Oxford Street Has Gone Traffic-Free
If you’re thinking about booking a London Christmas Lights Taxi Tour this year, you may have heard about the changes to Oxford Street.
With one of London’s most famous shopping streets now pedestrianised, it’s reasonable to wonder what this means for sightseeing in a traditional London black taxi.
The short answer is that our tours are still going ahead, and there is plenty of London to enjoy!
There will be some changes to how we approach Oxford Street, and we’re still learning exactly what these will mean in practice.
Here’s what we know so far.
What’s changed on Oxford Street?
On 26 October 2026, almost one kilometre of Oxford Street became permanently traffic-free, between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
That means buses, black taxis and other vehicles can no longer travel along this particular stretch.
It’s worth pointing out that the whole of Oxford Street hasn’t closed to traffic, and many of the surrounding streets and north-south crossings remain open.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants to create a safer, more pleasant environment for pedestrians, shoppers and visitors.
And we can certainly see the appeal of giving people more space to walk around and enjoy Oxford Street, particularly at Christmas.
However, moving traffic away from Oxford Street also means more vehicles using some of the surrounding roads.
Transport for London has been planning for this and says it will monitor the impact closely.
What nobody really knows yet is how everything will work during the busiest Christmas shopping evenings.
What does this mean for our Christmas Lights Taxi Tours?
Fortunately, our Christmas Lights Taxi Tours don’t begin until around 18 November, so we’ve got a little time to see how the new arrangements settle down.
Our London taxi tour guides know the city extremely well. They’re experienced, licensed London taxi drivers, used to dealing with road closures, busy streets and the occasional unexpected diversion.
But this is a significant change to the West End, and we’re not going to pretend that we already have all the answers.
We’ll be watching how traffic moves around Oxford Street, looking at the most practical routes and seeing what works best for our guests.
As always, we’ll make recommendations based on the conditions on the day.
Can we still include Oxford Street?
We certainly hope to give guests the opportunity to enjoy Oxford Street, even though we can no longer drive along the pedestrianised section.
One possibility we’re exploring is stopping somewhere suitable on a nearby street, allowing guests to spend 10 or 15 minutes enjoying the lights on foot, and then collecting them from another convenient location.
Of course, that will depend on traffic, available stopping places and how practical it is on the evening.
Another option is to make Oxford Street the final part of the experience.
We could arrange to finish the tour nearby, leaving guests free to wander along Oxford Street, enjoy the Christmas decorations, browse the shops or stop for something to eat.
And if you’d rather stay in the comfort of your taxi for the whole tour, that’s absolutely fine too.
There isn’t just one way to enjoy London’s Christmas lights.
Remember, Oxford Street is only one part of London’s Christmas celebrations
This is probably the most important point we’d like to make.
Oxford Street is lovely at Christmas, and its famous decorations have always been popular with visitors.
But it’s only one of many places that make London such a special city at this time of year.
There’s Regent Street, with its famous Christmas angels, the decorations around Carnaby Street, Bond Street, Piccadilly, Covent Garden and plenty of other lovely places to discover.
And that’s before we even start talking about London’s famous landmarks, which look rather different when they’re lit up at night.
Our Christmas Lights Taxi Tours have never been about visiting just one street.
They’re about enjoying London at Christmas, discovering different parts of the city and having someone who really knows London show you around.
You’ll still have your own expert London taxi tour guide, your private black taxi with its guaranteed panoramic glass roof, and the flexibility to enjoy the evening at your own pace.
A little flexibility goes a long way
One of the things we’ve always loved about offering private London taxi tours is that we don’t have to follow a rigid itinerary.
London is a busy, changing city. Sometimes a road is closed, an event is taking place or a particular area is simply too crowded to be enjoyable.
That’s when having an experienced London taxi tour guide makes such a difference.
We can adjust the route, suggest alternatives and help you make the most of your time.
Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation is something new for all of us, and we’re approaching it with an open mind.
We may discover that some arrangements work particularly well. Others might need a little adjustment.
And as our Christmas season gets underway, we’ll continue learning and adapting.
Looking forward to Christmas in London
Whether Oxford Street is on your must-see list or you’re simply looking forward to spending a few hours enjoying London’s Christmas atmosphere, we’ll do our best to make it a lovely evening.
If there’s somewhere you’d particularly like to see, just let us know.
We’ll always be open about what’s possible and happy to recommend the best way to spend your time.
Because while Oxford Street might be changing, there’s one thing that certainly isn’t.
There’s still an awful lot of London to enjoy at Christmas, and we’re looking forward to showing it to you.
Visit London Taxi Tours is a small, independent London sightseeing business offering private Christmas Lights Taxi Tours with expert London taxi tour guides.
Our Christmas Lights season runs from 18 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.