Where to go · GUIDED

15 Guided Festive Tours Around the World Worth Travelling For

26 tours  ·  from $18 a head

Good guided festive tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

London: Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide - From London Eye departures to central London
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London: Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

1.Christmas Lights Bus Tour With Live Guide

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

Ride through central London for 60 to 90 minutes while a live English-speaking guide points out the city’s Christmas lights and landmarks. Expect Regent Street angels, Oxford Street stars on most departures, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Strand, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Guides such as Brennan, Shaun, Ethan, and Emma add history and humor.

“Great tour. Shaun was very informative with so many interesting facts plus a bit of humour. Weather was very wet but we coped.”

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London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide - The Strand and the West End lights
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London by Night Bus Tour with Christmas Lights and Live Guide

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 West End on a 60 to 90 minute open-top bus tour. A live English guide, including guides such as Emma, Samuel, Abby, and Sean on different departures, shares London facts and Christmas traditions while you pass Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Oxford Street, Fortnum & Mason, and Big Ben.

“Journey started on time, covered all area, Guide named James had an exceptional knowledge. It was a great experience to see Christmas lights.”

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Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour - Walking Dyker Heights for about one hour
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Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour

3.Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 920 reviews · 3 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $63

Ride from Midtown Manhattan to Brooklyn with a local guide, walk Dyker Heights’ brightest streets for about an hour, then stop near the Brooklyn Bridge for skyline photos. Guides such as Jorge, Gary, Mike, Jose, and Antonio add New York stories along the way. The evening ends at Bryant Park’s Winter Village.

“We enjoyed everything about this tour. Dyker Heights was beautiful the neighborhood was decorated like non other. Our guide was fabulous with his knowledge of both the city highlights we passed and the neighborhood history as well. This was a girls weekend in the city and well worth the time spent taking this tour. Highly recommend .”

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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music - Oxford Street and the first burst of lights
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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music

4.London Christmas Lights Guided Tour With Christmas Music

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 118 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $40Top rated

Walk from Oxford Street through Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials, Leicester Square, Regent Street, and Soho while your guide leads festive music, stories, singing, and dancing through silent disco headphones. The tour costs $40.97, starts and ends on Rathbone Street, and suits families, friends, and solo visitors who want a cheerful night out.

“The guides were amazing and made this tour! We saw a lot of lights but what really made it were the people! I highly recommend to anyone who wants to see London in a fun way!”

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Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York - Beginning beneath York Minster at 4pm
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Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York

5.Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 106 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $17Best value

Join a small walking group in York at 4pm for a 90-minute Christmas tour led by guides such as Sarah. Hear how Roman Saturnalia, Viking midwinter customs, medieval beliefs, Dickens, mistletoe, chocolate, and York’s Christmas markets shaped the holiday you know today.

“The whole walk was excellent. The guide was very knowledgeable. Made York’s history come to life. Well done.”

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New York: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour - Passing Lower Manhattan on the way south
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New York: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour

6.New York: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 88 reviews · 210 minutes - 4 hours · from $75

You’ll meet in Midtown, ride a reserved-seat coach to Brooklyn, and walk through Dyker Heights for about 90 minutes among its oversized Christmas displays. A live guide shares local context, then you return to Bryant Park by way of Manhattan Bridge. English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish options may be available, though multilingual tours can affect commentary.

“la guida sul pullman ci ha raccontato la storia di New York e di dyker heigts è stato con noi durante tutto il tour abbiamo acquistato ciccolata calda durante la passeggiata è gestito da "il mio viaggio a New york" molto bene”

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Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine - Lights, stalls, and the stories between them
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Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine

7.Christmas Lights and Markets Guided Walking Tour with Mulled Wine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $62

Join a guide such as Tom, Henry, Carlos, or Jack for a 90-minute Christmas walk from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square. Expect festive lights, market stalls, holiday stories, and one complimentary glass of hot spiced mulled wine. The group is capped at 10 people, making it easier to hear and ask questions.

“Henry was very friendly and a great guide. Great stories and history telling of many Christmas traditions including Santa Claus along the route we walked.”

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London Christmas Lights Bike Tour with Local Guide - Harrods and Hyde Park: polished London and open space
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London Christmas Lights Bike Tour with Local Guide

8.London Christmas Lights Bike Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $62

Ride through central London’s Christmas lights with a local guide and a group of no more than 12. The route links Sloane Square, Harrods, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Carnaby Street, Covent Garden, and Southbank. Guides such as Felix, George, and Dom add local stories, while bikes, helmets, and Santa hats are provided.

“Felix was terrific -- a great tour guide who related the history of our sites with knowledge, wit and personality. I admit the London traffic both pedestrian and motor was intimating - it was very crowded on boxing day but Felix got us through safely. Would definitely chose him as a tour guide again but must admit I enjoyed the back streets more than the streets crowded with traffic.”

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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour by Cab - Bond Street: luxury displays and Peacock Feathers
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London Christmas Lights Guided Tour by Cab

9.London Christmas Lights Guided Tour by Cab

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Join Dave for a private three-hour Christmas lights tour of London by black cab. You’ll see Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, South Bank, and Mayfair, with room to adjust the route. The cab reaches streets and viewpoints that larger vehicles cannot, and your group of up to six has the guide’s full attention.

