London by Night Open Top Bus Tour with Christmas Lights
4.5
London by Night Open Top Bus Tour with Christmas Lights
By Golden Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-99, max of 72 per group
Duration: 1h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Live English speaking guide on board
- Panoramic 1 hour 30 minutes tour of London by night. See the capital dazzle & glitter for Christmas
- See celebrated areas of London including Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly
- Drive past the world-famous lights of London’s Regent Street and Oxford Street
What's not included- Food and beverages (unless stated differently)
- Gratuities
- Toilet
- Start:
- 5b Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7PE, UKDeparture Point: 1 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7NA (nearest tube station is Waterloo, 2-minute walk).
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infants must sit on laps
- Near public transportation
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5461P157- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- Please Note: This is not a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour and customers will need to remain on the bus for the duration of the tour
- Our vehicles are modern, comfortable, and kept to the highest standards of cleanliness, including a deep clean every day
- The tour itinerary and order may change. There will be no breaks during the tour. No restroom available on board.
- Dates of operations subject to change as Christmas Lights in London are still to be confirmed.
- No food will be provided on this tour
- We reserve the right to refuse entry onto the bus.
- Please arrive 15min prior to your departure time to allow time for boarding.
- Please note tour can take up to 1 hours & 30 Mins, subject to traffic on the day of travel. There will be a Live English Guide
- Buses will be cleaned thoroughly after every tour.
- **You can cancel your reservation for this product up to 48 hours before departure and get a refund in full.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 72 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5461P157
From
£29.00
per adult
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Itinerary
- 5b Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7PE, UKDeparture Point: 1 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 7NA (nearest tube station is Waterloo, 2-minute walk).
- 1Board an open top bus tour to see some of London’s most famous sights all ready for Christmas. The London Eye’s glass pods will be lit up like fairy lights over the River Thames, with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament towering over the city nearby. A perfect photo opportunity! Experience the excitement of London at night this Christmas Eve. The twinkling lights of London glow even brighter during December and this open top bus tour will take you right into the midst of the festivities on one of the most joyful days of the year! A live guide or multilingual audio guide will be on board the bus to tell you all about the parts of London the tour passes and share some fun facts. Sightseeing in London this Christmas has never been so stunning!Pass byWestminster AbbeyLondon EyeBig BenOxford StreetRegent StreetPiccadilly Circus
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Mary A0 contributionsHighly recommend this tourBeen looking forward to this tour for years and finally got a chance to do it. Well worth it, it's a full day of great highlights. Pablo great tour guide with loads of information before each stop and had a lot of laughs along the way. Very pleasant all round. Really enjoyed that!Written 8 October 2024
- slc6830 contributionsStress free way to see the sights!Pablo and Koli were great! Easy stress free day where we got to see lots of sights! Also saw beautiful countryside along the way!Written 8 October 2024
- 388beverlyy0 contributionsIncompetentSo disappointed. They almost ruined our trip. The hop on hop off stops were supposed to be every 15-20 minutes. We waited 45 minutes for the first bus and got stuck in traffic. So the driver said the next stop was his last but he would take us close enough so we could walk to it...(my husband is on crutches) because it was time for him to get off work and was taking his bus back to the station. We were also supposed to go on a tour of Windsor and Bath. We got to the station at 7:30 am and they kept taking us from bus to bus not seeing the one we were on. And hour later...they said our tour had been canceled. I have nothing else I can say.Written 8 October 2024
- 685davisd0 contributionsHighlight of our tripJo and Sy were brilliant! Jo was a great tour guide with brilliant knowledge and info! Took the hop-on hop-off bus and ended up on his which was a highlight of our trip!Written 8 October 2024
- johnhX5145SE0 contributionsExcellent day outJo the tour guide was excellent and said happy birthday to my niece on the microphone, getting everyone to sing happy birthday (it was actually her birthday)Written 8 October 2024
- sandyg4710 contributionsHigh tea on a double decker in LondonSuch a lovely outing. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The high tea was lovely and so was the route through London. The staff were warm and welcoming. We will definitely do this again.Written 8 October 2024
