Looking for Christmas things to do in London? From pop-up Christmas markets and glittering lights to traditional Christmas shows, pantos, and concerts, you can always find unique and unusual stuff to do in London Christmas. So, if you’re looking to experience a cheerful and memorable Christmas this year, see our list of the most worthwhile things to do in London at Christmas.
London Attractions in Christmas
Hogwarts in the Snow
- ✨ Highlights: Visit the Hogwarts in the snow and feel the festive atmosphere as if you are in the wizarding world! It must be one of the most meaningful things to do in London at Christmas for big Harry Potter fans.
- 📍 Location: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
- 📅 Date: November 16th, 2024—January 19th, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: From £53.5
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
- ✨ Highlights: At Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, you can find all of your desired stuff to do in London Christmas. Ice rink, circus, Christmas market… Just experience all the joy of Christmas in one go! There are also live music performances, suitable for all ages.
- 📍 Location: Hyde Park, London
- 📅 Date: November 21st, 2024—January 5th, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: Free (off-peak) / £5 (standard) / £7.5 (peak)
Windsor Castle
- ✨ Highlights: Winsor Castle is among the must-visit London attractions in Christmas. There is also a giant Christmas tree in St. George’s Hall, which is 20 feet high. It lights up the entire festive atmosphere. In addition, during the Christmas period, the interior of Windsor Castle is magnificently decorated, making it perfect for taking photos and checking in.
- 📍 Location: Windsor SL4 1NJ
- 📅 Date: November 21st, 2024—January 6th, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: From £30
Charles Dickens Museum
- ✨ Highlights: Visiting the Charles Dickens Museum is one of the top Xmas things to do in London. From mid-November, the Charles Dickens Museum has become a new place full of Christmas atmosphere! In this house, the writer Dickens has ever celebrated Christmas with his family. It was also the birthplace of the classic “A Christmas Carol”. Now, come back to the present. The actor James Swanton will give us a live performance of Dickens’ Christmas story, allowing us to feel the holiday charm of that era.
- 📍 Location: 48-49 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX
- 🎫 Tickets: From £20
Days out and Things to Do in London at Christmas
Ice Skating in Canary Wharf
- ✨ Highlights: Skating at Ice Rink Canary Wharf is one of the most exciting Christmas activities London. The British Ice Rink Canary Wharf is a popular winter attraction located in London’s bustling area, Canary Wharf. It is open every year during Christmas and New Year, providing tourists with a unique experience of ice skating in the centre of the country. Starting on October 26th, 2024, the skating rink will be open to the public for a full 17 weeks. The ice rink in Canary Wharf has a roof so that it can be used rain or shine. Skating at Ice Rink Canary Wharf
- 📍 Location: Ice Rink Canary Wharf, Canada Square Park, Canada Square, London E14 5AB
- 📅 Date: October 26th, 2024—February 23rd, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: From £13.95
Winter Carriage Rides in Richmond Park
- ✨ Highlights: What are the cool Christmas things to do in London? Taking a horse-drawn carriage ride at Richmond Park stands out from the crowds. You can snuggle up in a blanket and wander around the park, sipping Sloth gin and eating mince pies while learning about the story of the park from your guides and riders. How cool!
- 📍 Location: Richmond Park, Kings Rd, Surrey, London
- 📅 Date: November 30th, 2024—January 1st, 2025
- 🎫 Fees: £450 for 6 people in a carriage
Christmas Lights in London
Light Festival
Kew Gardens Christmas Lights
- ✨ Highlights: There is a light corridor, about 2.6 kilometres, with various exquisite light shows and interactive installations. You will feel the romance and innocence of the holiday. Taste hot drinks and snacks, interact with Santa Claus🎅, and admire the lake reflections like a fairyland. That must be among the most Christmassy things to do in London.
- 📍 Location: Kew Gardens, Richmond
- 📅 Date: November 13th, 2024—January 5th, 2025
- ⏰ Time: Reservation required; time slots vary
- 🎫 Tickets: From £25.5
Blenheim Palace Light Trail
- ✨ Highlights: Enter Peter Pan’s “Neverland” and experience a fairy-tale light show. There is also a Christmas market in the historic palace, which is great for families.
- 📍 Location: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
- 📅 Date: November 15th, 2024—January 1st, 2025 (the market opens until December 22nd, 2024)
- 🎫 Tickets: Trail + Palace=£59.5 (off-peak) / £69.5 (peak)
Light Displays
Oxford Street Christmas Lights
- ✨Highlights: More than 300,000 environmentally friendly LED lights light up the entire street. Strolling there with your friends or couple can be on the list of the most romantic things to do in London at Xmas. By the way, there will be a Happy Day event on December 7th, 2024, which will bring you a complete Christmas feel. Don’t miss it!
- 📍 Location: Oxford Street, London
- 📅 Date: November 5th, 2024—January 5th, 2025
- ⏰ Time: 3 PM to 11 PM
Regent Street Angel Lights
- ✨ Highlights: It has become a Christmas symbol of London since 1954. 45 trumpet-playing angels and thousands of LED lights form a dazzling sea of lights.
