Discover the magic of London this festive season with our ultimate 2024 Christmas Lights Walking Guide. London’s streets come alive each winter with dazzling displays that light up iconic areas like Oxford Street, Covent Garden, and more.
Whether you’re a local or visiting from afar, this guide will take you on a journey through the city’s best holiday light spots, along with tips for staying safe and capturing the perfect photos. Get ready to soak up the holiday spirit and create unforgettable memories as you explore London’s glowing Christmas scenes!
Essential Items for Your Christmas Lights Walking Tour:
- Ensure you have a smartphone with map and data capabilities. Secure your valuables as pickpockets may take advantage of the bustling crowds. Phone snatchers are unfortunately rife in London at the moment, so make sure you have a secure way to hold your phone or camera while capturing these stunning lights. Consider using a wrist strap, phone lanyard, or anti-theft bag to keep your belongings safe while enjoying the festive scenery.
- Bundle up in WARM clothes – don’t forget a hat, scarf, and gloves. In case you do, there are two large Primark stores along the way.
- Bring a power bank to keep your phone charged throughout the walk.
- Consider a scooter or buggy for kids; the walk isn’t easy, and a bike might not be the best choice.
We kicked off our Christmas lights walking tour a bit differently this year, starting from Waterloo. As you exit Waterloo station, turn left, and you’ll spot a huge mural of Paddington. Between that mural and Leon, you’ll find the gorgeous lights featured below. From there, keep walking and turn left to discover even more festive lights. If you’re having trouble finding the spot, search “30 Casson Square” on your map. Follow the path down to All Bar One, and you’ll end up with a fantastic view of the London Eye.
Cross the road and head towards the London Eye. Once you reach it, turn right and walk all the way down, where you’ll come across a charming Christmas market, festive lights, and more. It’s a lovely little walk filled with holiday cheer.
Keep walking until you reach the steps leading up to Waterloo Bridge. Head up the steps, walk across, and then turn left where you’ll find the Strand. You don’t need to go all the way down the Strand unless you’d like to, as the lights are similar along the route. But if you do continue, you’ll end up at Trafalgar Square, where you can enjoy a small Christmas market and festive scenes at “Christmas in Trafalgar Square.”
Instead of walking all the way down, we turned right onto Southampton Street. At the top, we found a lovely photo opportunity outside The Ivy. From there, you’ll arrive at Covent Garden plaza, where you can see the enormous Christmas tree, sparkling jingle bells, and even a Santa sleigh—perfect for taking some festive photos.
Walk down King Street, and you’ll find a great photo opportunity outside Clos Maggiore. You can choose to walk to 7 Dials, but we skipped that this time and headed straight towards Leicester Square by turning onto New Row. As you walk, you’ll spot some lights on St. Martin’s Lane. Continue down to St. Martin’s Court, and you’re almost there! You can check out Christmas in Leicester Square and maybe make a quick stop at the LEGO store while you’re nearby.
Walk down to Piccadilly and turn left onto Regent Street at St. James’s. Head towards St. James’s to see the beautiful angels and the big Christmas tree. Afterward, turn back on yourself and stay to the left. You’ll find more stunning angels, different from the ones on the main road, along Jermyn Street.
If you walk all the way up, I recommend turning left onto Regent Street for more gorgeous angels. Walk all the way up as if you’re heading towards Hamleys, then turn right onto Tension Court, which will take you to Kingly Street. Turn left and walk down until you reach Ganton Street, then continue down to Carnaby Street, where you’ll see the lights pictured below. You can also head down to Liberty London to check out the Wicked the Musical displays in the windows, and explore some cool things inside too.
Walk down to Argyll Street and turn left onto Oxford Street, where you’ll find the lovely star lights. Be sure to check out John Lewis, which looks especially pretty this year with its sparkly snowball-themed decorations—definitely adding to the festive vibe!
Keep walking until you spot New Bond Street on the left, then turn left onto New Bond Street. You’ll likely spend quite a while here—the displays are incredible, and I’m sure you’ll love them as much as we did. Walk all the way down to Piccadilly, and if you turn left, you’ll find the iconic Fortnum & Mason.
Head back on yourself, walk down, and turn right onto Berkeley Street. Keep walking all the way down until you find Annabel’s and their stunning display—you can’t miss it! That’s where we ended our walk, as we were shattered after about two hours of exploring.
While this guide covers many of the must-see lights and festive displays in London, it’s only a glimpse of everything the city has to offer during the holiday season. From hidden alleyways to lesser-known markets, London is packed with enchanting sights that make it a winter wonderland. If you’re looking to explore even more or want to try a different route, be sure to check out my 2023 guide, which highlights some unique spots and alternative paths to enjoy the holiday lights
