London Christmas Sparkle Private Walking Tour

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Oxford Street

One of London's three most famous shopping streets with around 300 shops and over 200 million visitors a year, Oxford Street is home to Selfridges, John Lewis and the House of Fraser. Right here every year, celebrities open the London Christmas show accompanied by around 1 million viewers. The street itself was founded by the Romans and only became a hub for retail trade in the 18th century.

Bond Street

New Bond Street is the place to check out the flag stores. They're literally all there: Prada, Dior, Fenwick, Boodles, Saint Laurent, and sixty other names. Walk along the incredible peacock Christmas design with your guide and see what the most famous fashion designers have in mind for next year's haute couture. And don't forget to take a look down a small side street where Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II was born almost a hundred years ago.

Mayfair

In Georgian times there was a huge spring fair in this region every year. Thousands of May lambs were sold here. Soon after, the wealthy residents complained and the market had to move elsewhere. The name has stuck to this day and marks London's oldest shopping district. Who doesn't know the famous Savile Road, where high-end dressmakers will tailor your suit to this day. Of course only by appointment – and at a price.

Regent Street

We turn into the street where the angels are waiting for us. It is named after George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was designed under the direction of architect John Nash. Today it is owned by King Charles III. Regent Street was the first location in London to have Christmas lights installed. Set two years into the reign of Elizabeth II in 1954. The Spirits' impressive 17 meter spans are illuminated by spotlights and are studded with LED pea lights. They sparkle in harmony to create a coordinated ripple effect down the street.

Liberty London

In 1875 Arthur Lasenby Liberty laid plans for a London department store, stocked with luxury goods and fabrics from far-off lands. To date, Liberty is the most luxurious store in London. The whole world finds itself in this beautiful half-timbered building. The timber comes from two old "three-decker" battleships. Records show that more than 24,000 cubic feet of ship's timbers were used, including her decks, which are now the shop floor: HMS Impregnable - built of three thousand 100-year-old New Forest oak trees - and HMS Hindustan, which measured the length and height of the actual Liberty -building.

Carnaby Street

An explosion of light and colour awaits you at this hidden market. Everything that is different can be purchased right here. The Carnaby has its origins in the 1720s. Since then it has been the centre of lifestyle and everything that lies outside the mainstream.

Piccadilly Circus

London's heart of entertainment brings together seven famous streets and the West End's 90 listed theatres. A very special Christmas decoration takes us straight to ChinaTown and its famous lantern decoration.

Leicester Square

Somerset House

On the way to the Thames we find one of the oldest and most notorious castles in London. Somerset House was built by the Earl of Somerset and later passed into the hands of King Henry VIII himself. He and his daughter Elisabeth I spent some time in this magnificent property. Your guide will take you into the huge courtyard where you can watch Londoners having fun on the ice rink.

Strand

In the olden days, when London still spoke "Saxon", the Thames brought its fine sand right into the city. Here on the "Strand" (engl.: beach) the common folk enjoyed their holiday. In the 13th century the aristocracy moved here to build many historically significant mansions including Essex House, Arundel House, Somerset House and the Savoy Palace. Today, the Strand runs straight from Trafalgar Square into the city, where it changes into Fleet Street.

Trafalgar Square

Our final stop is Charing Cross where the magnificent Trafalgar Square was built on the site of the former King's Mews in honour of Lord Horatio Nelson between the 1820s and 1840s. It is flanked by the National Gallery and the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Every year since 1947, the Christmas tree has been gifted by Norway to the people of Great Britain as a thank you for their help in World War II.