8 Best Things to Do in London at Christmas
LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
Why London is One of the Best European Christmas Destinations
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best THINGS TO DO IN LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
How to Enjoy the Christmas Spirit in London
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WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
Our Favorite London Hotels
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Bonjour
If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.
In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.
In this Things to do In London at Christmas Guide we’re sharing all of the tips on how to enjoy the Holiday season in London town, including our favorite Christmas Things to do in London and even easy day trips to take from London.
LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
London at Christmas is a sight to behold. The city transforms herself from a rainy, dreary city to one bursting with festivities and Christmas joy. And maybe it’s thanks to Harry Potter or The Holiday or Love Actually or A Christmas Carol or the endless sea of British Christmas films that have influenced us, but Christmas in London just makes sense.
Christmas in London is the one of the most popular times to visit the city, coming in at second after Summer, and for good reason. When traveling to London during the Christmas season, you still get all of the famous landmarks and charms of the city, with the added magic of Christmas things to do and see in London.
And although within London itself you’ll find less of the traditional Christmas markets you might find in other European cities like Munich, Germany, you’ll have no shortage of festive things to do when exploring London at Christmas.
So if you’re currently debating on where to visit in Europe at Christmas, or you’re already in the process of planning a London Christmas trip, the remainder of this post will highlight the best things to do in London at Christmas and all of the other travel details you need to plan a trip to Christmas London town.
(Note* - The Ice Skating at the Natural History Museum in the first image below no longer occurs.)
best THINGS TO DO IN LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
Regardless of which season you visit in, you will have no shortage of things to do in London. The city is bursting with museums, restaurants, parks and activities to keep you busy for weeks. And during the Holidays, London adds even more to that never ending sight-seeing list.
If you’re visit to London at Christmas is your first time visiting the city, you should still do all of the major sights during your travels. (i.e. visit Big Ben, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, etc.).
The below list of things to do in London at Christmas is mostly (except for a few items), specific to visiting London in December or during the holiday season. Some of the items you can do year-round (such as visiting museums or taking day trips) and some are only available during Christmas.
If you plan to do everything included on the list below during your time in London, I would give yourself three-four days to see and do everything. Adding a day or two if you plan to take overnight trips anywhere, or removing a day or two if London is part of a larger European Christmas trip.
Winter Wonderland London
2023 Winter Wonderland London Dates: 17th November 2023 - 1st January 2024)
We arrived in London one December after a mishap trying to get to Paris and with absolutely zero plans. So when we walked past what looked like a massive theme park on the way to check in to our hotel, our curiosity was peaked.
We dropped our bags, bundled up and wandered out to see what this crazy theme-park could be. And that’s when we experienced London’s Winter Wonderland for the first time.
Winter Wonderland London is a six-week long Christmas destination (aka theme-park) located in London’s Hyde park. And the event is massive. This isn’t your traditional Christmas market. Winter Wonderland London is made up of roller coasters, adrenaline rides, family-friendly rides, games, shows, food, a Bavarian village, a Christmas market with 100 stalls, an ice kingdom, an ice slide and an ice skating rink - whew.
You could easily spend an entire day, afternoon or evening exploring and enjoying everything within Winter Wonderland London. If you have children, I would recommend visiting in the day time to avoid some of the crowds. In the evening, you’ll find many adults enjoying their adult beverages and acting like children on all of the rides.
To plan for your visit to Winter Wonderland London, you can purchase tickets in advance on their website and find all of the attractions and calendar of events.
Discover the Stunning London Christmas Lights
If there’s something London does well at Christmas, it’s the Christmas light displays you’ll find throughout the city. You’re likely to find these light displays regardless of where you are in the city, but some of the more famous spots to see the London Christmas lights are below.
Regent Street Christmas Lights (normally huge and beautiful Christmas angels)
Carnaby Street Christmas Lights (very colorful and playful, I especially loved walking under this light display)
Convent Gardens Christmas Lights (with a giant Christmas tree)
Oxford Street Christmas Lights
Bond Street Christmas Lights
If you’re cold and weary and want an easy way to see the lights, hop on one of London’s buses, sit up town at the front, and you’ll get the best view of all the lights as you ride beneath them.
Stay Warm in One of London’s (Free) Museums
This isn’t specific to Christmas, but if you’re weary from being out in the cold admiring the London Christmas lights or enjoying the excitement of Winter Wonderland London, take a break inside of one of London’s warm (and often free) museums.
London has over 192 museums, meaning regardless of your interests, there’s likely a museum you will find enjoyable. The most famous museums to visit in London are the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. All free to enter.
Photograph the Churchill Arms Covered in Christmas Trees
During your Christmas trip to London, if you find yourself in the Kensington neighborhood or near Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, be sure to take a stroll over to the famous pub, Churchill Arms.
The Churchill Arms is one of London’s most famous pubs, said to be frequented by Winston Churchill’s grandparents in the 1800s, and is now famous for its exterior plant displays. In the spring and summer, you can find the pub covered in plants and flowers pouring off the building.
At Christmas, the Churchill Arms switches from colorful flowers to festive Christmas décor. In 2021, the pub was said to be covered in 135,000 Christmas lights and over 100 Christmas trees. It’s a tradition they’ve been executing for over 30 years and is a sight to behold for both local Londoners and tourists.
