Visiting The Best Christmas Light Trails, Walks, and Shows by Train
Christmas light shows and trails offer a break from the present buying and preparations for the big day. With their bright, photo-worthy displays, they have even become part of some families’ traditions.
If you’re looking for something to do over the festive season, a Christmas light trail might be the perfect choice.
Spectacular Christmas light trails and city-wide illuminations
No matter where you are in the country, there’s likely to be a Christmas lights walk near you. As well as smaller local displays and trails, some of the big cities and tourism destinations put on special events over the festive period.
London Christmas lights walk and city-wide illuminations
The atmosphere in London is always special, but it’s at its best during the Christmas period when the lights are twinkling above the streets, and the windows of some of the most famous shops in the world are given spectacular festive makeovers.
Streets you shouldn’t miss
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Regent Street: In 1954, Regent Street became the very first street in London to have Christmas lights. In recent years, angels have stretched all the way down Regent Street to St James’s.
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Oxford Street: London’s iconic shopping street becomes even more impressive over winter when a display of more than 5,000 sustainable stars cascades above the Christmas crowds. Selfridges’ flagship store also draws visitors with its most extravagant window dressings of the year.
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Carnaby Street: This trendy street in Soho puts on an extravaganza of brightly coloured lights and themed decorations each year that are all about fun.
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Mayfair: Home to some of the most high-end streets and shops in the city, Mayfair’s shops and clubs go all out with extravagant displays. Seek out the giant Cartier bow and Annabel’s themed installations
Self-guided walking tours
If you want to make the most of the lights, a self-guided walking tour is a great option. Routes can be adapted, too, depending on who you are planning to walk with.
Family walking route
If you’re planning a family outing with the children, you could start at Covent Garden’s sparkling decorations, then head to the giant Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square. Continue through St James’s and Regent Street for the illuminated angels, and stop by Fortnum and Mason’s Christmas windows.
Next, explore Carnaby Street before heading to Oxford Street, Bond Street, and South Molton Street for even more displays. Finish at Berkley Square to see Annabel’s festive decorations.
The route covers around three miles and takes around three hours, allowing for time for children to stop, take photos, and enjoy the sights. You can also walk this over multiple days or shorten the route as and where you see fit.
Routes for couples
If you’re heading for a couple’s stroll, you could add some additional stops in and around the West End. Walk festive shop fronts along the Strand or visit the Victoria Embankment Gardens beside Villiers Street before heading to Covent Garden. Here, creative decorations and an intimate atmosphere can be found at courtyards like The Yards and Seven Dials.
Alternatively, near Bond Street station you’ll find St Christopher’s Place. This provides a quieter spot to enjoy the festive surroundings, as well as a drink or bite to eat in nearby Barrett Street.
Walk down Bond Street and cut through Piccadilly Arcade to get to Jermyn Street for some more understated decorations before finishing up in Trafalgar Square.
Christmas at Kew
Kew Gardens offers a more specialised Christmas light trail experience, allowing visitors to explore its incredible flower displays magnified with soundscapes and light installations. You’ll also find a fairground, street food, and Father Christmas may even be on hand.
The event runs from 13th November to 3rd January 2027, and tickets need to be booked in advance. Adult tickets start from £29.50, children aged 4-15 from £20, under-4s go for free, and a family ticket (two adults and two children) starts at £89.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
A staple of London’s Christmas celebrations, Winter Wonderland is a sprawling light show of illuminated fairground rides, stalls, grottos and an open-air ice rink surrounded by trees covered in twinkling lights.
The Magical Ice Kingdom is an indoor walk-through of illuminated ice sculptures. The theme for 2026 is ‘Neverland’.
Winter Wonderland will run from 19th November to 3rd January 2027, apart from Christmas Day. Admission tickets cost from £1 and need to be booked online. Rides, ice skating, and events may need to be booked separately.
Chester Zoo “Lanterns & Light” and northwest light trails;
From zoos and Safari parks to city-centre events, the North West has a great selection of experiences, all decked out for the season with festive lights.
Chester Zoo “Lanterns & Light”
From 13th November until 3rd January 2027, Chester Zoo transforms into an illuminated winter wonderland. Visitors can explore a trail of glowing installations, festive characters, interactive experiences and fire gardens
Tickets for Lanterns & Light need to be booked in advance, and the money goes towards the zoo’s vital conservation work. Admission varies depending on dates and whether they’re peak or off-peak, but prices start at £27.50 for adults, £12 for children aged 3-15, £2.50 for toddlers, and under-1s go free. Zoo members get discounted tickets.
