Top 15 Christmas Experiences in Britain

1.Christmas Lights Nighttime Bus Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,720 reviews · from $40Our pick

Ride through London after dark on an open-top bus, passing Regent Street, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Strand, Tower Bridge, and the London Eye. Your English-speaking guide, such as Emma, Gee, Harriet, or Kelvin, adds city stories and points out the best light displays.

“We had a fabulous evening seeing the sights and Christmas lights around London last Sunday. Jason the guide was very entertaining and had lots of interesting facts and little known snippets of history to share. The roads were very congested and it took considerably longer than planned to complete the tour however we really did enjoy the extra time as we were wrapped up warm and Jason kept us amused.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Christmas Lights Tour by Vintage Double-Decker Bus

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

Ride a restored vintage double-decker through London’s Christmas displays on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Knightsbridge. Your English-speaking guide points out Big Ben, Westminster, and Trafalgar Square during the 90-minute trip. Dress warmly, as the open-top upper deck is popular but not guaranteed.

“Good idea. Ended well. Company needs to have better back up plans when equipment fails.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Tootbus Christmas Lights Tour incl walking tours

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 227 reviews · from $45

Ride from Coventry Street through Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Soho, Oxford Street, Marble Arch, and Grosvenor Square. Your English-speaking guide provides live commentary, while audio guides in 10 languages, Wi-Fi, festive music, and app-based walking tours add flexibility.

“Not great if you don't speak English. We are bothered by the noise the guide makes with his microphone and we can't hear the audio through the headphones which barely work. We also spend more time in traffic jams and are stuck in place for an hour, in short I don't recommend it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.London Christmas Lights Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 70 reviews · 3 hours · from $60

Ride through London’s festive center with an English-speaking guide such as Dominic, Sam, Chris, or George. From Lambeth, you’ll follow illuminated streets and quieter lanes to Southbank, Big Ben, Harrods, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Covent Garden, and Trafalgar Square. Bikes, helmets, and lights are provided.

“Brilliant tour of London’s Christmas lights! A wonderful way to see the lights and hustle and bustle of London at Christmas. Our guide, Sam, really made the tour. He was informative, friendly and so much fun. We would highly recommend this bike tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.London Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour. 2025 Early Bird

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 51 reviews · from $26

Join See London By Night for a one-hour Christmas lights tour from Green Park. Ride the upper deck of a yellow open-top bus past Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, and the London Eye, with an English-speaking guide such as Chris bringing the route to life.

“Good tour for those who want to see Christmas lights in London. Helpful staff”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Christmas Day Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 42 reviews · 1 hour · from $43

Spend one Christmas hour on a heated City Cruises boat from Westminster Millennium Pier. Hear live crew commentary, see Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Tate Modern, and the Shard, and buy mulled wine or mince pies at the licensed bar.

“Contrairement à ce qui est marqué, il n’y a pas de traduction en plusieurs langues, dommage pour ceux qui ne sont pas encore a l’aise avec l’anglais Cependant, superbe croisière au départ du Palais de Westminster jusqu’à Tower Bridge, je recommande car ça permet de commencer la journée tranquillement et en ce temps frais, le bateau es chauffé”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Christmas Lights Tour in a Black Cab

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 2.5 hours Top rated

Ride through London after dark in a private black cab for 2.5 hours, stopping for photos among the city’s Christmas lights. Your licensed guide, including Andrew, Gordon, or Steve, provides live commentary and can return you to your central hotel.

“This was simply amazing! Our driver was incredibly personable and knowledgeable about the area and had several stories about the different buildings and parts of town. There is simply no way we could have seen even 1/3 of the things we saw had we went out on our own. We are less than half way through our trip and nothing is going to top this tour. HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who loves Christmas.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Christmas Eve City Tour with Dinner & Midnight Mass

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 25 reviews · 6 hours · from $172

Spend six festive hours seeing London’s illuminated landmarks, eating a three-course Christmas dinner with prosecco in Covent Garden, and attending Midnight Mass at St Martin-in-the-Fields. An English-speaking guide leads the evening, with hotel-area drop-off after the service.

“The guide was simply fantastic. Zo Zo was professional and knowledgeable all wrapped up in a wonderful sense of fun.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Christmas Party Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 17 reviews · 3 hours · from $101

Board at Westminster Pier for a three-hour Christmas lunch cruise toward Canary Wharf. You’ll share a close table of 10, enjoy sparkling wine, roast turkey with festive trimmings, a chocolate dessert, tea, coffee, and live vocal music. The boat passes the London Eye, Shard, Tower, and Tower Bridge.

“The entire Experience was GREAT! The food, atmosphere, dancing…. we LOVED it from start to finish”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Christmas Party Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 14 reviews · 4 hours · from $129

Cruise from Tower Pier toward Canary Wharf with sparkling wine, London skyline views, a three-course Christmas dinner, half a bottle of wine, and DJ-led dancing. You’ll share a close table for 10, so expect a social party rather than a quiet dinner.

“Dansen en DJ was geweldig. Kwaliteit eten was goed.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Top London Sights Tour – Christmas Day Special!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 3 - 5 hours · from $64

Spend Christmas Day walking through quiet Westminster with an English-speaking guide such as Tanya, Aria, or Jay. See Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and 20 more sights, then add a South Bank route with Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, and Tower Bridge views.

“Wonderful way to spend Christmas Morning. Our tour guide Aria was very knowledgeable and made the tour fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Tour of London and Christmas Day Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 9 reviews · 7 hours · from $307

You’ll tour London by luxury coach with an English-speaking guide, stopping to view Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace. At Westminster Pier, board a river liner for Christmas lunch, a welcome sparkling wine, and Thames views. Tables seat 10 and are shared.

“Excellente excursion pour le jour de Noël et très complete entre le tour des monuments emblématiques de Londres et le déjeuner en croisière sur la Tamise. Juste un bémol irritant; le temps d’attente de presque une heure debout à attendre la croisière.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Christmas Lights Tour – With Christmas Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 9 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $45

You will follow an English-speaking guide from the Marquis of Granby through Oxford Street, Soho, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and Neal’s Yard. Headsets, colored bibs, Christmas music, quirky facts, and optional snowfetti, Santa hats, and mulled wine make this a lively group outing.

“A TRULY MAGICAL WAY TO START CHRISTMAS. VICKI,SAM AND ROY WERE FANTASTIC,FRIENDLY ,ENERGETIC AND EXTREMELY HELPFUL. EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY,WELL ORGANISED WOULD RECOMMEND AND WE WILL BE RETURNING WELL DONE !!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Christmas Lights Self Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 8 reviews · from $9Best value

Use the Trippy Tour Guide app to follow a self-guided Christmas lights walk through central London. Hear GPS-linked stories in English, German, Spanish, or French while visiting Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Regent Street, Seven Dials, and Covent Garden at your own pace.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Christmas in Canterbury, Dover & Greenwich

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 5 reviews · 9 hours · from $268

Travel from London to Canterbury for the Christmas Sung Eucharist, then enjoy a 3-course festive buffet lunch, a brief Dover cliffs photo stop, and a drive past Greenwich. An English-speaking guide leads the day, with guide Dolly praised for clear, engaging commentary on one departure.

“El almuerzo no era en una campiña de kent! Era en un holiday inn de buffet. Dover es una parada casi sin interés”

Check availability →Read our full review