Holiday Lights Tours

Celebrate the holidays with lights. We offer 9 different Holiday Lights tours.

Select one or more tours that appeal to you. We can be flexible on the starting times; just let us know what is your preference.

The sun sets on:

1

November 28 – 30,

The earliest sunsets of the year

At 5:21 PM in Houston.

2

December 1 – 6,

The first day of the month and beyond

At 5:22 PM in Houston.

3

December 21,

The winter solstice or Saturnalia, Saint Lucy’s Day, Blue Christmas, and Yule

At 5:27 PM in Houston.

4

December 25,

Christmas

At 5:29 PM in Houston.

5

January 6,

The Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day, Denha, and Theophany

At 5:37 PM in Houston.

The above stated times are the results of Google searches.

We generally start the 3-hour tours at 6:30 PM to:

  • Begin after sunset so that we can see the beauty of the lights against a dark background.
  • Allow people to have time for dinner before the tour, often at the restaurant from where we begin.
  • Avoid some of the rush hour traffic on Monday through Friday between 5:00 and 6:30 PM.
  • Give time for people to commute from work to the starting location for the tour if their work day ends between 5:00 and 6:00 PM.
  • Finish at a reasonable hour that will allow participants time to drive home while they are still alert.
  • Hopefully conclude before our participants begin falling asleep.
  • Provide the opportunity to have sufficient sleep before going to school or work the next day as is relevant.
  • Enable parents to get back to their youngsters or to put them to bed at a reasonable time.

Each tour has at least one bathroom and refreshment break, usually at a Starbucks, where one can buy holiday drinks.

Each tour begins with about a 5 to 10 minute introduction.

Schedule these tours at least 1 month in advance to better enhance your chances of reserving the date that you want. These tours fill quickly. People begin reserving dates in August, four months in advance. The earliest time to go on a tour should be the first weekend of December; however, some people may still be putting up their lights. The latest time to go on a tour probably should be the weekend after Christmas. Although lights may be up until the Epiphany on January 6, many people and organizations take their lights down on the weekend after Christmas. The total window for these tours is approximately 6 weeks with the 3 weeks from December 4th through the 25th being the ideal period.

Some clients occasionally schedule to take these tours in late November. We will be glad to accommodate you, but be forewarned that you will see fewer light displays than if you can wait a couple of weeks.

We conduct these tours any day we have a request, Sunday through Saturday. The best days to take such a tour are Monday through Thursday. Less traffic is driving through the neighborhoods during the main work day nights. On weekends, particularly on the two Saturdays just before Christmas, traffic may move at less than 2 miles/3 kilometers per hour in many neighborhoods as people are getting out of their vehicles to take selfies and they will block half or all of the flow of vehicles.

We can provide a variety of holiday music, movies for groups of 6 or more, narratives about the communities that we visit and the traditions of the holidays, such as the Christmas tree, introduction and types of lights, Santa, music, depictions in cinema, ornaments, trivia, and more.

You can bring drinks that have covers, caps, and lids to reduce spillage. Eating in the vehicles is prohibited as crumbs and other items may be sticky and messy and cleaning up is additionally time consuming. We also stop for a break on each tour where one can have snacks.

Temperatures in Houston can vary from the 30s to the 80s degrees Fahrenheit/1 to 30 degrees Centigrade during this period. Dress appropriately as most of these tours involve going outside at some point(s).

3-Hour Holiday Lights Tours - Normally from 6:30 to 9:30 PM

Tour A — Near West Side of Houston Tour - The Waterwall, Galleria, Tanglewood, Uptown Park, River
Oaks, Highland Village, and Greenway Plaza. We go through some of the most affluent neighborhoods in all of America and to the premier mall of Texas with a magnificent Christmas tree. On Sunday, we begin the tour at 5:30 PM to end at 8:30 PM. The reason that we start earlier is that The Galleria normally closes on Sundays at 7:00 PM. To have sufficient time to go into The Galleria and see the biggest Christmas tree in Houston, we have to begin early. This is the most popular tour, probably because of the reputation and prestige of the areas. The huge homes and trees have lots of lights. This tour starts and ends at the Cleburne Cafeteria at 3606 Bissonnet Street and Edloe Street, Houston, Texas 77005.

Tour B — North and Central Houston - Woodland Heights, Downtown, Midtown, and the Montrose Area.
It begins in a classic neighborhood found in 1907 with huge oak trees and moves to the central business district where you can go or watch ice-skating. We then go through the redeveloped area of the 1990s and 2000s, and to one of the most famous gay communities in the US. This tour starts and ends at Chili’s at 2425 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77007. This is by the Taylor Street exit.

Tour C — Northwest Tour - Candlelight Plaza, Ella Lee Forest, Acres Homes, Prestonwood Forest, US 290,

and I-610. We start in 1950s and 1960s White and Hispanic neighborhoods, go through an African American neighborhood established around World War I, and then jump to a 1980s upper-middle class subdivision. This tour starts and ends at the McDonald’s at 3025 Ella Boulevard and Wilde Rock Way, Houston, Texas 77018-7313

Tour D — Southeast Tour - Green Tee, Glenbrook Valley, La Sallette Place, Washington Terrace, and
Riverside Terrace. This tour goes from an elite suburb to an affluent Hispanic neighborhood to a few African American communities, one with a fantastic light show. This tour starts and ends at the McDonald’s Restaurant at 1619 South Loop West and Fannin Street, Houston, Texas 77054.

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4-Hour Holiday Lights Tours - Normally from 5:30 to 9:30 PM

Tour E — Near Southwest - Meyerland, Maplewood North, Robindell, Sugar Land, and Greatwood. This tour
starts and ends at the McDonald’s Restaurant at 4643 Beechnut Street, and I-610, Houston, Texas 77096.

Tour F — Northeast Tour - Kingwood. This tour starts and ends at Chili’s at 2425 Katy Freeway, Houston,
Texas 77007. This is by the Taylor Street exit off of I-10.

Tour G — Far Southwest of Houston - New Territory, Shadow Groves Estates, and Pecan Grove Plantation.
This tour starts and ends at the McDonald’s at 5888 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77057. This is between Chimney Rock Road and Fountain View Drive.

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5-Hour Holiday Lights Tour - Normally from 5:00 to 9:30 PM

Tour H — Galveston’s Moody Gardens and Dickinson’s Festival of Lights - Each of these stops are walking

excursions; thus, the weather has to cooperate. Food, drinks, and souvenirs are available. Walk through over 1 million lights. The tour starts and ends at Starbucks at 1450 Woodridge Street, Houston, Texas 77087.

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7-Hour Holiday Lights Tour - Normally from 4:00 to 11:00 PM

Tour I — Far Northwest from Houston, College Station - Santa’s Wonderland A Texas Christmas

Experience. This includes admission to Santa’s Wonderland and to Santa’s Town, where movies constantly play on an outdoor screen, fires for smores and warmth are burning, you can have your photo taken with Santa (at an additional fee), and there are many restaurants and stores. This tour has 3 stops. This tour begins and ends at City Hall at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002.

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