Northern Lights, Manchester
Northern Lights trails has welcomed over 1.2 million visitors since launching in 2021, and in 2025, Manchester introduced its own mile-long trail set within the city’s renowned Heaton Park.
The site also features a Christmas village offering food, drink, and a fairground. For 2026, the theme is ‘A Christmas Time Machine’, and the journey will take you through decades of different Christmas experiences.
Northern Lights Manchester runs from 19th November to 31st December. Off-peak tickets cost £19.50 for adults and £13.50 for children aged 3-16, with under-2s going free.
Noël, Liverpool Cathedral
An immersive Christmas light and sound experience, Noël transforms Liverpool Cathedral’s interior with projections, installations, music, and storytelling. You can journey through the Christmas story and discover Constellation, a glowing artwork made from thousands of paper stars.
Tickets need to be booked in advance, with off-peak time slots costing £10.50 for adults, £8.50 for children aged 3-15, and under-3s go free. Noël at Liverpool Cathedral runs from 27th November until 5th December.
Blackpool Illuminations
This is one of the best-known light shows in the UK. While not festive-themed, Blackpool Illuminations continue to dazzle the seafront during the Christmas and New Year period.
Alongside the Illuminations, Tower Festival Headland will become a festive village called ‘Christmas by the Sea’. It’s free to enter, and people come to soak in the festive atmosphere and to enjoy the food, drink, and treats of the season.
Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns and Scottish winter displays
Whether you live in Scotland or are planning a trip there, there is a bounty of Christmas light shows and trails waiting to bring cheer to holiday celebrations.
Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns
Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns runs for 60 nights from 13th November until Sunday 21st February 2027. The trail is around a mile long and includes over 600 handmade lanterns and thousands of LED lights. 2026’s theme brings together safari and space for an out-of-this-world walk.
There’s also a Lantern Grotto experience on selected evenings in December, where little ones can meet Santa. Tickets with time slots are available now via the Edinburgh Zoo website, and prices vary, starting from £14 for off-peak dates.
Christmas at the Botanics
Between 19th November and 30th December, the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, transforms for Christmas. Set within the gardens are a sparkling lights trail, a Christmas Cathedral, and music to get you in the spirit of the season.
2026’s event promises a mixture of favourites like the Fire Garden, alongside new additions like a Light Sphere to keep the experience fresh.
Tickets need to be booked in advance via the Garden’s website. Tickets start at £17 per adult and £12.50 for children aged 3-15 years. Under-3s go free, but will need an entry ticket that includes a £1 booking fee (like all other tickets). A family ticket for two adults and two children starts at £50.00.
Glasgow’s Christmas Lighting Trail
Last year, Scotland’s second city introduced its Christmas Lighting Trail featuring attractions and displays produced by local creatives. The route ran from Sauchiehall Street to Argyle Street.
The trail is free to walk, and designed for all ages to be able to follow, and visitors can combine the trail with the Winter Wonderland event in the city
Trentham Winter Light Trail and Midlands festive light shows
The Midlands has plenty of festive cheer of its own, and there are light trails all over the region designed to dazzle.
Trentham Winter Light Trail, Stoke-on-Trent
Set within the beautiful Trentham Gardens, this mile-long trail will delight the whole family. There are soundscapes and interactive installations, as well as never-before-seen displays. The gardens also offer amusements, food and drinks in an après bar.
Trentham Winter Light Trail is open from 20th November to 3rd January 2027. Prices start from super off-peak prices, with tickets starting from £17.00 for adults and £12.50 for children aged 3-15 and seniors. Infants under 2 go free, and family tickets for two adults and two children start from £50.
Luminate Light Trail 2026 at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham Botanical Gardens has held many festive light and lantern events over the years. In recent years, Luminate has been in charge of Christmas at the Gardens, with the 2026 trail designed to celebrate nature and creativity. Installations include music, projection mapping, and laser effects.
Luminate Light Trail 2026 will be at Birmingham Botanical Gardens from 28th November to 2nd January 2027. Tickets must be pre-booked, and prices vary, starting from £15 for adults and £10 for children, though infants 2 years and under can go for free.
