26 Festive Things To Do In London For Christmas This Year

Visiting London at Christmas is one of the most extraordinary experiences you can have. The city transforms into a magical atmosphere of fairy lights, festive spirit, and pop-up bars with boozy hot chocolate and street food. London celebrates the Christmas season better than most other cities in Europe.

The amount of festive things to do in London for Christmas is large enough to tear you off your sofa and away from all those back-to-back Christmas films. Whether you head to Tower Bridge to check out its Christmas market or to one of the ice skating rinks dotted around the city, you’ll have so much fun. London lights up at this time of year with so much eating, drinking, fun, and shopping.

Festive Things To Do in London at Christmas

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the best attractions and activities to tick off when visiting London at Christmas. From Christmas lights to boozy hot chocolate and shopping for handmade gifts, these are the best things to do in London this December.

1. Covent Garden

There’s no better place to celebrate a London Christmas than Covent Garden. Covent Garden is one of the most famed places in the city. It is an ornate shopping and entertainment center in London’s theatrical West End neighborhood. At Christmas, though, this magical place transforms again, hosting a small Christmas market, thousands of festive lights and decorations, and even fake snow flurries between 12 pm and 9 pm each day. The fake snow is on the hour in West Piazza – you won’t miss it.

Covent Garden is one of the best places for undercover Christmas shopping and a reliable white Christmas.

2. Try Mulled Wine

Another thing you can’t have a London Christmas without is mulled wine. Luckily, there’s no shortage of this tasty festive drink in the city. You can find delicious mulled wine all over London. The drink is just piping hot red wine with spices like cinnamon. You can find it at pop-up bars and established drinking holes like The Hawk’s Nest in Shepherd’s Bush. Mr Fogg’s Tavern is also a great spot for delicious mulled wine. Wander through the Christmas markets and see if you can spot some to takeaway, or head for a cozy seat inside one of the London pubs.

3. Hogwarts in the Snow

Everyone knows about London’s Harry Potter studio experience. But did you know it hosts a Christmas special? Hogwarts in the Snow is a way for fans to celebrate Christmas in the wizarding world and runs generously…