The Naviluz is worth booking if you want to sit down and see the lights of Serrano, Goya and Gran Vía, and not if you are after Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor, which it never passes. Tickets are sold online only by the coach company ALSA, with no date changes and no refund if it rains, and every seat is on the open top deck. In the 2025-26 season it left Calle Felipe IV, by the Prado Museum, every hour from 6pm to 10pm, took about 50 minutes and cost €9 on the two late departures. Earlier departures cost €12 to €15 for adults. The nearest Metro, Banco de España on line 2, is about 700 metres from the start.
Is the Naviluz Christmas lights bus worth it? It is if you want to see Serrano, Goya and Gran Vía seated, with an adult ticket at €12 to €15, or €9 from the 9pm departure in 2025-26. The catch is what the Naviluz misses: no Puerta del Sol, Preciados or Plaza Mayor, and no refund if it rains, since ALSA sells tickets online without changes.
Which departure fits your evening
Spanish evenings run late, and that decides the departure more than the price. Dinner in Madrid starts at 9pm and runs to about 10.30pm, as set out in where to have dinner in Madrid, so the 9pm and 10pm buses, the cheap ones, clash with it.
- Travelling with small children → the 6pm bus. Under-7s ride free, up to three per purchase, and you are back before a Spanish dinner hour that most children will not last.
- On a budget → the 9pm or 10pm bus at €9, and eat before. A couple saves €6 to €12 against the earlier departures.
- Planning dinner near the Prado → the 7pm or 8pm bus, which drops you at Neptuno around 7.50pm or 8.50pm.
| Adult, 12 to 64 | Reduced | Under 7 | Departures (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| €12 to €15 | €6 to €7.50 | Free, with a ticket | 6pm, 7pm and 8pm |
| €9 | €4.50 | Free, with a ticket | 9pm and 10pm |
The reduced fare covers over-65s, children aged 7 to 11 and people with a disability of 33% or more. ALSA quoted adult prices of both €12 and €15 in different parts of its site during 2025-26, so the fare that counts is the one shown when you choose a departure.
What you see from the top deck, and what you miss
In good weather the route runs along Alfonso XII, past the Puerta de Alcalá, up Velázquez, Goya and Serrano, round Colón and Cibeles, along Gran Vía and back down the Paseo del Prado. If it rains or Cibeles is closed for an event, it skips Gran Vía.
Serrano alone has 1.4 km of lights, according to Madrid City Council’s lighting inventory, and it is the spine of the Salamanca district, a long walk from most central hotels.
What the bus misses, Sol, Preciados, Carmen and Plaza Mayor, is free and needs no ticket. That walk is laid out in Christmas lights in Madrid, walking route and hours, and the two combine well: ride first, then walk about 900 metres from Neptuno to the Sol tree.
Do you need to book the Naviluz, and what if it rains?
These are the conditions that matter before paying, per ALSA’s own terms:
- Online only. Up to ten paid and three free tickets per purchase, and a free under-7 ticket needs at least one paid one.
- No changes, no refunds for weather. Rain or cold does not cancel the service, so check the forecast before buying.
- Top deck, numbered seats. Every seat is upstairs in the open, and the ticket works on your phone.
- Five minutes before. Arrive no earlier than five minutes before departure, and late arrivals lose the trip.
Riding the Naviluz with a wheelchair or pushchair
The bus has a ramp, but the open top deck cannot be reached in a wheelchair. Wheelchair users travel on the lower deck, where ALSA says the view of the lights is partial, and pay the reduced fare. Folded pushchairs are stored on the lower-deck platform, and only assistance dogs are allowed on board.
Naviluz or another Christmas lights tour
Booking sites also sell Christmas lights bus tours from other operators under other names. Those are different products with their own prices and routes. The Naviluz is ALSA’s bus from Calle Felipe IV, and its tickets are sold on naviluz.es.
How to get to the Naviluz stop and back
The Naviluz is not a loop. It leaves from Calle Felipe IV, opposite number 1, between the Prado’s Goya door and the Ritz hotel, in the Retiro district, and drops you at Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo, the Neptuno fountain, a short walk away. Banco de España, on Metro line 2, is about 700 metres on foot from the start and about 600 metres from the finish.
If you will ride the Metro five times or more during your stay, the €7.30 ten-trip Metrobús beats a single ticket, as explained in which Madrid transport ticket to buy. For the ride home after the 10pm bus, see Madrid Metro closing time and night buses.
The 2025-26 season, the last one published, ran from 23 November to 6 January, daily except 24 and 31 December and 5 January. Nothing has been announced for 2026-27, and esMadrid publishes the city’s Christmas programme in late November. The rest of the season, and what to book, is in Christmas in Madrid, and more ideas for children in Madrid with kids.
Frequently asked questions about the Naviluz bus
How much is the Naviluz Christmas lights bus in Madrid?
In the 2025-26 season ALSA priced adult tickets at €12 to €15 and reduced tickets at €6 to €7.50, dropping to €9 and €4.50 on the 9pm and 10pm departures. Children under 7 ride free but need a ticket. Prices for 2026-27 have not been published yet.
Can I get a refund if it rains on the Naviluz?
No. According to ALSA, rain or cold does not cancel the service, tickets cannot be changed or cancelled, and money is only refunded if the trip itself is cancelled. Every seat is on the open top deck.
Is the Naviluz bus wheelchair accessible?
Partly. The bus has a ramp, but the upper deck cannot be reached in a wheelchair, so wheelchair users ride on the lower deck, where ALSA says the view of the lights is partial. Folded pushchairs also go on the lower deck.
Does the Naviluz go past Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor?
No. The route covers Serrano, Goya, Velázquez, the Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles and Gran Vía, and finishes at Neptuno. Puerta del Sol’s Christmas tree is about 900 metres on foot from where the bus drops you.
Do I need to book the Naviluz in advance?
Yes. ALSA sells Naviluz tickets online only, with up to ten paid tickets per purchase, and they cannot be changed or cancelled, so book once you know your evening and have checked the forecast.
When does the Naviluz 2026 season start?
No dates have been published yet. The last season, 2025-26, ran from 23 November to 6 January, with no buses on 24 and 31 December or 5 January. esMadrid, the city tourism site, publishes the Christmas programme in late November.
Ride the 8pm bus for Salamanca’s lights, then walk to Sol before dinner.