London, the wonderland itself, is a magnificent and unwillingly best city in the world. The place has some magical vibes and supporting this feeling is the presence of the River Thames.
The home of Big Ben and the red bus turns into a winter wonderland on the arrival of the season. The festive fairy lights come up and the as the days get shorter, the list of Things To Do In London In Winter gets longer.
Sure, London in summer has its own charm but London in winter is something special, something different.
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Things To Do In London In Winter
- Where to stay in London
- Christmas Market
- Winter Wonderland
- Ice Skating
- Christmas Light Bus Tour
- Pantomime
- Food Trail
- Before you leave for London
Where to Stay in London
There is a wide range of accommodations available in London, so you will not be short on options. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay in London for any budget.
Luxury – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Tower of London is the perfect luxury stay, located in the heart of the city centre.
Book your stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Tower of London here.
Mid-Range – The Premier Inn London County Hall is situated beside the London Eye and is the perfect central location for your one day in London.
Book your stay at The Premier Inn London County Hall here.
Budget – For a cheap and cheerful stay that isn’t a night in a hostel dorm, Brick Lane Deluxe Guest Room is a great location for your one day in London.
Book your stay at Brick Lane Deluxe Guest Room here.
If hostels are more your scene, you can check out the hostels available in London here.
Christmas Market’s
This magical time of the year is one of the best times to visit London. The Christmas markets in London are one of the best places in the world to kick start your festive season, hosting a great variety of markets for its visitors. The following list will help you decide where to go and plan your Winter Activities In London easily.
- Southbank Centre Winter Market
- Covent Garden Christmas markets
- Leicester Square Christmas market
- Kingston Christmas Market
- King’s Cross Christmas markets
- Trafalgar Square Christmas market
- Winter Wonderland Christmas market
- Borough Market at Christmas
These Christmas markets can be enjoyed while you explore the city either on foot or choose to do it otherwise. One of the top picks of tourists, this season, has been going around the city on local transport.
The famous Christmas markets are home to various magical elements and ever-rising festive feels in the atmosphere.
So, make sure to visit one of these magnificent London Christmas Markets for good food, music, and never-ending festive vibes.
Winter Wonderland
If you are searching for one of the finest locations to enjoy family time during Christmas and later on even, Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park would be the perfect choice to visit.
Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park started in 2007. That year the park had a few attractions like temporary fun rides, an open-air Christmas market, an ice rink, and the magnificent Giant wheel. Later on every year, there were many additions done which attracted more and more visitors. After the pandemic hit, the park closed down but that didn’t stop the fun. In 2021, it came back with a bang and continued its stride of fun, excitement and adventure for fellow visitors.
Every year with the excitement levels rising, the park has some of these activities ready for everyone:
- Skate to live music on the Winter Wonderland ice rink
- Try your time at a traditional carousel or be fierce enough to ride nine different roller coasters at the fairground.
- Soar into the sky on the iconic Giant Wheel
- Explore the Magical Ice Kingdom and discover over 500 tonnes of ice sculpted into secret passageways, a snow-tunnelled ice slide, and a crystal carriage of the Ice Palace.
One of the Things To Do In London In Winter this year should definitely include your visit to the magnificent Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. This is the perfect way to spend your time in London with friends.
Ice Skating
Winter season means snow and nothing beat the excitement of sliding onto the ice rinks. London is home to some of the most magnificent ice rinks in the world. Tourists flood from all over the world to have their chance of ruling the ice over here.
Some of these magnificent wonders get dolled up during the festive season in winter. The extravagant vibes come off these places so strongly that you feel like coming back here again and again. To help you plan a trip and decide on the perfect Winter Activities In London, here is a list of the popular ice rinks in London:
- Skylight at Tobacco Dock ice rink
- Somerset House
- Alexandra Palace ice rink
- Battersea
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
- Queen’s House
- Hampton Court Palace
- Canary Wharf ice rink
- Westfield London Winter Village
- Bar Elba’s rooftop ice rink
Enjoy visiting these finest ice skating rinks in London and be amazed by the celebration of the season.
Christmas Light Bus Tour
When in London during winter and especially festive time, it is mandatory for visitors to see the rawness of the city. During the season, the city is all decked up with beautiful lights which is a delight to witness.
To acknowledge this spirit, there are various Christmas Light bus tours that operate for the convenience of fellow visitors. During the 90 minutes- 2 hours of bus tour (depending on the traffic), tourists can hop onto the bus from London Eye, Belvedere Road, Bus Stop 77, London, SE1 7GH. The buses depart as well as arrive at this point only.