- 📍 Location: Regent Street, London
- 📅 Date: November 7th, 2024—January 5th, 2025
Leadenhall Market Christmas Light Show
- ✨ Highlights: In the light show, you can admire Victorian architecture and colorful light trees, vintage and romantic. The Mayor of London lit the lanterns in person. Add it to the list of the most ritualistic things to do in London on Christmas day.
- 📍 Location: Gracechurch Street, London
- 📅 Date: November 14th, 2024—December 7th, 2025
- ⏰ Time: 6 PM—11 PM
Christmas Activities London for the Family
London Zoo
- ✨ Highlights: During Christmas, London Zoo transforms into a magical world of light and shadow! The twinkling starlight corridor, the colourful illuminated paths… All of them exude a charming festive atmosphere, perfect for a family trip. Here, you will experience some of the best things to do in London at Christmas, such as playing with Santa Claus and his elves walking through the garden!
- 📍 Location: ZSL London Zoo, London NW1 4RY
- 📅 Date: November 23rd, 2024—January 5th, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: £38
Up at The O2
- ✨ Highlights: Regarding fun things to do in London at Christmas, consider visiting Britain’s tallest Christmas igloo at O2. It is a super-large fluorescent snow globe that will be open at the top of the O2 during the festive period! All visitors will be led by a tour guide to climb to the iconic 52-metre summit of O2 and then enter the Christmas igloo. In addition to artificial snowfall and photo taking, the igloo also provides gingerbread cookies and sparkling wine. Take your kids to experience an unforgettable Christmas at O2.
- 📍 Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX
- 📅 Date: November 22nd, 2024—January 5th, 2025
- ⏰ Time: 10 AM—6 PM (25 minutes for each)
- 🎫 Tickets: From £44, advanced booking required
Christmas Food and Drink in London
Afternoon Tea at TĪNG
- ✨ Highlights: Enjoy a festive afternoon tea at TĪNG on the 35th floor of The Shard. That must be one of the most elegant Christmas things to do in central London. The festive-themed pastries include dessert in the style of Santa’s hat, Jasmine tea and bergamot.
- 📍 Location: The Shard, Level 35, Shangri-La The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU
- 📅 Date: November 12th, 2024—January 6th, 2025
Drinks at Miracle at Henrietta
- ✨ Highlights: Sipping cocktails at Miracle at Henrietta, with its 1970s Christmas decorations, is among the interesting Christmas things to do in London in December.
- 📍 Location: 14-15 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8QH
- 📅 Date: November 11th, 2024—December 23rd, 2024
- ⏰ Time: 1 PM—11 PM
Dinner at Dishoom
- ✨ Highlights: Dishoom is the most popular Indian restaurant in London. The dazzling array of side dishes in Indian restaurants is very festive. As for the Christmas menu this year, we can see that the menu includes barbecue, biryani, and turkey cooked in traditional Indian ways.
- 📅 Date: November 18th, 2024—December 24th, 2024
Christmas Theatre Shows and Concerts in London
The Nutcracker
- ✨ Highlights: In the theatre, you will enjoy a classic story performed by Britain’s National Ballet. Follow Clara and step into a magical Christmas night. Immerse yourself in the gorgeous costumes and spectacular scenery.
- 📍 Location: Coliseum Theatre, London
- 📅 Date: December 12th, 2024—January 12the, 2025
- 🎫 Tickets: From £21.22
Westminster Abbey Christmas Choir
- ✨ Highlights: Admire Christmas carols and the perfect coordination of the choir and organ in Westminster Abbey. You will feel warm and touched by the strong festive atmosphere and solemn environment. When you have no idea about what to do at Xmas in London, go to a concert!
- 📍 Location: Westminster Abbey, London
- 📅 Date: December 1st, 2024—December 25th, 2024
- 🎫 Tickets: Free
Royal Albert Hall Carols
- ✨ Highlights: The concert is an annual festive event and audio-visual feast of classic carols and symphony orchestra. There are also various interactions that make you part of the show!
- 📍Location: Royal Albert Hall, London
- 📅 Date: December 3rd, 2024—December 31st, 2024
- 🎫 Tickets: From £5
Christmas Shopping in London
Leicester Square Christmas Market
- ✨ Highlights: Leicester Square Christmas Market, located in the heart of London’s tourist district, is among the exciting places to visit London Christmas. Underbelly brings the classic circus show “La Clique” once again, which will be performed in a traditional wooden tent. At the same time, the Christmas Market in Leicester Square will also be open to the public, with a number of bars, food and drink stalls, and craft stalls.
- 📍 Location: Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LU
- 📅 Date: November 6th, 2024—January 5th, 2025
Southbank Centre Winter Market
- ✨ Highlights: Christmas is coming! Once again, the River Thames is decorated with wooden houses and sparkling lights, and the Southbank Center Winter Market comes back! You can enjoy delicious food and hot drinks here, such as mulled wine, hot cocoa, and street food. We highly recommend the “Fire & Fromage” hot melted cheese event. Unlimited raclette cheese and a bonfire to roast marshmallows and warm up are provided. Visiting the Southbank Centre Winter Market must be one of the most worthwhile things to do in London this Christmas. However, it would be wise to visit on weekdays or early in the season to avoid the crowds.
