With lit-up trees, joyful carolers and festive decorations lining every street, London is a magical place to spend the Christmas season. Enjoy ice skating, Christmas lights,
Oxford Street Christmas lights
Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree For a full dose of the Christmas spirit, you can’t miss the famous Christmas tree towering every year over Trafalgar Square since 1947. It was a gift from the Norwegians to the British, and is decorated in Norwegian style with vertical strings of white lights. If you have the chance, watch the tree lighting ceremony on December 6, otherwise enjoy the tree’s festive splendor all the way through January. Carolers from various groups perform beside the tree each evening for the few weeks leading up to Christmas.
Oxford Street Christmas Lights Gigantic crowds gather every year on Oxford Street to watch the switch turn on hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights to welcome in the holiday season. If you get a chance to watch the lighting, you can enjoy musical performances in a star-studded show, but if you’re arriving later you can enjoy walking up and down this festive street around Christmastime, adorned with glittering lights everywhere you look.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland In December, the section of the park near Hyde Park Corner transforms into a winter wonderland with fairground rides, Christmas markets, festive food and drinks, Santa’s grotto and an ice rink! There’s a wintry circus and 53-meter Observation Wheel to get the scope of the whole Christmassy spread. Also check out the Magical Ice Kingdom, set up as a fairytale-like ice and snow world complete with woodland creatures and a carriage pulled by unicorns.
Ice Skating in Hampton Court Palace This open-air skating rink is right in the middle of the majestic Hampton Court Palace, with breathtaking views of its majestic architecture. After skating, grab a festive bite- mulled wine and minced pie- at the nearby café. Check out the palace itself too, as it’s adorned with festive decorations to get you in the holiday spirit! You can also take a ride on the old-fashioned carousel and explore the hedge maze.
Dukes of York Square Christmas Grotto Just off King’s Road, the Dukes of York Square puts on a festive Christmas Grotto where kids and adults alike can enjoy some holiday spirit. The little ones can greet Santa and explore his workshop, and the adults can poke into the boutiques lining the square. There’s an arts and crafts area with holiday activities for the whole family, and a nearby food market with plenty of festive treats.
