12 Night Bus Tours in London Worth the Fare

1.London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,516 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $29Our pick

This 90-minute evening loop takes you from Green Park past London’s grandest sights, including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and Piccadilly Circus. A live English-speaking guide such as Michael or Shannon adds jokes, history, and well-timed photo cues. Dress warmly for the exposed upper deck.

“shannon and michael were excellent all around! wesley handled the bus well, also. a fun, affordable way to get a feel for london landmarks and learn interesting tidbits. glad i went.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

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

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!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.London by Night Sightseeing Tour – Open Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,060 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Ride an open-top double-decker from Green Park through Piccadilly, Westminster, the Thames, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, and Kensington. Live English commentary, often led by guides such as Michael, adds history and humor. Upper-deck seats are first come, first served, and winter rides can be cold.

“Absolutely lovely! Had to book this tour last minute because another tour fell through and I'm so glad it did! Shay made the process seamless and Michael was an absolute gem of a guide. Incredibly entertaining and insightful tour of London. Great recommendations on places to visit as well.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.London by Night Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 977 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Ride through central London after dark on a 90-minute open-top bus tour with a live English-speaking guide, such as Joe, Tim, Emma, or Tom when available. See Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, and Tower Bridge, with audio guides in 12 languages.

“The tour was exceptionally enjoyable. Our guide, Tim, had an incredible sense of humor that made the tour a delightful experience for both kids and adults. Highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.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”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Tootbus London by Night Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 302 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $37

Ride from Coventry Street through central London as the city lights come on. Your open-top Tootbus includes multilingual audio, a children’s track, Wi-Fi, headphones, live bus tracking and self-guided walks in the app. Traffic can lengthen the ride, so bring a warm layer and your own headphones if you have them.

“La idea es buena,y del tráfico/atasco no hablo porque no depende de la organización,pero hay otras cosas que si. Los asientos no son amplios ni comodos y, especialmente,quiero hablar de la audioguía. Jamás he escuchado una peor. Si un recorrido por los sitios más emblemáticos de Londres no da para un mínimo de contenido....Son dos locutores que sueltan dos datos y el resto lo rellenan con comentarios absurdos y ridiculos. El resto,musica. Además se cortaba,se repetía alguna parte,estaba desincronizado (o como no te dicen que mires a la derecha o izquierda,hay veces que no sabes de que se está hablando). Una pena que no invirtieran un poco más en esa…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review