London Night Tours

London's night tours fall into four groups. Pick the one that matches how much you want to walk, eat and drink.

• Night bus tours (best for sights). Ninety minutes on an open-top double-decker past the floodlit landmarks. They're not hop-on hop-off: you stay aboard and return to the start. Evan Evans Tours guarantees a live English guide on every departure and adds Kensington; Golden Tours Gray Line London is a little cheaper.
• Evening and dinner cruises (best for atmosphere). Westminster, the South Bank and Tower Bridge from the water.
• Ghost and Ripper walks (best value). Two hours on foot with a storyteller, usually from $27 to $34.
• Pub walks (best for a night out). A guide, history and several historic pubs, with drinks at your own cost.

The standout pub walk is Liquid History Tours's small-group tour of historic City pubs, rated 4.98 across 11,883 reviews, with a cap of 14 and an 18+ age limit. It starts in the afternoon, so plan dinner nearby once it ends at Holborn.

Short on time? Do the bus tour on your first night and a walking tour later in the trip. They cover different parts of the city.

Night tours only work when it's dark, and in summer it isn't. Both big bus operators warn that summer departures run mostly in daylight. In November, sunset falls at 4:35pm on November 1, 4:13pm by mid-month and 3:57pm on November 30, so any evening departure is after dark.

Evan Evans Tours runs at 7:30pm and 9:20pm from October to March, with no tours on December 25 or 31. Once the Christmas lights are on, Golden Tours Gray Line London adds Regent Street, Oxford Street and the Trafalgar Square tree. See our Christmas in London guide for dates.

Dress for the top deck. It's open to the wind, and a 90-minute loop in November is cold even on a dry night. Golden Tours points out that you can retreat to the warm lower deck.

A dinner cruise is the most polished night out on this list. City Cruises's three-hour cruise from Westminster Pier includes a welcome drink, three courses and a live performer, from $94. It's rated 4.13, which is fine rather than outstanding: you're paying for the setting more than the food.

For river views without the full meal, the two-hour evening cruise from Tower Millennium Pier serves sparkling wine and canapés from $43. Its 3.93 rating is the weakest here, so book it for the views and keep expectations modest.

Both are for ages 13 and up (the evening cruise asks for smart casual), and both refund in full only if you cancel at least 3 days ahead. Compare every option in our Thames cruises guide.

For the money, a ghost walk is the best night tour in London. Meet the Street Tours's Ghastly Ghost Walk starts at All Hallows by the Tower, winds through the City's alleys and ends at St Paul's, rated 4.94 from 952 reviews. See Your City's longer walk runs from Green Park through the royal parks to Tower Hill and includes a short Tube ride, so bring a contactless card.

With younger kids, the Ghost Bus is the easier sell: a theatrical guide on a vintage Routemaster for 60–75 minutes, with child tickets from age 5. Arrive 20 minutes early, because latecomers aren't let on.

True crime is a different evening. Jack the Ripper walks cover real murders in frank detail; see our Jack the Ripper tours comparison for age guidance and the best operators.

Late bus departures finish close to 11pm, and walks end far from where they start. Before you book, check where yours ends:

• Bus tours return to their start, at Green Park or the South Bank by the London Eye.
• Walks end somewhere new: St Paul's, Tower Hill, Holborn or Spitalfields.

On Friday and Saturday nights, the Night Tube keeps the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines running, and London Overground's Windrush line runs overnight between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate. Not every station is served: Green Park, St Paul's and Liverpool Street are on the night network, but Tower Hill isn't. On other nights, check last trains in the TfL Go app before your tour, and fall back on TfL's night buses.

For a cab, hail a black taxi with its orange light on, or book a licensed minicab through an app or a minicab office. TfL is blunt about this: if a minicab isn't booked, don't get in. Check that the car and driver match your booking.