinner style and there’s also a dance floor if the feeling takes you that way after your meal!

Book your Christmas Thames cruise here.

Bespoke Christmas Lights tour London

A large room with many decorated Christmas trees and garland hanging from the ceiling
Pergola Paddington Deck the Halls

If you’re prefer to plan a private, bespoke experience for you and your party, this bespoke tour of London Christmas lights allows you to do exactly that by customising the tour and experience based on your interests, abilities and preferences.

This is a 3 hour tour with the opportunity to discover Christmas markets, see Christmas lights, see the famous Christmas window displays, eat and drink the festive way and explore the famous sights and areas of the city with your own local tour guide.

Your tour guide will be in touch to organise the custom parts of your tour in advance, to make sure you see everything you want to see on the evening of your tour.

Book your bespoke London tour here.

Summary: the best London Christmas lights tours 2023

There truly is few places as magical as London at Christmas and hopefully these London Christmas light tour options will give you some great ideas and help you make a decision about how to spend your festive trip to London.

Pin this for later to help you plan your future trip!

A pinnable image of London Christmas lights tours with four images of London at Christmas with text that says, "London Tours, Christmas 2022."

Sharing is caring!

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.