The offers compared
| Offer | When | Price seen | Good to know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naviluz, the official Christmas bus (naviluz.es) | 2026: not published. 2025: 23 November 2025 to 6 January 2026 | 2025: €15 (ages 12 to 64), €7.50 (ages 7 to 11 and over 65) | Double-decker, about 50 minutes; weekend evenings sell out fast | |
| Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour with Live Guide (GetYourGuide listing seen in search, link not retrieved) | Evenings, departing calle de Alfonso XII (nos. 52-54), near Retiro, about 50 minutes | From about $16 to $17; 3.9 out of 5 from 1,067 reviews (seen in search) | English and Spanish guide; top-deck seat guaranteed according to the listing | |
| Big Bus panoramic night tour by open-top bus (GetYourGuide) | Every evening at 8:30 pm, Neptuno stop, according to the summary seen in search | Read on your date | Open-top night bus all year: check whether the Christmas lights are part of the route | See |
| Private Christmas lights tour by eco tuk-tuk (GetYourGuide) | About 1 hour, private | From €39.50; 4.8 out of 5 from 64 reviews (October 2026, to be checked) | No walking in the cold; book before the 5 to 8 December long weekend | See |
Our pick
Our pick is the official Naviluz as soon as sales open: weekend evenings sell out fast. Meanwhile, the closest bookable online is the Big Bus panoramic night tour; check that the Christmas lights are part of the route on your date. To see the lights without walking, the private electric tuk-tuk tour is from €39.50 (October 2026).
How to choose
- The official bus: the Naviluz, when sales open.
- An open-top bus right now: the night Big Bus or the Christmas bus with a live guide.
- Private and warm: the tuk-tuk, for two to four people.
Practical tips
- Sales. For earlier editions, ticketing opened online around 16 to 22 November (2022 and 2023); the 2026 dates are not published.
- Past schedules. In 2022-2023, departures from 6 pm to 10:50 pm, with no service on 24 and 31 December or 5 January; in 2025, one departure every 15 minutes from 6 pm to 10 pm (third-party guides). Nothing is published for 2026.
- The cold. December evenings are cool on the top deck: gloves and a hat.
Frequently asked questions
When does Naviluz 2026 start? The 2026 dates are not published. In 2025 it ran from 23 November 2025 to 6 January 2026.
How much is Naviluz? 2026 prices are not published; in 2025, €15 (ages 12 to 64) and €7.50 (ages 7 to 11 and over 65).
What route does Naviluz follow? According to articles about earlier editions, it passes calle Serrano, the Puerta de Alcalá, calle de Alcalá, Cibeles, the Gran Vía and plaza de Colón; the 2026 route is not published.
Going further
The lights and the markets: Christmas markets in Madrid. The full programme: Christmas in Madrid. For 31 December: New Year in Madrid.