- 847calebw0 contributionsA great tour in LondonI took the double decker bus tour around London Center yesterday. I'm not usually crazy about guides. They sometimes sound programmed, not particularly informative and even irritating at times. This was definitely not the case with. At first, I thought, 'my goodness, she talks a lot'. But Emma won me over almost immediately. She was funny, lively, spontaneous and had terrific anecdotes. She clearly enjoys her job. That attitude added to the overall ambiance of the trip. In fact, she was the best tour guide I've ever had.Written 8 October 2024
- Meander4160930 contributionsEmma our tour guideEmma our tour guide was excellent. She really knows her history and gave us great commentary on all the sights! We highly recommend a tour with Emma.Written 8 October 2024
- laurensY4982FS0 contributionsUnforgettable London Tour with a Personal TouchThis was a tour of London that exceeded all my expectations. Our tour guide was lively and engaging, making the history of the city come alive. The fuss-free experience began with fast-track ticketing, which allowed us to bypass long lines and maximize our time exploring. One of the highlights of the tour was our visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. It turned into a special moment for my family when we discovered that we could look up a family member who was killed in WWII. The guide facilitated this personal connection, adding a meaningful layer to the visit. Overall, this tour offered a perfect blend of informative content and personal significance, making it an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting London! Tour guide: Tish Bus driver: Ashley We saw: Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard, London Eye, and went on a cruise on the Thames that took us to the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels and Tower Bridge. We wrapped things up at St Paul’s Cathedral (which surprisingly was out favorite part). 😍Written 7 October 2024
- Navigate114758388370 contributionsWell planned and carried out!Oscar led the London to Stonehenge, Windsor and Salisbury Cathedral tour. Thank you for a wonderful day, planned so that we missed the crushing crowds at Stonehenge and graciously giving more than ample information on when and where to meet at each stop. I highly recommend this tour. Thanks again, Oscar!Written 7 October 2024
- mstsainisofiaz0 contributionsGood MemoriesThe weather was very good, places are so beautiful and historic and we enjoyed a lot...tour guide Tish and driver Mo were well organised and experienced.Written 7 October 2024
- haukitc0 contributionsMemorable and amazing tour for these 3 attractionsDanxia is an energetic, knowledgeable and caring tour guide who takes care of our whole journey for nearly 12 hours. She launched bilingual explanations, both Mandarin and English, about all the 3 places we visited. She provided clear and precise instructions on the location and time we assemble after free walk by ourselves. She also proactively helped us to collect the tickets and manage the admission issues.😎 Kiran is an excellent driver who drive carefully and takes safety of passengers as the first priority. His driving was skillful and smoothly all along the trip that we can have a doze sweetly. In conclusion, I had a wonderful, memorable and safe visiting experience in this trip. The overall journey was satisfactory and it was highly recommended to join such a tour in the future.😊Written 7 October 2024
- dianey9430 contributionsSatisfying Day TripA great day with guide Oliver and driver Farhat. Comfortable coach and we had just the right amount of time at each location. These sights are must sees!Written 7 October 2024
- P922MAlaurenp0 contributions100% recommendationTish is the best! She is so personable and knowledgeable! Very accommodating for ADA needs as well. We had a little hiccup with the bus breaking down, but somehow she made it work out. We ended our day at the cathedral which worked out because we got to hear the choir practice for mass. It was beautiful.Written 7 October 2024
- A8240JDbillh0 contributionsHighly recommendIt was great! The Windsor castle and Stonehenge are beautiful places and our tour guide Oliver was very friendly and helpful!Written 7 October 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
309 reviews
Excellent
223
Very good
49
Average
12
Poor
6
Terrible
19
Dave Cooper
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Terribly organised trip and a rip off for Londoners.
Finding the bus was the first problem! The bus stop is behind the address given and not clear at all.
On Arrival, in plenty of time for the 4.15 trip we were shepherded on an off a packed bus twice. One of the organisers was shouting "It is first come, first served and if we don't get two people on this bus it's not leaving" It was pointed out to him that most had booked upstairs so this was not true, but he wouldn't be moved and continued to shout and get people to board the bus. There were about 5 people involved in the boarding process and non of them seemed to know what was going on other than pushing people on and off the bus again.
We were fortunate to sit together (All three of us) but a lot of families with children were split up.
We eventually got on another bus 20 minutes later and we were unable to hear the tour guide as the speakers near us were not working. later during the tour she got them working. Her descriptions of events and buildings were way off the truth and clearly changed to entertain foreign visitors. The price is expensive for a tour that without traffic would last 20 minutes.
I did not enjoy the experience at all and would not recommend going it would be better to walk and you still have good views of the lights.
Finding the bus was the first problem! The bus stop is behind the address given and not clear at all.
