We love seeing the Christmas lights in London and usually take a walk around to enjoy them every year. This time, though, we decided to try a Christmas bus tour. There are several options, but we chose Tootbus (formerly The Original Tour) after having a great experience with their kids’ tour in the summer.
Tickets cost £30 for adults and £20 for kids. Under 5’s are FREE! This is the price you get booking directly on the Tootbus website.
Want to save a bit of money?
Keep an eye on Groupon, as I’ve come across tickets at a lower price there in the past. You can also use Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
Departures are available every 30 minutes from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm from Coventry Street (in front of Shake Shack in Leicester Square).
The tour lasts around 45 minutes. See the map below.
While this tour doesn’t cover all of London’s Christmas lights, it’s still a delightful experience. The lights are stunning from the ground, but seeing them up close makes them even more magical. Plus, everyone on board gets a Santa hat, adding an extra touch of festive cheer! It’s a fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit.
The tour guide did a fab job telling us new information about the lights and also his terrible Christmas cracker jokes were very entertaining!
The tour guide did a fantastic job sharing interesting new facts about the lights, and his cheesy Christmas cracker jokes were surprisingly entertaining! I also love that you can change or cancel your ticket for FREE up to 24 hours before the tour date—perfect for avoiding a rainy day on an open-top bus. Just be sure to check the weather before booking!
Helpful info
- You can bring a buggy that you will leave on the lower deck. Just make sure it’s folded.
- It’s an open top bus but the front part is covered. You can also sit below if it’s too cold but that kind of defeats the purpose of the tour.
- Bring a blanket like we did. It’s absolutely freezing and the blanket helps!
- As I mentioned further up, check the weather before booking!
