Shopping in December lets visitors enjoy the Christmas lights

Your Complete Guide to London in December

By Ian Packham

If you thought London was a city solely for the summer months, think again. Because London in December sees the British capital at probably its most colorful of the year. Few can avoid getting in the Christmas spirit, before turning their attention to the south bank of the River Thames and the nation’s foremost fireworks display to bring in the New Year in style.

With all that in mind, here’s your complete guide to what’s going on in London in December, so you don’t miss a thing.

Shop till you drop

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Forget what you’ve seen in the movies, you’ll need to be lucky to encounter any snowfall in London at Christmas. With average December lows of 5°C, snowmen are more likely in February. But this takes nothing away from the Christmas atmosphere, which sweeps across the capital’s streets and storefronts from the end of November.

From Abbey Road to Lambeth Palace, Carnaby Street to St Katharine Docks, London’s sidewalks are bright with an array of lights, adding a further attraction to the window displays of shops big and small.

Not too far away, London’s largest Christmas tree – an annual gift from the Norwegian capital topping out at around 20 meters high – takes center stage in Trafalgar Square. Christmas markets occupy other well-known spaces, including Leicester Square and the riverbank in front of Tower Bridge and City Hall, where last minute gifts and traditional festive treats jostle for attention.

Never one to rest on its laurels, as soon as the big day is over, the focus moves to the Boxing Day sales of December 26, which has been a date to circle in the diary long before the advent of Black Friday. Aim to get there before sun up for the very best deals.

Enjoy the capital’s historic attractions in a new way

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Even if you’ve visited London before, December offers many new experiences at some of the city’s most famous sites. The UNESCO-enshrined Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew puts on a dazzling display of lights and colorful projected images every evening from dusk.

Hyde Park becomes the location of a huge combined fun fair and Christmas market, perhaps best taken in from its dedicated observation wheel. Alternatively, you might prefer to cheer on the brave souls who take part in the Peter Pan Cup. A swimming competition in Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lake, it has taken place on Christmas Day since 1864 in one of the capital’s stranger traditions.

If you prefer your water even colder, look no further than the temporary outdoor ice rinks that appear at many of London’s most-loved attractions during December. Kensington’s Natural History Museum, The Strand’s Somerset House and even Hampton Court Palace provide extraordinary backdrops to a quick spin on the ice followed by a warming mug of hot chocolate.

Experience the UK’s top Christmas events

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Christmas in London sees Christopher Wren’s masterwork, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the thousand-year-old Westminster Abbey both present a series of traditional carol services which fill their august spaces with stunning vocals. The Royal Albert Hall has an equally impressive program of concerts, ranging from Christmas classics played by big bands to performances of Handel’s Messiah.

Heading to a ballet performance is another popular London December tradition. Shows with winter themes such as The Nutcracker grace the stages of several major theaters, and are bound to bring back a sense of childhood glee. For an altogether less-serious evening out, it has to be a panto performance, filled with slap-stick comedy, audience participation and men dressed in drag.

But don’t be misled by the brash colors and fairy-tale plots, there’s serious acting going on here, with everyone from Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings’ Gandalf) to Hollywood ‘giant’ Mickey Rooney having taken to the pantomime stage. Oh no they didn’t – oh yes they did!

But when it comes to events in London in December, few can compete with the capital’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Launched from barges on the Thames and the 32 pods of the London Eye, the display takes eight technicians a week to wire up the seven tons of explosives needed for the 10-minute show. Dazzling audiences since its inception in the year 2000, it can be enjoyed from various high points around the city, as well as the river bank and the comfort of sofas in well-heated bars just about everywhere.

Eat, drink and be merry

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With 60-plus Michelin star restaurants at your fingertips, London’s food scene takes some beating. Even if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to beef aged for 90 days in Himalayan salt chambers and desserts decorated with 24-carat gold leaf, you’ll still find plenty of choice.

Don’t get caught out though – many restaurants (and attractions) close their doors on Christmas Day to give their staff a well-earned rest. Even those that do open – and Chinatown is always a good bet – get booked up early and can be difficult to reach without London’s usual transportation options, which also cease for the day.

Roast turkey has been the Christmas Day meal of choice since at least the time of Henry VIII, and will be served with ‘all the trimmings’. These include Brussel sprouts, honey-roasted parsnips, sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets (that’s sausages wrapped in bacon) and roasted potatoes.

Traditionally made with suet, Christmas pudding is another must try, being loaded with dried fruits, spices and a liberal quantity of alcohol before being served with hot custard (crème anglais). You’ll find mince pies (which are nothing to do with ground beef) dusted in icing sugar and on display at pretty much every bakery, café and supermarket in the capital in December.

Many Brits, Londoners included, then head out for a post-meal walk, which may involve a stop off at a local pub. Whether they’re open or not will largely depend on where you’re located – central London takes on the air of a ghost town on December 25. Those on popular walking routes are more likely to be open than those on streets like The Strand, although probably for no more than a few hours in the afternoon. Hotel bars are likely to remain open for longer.

