London Christmas Lights Walking Route 2023 (+ Map)

Enjoy a festive evening out on a self-guided walking tour of the London Christmas lights. See grand boulevards illuminated in all their glory and stores adorned with beautiful decorations.

Few cities display Christmas Lights with the same sense of extravagance as London.

Glorious illuminated displays strive to outshine last year’s festivities with more and more streets taking part in the tradition of decorating themselves for Christmas.

Across the city you can find beautiful Christmas lights that brighten up the historic streets and iconic facades. Several of them are located within a festive walking trail through central London.

We’ve put together this walk which visits the most iconic streets and the best Christmas lights and decorations. The entire walk is 3.2 miles (5 kilometre). It would about 1 hour 30 minutes if you were to march around quickly.

But no doubt, you’ll want to amble slowly and savour the festive atmosphere.

LONDON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS MAP

Use our map to navigate through this self-guided walking tour of the London Christmas lights. We recommend starting at Oxford Circus tube station and finishing at Covent Garden tube station, however, you could also do this walk in reverse.

How to use our maps // Click on the top right corner to open in the Google Maps app. Click on the star to save to your Google account.  

LONDON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

OXFORD STREET

Start at Bond Street Station and walk along Oxford Street to Selfridge’s. It’s a busy street, particularly at Christmas time, but it’s worth it to admire the thousands of brilliant white stars forming a canopy over the street.

SELFRIDGES

Each year the department store Selfridges decorates their store in quirky Christmas Displays. For 2023, the theme is Showtime with over-the-top theatrical-inspired decorations. There are 15 windows in total and it’s one of the best things to do for Christmas in London.

GROSVENOR SQUARE

Continue past Selfridges and turn left down North Audley Street to Grosvenor Square. It contains the Ever After Garden, a memorial to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The garden features 20,000 illuminated white roses. It’s a beautiful memorial and a lovely quiet place in London over Christmas.

ANNABELS

After leaving Grosvenor Square, follow our map around to Davies Street, passing the lights on Mount Street. Turn right to head down to Annabel’s, the private members club with a magical Christmas façade. The display features a massive hot air balloon as a symbol of hope and inspiration.

NEW BOND STREET

Cut through Berkeley Square (or around it if it’s closed) and along Bruton Street to New Bond Street, which features beautiful Christmas decorations with tiaras as a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Turn right on New Bond Street to go past several posh stores with extravagant decorations. The Dior store features a huge butterfly, and the Cartier Store is looking stunning this year. It’s the highlight of the 2023 Christmas lights.

FORTNUM & MASON

Continue past the Cartier and Tiffany & Co stores, then turn left on Piccadilly to see Fortnum & Mason. Each year, they adorn the entire shop front in a huge Advent Calendar with an animated performance.

BURLINGTON ARCADE

Retrace your steps, then go right into Burlington Arcade. The covered shopping arcade is packed with ultra-high-end stores, and it’s always decorated beautifully for Christmas.   

SAVILE ROW

Turn right along Burlington Gardens, then quickly pop into Savile Row (on your left) where the home of bespoke tailoring has adorned their famed street with a Christmas nod to their industry. Golden sheers cut through a glittering swathe of fabric to mark the festive season.

REGENT STREET

Continue along Vigo Street (an extension of Burlington Gardens) and then turn left onto Regent Street where the Christmas lights tradition began. It’s always a popular display with huge angels forming a canopy over the street. There are 300,000 twinkling lights on the display and it’s a great photo opportunity.

LIBERTY

Continue along Regent Street for some excellent photo opportunities, then turn right on Great Marlborough Street to see one of the iconic shops in London. Housed in a mock Tudor building in the west end, Liberty is stocked with exclusive items and top-end homewares. Their Christmas shop on the 4th floor is packed with quality decorations.

CARNABY STREET

Next turn right on Carnaby Street to check out the vibrant display of neon and light waves illuminating this iconic London street. This year the theme is Carnaby Universe, and it’s fitted out with a galactic-inspired design.

PICCADILLY CIRCUS

At the end of Carnaby Street, turn right on Beak Street, then left on Golden Square. Continue towards Piccadilly Circus to admire the impressive, winged canopy over the street. The lights feature dramatic large-scale figures of Anteros, the Greek god of requited love. A statue of Anteros has stood in Piccadilly Circus since 1893.

LEICESTER SQUARE

From Piccadilly Circus, follow Coventry Street over to the Leicester Square. It’s always a vibrant place to enjoy the energy of London and Christmas is no exception. Read more about what to do in our guide to the Leicester Square Christmas Market.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE

From Leicester Square, take a short detour over to Trafalgar Square. There’s a Christmas Market set under the National Gallery, and it features a huge Christmas tree donated from Norway each year. It can get pretty busy, and there’s not much need to stick around too long.

COVENT GARDEN

From Trafalgar Square, use our map to navigate towards Covent Garden. There’s always plenty happening in the square, and you can read more in our guide to Christmas in Covent Garden.  

Finish up this London Christmas light walk with a cocktail at El Ta’Koy. From here it’s a short walk to Covent Garden Tube station to get the underground back home.

TIPS FOR YOUR LONDON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WALK

• If you start at Covent Garden and do this walk in reverse, you could end up at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. This is a good option if you are with kids who would enjoy the rides. It’s an extra 20-minute walk.
• A fun way to see the lights is on the CityDays London Festive Food Hunt.
• The streets are most busy just after sunset, around 4 pm. To avoid some of the crowds, do this walk as late as possible. Most lights switch off around Midnight.
• Most importantly, try and pick a day when it’s not expected to rain.
• To see many more festive lights that are not on this walking tour, read our guide to the best of London’s Christmas lights.

MORE LONDON SELF-GUIDED WALKING GUIDES

• Our favourite 15 walks in London with maps.
• See the best Shoreditch Street Art on our self-guided walking route.
• Enjoy the picturesque stroll along the Regent’s Canal walk.
• Explore one of London’s best green spaces on our Hampstead Heath walk.
• Take the iconic walk through Regent’s Park and Camden Town.
• See the grandeur of London on our Royal Parks & Palaces walk.
• See the best Instagram spots on our Notting Hill walk.
• Explore the heart of historic London on our City of London walking tour.
• Take a historic stroll along the Queen’s Walk London.
• Our Southbank London walk covers several iconic landmarks.
• See the best of the lights on our Christmas Lights walking route.

Also, check out all the fantastic day hikes near London and soak up some beautiful country landscapes.