Although, as interesting as it sounds, the bus tour comes with a single rule- once the tourist hops on, they can’t leave the bus in between. To simplify, the rule states that this is not a hop-on-hop-off tour and guests must remain on the bus for the duration of the tour.
The bus routes from famous streets and past the breathtakingly beautiful Regent Street Christmas lights. Alongwith this, the other key sights include Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, London Eye, Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
To engage the guests, the bus includes an expert who entertains and passes on vital information about the locations. This is a great things to do in London with kids.
Note: The ticket prices range from £24 for adults and £13 for children. Also, kids who are of four years of age and under, board for free.
Pantomime
If you are looking for things to do for Christmas in London, one of the best things to do in London in winter is to be a spectator at the widely-loved Pantomimes. Pantomime is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. Its long liege from England has made its presence till date relevant. The crowds love it and often flow in large numbers to enjoy it.
The city hosts a whole lot of Pantomimes and to help you choose the best, here is a list of the highly enjoyed ones and where they can be seen:
- Mother Goose at the Duke of York’s Theatre
- Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the New Wimbledon Theatre
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Richmond Theatre
- Cinderella at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
- Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lyric Hammersmith
- Little Red Robin Hood at Battersea Arts Centre
- The ‘Christmas Panto Pod’ at the London Eye
- Rumpelstiltskin at the Park Theatre
- The Witches of Oz Immersive Dinner at The Vaults
Food Trail
While cruising through Londonat Christmas, you will come across some of the best food options. To enjoy the most of the city during winter, one of the Winter Activities In London includes relishing these dishes:
- Mulled wine
- Hot chocolates
- Look our for Christmas dinner menus!
- A good pub meal.
Before You Leave for London
Before you set off on your way to London, there are a number of things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. These include what to pack, where to stay and what is the best insurance for your trip to London. All of this is discussed in detail below.
How to Get Around London
Public transport around London is really simple and easy to use. The cheapest way of doing this is by using your contactless bank card. You must swipe it at the designated machines at the station. You must swipe on and off the underground, overground and train, however, you only need to swipe it once when you get onto the bus.
Some of the machines can be easy to miss at stations without a turnstile, so make sure you don’t forget to swipe or you could be in for a hefty fine!
Where to Stay in London
There is a wide range of accommodations available in London, so you will not be short on options. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay in London for any budget.
Luxury – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Tower of London is the perfect luxury stay, located in the heart of the city centre.
Book your stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Tower of London here.
Mid-Range – The Premier Inn London County Hall is situated beside the London Eye and is the perfect central location for your one day in London.
Book your stay at The Premier Inn London County Hall here.
Budget – For a cheap and cheerful stay that isn’t a night in a hostel dorm, Brick Lane Deluxe Guest Room is a great location for your one day in London.
Book your stay at Brick Lane Deluxe Guest Room here.
If hostels are more your scene, you can check out the hostels available in London here.
What to Pack for Your Trip to London
What you need to pack for London will rely highly on when you make your trip to the capital. During the Spring and Autumn months, temperatures and weather patterns vary wildly between beautiful sunny skies and freezing rain.
The temperatures generally vary from 10 oC to 25 oC during these months, with a mixture between cold, northerly winds and warmer southerlies. There is a small amount of rain, with maybe 1 in 7 days receiving rainfall, which makes it perfect for days out exploring the beautiful city.
During the Summer months in London, temperatures tend to range from 20oC to 30oC, with some days topping 35oC. Summer days in London are perfect for the beach, with many locals and travellers alike sending their day soaking up the sun and playing in the sea. When it comes to toiletries, we recommend that you don’t forget to pack sunscreen. The sun in London can be strong, especially in the summer months.
If you need more inspiration on what to pack for your trip, check out our full packing guides for all-weather conditions over here.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you will see in London, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
You can read what else we keep in our camera bag over here.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Shure VP83 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 9 Black and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 2
Camera Bag – Lowepro Flipside 300 AW and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socket
What is the Best Travel Insurance for London
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, a guide to visiting London at Christmas. If you are visiting this incredible city and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! If you have already been, let us know how it was!
Also, remember to share this with your friends and family that you are going to share this amazing experience with. Sharing is caring and we want to ensure that everyone is fully prepared to maximise their experience completing this stunning walk.
If you are planning a London trip soon then check out our other Scotland content right here. Come and find us on social media to see where we are currently exploring. Tag us in your photos from your stay and we will share them with the rest of our community of explorers and backpackers.
Read Now:
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