The best London Christmas lights walking route (with kids)
There are so many great things to do at Christmas in London but one of my favourites is completely free, wandering this London Christmas lights walking route and soaking up all the twinkling decorations around the city.
Each year there seem to be more added, not to mention the festive light trails, with the majority of the lights switched on some time in the first half of November and staying on until early in the New Year, normally at least January 3 although all switched off by January 6.
You’ll find a special Christmas lights bus tour if you don’t fancy walking the whole route, but it’s hard to beat just strolling from one location to another, maybe stopping for some of London’s best hot chocolate, visiting one of the London Christmas markets or perhaps teaming it with a chance to meet Santa in London.
Book the Tootbus London Christmas lights bus tour here
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London Christmas lights walking route with kids
If you’re following my London Christmas lights walking route with kids, you can easily break it up into smaller sections and visit them on different occasions, or hop on a bus to give little legs a break – the 139 bus route is a good option.
You can’t see all the London Christmas lights from a bus, even if you manage to get the coveted top deck front row – Carnaby Street and Covent Garden are both pedestrianised, for starters – and you can expect to sit in traffic at busy times, but it’s a good compromise.
The stretch between Oxford Street (around Selfridges) and Southampton Street (for Covent Garden) has the highest concentration of lights, although the route continues to Waterloo if you fancy heading to the South Bank and its festive market (or if you’re starting there, it’ll cut out a lot of the walk).
You can also start the walk at any point on the route – a lot of similar Christmas lights walking routes in London begin around Piccadilly, for example, but there’s no right way to do it… and you’ll always have to detour a little bit if you want to try to see every last one.
The best time to see the lights is obviously after dark, but with the sun setting around 4pm once December arrives that gives you plenty of time. Heading off as soon as dusk falls is often the best idea with kids – you won’t be walking too late with younger ones, and you can miss some of the evening crowds, although London is always busy in the run-up to Christmas.
London Christmas Lights walking route map
You can walk this route in either direction, from Covent Garden through to Mayfair or vice versa, as well as detouring from Piccadilly up through Bond Street towards Oxford Street, then over to Carnaby Street and Regent Street.
Allow at least two hours to walk the entire route, which is around 4 miles long – you might want longer if you’re stopping to take photos or dodging the crowds, and frog-marching everyone from A to B isn’t going to get anyone in the festive mood.
I’ve plotted the locations on a London Christmas lights map so you can choose what works best for you, or divide the route into sections – your own personal self-guided Christmas lights walking tour. Have a very merry walk!
Stop1: Covent Garden
My favourite place to start a Christmas lights walk of London, Covent Garden always has plenty of festive extras from its huge sparkling tree to fake snow and Santa’s sleigh, not to mention lots of pop-up events in the piazza.
Last year, the old favourites of giant baubles, mistletoe and mirrorballs took a back seat with a new set of bells and bows hanging high above the market which are back for 2025.
Covent Garden Christmas lights: Need to know
The festive events taking place in Covent Garden at Christmas usually start in mid November, with the official switch-on date slightly earlier in the month. 2025 switch-on date Nov 12
As you walk towards Trafalgar Square, you can go via Leicester Square, which has its own Christmas market and a new ice rink for 2025 – it’s usually very busy and doesn’t have London’s best Christmas lights, so personally I’d tend to avoid it at this time of year
Stop 2: Trafalgar Square
Every year since 1947, the people of Norway have given the people of London a 19m Christmas tree as a gesture of appreciation for the city’s support during the Second World War.
It’s something of a Christmas tradition for Londoners to affectionately poke fun at the towering Christmas tree, which is still dwarfed by Nelson’s column. I’m sure it looked wonky last year, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
There’s also a small Christmas market in the square, close to the National Gallery and you can often hear carols here as well.