Visit Harrod’s & Liberty London at Christmas
London department stores are something special to experience, and at Christmas they turn into a magical shopping paradise covered in lights and Christmas displays.
Harrod’s is a must visit in London during Christmas to see the exterior Christmas lights as well as to explore all of the Christmas foods and goods within the store.
Liberty London is one of my favorite department stores in London. The store opened in 1875 and in the 1920s was built into the “mock-Tudor” store that stands unique in London today.
The store was originally opened to sell luxuries and fabrics from all over the world. Today the store still has a famous in-house design studio and sells both luxuries and custom fabrics. It’s a great spot to buy little souvenirs for family and friends and to walk through the stunning floors of Tudor-style architecture.
Have (Christmas-Themed) High Tea
You can’t visit London without having High Tea, and at Christmas the city takes the traditional afternoon snack and turns it into a festive affair. You can find themed high teas throughout London at the famous High tea spots, such at The Ritz and Shangri La The Shard. Just be sure to make your reservation long in advance!
Below is our traditional high tea at The Kensington Palace Pavilion in Kensington Gardens.
Experience Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Brother’s Studio Tour London
From 11th November 2023 – 14th January 2024 the Making of Harry Potter at Warner Brother’s Studio Tour London goes from an overdose of magic to the magical world of Harry Potter at Christmas. During the Holiday season, you can visit the studio tour as usual, except with added festivities like decorations and snow. You can even book a Hogwart’s themed High Tea here, so if you have any Harry Potter, Christmas loving fanatics in your group, this is a great activity to experience.
Find all of the information and book your tickets here.
(Pictured below is the standard exhibit at The Making of Harry Potter Warner Brother’s Studio)
Take a day trip to Oxford or the Cotswolds
If you’re visiting London at Christmas and you want to have an Amanda Woods moment from The Holiday, you can easily take a day trip from the city to either Oxford or the Cotswolds. Both destinations are give or take an hour from London, making them easy to visit for the day.
Day Trip from London to Oxford
In Oxford, you can explore the many famous universities and churches, eat at the pub the C.S. Lewis and Tolkein were said to frequent, see where many of the Harry Potter scenes were filmed (can you tell I’m a Harry Potter fan at this point?).
Oxford even has its own Christmas market, which I absolutely adored. The market itself was small but had beautiful hand made ornaments and local artisans, and gave us a little Christmas market taste that was lacking in big-city London.
To get from London to Oxford you can either take an hour train or a two hour bus. The train from London to Oxford leaves from London Paddington Station and the bus from London to Oxford leaves from the London Victoria Coach Station. Book your train or bus tickets here.
Day Trip from London to the Cotswolds
In the Cotswolds, you can pretend that you have just swapped your Californian home for a little brick English cottage in the snow. I can’t promise snow, but I can promise that you’ll have the feeling of yuletide charm in the Cotswolds at Christmas.
If you have a little extra time in your itinerary, book an overnight stay in the Cotswolds to really feel like you’ve stepped into your British Holiday film. We’ve personally stayed at The Wild Rabbit, which is an adorable hotel and pub located in Kingham. The town of Kingham is tiny and oozes charm, and you can spend your evening by the fire in the pub of the hotel.
You can access the Cotswolds by train from London to a handful of destinations listed below.
WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON AT CHRISTMAS
London is a large city, and when you visit at Christmas, I recommend trying to book a hotel in the heart of all the action. The city has an amazing metro system (the tube), but being in the heart of things will allow you to walk as much as possible and take in all of the Christmas sights. Below are a few of our favorite hotels in London.
The Ned London
The hotel is absolutely beautiful. The staff are professional, helpful and were lovely to deal with. I had heard so many great things about the hotel from colleagues of mine and it certainly did not disappoint. One of my favourite aspects was the attention to detail / amenities in the room- all you needed to bring was a suitcase. Toiletries, hair appliances included a straightener (which you seldom see), plug adaptor, charger, slippers in different sizes. I was floored. A bonus is that the mini bar is beautifully stocked.
The Henrietta Hotel
All the little attention to details - from the wallpaper, minibar, the sheets, the leather chain key, their selection of books to read, the heated towels etc… is evident at this lovely hotel. We will definitely return and also try their other locations. All the staff we encountered were amazing, very helpful and welcoming. Such a great birthday treat. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality.
The Princess Royal Notting Hill
Service was exceptional! I felt very welcomed. Rooms considered and many well thought out details. I found it very quiet and private despite being on top of the bar restaurant. The beds were also super comfy and I enjoyed a restful sleep. Loved my stay, was the perfect Notting hill hide away! Close to all the best bits. Can’t wait for my next city break.
QUESTIONS
Have questions? Ask away! There is a comment box at the bottom of this page to ask any and all questions you might have about anything in this post or anything I didn’t cover.
STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE
Need help planning the rest of your Christmas trip?
If you’re interested in more Christmas market content, or plan to head to the German Christmas markets from London, be sure to read our guides to the Cologne and Munich Christmas Markets. You can also easily access Amsterdam and Paris from London, which are both magically cities at Christmas.
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In this guide, we’re sharing everything you need to know to plan a trip to the Alsace Christmas Markets. The guide includes our favorite French Christmas Markets in the Alsace region, what to expect from the Alsace Christmas Markets, tips for visiting the famous Strasbourg and Colmar Christmas markets and where to stay in the Alsace region of France.