- 📍 Location: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 8XX
- 📅 Date: November 1st, 2024—December 26th, 2024
- 🎫 Tickets: Free
Leadenhall Christmas Market
- ✨ Highlights: Experience some unique Christmas markets in the Leadenhall Market, with Christmas trees and lighted decorations surrounding the venue. The market has antique furniture and fashion items from the Vintage Furniture & Flea Market, as well as many handicrafts, jewellery, and toys provided by the SoLo Craft Fair. There are also many other Christmas markets in London from which you can choose.
- 📍 Location: Gracechurch St, London EC3V 1LT
- 📅 Date: November 16th, 24th, 2024 and December 7th, 2024
- 🎫 Tickets: Free
Traditional Stuff to Do in London Christmas
Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree
Speaking of Christmas, one of the classic elements that come to your mind first must be the Christmas tree. Let’s learn about a symbolized Christmas tree on Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is a gift given by Norway every year. This 20-metre-high Christmas tree will be lit up on December 5th, 2025. The Mayor of London and Oslo and the Ambassador of Norway will participate in the lighting ceremony together to pass on this precious international friendship.
Christmas Panto
Watching Christmas pantos is on the list of the Christmas themed things to do in London. It is a special live performance form that actively encourages the audience to shout at the actors. Sometimes, you will even find some celebrities cameo in the performance. The recommended performance include Cinderella at the King’s Head Theatre, Jack and the Beanstalk at the New Wimbledon Theatre, and Dick Whittington and His Cat at the Greenwich Theatre.
Christmas Carol Concerts
Singing Christmas carols is undoubtedly one of the most Christmassy things to do in London at Xmas. We highly recommend you go to a carol concert to better understand and experience traditional British culture. St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are 2 suitable choices for you to enjoy the carol concert.
Santa's Grottos
Have you ever visited Santa at one of his grottos when you were young? That must be among the most suitable things to do in London at Christmas with kids. On Christmas Eve, local shopping malls and theme parks in the UK hold events to find Santa Claus. For example, in Covent Garden, there is Santa Claus every year. The kids can share their Christmas wishes at these Santa’s Grottos.
Spending Christmas in London
If you choose to visit London during Christmas, you can rent short-term student accommodation in London to avoid paying the higher cost of a hotel. By the way, there is no public transport on Christmas Day, so we advise you to rent housing in central London, which is within walking distance or a short car ride to the famous places to visit London Christmas. Here are some of the most booked options:
- iQ Vega: iQ Vega is an accommodation located at 6 Miles Street Vauxhall, London, England SW8 1RZ. It has the shortest lease of only 4 weeks, which is suitable for residents who plan to travel or attend exchange programs. In addition, it is within walking distance of many Christmas markets and top attractions, such as Covent Garden Market, the British Museum, Vauxhall Park, St James’s Park, River Thames, and St George’s Wharf.
- Moonraker Point: Moonraker Point is a flat situated on Pocock Street, London, England SE1 0FN. You can also rent 4 weeks only. The nearby Christmas markets include South Bank Market and Borough Market.
- Emily Bowes Court: Emily Bowes Court is a student housing located at 6 Lebus Street, London, England N17 9FD. The shortest lease is 2 weeks. From the accommodation, it is effortless to get to various famous tourist attractions, such as Tottenham Hale Retail Park and River Lee.
Conclusion about Christmas Things to Do in London
Among the many Christmas things to do in London mentioned above, what’s your favourite one? Shop at Christmas markets, see a festive show, or take a Christmas lights tour? Christmas 2024 is coming. Let’s enjoy all of the things to do in London at Christmas 2024.
FAQs about Christmas Things to Do in London
Is London fun at Christmas?
Experience Christmas in London will be an unforgettable and exciting memory for you. Strolling across the street, you will find dazzling lights and Christmassy decorations adorn the whole city. Prepare to marvel at the beautiful Christmas light displays at Kew Gardens, Oxford Street, and Blenheim Palace.
Which city is best to visit in Christmas in UK?
London, Edinburgh, Nottingham, and Winchester are some of the best city to visit in Christmas in UK.
- London: known for its dazzling Christmas lights at Oxford Street, Regent Street, Elizabeth Street, etc..
- Edinburgh: famous for the Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens.
- Nottingham: renowned for the Winter Wonderland in the Old Market Square
- Winchester: rated as England’s Christmas capital
Where is the most Christmassy place in London?
Oxford Street is the most Christmassy place in London. Each year, Oxford Street is always the first one to be lit up. The world-famous shopping street kicks off the festive season every year. There are more than 300,000 LED lights that light up the entire street. Strolling there with your friends or couple can be among the most romantic stuff to do in London Christmas.
What is the most Christmassy pub in London?
Miracle at Henrietta is the most Christmassy pub in London. With exquisite Christmas decorations and jolly cocktails, you will have a full Christmas atmosphere.