“We had a wonderful time our driver was very patient as he picked up, we had to change plans to pick up as trains were cancelled . He was knowledgeable and thorough. We all love it.”

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London Magical Christmas Walking Tour with Guide - Starting near Charing Cross and heading into Regent Street
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London Magical Christmas Walking Tour with Guide

10.London Magical Christmas Walking Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 38 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Follow guides such as Ollie, Nelson, Bahara, Sabrina, and Mariana through London’s brightest Christmas districts. The 2.5-hour walk links Regent Street, Soho, Mayfair, Bond Street, Carnaby Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Hyde Park, with caroling, local treats, and seasonal stories. Expect crowds, cold weather, and a brisk pace.

“Baja did a nice job of showing us the major Holiday areas and giving us some background on each area. Beware to use go Google maps and not Apple Maps to find the meeting place. We were in the wrong spot. Luckily it was a small group and they were nice enough to wait 5 minutes for us.”

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NYC | French guided tour of Christmas in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Bridge views at the right hour
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NYC | French guided tour of Christmas in Brooklyn

11.NYC | French guided tour of Christmas in Brooklyn

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 29 reviews · 3h 30m · from $79

Join a French-speaking guide for a three-and-a-half-hour evening walk from Dumbo to Brooklyn Heights and Dyker Heights. You’ll see Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street views at sunset, then ride the subway to extravagant Christmas houses. The group is limited to 10, but bring warm clothes, a MetroCard, and patience for a brisk pace.

“Les décorations de Noël de Dyker Heights sont impressionnantes et l’activité en elle-même est agréable. En revanche, la prestation ne justifie clairement pas le prix demandé. La guide, bien que sympathique, a fourni très peu d’informations, ce qui rend la valeur ajoutée de la visite guidée quasi inexistante par rapport à une visite faite seul. Le rythme était excessivement rapide (environ 22 000 pas en 2 heures), sans aucune adaptation au groupe ni réel temps pour les photos. La visite s’est même terminée de façon désorganisée, puisque nous avons perdu la guide et dû continuer seuls. En résumé : expérience visuelle réussie, mais organisation et rapport qualité/prix très décevants.”

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London Christmas Lights Guided Walking Tour - Meeting Caroline or Phil at Covent Garden
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London Christmas Lights Guided Walking Tour

12.London Christmas Lights Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $61

Meet official London Tour Guides Caroline or Phil at Covent Garden Underground Station at 5 p.m. for a two-hour walk through London's best Christmas displays. You'll see Trafalgar Square, St. James's, Bond Street, Regent Street, Oxford Street, and Carnaby Street, with time for photographs and seasonal city facts.

“At Christmas its a sea of humanity. But very worth it. Wear comfortable shoes. You'll love it. Peace”

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London Christmas Eve Illuminations Guided Tour by Night - Buckingham Palace and the royal route
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London Christmas Eve Illuminations Guided Tour by Night

13.London Christmas Eve Illuminations Guided Tour by Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 28 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $80

Spend Christmas Eve touring London’s illuminated landmarks by luxury coach. Starting at Victoria at 6:30pm, an English-speaking guide leads you past Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, and more. It is a panoramic sightseeing ride, not an open-top photo tour.

“Tour was in a coach Bus, I was under the impression with the title Illuminations it would be a double decker w/ an open top for photos, but it was more of a history lesson on London. Very disappointing. Would not recommend.”

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London Christmas Lights Private Guided Taxi Tour - Bond Street and a better photo pause
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London Christmas Lights Private Guided Taxi Tour

14.London Christmas Lights Private Guided Taxi Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Join Simon in a private electric black cab for a three-hour Christmas lights tour of central London. With pickup anywhere in Central London, the route can be shaped around your interests, from Oxford Street and Regent Street to Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, and the London Eye. Bottled water is included, and the tour suits groups of up to six.

“Great driver, we had a really good time. We saw many places in and around London we would have never seen on our own.”

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Guided Colonial Christmas Tour in Williamsburg - Bruton Parish and church traditions
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Guided Colonial Christmas Tour in Williamsburg

15.Guided Colonial Christmas Tour in Williamsburg

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · from $25

Walk Colonial Williamsburg for 90 minutes with a costumed guide such as Tom, Madame Lexi, or Elizabeth. Hear about colonial Christmas customs, church traditions, decorated homes, and even pirate celebrations. The tour starts and ends at Blair Street, costs $25, and includes a Christmas candle.

“Tom was an excellent guide. He knew so much about Williamsburg and was really entertaining and fun. Definitely recommend this tour!!”

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Keep browsing

Christmas Lights Tours89Christmas Market Tours43Santa Claus Experiences34New Year's Eve Celebrations44Christmas Cruises52Christmas Walking Tours44
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Explore the festive season

Pick a market, a sleigh, a stage or a river.

The classics

Lights ToursMarket ToursWalking ToursBus & Tuk-Tuk ToursPrivate Tours

Snow and Santa

Meeting SantaHuskies & ReindeerSleigh & Carriage RidesRinks & Snow ParksFinland

Eating and drinking

Mulled Wine TastingsFood ToursDinners & ShowsFestive Pub CrawlsFestive Cruises

The turn of the year

New Year’s EveFireworks & PartiesLondon LightsNYC LightsGerman Markets