Save on London December attraction admission

Admission to many of London’s top attractions and activities can be enjoyed at a reduced rate with Go City. Our Explorer Pass includes admission to a range of London attractions, while giving you the flexibility to do what you want, when you want, without having to make any decisions beforehand. If London’s December weather lets you down, there’s no need to rearrange the plans for your entire stay. In fact, with Go City you don’t need a plan at all.

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London in June

June in London is known by its nine million residents for its blend of sunny skies, annual events and warm evenings outdoors. If you’re looking to get a sense of the British capital at its most animated, June is the month to visit. Not only do summer temperatures creep into every aspect of a visit to London during the month, but the city gets all dressed up in its finery for events of international significance – from the Wimbledon tennis championships to Trooping the Colour. Come with us, as we explore the very best of London in June. Soak up the June sun With the bright summer sun warming the streets of London from east to west and south to north, June is perhaps the perfect time to explore some of the city’s hidden green spaces. And that’s exactly what it’s possible to do during London’s Open Garden Squares Weekend at the start of the month. This very special weekend sees usually private spaces opening their gates to the public. Those taking part change from year to year, but have previously included City of London rooftops, a historic garden beside Shakespeare’s Globe accessed via London’s narrowest street and even the rarely-seen lawns of the Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street. Situated among the ancient trees of a Royal Park, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre does nights at the theater like nowhere else in the capital. Its alfresco nature ensures every performance is unique, whilst the company’s artistes are top talents who regularly end up touring shows first-opened just a few hundred meters from the lion habitat of ZSL London Zoo. Pomp and pageantry The massed ranks of the British army put on one of their best performances of the year at Trooping the Colour. Marking the official birthday of the reigning monarch, this June event has taken place since 1908, after King Edward VII got tired of celebrating his natural birthday in the November chill. Dressed in their famous red frock coats and bearskin hats, over 1000 soldiers troop the color – their regimental flag – to the tune of around 400 musicians. It all takes place under the watchful eye of the monarch on Horse Guards Parade. But The Mall provides the best vantage point for the public to watch, since it has the added benefit of lining the route taken by various members of the royal family to and from Buckingham Palace by horse-drawn carriages. If sport is more your métier, head to London towards the end of June for the Wimbledon Championships. Probably the world’s most prestigious sporting trophy, tickets for the show courts are fiercely fought over. However, it’s still possible to take in the atmosphere and look out for the greatest players of the generation with a ground pass. The start of festival season Meanwhile, the London Festival of Architecture spans the entire length of June. The world’s biggest festival of its kind aims to reveal the stories behind some of the city’s best-known structures. Syon Park’s classic car show aims to fulfil a similar role for all things petrol-powered, whilst June is also the start of Pride month. Many of London’s nightspots in Soho and the West End put on special events to get the LGBT+ community in the spirit of the rainbow flag. The spectacle of the Royal Ascot five-day horse race meeting should be the only excuse you need to step aboard a Hop-on Hop-off open-topped bus in nearby Windsor. As well as admiring Europe’s longest-occupied castle, you can take in sights including Eton College and Holy Trinity Church. Observe the longest day of the year Summer nights in London develop an atmosphere all of their own, and this is only ever heightened in the case on June 22, the date of the summer solstice. Various one-off events take place on the longest day of the year, from sunrise yoga sessions to solstice parties at the capital’s top bars and clubs. It’s best to check local press closer to the time for details. It’s in June that London’s rooftop bars also come into their own, with many providing drinkers with spectacular panoramas across the skyline by both day and by night. Admire the historic landmarks which line the banks of the Thames with a city cruise river pass. Between them, the likes of the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament and London Bridge boast over a thousand years of heritage no visitor should miss. The Sunday nearest the solstice is usually the date set for Father’s Day. Those keen to celebrate everything their dad has done for them with a restaurant meal should book early. Restaurant tables get filled quickly with families looking to enjoy dedicated menus put in place just for the day. Experience London’s wildlife havens For a totally different way to see the capital, head west to the pools and ponds which form the London Wetland Centre. Created out of unwanted Victorian reservoirs in the year 2000, this magical space is now visited by some 180 different species of bird, as well as otters and innumerable species of insect. June in London is a good time to plan a visit to attractions with outdoor elements such as Chiswick House and Kitchen Garden too. Finished in 1729, the house is a celebrated example of neo-Palladian architecture. The surrounding grounds are one of the earliest examples of the English landscape style to be still in existence. Alternatively, head back to banks of the Thames and challenge yourself to find your way through the maze at Hampton Court Palace. Its yew tree hedging has been foxing residents and guests since it was first planted in the 1690s. Ways to save on attraction admission The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to things to do in London in June. The generally fine weather means few of London’s attractions are off limits, although this can soon have a detrimental effect on your wallet. You can save on London attraction admission with Go City. How does it work? Simply purchase a package and start to save! Go to the visitor attractions you had always wanted to explore without losing the flexibility that’s an important part of any vacation!
Ian Packham
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Top 10+ Things to Do in London for First Time Visitors - Must See & Do Attractions

