London at Christmas, without the guesswork
Every December the same question comes up: which Christmas markets are worth it, which lights are best, and how do you fit it all into one day without spending half of it on the Tube? We map London's markets and street food traders all year, so for Christmas 2026 we built a small set of guided tours around the routes we would send our own friends on.
Below, each tour side by side: what you see, what you taste, how long it takes and what it costs. Every price is the full price, with no booking fees on top.
The tours at a glance
Lights & Markets by Night: 2 hours, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 18:00, £29 with a hot drink.
Foodie Christmas Tour: 2.5 hours, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 18:00, 5 tastings, £69.
City & East End Christmas Walk: 2.5 hours, Wednesdays and Fridays at 16:00, 4 tastings, £55.
London Christmas Classics: 4 hours, Fridays and Sundays at 13:00, Winter Wonderland entry and 3 tastings, £65.
Family Christmas Tour: 3 hours, Saturdays at 14:00, £35 adult, £22 child, under 3s free.
Oxford Christmas Day Trip and Cambridge Christmas Day Trip: a full day by minibus from central London, £125.
Book a guided Christmas tour
Small groups with a local host and tastings included. No booking fees, free cancellation.
Best for first-timers: London Christmas Classics
If you only have one afternoon, this is the one. You start in daylight at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (your entry ticket is booked for you), ride the Piccadilly line to the giant tree at Covent Garden, then walk over Waterloo Bridge as the lights come on and finish at the Southbank Centre Winter Market. Three tastings along the way: a hot drink, something savoury and something sweet.
Good to know: the Tube fare between Hyde Park Corner and Covent Garden isn't included (tap in with a contactless card), and rides at Winter Wonderland are extra.
Best value: Lights & Markets by Night
Two hours under the best lights in the West End: Oxford Street, the angels over Regent Street, Carnaby's display, Christmas in Leicester Square (hot drink included) and the Covent Garden tree to finish. At £29 it costs about the same as a self-guided evening once you add a drink, and someone else does the navigating.
Best for food lovers: the Foodie Christmas Tour
Our favourite. Mulled wine (or a non-alcoholic hot drink) and street food at the Southbank Centre Winter Market, a riverside walk past Tate Modern and the Globe, a food history stop at Borough Market, then two more tastings at Winter by the River with Tower Bridge lit up behind you. Five tastings in total, which is the most of any of our tours.
Tastings are sample sizes, not a full dinner. Most guests carry on eating at London Bridge afterwards, and your host will tell you where.
Best for something different: City & East End Christmas Walk
St Paul's at dusk, the tree under the Victorian roof of Leadenhall Market, festive street food at Old Spitalfields Market and a salt beef or smoked salmon beigel on Brick Lane to finish. Fewer crowds than the West End, and more stories.
Best with children: the Family Christmas Tour
Built for ages 3 to 12: shorter walks, a toilet stop, hot chocolate at Covent Garden, a sweet treat in Leicester Square, the big tree in Trafalgar Square and the river lights. Every child gets a Christmas spotter sheet and a small prize at the end. A family of four (two adults, two children) pays £114 in total.
Best day out: Oxford or Cambridge at Christmas
Both day trips leave from near Victoria at 08:30 in a 12-seat minibus and are back by about 17:30. You get a guided city walk, free time for lunch, the Christmas market with two tastings, and free time to shop or visit a college. Oxford runs on Saturdays (28 November, 5, 12 and 19 December), Cambridge on Sundays (29 November, 6, 13 and 20 December). Not sure which? We compare them in Oxford vs Cambridge at Christmas.
Group or private?
Group tours are sold per person and solo travellers are welcome. Groups are small (10 at most in London, 12 on the day trips). If you'd rather have the host to yourselves, every London tour has a private option for up to 6 guests at one price, and we can build a tour around your own plans, which works well for office Christmas socials.
What every tour includes
A local host for the whole tour: a food and markets enthusiast, not a licensed Blue Badge guide. We'd rather tell you that than let you assume otherwise.
The tastings listed on each tour page (the exact dish depends on what the stalls have that day).
A digital map of Christmas markets with our food picks, sent after the tour.
Free cancellation (24 hours before London tours, 72 hours before day trips) and no booking fees.
Ready to pick one? See all Christmas tours and dates.
