London in December can be rainy or raw, but when the sun sets at the end of the afternoon, the lights shine and you can feel the magic of Christmas in the air. Like most major cities, London offers a cosmopolitan appeal, but during the holidays, it still incorporates part of the charm of traditional European villages. There are so many fun things to do in London at Christmas, but if you visit, it is difficult to install them, so I wanted to share some of the protruding facts.
We visited London in December just before Christmas and we thought it was an ideal moment to see the views and capture the holiday spirit. As it was the week before Christmas, we found cheap flights (~ $ 500 per person) and better availability in London hotels.
Our days were filled to visit tourist sites… Abbey de Westminster, the Tower of London, the British Museum, and all this Harry Potter. But we also took the time to press events and special vacation meals. I mean, if we visit London for Christmas, it’s a must, right?
Although there is so much to do in London (see my London itinerary at 7 days to know how to integrate everything), make sure to give yourself time to enjoy what makes London at Christmas so special.
The best things to do in London at Christmas
Play all day in Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland Takes a large part of Hyde Park in central London from mid-November to early January. This is really something that you cannot miss if you visit London at Christmas. Winter Wonderland is a Mash-Up of fair rides with food stands, shows and great Christmas markets.
Tickets are now necessary to enter this giant vacation festival and must be reserved in advance. During off-peak hours, the entrance is free but will cost you £ 5-7.5 for entry during peak hours. But if you spend £ 25 for rides and attractions, your entrance fees will be free.
To enter, you will need to enter through a security door to rationalize the process, leave your bag to the hotel and bring only your wallet and your mobile phone.
You will have to pay to do one of the rides and participate in experiences such as ice skating, Christmas shows and walks on the giant wheel (an alternative to the popular eye of London.) Many of these special activities reserve early, especially if you visit the weekend. I strongly recommend reserving these tickets in advance when you book your tickets!
Inside Winter Wonderland, you will find a kingdom of magic ice, a real slide, ice sculpture workshops, circus shows and many roller coaster walks on the Santaland family train.
If you want to shop, there is also a Christmas market in winter Wonderland. The Angels Christmas market also offers more than 100 charming wooden chalets filled with unique gifts, hand -made Christmas decorations and tempting culinary delights.
There are many beer rooms and food stands throughout the park, allowing you to warm up with mulled wine, hot chocolate, Bratwurst and other traditional foods.
If you plan in advance, you can also reserve reservations on the bar ice (where everything is made of ice). There are even giant tipis at Thor’s or you can warm up at the firefighter bar.
I would recommend visiting in the late afternoon so that you can get your bearings and explore when it is always light and not as cold, but stay when the sun sets and the festival has lit in all its glory. Just make sure to group!
Buy traditional Christmas markets
If you do not fill in the Christmas markets in Winter Wonderland, head to the Thames until Southbank Center winter festival. Here you will find free events and shows, family entertainment, festive foods, sparkling lights and a traditional Christmas market from the end of October to early January. You will also find market stalls offering unique gifts and craft artisans.
You can easily spend the whole day on the southern shore between the district market, Globe Theater, Tate Modern, The London Eye, Shrek’s Adventure! London, Sea Life London Aquarium, and much more. Or, you can finish a visit to the London Tower with a walk through Tower Bridge to the Christmas market on the other side.
If you walk from the center of Southbank towards Tower Bridge, you will arrive at Christmas near the River in London Bridge. You can catch beautiful views on Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. The market includes handmade professions, specialized foods and smoking cups of mulled wine.
You can also find others Christmas markets Around London, including those of Borough Market, Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square.
Ice skate
When the rain stops, it’s time to tie the skates and head for one of the many skating rinks in London. Unfortunately, the skating rink of the London tower is now closed, but there are still many outdoor skating rinks around London, including the Hampton Court Palace, Canary Wharf, Somerset House, Skylight Ice Rink on the roof of Tobacco Dock, Rink’s Rink de Queen’s House in Greenwich and slide at PowerSa Power Station. Of course, you can also add ice skating to your list of things to live at Winter Wonderland!
See Christmas decorations
One of the things we appreciated the most in the visit of London at Christmas was good taste and festive holiday decorations making glitter and flickering. Regent Street launched this tradition in 1954 and its exhibitions “Spirit of Christmas” are spectacular with texts of light of light which take place from Langham to Waterloo at the southern end of rue Regent St James’s. It is an ideal place to walk during the visit of London at Christmas.
After walking along Regent Street, be sure to see the decorations in bright colors along Bond Street, where peacock feathers are now replaced by a royal theme. The display pays homage to the fire Queen Elizabeth II with 93,652 LEDs which have four huge crowns in Key Junctions on Bond Street, inspired by the crown of the imperial state.
Light lighting from Oxford Street of 5,000 hanging stars is lit in early November. The screens through this busy shopping route are also now up to durability, using 300,000 LED and recycled plastic bulbs, making them 75% more effective than traditional bulbs.
We also liked to enter Convent Garden stores and the Arcade de Burlington to see the lights and the draping of persistent leafy garlands showing the festive spirit.
If you are looking for a giant Christmas tree or a Hannukah menrah, you will find them at Trafalgar Square.
Visit stores
Children will love to visit Hamleys, one of the largest toy stores in the world. The floor after the ground offers delights for all ages. Even if some toys can be found anywhere, there are also specialized memories, such as the own tortors in Hadley plush.
Fortnum and Mason are a feast for the eyes and the belly. This is where you can order and ship some of its famous holiday baskets. They can be filled with the specialized foods and delights you want.
When you have finished shopping, be sure to stop in the ice cream store for ice cream sundaes. Or, collect chocolates or beautiful Mazipane candies on the first floor.
And of course, Harrods is an essential visit regardless of the time of year. But seeing this large -scale department store draped with sparkling lights is something special. Children will appreciate meeting the Harrod Bears Grown Life.
Tips for visiting London at Christmas
- Visit a week or two before Christmas to avoid the biggest crowd.
- Read my advice to plan your London route
- Find out how much a trip to London costs and create your vacation budget
- Be ready for the traffic jams of the delivery trucks that place vacation packages, so plan to use the tube and Heathrow Express instead.
- When you use the tube, avoid peak hours when it is the most crowded.
- Make a reservation for a vacation meal where they provide traditional Christmas poppers and crowns – it’s a special experience!
- Visit the Harry Potter Tour at the Warner Brothers Studio to see Hogwarts as it is decorated for Christmas (see my guide for all Harry Potter attractions in London.
- Dress in hot layers and make sure you wrap rain boots and a long water resistant jacket
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Tamara Gruber is the founder and publisher of We3Travel. Former director of marketing and travel advisor, Tamara is a award -winning and expert travel writer recognized in family trips. Tamara is a member of Satw, Natja, Ifwtwa and Adventure Travel Trade Association, and headquarters to the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimeTofly.com and the co-host of the Mavens Travel Podcast Podcast.