On Arrival, in plenty of time for the 4.15 trip we were shepherded on an off a packed bus twice. One of the organisers was shouting "It is first come, first served and if we don't get two people on this bus it's not leaving" It was pointed out to him that most had booked upstairs so this was not true, but he wouldn't be moved and continued to shout and get people to board the bus. There were about 5 people involved in the boarding process and non of them seemed to know what was going on other than pushing people on and off the bus again.
We were fortunate to sit together (All three of us) but a lot of families with children were split up.
We eventually got on another bus 20 minutes later and we were unable to hear the tour guide as the speakers near us were not working. later during the tour she got them working. Her descriptions of events and buildings were way off the truth and clearly changed to entertain foreign visitors. The price is expensive for a tour that without traffic would last 20 minutes.
I did not enjoy the experience at all and would not recommend going it would be better to walk and you still have good views of the lights.
Written 11 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maureen C
108 contributions
Open top bus tour for Christmas lights. Told to be there for 3.45pm for 4pm tour. Organisation of the queue and loading was shambolic and very little information provided by those arranging the queues. Finally got on bus around 4.10pm once on the bus the driver was very friendly. The tour guide Royston was excellent cannot praise him enough. I have lived in London all my life and worked in the city for over 20 years and learnt so much from Royston of the history. Great way to view London and lights were spectacular.
Written 5 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe D
5 contributions
This is not a Christmas lights tour at all, the tour was split into two halves; the first half was a history tour although the tour guide wasn’t really giving great knowledge, and didn’t seem to have a clue what he was talking about. He said that the second half was Christmas lights, however we only had about ten minutes of this part and didn’t really see many lights at all. We then got stuck in traffic and the driver and tour guide both got off to have a cigarette.
We had booked for the 18:00 tour and arrived at about 17:20 to ensure we had good seats as it was on a first come first served basis, however when we arrived the 17:00 tour was still waiting to go out, which caused a major backlog of people. They mixed the 5 and 6 together, which meant that we ended up sitting under the cover on the top deck, with a very restricted view (may as well just be on a normal London bus).
Finally we then got near to Piccadilly Circus and was told that we should get off and walk if we wanted to continue the lights tour, this was due to traffic which I understand is out of the company’s control of course. But it wasn’t a great place to kick people off as there were crowds of people celebrating because of football, they had flares so not really ideal as there was quite a lot of young children on the tour.
I would definitely not recommend booking this tour.
We had booked for the 18:00 tour and arrived at about 17:20 to ensure we had good seats as it was on a first come first served basis, however when we arrived the 17:00 tour was still waiting to go out, which caused a major backlog of people. They mixed the 5 and 6 together, which meant that we ended up sitting under the cover on the top deck, with a very restricted view (may as well just be on a normal London bus).
Finally we then got near to Piccadilly Circus and was told that we should get off and walk if we wanted to continue the lights tour, this was due to traffic which I understand is out of the company’s control of course. But it wasn’t a great place to kick people off as there were crowds of people celebrating because of football, they had flares so not really ideal as there was quite a lot of young children on the tour.
I would definitely not recommend booking this tour.
Written 19 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tinker1980
London68 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Jack was our tour guide and deserves a special mention. He kept us entertained with lots of anecdotes and facts about London, especially when the traffic and crowd stopped us on our way.
Despite having tickets booked for 5pm on Saturday we were put on the 4.30pm bus which was great for us as we had a child with us. The staff that met us at the pick up point worried me as they didn’t seem very customer friendly but once we met our tour guide we felt more relaxed.
It is expensive for what it is in comparison to other companies but for the guarantee of having an upper desk seat and a “real life” tour guide rather than a played script. Would definitely recommend it as something festive to do.
Despite having tickets booked for 5pm on Saturday we were put on the 4.30pm bus which was great for us as we had a child with us. The staff that met us at the pick up point worried me as they didn’t seem very customer friendly but once we met our tour guide we felt more relaxed.
It is expensive for what it is in comparison to other companies but for the guarantee of having an upper desk seat and a “real life” tour guide rather than a played script. Would definitely recommend it as something festive to do.
Written 18 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ben L
1 contribution
Dec 2022
I am really glad my best friend and I went on the Christmas Lights Tour of London. We would have missed out on something amazing if we had not gone. The queuing when we arrived was a little confusing but we were eventually directed to where we needed to stand and we were shown a bus to get on shortly after. The experience was well worthwhile though and the tour took us through parts of London we might not otherwise have seen. The tour guide on board was engaging throughout and both my friend and I rated her very highly for how she came across. She made us feel very welcome and did not over power us with facts but instead cherry picked the most relevant and delivered her facts in a fun and engaging way. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will almost certainly be returning next year.
