Description
It might be cold outside but it’s DOWNRIGHT COZY on our Art Bus. Let’s do this thing.
Hop on and let’s go see some liiiiiiiiights! We’re hitting the road with our worst holiday sweaters on and singing in our voices. Oh yeah, this year’s adventure is Merrier and Brighter — stay as long as you’d like at each stop, or loop around a couple of times if you’d like!
This is the perfect tour for large family groups, packs of friends, or company outings because it’s easy: Hop on a bus, grab a warm drink, and see some lights. Simple! Give into the best season of all and feel the love.
Where We’re Going
Campus Martius
This isn’t any old tree — this is OUR tree. Campus Martius is where all of Detroit’s major roads meet downtown and it’s a heck of a celebration.
Downtown Detroit Holiday Market
Located in Cadillac Square, this holiday market is like none other. Tons of great local stores packed into one super-festive place. Next door to the Cadillac Lodge which might be described as the coziest tent on earth.
The Congregation
Then we’re equipping you with a holiday wonderland in this gorgeous converted church-turned-cozy warm paradise. Grab a drink (spiked if you so choose) and a snack before you head out to the next adventure.
Light Up Beacon Park (DTE)
When the energy company makes a holiday lights installation you know it’s gonna be UNREAL. Detroit Edison decked the heck out of Beacon Park for you to enjoy. We’ll take a group stroll through together.
The Fisher Building
When they say “Detroit’s Largest Art Object” they’re not screwing around. The Fisher Building never gets old. The new owners do a splendid job with a massive tree and gorgeous decorations. Premium family photo spot. 📸
What exactly am I getting for my bucks?
🎄Holiday Paradise at Congregation 😛
This former-church-turned-coffee shop has been transformed to the coziest holiday wonderland you’ll see! Immerse yourself in the holiday tidings, grab a special beverage (spiked or not!), and take advantage of the photo op for a not-to-be missed experience!
🚌 Holiday Bus Loop🚦
We’ve updated this year’s Merry and Bright adventure to allow you to choose when you move on to the next stop. Spend a little extra time at the holiday market. Grab a second drink at The Congregation. Take an extra moment to bask in the tree’s glory. We’ll be running buses all night long so you can take your time throughout the tour!
👕 The Ugly Sweater Contest 🤦🏽♀️
You got ’em, we want ’em. Break out those hideous, complicated, gigantic sweaters and let us throw down. Only the most ultimate holiday sweater getup wins the gold medal. We’ll have GREAT prizes for the gaudiest of the gaudy. Bring your A game, people.
🛍️ Shop ‘Til You Drop 🛒
Visit the Cadillac Square Market for the best holiday goods and local business goodies from all across Detroit and the surrounding areas!
The Market is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Sunday.
THE DETAILS
What’s the schedule?
The Pickup Location for this tour at Checker Bar in Detroit.
The tour will pick up every half-hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please choose your time so we can ensure your seat in the selected timeblock. Buses will loop every half hour and we’ll give a last call before the final shuttle of the night departs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What happens if I miss the bus? Will the bus wait for me if I’m late?
Unfortunately we can’t hold up the bus for late comers, there’s a schedule we gotta keep. If you miss the bus, it will loop around for another pick-up 30 minutes later. Please note that priority will be given to those who selected that timeslot, and the final pick-up is at 7:30 p.m. Ideally, you’re on time.
Where do I park?
There’s plenty of parking right around the Cadillac Square area. We suggest the Z Garage or the One Detroit Lodge. For more information and an interactive map of nearby parking locations, click here.
Can I drink on the bus? I like some beer with my cheer.
Since this tour is holiday loop style, belongings will not be able to be left on the bus. Establishments won’t allow you to bring your own alcoholic beverages inside, so you’d need to have your drink disposed of before leaving the bus. That said, we’d highly discourage bringing your own drinks. We don’t want you to waste them! There will be adult beverages available for purchase both at Campus Martius and at The Congregation.
Is this tour kid friendly?
OF COURSE with a little caveat: The minimum age for this tour is 5 and up. We’ve had tons of kids and parents on this tour and they’ve had a great time. Understand that some people will be drinking, but we’ll keep the mood easy.
What about food and soft drinks?
We’ll have super tasty locally made snacks available for purchase at The Congregation. You’ll probably wanna eat a real dinner beforehand. You can bring extra snacks and soft drinks with you, but please keep it minimal and plan to take care of your trash afterwards. Make sure your snacks are easy to transport on and off the bus. We recommend strapping on a back pack so you can easily hop on and off and take it along your Merry and Bright adventure.
What if I can’t show up? Will my friend be able to go instead?
Totally. Just let us know ahead of time via [email protected] and we’ll update your tickets with the new name or send them with your printed tickets.
Will you be selling extra seats at the bus?
Nope. Sorry. All passes gotta be bought online. There’s a limited number of seats and we want you to have plenty of room – no roof riders no matter how cool that might sound.
What about weather SNAFUs?
We live in Michigan. Sometimes Mother Nature likes to throw us a curveball. We keep safety as our highest priority. In case of super bad weather you’ll receive an email the day of the event with a raincheck/snowcheck date. If you cannot make the rescheduled date, you’ll get a voucher good for a future tour with us or a refund. Weather calls are up to us.
Do you do this tour for private groups?
Yes indeed we do! We book out whole buses to private groups to do this tour on their own. Reach out to us right here and we’ll get you a quote. This usually makes sense for groups of 30 or more. There are very few dates available so book now if this is what you’re into!
Refund Policy:
All tickets are non-refundable unless extenuating circumstances apply including our buses not operating due to extreme weather, your flight gets cancelled, and similar. See our terms and conditions for more information.
Cowboy1953 –
Took the Holiday Lights tour with the Detroit Bus Company. The tour guide Raleigh and bus drive David were excellent. The bus group was rowdy and fun, had a great time. Didn’t know the Detroit Zoo Lights were that fantastic. Will look into some of the other Detroit Bus Tours.
Celeste B. –
They’re a unique mode of transportation in the motor city! They host tours and you can rent out the busses for other small events. For every ride they give they match the money and give rides to the kids of Detroit to school each day. I never knew this, and I LOVE to see Detroit born businesses giving back to the city. How awesome! We used them NYE in 2015 to get to and from a concert in Royal Oak with about 30 friends. It was a really awesome experience, super fun to be on the busses that are covered in beautiful graffiti.
They were our transportation for our wedding in October. Very reasonable pricing. Our bus driver was accommodating and safe! They’re really cool busses with the graffiti. This weekend we’re going on a Christmas lights tour through the Detroit bus company, can’t wait to update my review.
The holiday lights tour was a wonderful idea!!! We loved being on the bus, enjoying our beverages, and getting rides to the various light shows in the area!!! Definitely suggest it to any detroiter!
Ann Cataldo –
This is the most fun holiday tour! We got to see all the best holiday sights with a happy, lively group that all became our friends. We laughed while we rolled through the lights and it was like a holiday party on there. Plus, no worries about parking downtown. This needs to be an annual event for our family.
Larry Altman –
LIghts and the city at Christmas — Detroit is definitely back. Our driver and guide were funny and made everyone feel like they were part of the party and we enjoyed this so much. We were just two people and wondered how this bus group would be since we were all strangers but by the time the tour ended we were now friends. funny sweaters too — everyone was really into this being a fun party ride.