You can make a small detour down to the Strand (either from Covent Garden or before heading towards Piccadilly) to see the North Bank lights – the baubles are another late switch on, usually early December (TBC) and not worth going far out of your way to see, but if you’re heading to Skate at Somerset House, it’s easy to spot them en route
Trafalgar Square Christmas: Need to know
The lighting ceremony takes place on the first Thursday in December, on December 4, 2025.
Stop 3: Lower Regent Street & Piccadilly Circus
From Trafalgar Square, head towards Waterloo Place for the glamorous St James’s Christmas tree before heading up St James’s (Lower Regent Street) itself to see the Spirit of Christmas angels and on towards Piccadilly Circus.
Not only is it less busy here, you can also get a peek down Jermyn Street to see a few more, while St James’s Market, just off Jermyn Street and Haymarket, has an ‘earthbound’ spirit to pose with, as well as a Wishing Tree where visitors can donate food for The Felix Project charity.
Piccadilly Circus doesn’t have its own Christmas lights but the chances are that there’ll be a festive theme on at least one of the huge illuminated billboards which it’s famous.
If you want to shorten the walk, you can head straight to Piccadilly Circus or even further up Regent Street by bus
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Lower Regent Street Christmas lights: Need to know
The lights stretch all the way up Regent Street from St James’s, Piccadilly and Jermyn Street so there’s plenty of chance to see these. 2025 switch-on date Nov 6
Stop 4: Piccadilly & Fortnum & Mason
Take a short detour down Piccadilly towards Fortnum & Mason, which transforms its shop windows into an advent calendar every year, with numbers on the upstairs windows.
It’s worth taking a peek in the street-level windows as well, as there’s always something new to spot. Last year, you could see animated recreations of the department store in miniature – including presents trying to get into the lift, and champagne bottles dancing on the staircase.
The best views are from across the road, by the Royal Academy, so cross (carefully!) to get a look at the whole effect before heading back towards Regent Street. Or of course you can always stop in to pick up a few fancy Christmas decorations for your own tree from the luxury department store.
Above Piccadilly itself, there are more winged angels – Anteros, to be precise, the god of unrequited love, and a nod to the famous statue in Piccadilly Circus. Although everyone calls it Eros, there’s more debate than you’d think, with plenty of evidence that it’s actually Anteros or the angel of Christian charity.
If you’re doing this Christmas lights walk of London in a different order, you can also wander from Piccadilly up the south end of Bond Street to bring you to Oxford Street – scroll down to stop 7 for more details
Piccadilly Christmas lights: Need to know
Fortnum & Mason’s unveils its Christmas displays in mid November
Stop 5: Regent Street
If you’re looking for the Spirit of Christmas, you need to head to Regent Street where the Christmas lights’ official name is the Spirit of Christmas angels.
Another favourite sight, you can also get some great photos of the angels above as the street curves round to the right, and this year, there are new lights in the streets leading off Regent Street, including Glasshouse Street, Swallow Street and the Quadrant Arcade.
Regent Street Christmas lights: Need to know
The lights stretch all the way up Regent Street from St James’s, Piccadilly and Jermyn Street so there’s plenty of chance to see these. They do switch off slightly earlier, around January 2-3 if you were planning a New Year visit. 2025 switch-on date Nov 6
Stop 6: Carnaby Street
Usually one of my own favourites, you can expect something more creative and less traditional along here – and as Carnaby Street is pedestrianised, it’s also easier to stop and take in the details (if you can dodge the crowds).
With a theme of ‘All is Bright’, this year’s display is designed to built on last year’s lights, which featured hourly light displays with some 6m light sculpture and star installations along the street – the next step in a five-year evolution.
Previous years have featured some of the highlights of the past quarter century, from lights inspired by Queen and the Rolling Stones to space. Keep an eye out for more lights in the alleys off Carnaby Street – the displays are smaller but so are the crowds.
Carnaby Street Christmas lights: Need to know
Often one of the first sets of lights to switch on in November. 2025 switch-on date Nov 6
Stop 7: Oxford Street
The shooting stars of Oxford Street have been a familiar sights for a while but there’s always something very uplifting about seeing them twinkle into life as darkness falls.