Written 2 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear B3674UTbenl,
Thank you sop much for taking the time to write this lovely review. We are so pleased that you enjoy the Christmas Lights Tour. Christmas in London is magical and we are glad you got the opportunity to experience it. We hope to have you on board with us again next year!
Written 9 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Verity H
2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
We booked top deck and got there half hour before we were due to go. We were greeted my a nice friendly gentleman and got straight on and got great seats upstairs. Everyone was on and settled so we got to leave early. I was adamant I wanted top deck but after being on I think bottom would also be good as you'd have a view of all the shop windows etc. We had Harriet as are guide and I feel she made the experience better. She got everyone involved and telling cracker jokes and singing songs. Even asking for requests. She said she had been all round the tour even researching the most wanted gifts for children this year so she could recommend. Harriet your a star and you made the experience much better than I was expecting.
We loved looking at the lights and my girls enjoyed singing and waving at everyone. I even learnt some things I never knew about Christmas and I'm a Christmas fanatic so I wasn't expecting that. Thanks all involved and a Merry Christmas
We loved looking at the lights and my girls enjoyed singing and waving at everyone. I even learnt some things I never knew about Christmas and I'm a Christmas fanatic so I wasn't expecting that. Thanks all involved and a Merry Christmas
Written 10 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tommy Stevens
Reading, UK7 contributions
Jan 2022
We did the the London by Night Open Top Bus Tour with Christmas Lights on New Year's Day. Our Driver was John and our Guide was Ana. John was simply brilliant the ride was so smooth and he always slowed down to make sure everyone got a view of the magnificent views. Anna was incredibly helpful she was humorous
and spoke clearly and calmly at all times even when the microphone cut out. She was also incredibly knowledgeable about London's history.
Overall an excellent experience!
and spoke clearly and calmly at all times even when the microphone cut out. She was also incredibly knowledgeable about London's history.
Overall an excellent experience!
Written 4 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jordan D
1 contribution
Dec 2022 • Solo
When people think of chrismassy cities they think of NYC but this bus tour proved to me that london is just as good if not even better during christmas! Our tour guide Deborah was fantastic! She has alot of charisma and is great at getting you involved and making you feel welcomed. She knows her stuff about the city and also has a great sense of humour! All the staff made me feel welcomed and encouraged interest in discovering london! This is a must for newcommers to london and for christmas lovers alike!
P.S the seats are first come first serve basis. So get there 30 mins early if you want thr open roof seats they may allow early boarding!
P.S the seats are first come first serve basis. So get there 30 mins early if you want thr open roof seats they may allow early boarding!
Written 8 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judi E
Canada40 contributions
Dec 2022
The tour was very good and Mark was our guide on the top level. He was full of great knowledge of the places we went by and also very entertaining with his singing of some Christmas songs. Seeing the beautiful lights was magical and also the bus tour helped to give us an idea where some of the places we wanted to go see on our own. The driver was great, the streets were packed with vehicles and people due to Christmas only a couple of days away. Unfortunately I don’t recall his name, sorry about that. If I had to say one thing that could be improved on was to have the windows clean. And that’s why I didn’t give it five stars.
Written 22 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheila B
3 contributions
Dec 2020
Hi there.
This was a London Sightseeing Tour.
The Regent Street lights were at the end of the tour, we were not shown the Oxford Street lights, only when I asked at the end of the trip they said they could not go down there. Bit late telling me after the sum of £48.00 for partner and I.
Why did they not say they cannot go down Oxford Street I would have then refused to go and asked for a ful refund.
The time was 1 hour 45 minutes took 1 hour 30 minutes.
I was glad it finished to be honest.
Waste of money.
This was a London Sightseeing Tour.
The Regent Street lights were at the end of the tour, we were not shown the Oxford Street lights, only when I asked at the end of the trip they said they could not go down there. Bit late telling me after the sum of £48.00 for partner and I.
Why did they not say they cannot go down Oxford Street I would have then refused to go and asked for a ful refund.
The time was 1 hour 45 minutes took 1 hour 30 minutes.
I was glad it finished to be honest.
Waste of money.
Written 17 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, is there a way to reserve upper deck seats? When I was going through the reservation process this was not an option. Thanks
Written 3 August 2024
You can pay for upper deck or lower but you can't reserve a seat
Written 4 August 2024
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