There is a moment every December when London stops being a city you commute through and becomes somewhere you want to linger. Regent Street’s angels switch on, the Trafalgar Square tree goes up, and Hamleys and Liberty fill their windows. The catch is that seeing it all usually means shuffling along packed pavements in the cold. Brigit’s Bakery has a warmer idea: put the lights on the other side of a bus window and put a tray of scones in front of you.
See Brigit’s Christmas Bus Tours
Brigit’s describes itself as the creator of the afternoon tea bus tour concept, and its festive Christmas Lights tour, which it says it invented in 2013, runs on classic 1960s Routemaster buses. For the 2026 season there are four festive options, from a full sit-down afternoon tea to a shorter open-top ride with bubbly. This guide sets out what each one costs, where it leaves from and who it is best for, using the details published on the Brigit’s Bakery bus tours page.
Why a bus beats a cold pavement
The appeal is simple. On the afternoon tea tours you sit at a table inside a heated vintage double-decker, with tea or hot chocolate and a stand of savouries and cakes, while the route rolls past the landmarks and the light displays. You choose upper or lower deck seating when booking. Tables seat up to four, and Brigit’s points out, with some humour, that the original Routemaster seats were designed for 1960s passengers, so it is worth bearing in mind for larger groups.
It is not a hop-on, hop-off service. The bus only picks up and drops off at its designated departure point, and nobody stands or walks around during the tour.
The festive tours compared
Here is how the four Christmas season options line up, based on the dates, times and starting prices Brigit’s lists for 2026.
| Tour | Dates | Length | From (adult / child) | Ages | Departs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea | 11 Nov 2026 – 5 Jan 2027 | 90 min | £45 / £37 | 5+ | Victoria Coach Station |
| Grinchmas Afternoon Tea | 15 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027 | 90 min | £50 / £42 | 5+ | Northumberland Ave (Corinthia Hotel) |
| The Cat in the Hat Afternoon Tea | 14 Nov – 31 Dec 2026 | 90 min | £50 / £42 | 4+ | Northumberland Ave (Corinthia Hotel) |
| Sparkling Open Top Christmas Lights | 26 Nov 2026 – 5 Jan 2027 | 60 min | £25 / £25 | 5+ | Trafalgar Square |
Prices are the “from” prices listed by Brigit’s Bakery and vary by date, time and seat selection.
The Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea tour is the classic, with departures at 12:00, 12:30, 14:30, 15:00, 17:00 and 17:30. The Cat in the Hat is new this year and runs daily at 13:00, 15:30 and 18:00, with games and activities from the onboard team and a limited edition travel cup. The Grinchmas tour is back for another season with a Grinch-themed tea and some cheeky mischief. The Sparkling Open Top tour is the outlier: 60 minutes on the open top deck, no afternoon tea, departures at 16:00, 18:00, 20:00 and 22:00, a live onboard entertainer and a complimentary glass of Silverhand Estate bubbly.
What is on the Christmas menu
The Christmas Lights afternoon tea is built around freshly prepared savouries and mini cakes. The traditional menu lists a mini spinach quiche, a cucumber, cream cheese and spring onion finger on basil bread, turkey ham and cheese on tomato bread, a savoury avocado choux and a salmon and cucumber pretzel. On the sweet side there is a butterscotch choux, a coconut and cardamom tart, a caramel chocolate mousse dome and a Christmas chocolate cupcake, plus a freshly baked scone with clotted cream and jam. Brigit’s notes that menus are seasonal and may vary.
Drinks included with the tea are water, orange or apple juice, coffees such as cappuccino and latte macchiato, hot chocolate, and a range of Birchall teas from English Breakfast and Earl Grey to chai, peppermint and jasmine. Bubbly is extra, with a glass of sparkling wine listed from £9 and bottles from £32. Every guest on the Christmas Lights tour gets a Brigit’s travel cup to keep, and takeaway boxes are handed out for anything you cannot finish.
Dietary needs are well covered: there are halal, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free afternoon teas, with a £3 supplement for vegan and gluten-free. Brigit’s asks for requirements at least 72 hours in advance. It is clear about its limits, too: it cannot cater for nut-free or peanut-free diets, combined dairy-free and gluten-free, combined vegan and gluten-free, or coeliacs, and allergies must be confirmed by email with management.
The route and the lights you will see
The Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea tour starts and finishes at Victoria Coach Station and lasts about 90 minutes, depending on traffic. Brigit’s says the route passes the Regent Street and Oxford Street displays, the Trafalgar Square tree, the London Eye and the Ritz, along with the Christmas windows at Hamleys, Liberty and Harrods. There is a recorded guide commentary and friendly servers on board.
One detail worth knowing: the 17:00 and 17:30 departures follow an alternative route. Because of Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation and festive traffic, the evening buses pass Harrods and head through Belgravia via Sloane Avenue, and they do not pass the Royal Albert Hall or the Albert Memorial. If those landmarks matter to you, book an earlier slot; if the lights are the priority, the evening departures make the most of the dark.
The open top tour leaves from Trafalgar Square and focuses on the Regent Street angels, the Bond Street installations, the Trafalgar Square tree and the windows at Liberty and Hamleys. Its 40 top-deck seats are first come, first served, the lower deck is not used, and blankets and ponchos are provided.
Which tour suits whom
- Couples and friends: the Christmas Lights Afternoon Tea gives the most traditional experience and the widest choice of times, from lunchtime to early evening.
- Families with younger children: The Cat in the Hat is the only festive tour here open to age 4+, with games and a themed tea. All the others are 5+, and children under the minimum age are not permitted.
- Fans of a bit of mischief: the Grinchmas tour pairs a Grinch-themed afternoon tea with a little cheeky mischief and and runs until 31 January 2027.
- A pre or post dinner treat: the Sparkling Open Top tour is shorter, cheaper and runs as late as 22:00. You can pre-order a Silver or Rose hamper for £30, with sparkling wine, a mini Christmas cake, a mince pie and a cracker per person.
Booking tips before you go
- Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before departure for the afternoon tea tours, and 15 minutes before for the open top tour.
- Prices vary by date, time and seat selection, so check a few slots if you are flexible.
- There are no seatbelts on the 1960s Routemasters and no standing during the tour, so parents should decide whether younger children can stay seated for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Hampers for the open top tour must be pre-ordered when booking, as no alcohol is sold on board.
- Send dietary requirements by email at least 72 hours ahead.
Christmas weekends tend to fill first, and Brigit’s labels its classic Christmas Lights tour as mega popular. If you have a date in mind, check availability on the Brigit’s Bakery site sooner rather than later.