14 Christmas Lights Bus Tours Worth the Fare

1.Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5,410 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $33Our pick

Take a 60 to 90 minute evening bus ride past London’s Christmas lights, including Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the London Eye, and Big Ben. Choose an open-top view or a warmer lower deck while guides such as Brennan, Shaun, and Ethan add history, jokes, and photo tips.

“This tour was a magical way to enjoy the beautiful lit up London ! Our guide was wonderful and knowledgable . Highly recommend!”

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2.London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,040 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $41

Ride from the London Eye through The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, and Big Ben. A live English-speaking guide such as Emma, Samuel, or Abby may add history and humor. Arrive early for the open top, dress warmly, and expect traffic.

“Great tour of the city! Get there early, tour might he affected by London traffic. Wear many layers if you’re going on the top deck.”

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3.Tootbus Open-Top Christmas Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,365 reviews · 1h 30m · from $46

Ride an electric green open-top bus from Boulevard des Capucines past the Opera, Louvre, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, and Eiffel Tower. A recorded guide plays in 10 languages, with Christmas songs and Wi-Fi onboard. Dress warmly and arrive early for the best upper-deck seats.

“Excellent tour. Included lots of landmarks not even decorated for Xmas. Driver did a great job navigating heavy traffic jams and the view from the top was incredible. Highly recommend!”

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4.Dyker Heights Christmas Lights & Skyline View Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,192 reviews · 4 hours · from $69

Travel from Midtown to Dyker Heights with a live English or German-speaking guide, then walk among Brooklyn’s extravagant Christmas displays. The route includes a sunset stop by the Statue of Liberty, a Brooklyn Bridge Park skyline stop, and a final drive past New York’s illuminated waterfront.

“Delayed getting to town and missed our tour. I figured we were out the tickets but these guys got us in next day, really good folks. We were on the bilingual German tour with a bunch of overseas folks and that made it even more fun. The tour guide, Greg I think, was really good. Personable and knowledgible. After Dyker Heights we stopped at DUMBO under the bridge and got some really good pictures of the family with the skyline in the background. They had us on comfortable tour busses, warm and inside, not the rickety 2 story busses where you sit outside on top. I would do the tour…”

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5.London Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus Open Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,132 reviews · 1h 15m · from $37

Ride a 1960s Routemaster through London’s Christmas-lit streets for 75 minutes. Your English-speaking guide, often praised guides such as Ben, Pete, or Max, adds jokes and city stories as you pass Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Harrods, and major landmarks.

“I highly recommend the tour. Only tip is I would recommend taking tissues to wipe down the chairs at the top purely because it rained and the chairs were still wet.”

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6.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 770 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $48

Ride an open-top 1960s Routemaster from Embankment through London’s West End. A live English-speaking guide such as Rory, Lola, or Katie shares Christmas facts and city stories as music plays beside Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Big Ben, and the London Eye.

“We had a fantastic team. Our guide Lola and her driver/dad Ross were fabulous. The tour was excellent, fun and great value for money. Thank you for your patience with all the questions from our 10 yr old xx”

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7.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 245 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

Meet at Gate 0 in Victoria Coach Station for a 90-minute English-language tour aboard a restored vintage double-decker bus. You’ll pass the lights of Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Knightsbridge, with views of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and the Palace of Westminster. Guides such as Clive, Frank, and Toby add lively local detail.

“Such a wonderful Christmas experience. The tour guide Frank was extremely knowledgeable and very cheerful. The bus driver Michael drove us around extremely safely. Highly recommend this tour. Very well organised.”

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8.Christmas Lights Santa Sleigh Open-Top Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 233 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $43

Set out from Embankment on a 90-minute English-language open-top bus ride through London’s Christmas-lit West End. Pass St James’s, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Whitehall, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Choose Trafalgar Square or Embankment at the end, but dress warmly and expect first-come seating.

“Quand on se trouve en haut du bus, la musique ne fonctionne pas. Le trajet est extrêmement court et dans les embouteillages. Un prix exorbitant (160 euros pour 5 personnes). Une véritable arnaque. Un conseil : prenez le bus 453 ; il fait le même trajet ; on voit très bien les illuminations et cela ne coûte pas grand-chose.”

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9.From Manhattan: 4-Hour Christmas Lights Luxury Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 222 reviews · 4 hours · from $95

Ride a heated bus from Greeley Square Park to Dyker Heights with an English-speaking NYC guide. Walk past extravagant displays, stop at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and finish near Rockefeller Center. Guides such as Fred, Ray, and Dave are known for adding local stories to the route.

“Dave was a phenomenal tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and gave lots of facts. I highly recommend this company.”

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10.Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 134 reviews · 1 hour · from $41

Ride the upper deck of a yellow See London By Night bus for a one-hour evening tour through London’s Christmas displays. An English-speaking guide points out Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, and the London Eye. Bring warm layers and expect city traffic.

“It was severely impacted by NY Day road closures which hadn’t been allowed for. The tour ran much longer than expected and still didn’t get to some of the sights listed. We also had to get off the tour on the other side of London and make our own way back.”

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11.Christmas Lights Festive Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 30 reviews · from $68

You’ll tour Dublin’s Christmas lights from a 1960s vintage double-decker bus with a live English-speaking guide. Enjoy tea, coffee, hot chocolate, soup, a Christmas sandwich, mince pies, and seasonal afternoon-tea treats while passing City Hall and Trinity College.

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12.Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 20 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $66

Ride through London’s Christmas-lit streets on a 90-minute afternoon tea tour with an English-speaking guide, onboard chef, scones, mince pies, and your choice of Prosecco or mulled wine. Front upper-deck seats give the clearest views, though winter traffic and rain can affect the experience.

“It was lovely and Megan our guide was very good. It was raining and dark but didn’t detract at all from our enjoyment of seeing the Christmas lights.”

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13.Christmas market lights tour bus through Berlin, free mulled wine (2.5 hours)

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · from $32Best value

Ride through Berlin’s Christmas lights for 2.5 hours with a live German-speaking guide. See Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Bebelplatz, Alexanderplatz, and Charlottenburg Palace. You’ll also have time for the palace market and free mulled wine.

“It went smoothly. Next time I would like to have a non-alcoholic punch. And maybe a few funny anecdotes about Berlin or Christmas. 🤶”

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14.New York Christmas Lights Tour by BUS

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5 reviews · from $49

Ride from Midtown Manhattan to Dyker Heights with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide, then walk among lavish Christmas displays before stopping in Dumbo and at the Brooklyn Bridge. Jorge has guided this tour, which suits families who want festive views without arranging Brooklyn transport.

“We had Jorge who made the trip what it was. Be prepared...it's incredibly busy! But we did it on Christmas eve and despite it being so busy it was amazing. highly recommend. Get to the bus early to sit together with your family. we got there on time but were last to arrive so had to sit separately on the bus but Jorge was so informed on everything around whilst we travelled and about the Dyker Heights neighbourhood. Brilliant tour to do with kids for Xmas. Loved the stop off in Dumbo too. Got some incredible pics. we got lucky with the snow and clear skyline.Read more”

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