There were a whopping 300,000 stars sparkling above London’s busiest shopping street last, all using LED lights once again to use less energy. You could sponsor one to support children’s charity Starlight as well.
It might be one of the city’s busiest shopping streets, but Christmas is all about giving after all.
Oxford Street Christmas lights: Need to know
Another of the earliest sets of lights to be switched on if you’re visiting London at the start of November. 2025 switch-on date Nov 3
Stop 7: Bond Street
The lights here change from time to time – the illuminated peacock tails that shimmered above the area around Bond Street, a reference to the society dandies (or peacocks) who once strutted the streets here, were replaced by a royal-themed display of crowns in 2022 – and this year’s display will be inspired by the Crown Jewels.
There are a staggering 93,652 LED lights involved, designed to save energy without losing any of the dazzling display – probably the most beautiful Christmas lights in London.
Four enormous crowns inspired by the Imperial State Crown usually hang above key junctions, with sparkling gold, silver and pearl lights making a tiara-style gateway at the north with New Bond Street and south at Old Bond Street.
If you’re doing this Christmas lights walk of London in a different order, you can also wander from Piccadilly up the south end of Bond Street to bring you to Oxford Street
While you’re in the area, take a peek in the windows of Selfridges on Oxford Street, dressed up with a special Disney Christmas display this year.
Don’t miss South Molton Street, next to Bond Street tube, whose arch of light is always a highlight.
Bond Street Christmas lights: Need to know
One of the later displays to turn on, they’re well worth waiting for. 2025 switch-on date November 12
Stop 8: Grosvenor Square & Berkeley Square, Mayfair
Raising money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Society, the Ever After Garden in Grosvenor Square is back for the seventh year, filling the square with over 20,000 illuminated white roses.
Visitors can dedicate the roses to loved ones they have lost, with the cost of each flower raising money for the cancer charity. It’s free for anyone to enter though, and while the sight always brings a lump to my throat, it’s a tranquil oasis among the festive bustle.
From here, it’s just a few minutes to Berkeley Square where private members’ club Annabel’s is always illuminated for the festive season, usually in mid November.
Previously there’s been a carousel theme, while it’s also been transformed into a sparkling gingerbread house. – and this year, there’s a hint of Narnia with frost, ice and a lion. Fortunately you don’t need to pay the pricy club fee to have a look.
Grosvenor Square lights: Need to know
The Ever After Garden closes earlier than some of the other Christmas lights, finishing on December 16, 2025. It opens on November 13 so you still have a month to visit.
Want more London Christmas lights?
If you can’t get enough of the lights over central London – or if you find yourself around Victoria and South Kensington, there are some more Christmas illuminations to be found.
Head to Belgravia to see the lights at Elizabeth Street, Motcomb Street, Eccleston Yards, Halkin Arcade and Pimlico Road, including the glowing white trees illuminating South Molton Street. Official switch-on Nov 16 2025 (though the lights may be on before this).
And in Knightsbridge, Harrods blazes with light each year – not to mention some great Christmas displays in the windows.
Or you can often find some colourful lights down on the South Bank for Winter Light, art installations which play with light, with a backdrop of the festive market and the buildings lit up along the river Thames. 2025 dates from November 4 until January 18.
There are also plenty of Christmas lights in the City of London if you’re venturing out of the centre, with the Leadenhall Market lights switched on on November 13, with flurries of snow falling at at 12pm and 6pm each day too.
And if you head to The Shard, there’s a 60-minute light show, which repeats on the hour, every night until the New Year.
For more festive fun check out my pick of where to go for the best ice skating rink in London as well as the best Christmas theatre in London with kids
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Main image/The Strand/Regent Street/Bond Street courtesy of Depositphotos, Instagram images as credited, all other images copyright MummyTravels
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