Free VIP Nights of Lights Walking Tour

Free Nights of Lights Walking Tour

Tour St. Augustine offers a free VIP Nights of Lights Historic Walking Tour to help you enjoy and learn about the spectacle of lights in the nation's oldest city.

Enjoy St. Augustine’s sparkling history with a licensed tour guide. Walk the path of Tour St. Augustine's original VIP Historic Walking Tour, view the lights on the city's iconic buildings, and learn more about the history of St. Augustine and our Nights of Lights celebration. 

The Details

• What: A free one-hour walking tour, focused on St. Augustine's lights and history.
• Admission: This tour is free to all. Reservations are required.
• When: 6:00 p.m. on every Saturday from November 28, 2026 through January 16, 2027.
• Exceptions: No tour will be conducted on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
• Contact: To book your spot on the free tour, call Tours St. Augustine at (904) 825-0087.

Parking and Shuttles During Nights of Lights

Nights of Lights is a event best enjoyed by walking or by taking a walking, riding, or boat tour.

There are two types of bus routes:

1. Free Park and Ride Shuttles on select days. (See Below)
2. Free STAR Circulator Bus on a loop between the Visitor Information Center and St. Augustine Beach.

Free Park and Ride Shuttles

• Park for free in one of the lots outside of town.
• Take a free shuttle bus to the Visitor Information Center, and enjoy Nights of Lights.
• Then, meet the free shuttle bus at the Visitor Center and ride back to your car. 

When Do the Free Shuttles Operate in 2026/27?

• 4:00 to 11:00 pm. on Light-Up! Night, November 21.
• 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on December 5 (the day of the Christmas Parade).
• 1:00 to 11:00 p.m. on the remaining 21 high-attendance days during Nights of Lights.
  • November: 27 and 28
  • December: 4, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31
  • January: 1 and 2

Where Will You Park? 

Three lots will be open on the days the shuttles operate:

• St. Johns County Health Department, 200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, off U.S. 1
• Broudy's Lot, 198 West King Street, St. Augustine, off U.S. 1
• San Marco Lot, 301 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine

Special Light-Up! Night Shuttle on Anastasia Island

On Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m., park for free in one of two lots on Anastasia Island and use the Free Park-and-Ride Shuttle, provided by Historic Tours of America. 

• Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South
• R.B. Hunt Elementary School, 125 Magnolia Drive (off A1A South)
• You will have to walk across the Bridge of Lions to get to town and walk back across the bridge to take the shuttle.

Why Use the Lots and Shuttle Service?

• It's free.
• You avoid driving around (and around) the city looking for a parking spot.
• When the shuttles are operating, the parking garage charges $40.00 after 1:00 p.m.
  • If you arrive before 1:00 p.m or on any day the shuttles don't operate the garage charges $20.00 for the day. 
  • St Johns County residents with ParkStAug pay normal resident price.
• Neighborhoods bordering downtown enact Resident Only Parking on the streets during Nights of Lights. There will be private paid lots in the area, but no on-street parking.

Busiest Days with Heavy Traffic

You can absolutely enjoy these days. Just plan to arrive early.

Here are the special events that will impact the traffic and the shuttles:

• Light-UP! Night, Saturday, November 21—Added shuttles from Anastasia start at 4:00 p.m.
• Christmas Parade, Saturday, December 5—The shuttles start operating at 8:00 a.m.
• Regatta of Lights, Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Coming from Ponte Vedra? View the boats from the Vilano Fishing Pier. Coming from Anastasia? View the boats from the bridge. The viewing space on the bayfront is limited due to construction.