London by Night Taxi Tour
Private groupHotel pickupGuide included
Four hours, nine floodlit stops and a driver who has passed the Knowledge. He collects you from any central London address and texts when he arrives.
From $547 per group (up to 6)
London Night Black Cab Tours
Private black cab tours of London after dark, priced per vehicle rather than per seat, with hotel pickup and a driver who has passed the Knowledge.
Six private cab routes, from $356 per vehicleCollected from your hotel, up to six people for one fare
Check AvailabilityWhat a London night black cab tour actually is
A licensed London taxi, hired with its driver for two to four hours, taking you round the floodlit city and stopping wherever you want to get out. The driver is also the guide. The fare is for the cab rather than the seat, so one price covers up to six people.
This is the format that sounds most expensive and often is not. Six people in a four-hour cab pay about $91 each, which is less per head than a walking tour for four times the duration, with collection from their own hotel door.
Why choose a black cab tour
The driver has passed the Knowledge
London taxi drivers sit an examination on the street layout of the whole of central London, from memory, and it takes years. On a night tour that stops being trivia: it is why the route can be rebuilt halfway through on your say-so with nobody consulting a map.
One price, up to six people
Nothing about the fare changes when more of you climb in. That single fact is what moves this format from the expensive option to the cheap one somewhere around four travellers, and it is why the headline prices are misleading at a glance.
It comes to you
Every one of these collects from a central London hotel or address, within five kilometres or five miles of the centre depending on the operator, and texts when the driver arrives. There is no meeting point to find in an unfamiliar city after dark.
A cab can use bus lanes
Which is why a taxi covers more ground in an evening than a private car on the same roads. It is also why these routes can take in Battersea Power Station or four Christmas neighbourhoods without the evening becoming a traffic jam.
It is the accessible option
The listings describe the vehicle, the surfaces and the transport as wheelchair accessible, and two carry infant seats. Both open-top bus routes and one of the walking tours state that they are not accessible.
Black cab tours vs the open-top bus
The real comparison on this market, and it turns entirely on how many of you there are.
| Open-top bus | Private black cab | Ghost or Ripper walk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $39–$42 per person | $356–$633 per vehicle | $27–$31 per person |
| Length | 1 hour 30 | 2–4 hours | 1h 45–2h 30 |
| Stops | None | Wherever you ask | On foot throughout |
| Pickup | You go to the stop | From your hotel | You go to the meeting point |
| Covers | The whole floodlit centre | The whole centre, slowly | One district, in depth |
| Warm? | Not upstairs | Yes | You are walking |
| Accessible | Neither route is | All of them are | One of the two walks is |
Two people should take the bus. Four or more should take the cab. The crossover is sharper than the headline prices suggest, and the cost guide shows the arithmetic.
What you get, and what you don't
You get: the vehicle for your party alone, a driver-guide, live commentary throughout, hotel pickup and drop-off within the stated radius, and on most of them bottled water. Two are sold explicitly as customisable.
You do not get: gratuities in the fare, food or drink unless specified, pickup outside the radius on one listing, or booster seats — London cabs do not carry them. Nothing includes admission to a building.
Planning a London night black cab tour
Start times are yours, with five o'clock the earliest any listing offers and most parties choosing seven or eight. Two hours covers the river; four covers Westminster, the City, the river and the Tower without hurrying.
Book further ahead than the shared formats, because one vehicle serves one booking a night and December fills first. Give your hotel name when you book rather than afterwards, and check the pickup radius if you are staying outside zone one.
Six is the licensed capacity of a London cab and it is the cap on almost all of these. Larger parties book two cabs on the same route. The map page covers where the meeting-point versions start.
Who should choose something else
If there are only two of you. There is no version of the arithmetic where a private vehicle is good value for a couple, unless warmth or access is worth the difference. The open-top bus covers most of the same landmarks for about $39 a head.
If you want to walk. A cab is a cab. The ghost and Ripper walks put you on the pavement in one district for under $31, and that is a different and cheaper kind of evening.
If you want to learn something you can take home. The private photography walk teaches you to use your own camera for three hours, which no driver can do from the front seat.
If you are on a strict budget. Nothing here starts below $356, and guided London night tour lists everything cheaper.
Ready to book?Live prices, dates and availability for every departure
Check AvailabilityFrequently asked questions
How much is a London black cab night tour?
Between $356 and $633 for the whole vehicle, depending on how long it runs. That is not a per-person price: one fare covers up to six people, which is what makes the format work for a family or a group.
Does it collect me from my hotel?
Yes, from any central London hotel or address, within five kilometres of Embankment or five miles of Trafalgar Square depending on the operator. The driver texts you when he arrives with his name and number.
Can we change the route?
On most of them, yes, and two are sold explicitly as customisable. Your driver has passed the Knowledge, so a change of plan halfway through the evening costs nothing and needs no map.
How many people fit in a black cab?
Six, which is the licensed capacity and the cap on almost every listing here. Larger parties book two cabs running the same route, which the operators expect and arrange.
Are black cab tours wheelchair accessible?
The listings describe the vehicle, the surfaces and the transport as wheelchair accessible, and two carry infant seats. That makes this the most accessible format on this market by a clear margin.
How long should we book for?
Two hours covers the river properly. Four hours covers Westminster, the City, the river and the Tower without rushing any of it. The two-hour routes suit a short evening or a late arrival.
Do I tip the driver?
Gratuities sit outside the fare on every listing here, which means they are welcome rather than expected. Ten per cent is normal in London, and there is only one person to think about because your driver is also your guide.
London Night Black Cab Tours to book tonight
Every departure of this kind, with the operator's own rating, review count and starting price. London Night Tours lists the rest.
Private 2-Hour Night Tour of London in an Iconic Black Cab
Private groupHotel pickupLive guide
Half of these two hours go to the Illuminated River bridges. London Bridge, Borough Market, the Globe and the Monument fill the rest of the evening.
From $356 per group (up to 6)
London By Night Black Taxi Tour
Private groupHotel pickupGuide included
The earliest start on this market at five o'clock, and a route sold as customisable. Pickup anywhere within five miles of Trafalgar Square is in the fare.
From $633 per group (up to 6)
Private Tour of Haunted London in a Black Cab
Private groupTransport includedWater included
Four hours of grave robbers and phantom highwaymen, driven rather than walked. The guides work from several routes, so two evenings out are never the same one.
From $549 per group (up to 6)
London Christmas Lights Private Tour by Traditional Black Cab
Private groupHotel pickupGuide included
Mayfair, Chelsea, Belgravia and Kensington, which are the quiet and expensive end of London's Christmas lighting, then Oxford Street to finish. Hotel pickup is in the fare and one price covers six.
From $549 per group (up to 6)
London Private Christmas Lights Tour In Iconic Black Cab
Private group
Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square to start, the Churchill Arms to finish, and the Harrods windows on the way home. Pickup from any central address.
From $413 per group (up to 6)
If a private cab is more than you need
London by Night Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tour with Live Guide
Live guide12 audio languagesMax 72
From $39 per person
