We are all looking forward to the festive atmosphere of the Christmas holidays, and there’s no better place to experience it than London. At this time, the capital of England turns into a real magical city. Christmas markets, street festivities, mulled wine cafes and delicious pies create a true winter fairy tale.
Want to experience it? Then pick up a hire car and get ready for an incredible drive. Green Motion Stansted Airport offers great deals for any taste. A hire car makes it possible to go wherever you want, especially considering that buses and trains may not work during the holidays.
There are many wonderful places to visit in and around London, each of which will put you in a festive mood. If you are visiting the British capital for the Christmas holidays, check out some great things to do!
Take a walk in Winter Wonderland
During the Christmas holidays, Hyde Park hosts Winter Wonderland. This is one of the main attributes of Christmas in London with attractions for children and adults, an ice rink, ice bar, alpine restaurant, and endless stalls.
London's largest park turns into a large-scale holiday village where you can walk, grab some street food, and listen to live music. The most important thing to do in Winter Wonderland is to enjoy ice skating at the largest outdoor ice rink in the UK.
If you like shopping, then you should walk a little to the New Year's market at London Bridge City or the festival at Southbank Center, where you can buy a variety of souvenirs and handicrafts.
Go to the skating rink at Somerset House
As one of the most visited art museums in the world, Somerset House is located in the heart of London. At Somerset House, you will admire famous paintings. Van Gogh's ‘Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear’ and Monet's ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergere’ are among them.
An ice rink traditionally appears on the square in front of the museum, while small shops and cafes operate nearby. The pop-up store of the royal family's favorite department store, Fortnum and Mason, is also at your disposal. It has been considered the most luxurious store on the planet for three centuries in a row. Its staff is dressed in old-fashioned tailcoats, and the assortment mainly consists of tea, coffee, chocolate, and various spices. This is a great place to relax after a long ice skating and taste mulled wine and chocolate fondue.
Taste classic English tea
‘5 o'clock tea’ is an old English tradition and therefore many UK hotels create a special lunch menu from 12 pm till 5 pm. So, a visit to the One Aldwych Hotel in Covent Garden is a must for those who have always dreamed of trying classic English tea.
One Aldwych offers gingerbread tea, chocolate cake pops, and chestnut or cinnamon rolls. Plus, at the Savoy Hotel located on Strand Street, you can eat a cranberry and turkey sandwich, pear mulled wine, cognac mousse, and other delicacies as well.
Spend some hours in Hogwarts
All fans of the famous ‘Harry Potter’ should definitely visit the filming location at the Warner Brothers film studio. The guided tour will show you how fire, ice, and snow were actually created in the film. You can even touch samples of the different types of snow that were used during the production of the films.
Each type of snowflake is unique – the first type was created for a beautiful slow snowfall, the second for a real crunch underfoot, and the third for a beautiful color transfusion. From November 19 to January 28, Hogwarts Great Hall will be decorated in a special way. This is a real treat for Potter fans.
Take a walk in the Kew Royal Gardens
From late November till January, Kew Gardens will sparkle with millions of twinkling lights. Almost all the trees and buildings in the gardens will be beautifully illuminated. Plus, Palm House will host an extraordinary laser show with kaleidoscopic projections.
You will enter a fairy-tale world, enjoy a vintage fairground and even see Santa Claus with his elves in the North Pole village. Not far from the gardens is the famous Oxford Street, which is famous for the most popular shops, such as Selfridges and John Lewis.
On New Year's time, this street will be decorated with 1,778 sparkling decorations in the form of snowflakes. If you want to buy Christmas gifts for your family and friends, then you should definitely take a walk there.
Shop at Seven Dials
What a Christmas without shopping! This is the time of the biggest sales of the year. You can shop in many different places, but if you're looking for something atmospheric, head to Seven Dials – a tiny area sandwiched between Soho and Covent Garden.
Seven streets converge in its center, and all of them offer excellent shopping opportunities. In the old days, it was one of the nastiest slums in London, but now the same buildings hold small shops that sell goods from small manufacturers. The products range from cosmetics to clothing, but they are unique. You probably won't find the same anywhere else.
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