Looking for some of the top things to do in London? We've rounded up some of the most popular attractions and things to do so you can make the most of your trip and pack your sightseeing list with the best. Our list includes: The Coca-Cola London Eye Madame Tussauds London Wembley Stadium Tour The British Museum The London Dungeon And lots more... Save on Admission to Top Things to Do in London Many of these top things to do in London are included on the London Explorer Pass®. Make your own sightseeing itinerary and choose as you go from lots of top London attractions and things to do and save up to 35% off combined admission vs. paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions, and prices - learn more. Looking for more structured itinerary ideas to follow? Then check out our popular One Day in London or 3 days in London itinerary for first-time visitors. The Coca-Cola London Eye Take a spin on London's most popular attraction, the Coca-Cola London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel), for an unbeatable bird's-eye-view of the city. You'll get 360-degree views of London from the top at 443 feet above ground level atop Europe's tallest observation wheel and each pod features interactive tablets that lend more information and details about the landmarks you'll see during your spin around the wheel. Looking for some more of the best places to take photos in London? Check out our blog on other famous London landmarks to visit during your trip. Insider tip: plan to get there right when it opens (usually at 10:00 am) to avoid large crowds. Getting In: Coca-Cola London Eye tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. Madame Tussauds London Visit the original wax museum that started it all – Madame Tussauds London. This amazing museum combines the art of wax sculpture with British celebrity culture for an experience that's completely unique to London. Visitors can see their favorite celebs and snap photos with famous historical figures, like Her Majesty the Queen of England and other members of the Royal Family, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cara Delevigne, Muhammad Ali, and more. You can even get up close to two of Britain's most popular vloggers, Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes. Getting In: Madame Tussauds London tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. SEA LIFE London Aquarium Situated on London’s trendy South Bank, SEA LIFE Aquarium is London's largest aquarium and home to a large variety of sea life, including sharks, octopi, colorful fish, turtles, penguins, and more. Don't forget to look up when you go through the underwater tunnel, Shark Walk, in the Pacific Ocean tank that takes you underwater with views of sharks swimming around overhead. This is a great place to visit with kids. Want some more ideas? Check out our blog on other things to do in London with kids. Getting In: SEA LIFE London Aquarium tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. DreamWorks Tours: Shrek’s Adventure! Fans of the Shrek movie franchise will have a blast experiencing the themes, characters, and adventures in a new way with this 4D experience. This 75-minute 4D bus ride will take you through 10 live fairytale themed shows with captivating special effects. You'll see all your favorite characters from Shrek including other figures from the Dreamworks Universe, making this a pretty comprehensive encounter with your kids’ favorite characters like Po from Kung Fu Panda, the penguins from Madagascar, and the characters from How to Train Your Dragon. Getting In: DreamWorks Tours: Shrek's Adventure London tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. The London Dungeon The London Dungeon is notorious for its more-than-slightly terrifying interactive experience. Costumed actors recreate gory historical events with 18 different shows that highlight some of the darker moments of London's history. An unbelievable mixture of special effects and illusions make this one of the most popular attractions in London. Getting In: The London Dungeon tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. London Eye River Cruise See London from the River Thames on a relaxing, fully narrated 40-minute sightseeing cruise. You'll cruise along the Thames, which runs right through the middle of London, and get views of iconic sights along London’s skyline like Big Ben, the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament, the Coca-Cola London Eye, and more. Getting In: London Eye River Cruise tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus London Tours One of the best ways to get around and make sure you see all of the top sights is a narrated sightseeing bus tour. You'll have the flexibility to hop-on or off at any of the over 50 included stops. Use it to plan your attraction visiting itinerary, or stay on for the entire loop for a comprehensive tour. Popular stops along the way include: Hyde Park Corner Piccadilly Market Trafalgar Square The Coca-Cola London Eye St. Paul's Cathedral London Bridge Parliament Square Buckingham Palace And more Getting In: Hop-On Hop-Off London Sightseeing Tour tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. Wembley Stadium Tour Nothing draws a crowd in London like a football match. Sports fans will want to visit Wembley Stadium – the most famous stadium in the world and home to the English soccer team for a fully-guided tour. You'll get access to areas of the Stadium not open to the public, like the Player's Tunnel, English changing rooms, press conference room, and more. Your guide will walk you through historic moments that took place on the field you'll even get a chance to see a realistic replica of the FA Cup. Getting In: Wembley Stadium Tour tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. TV & Movie Walking Tours Take a guided stroll around London to see the real life sights from your favorite British TV shows and movies, like Doctor Who, the James Bond movies, and Sherlock Holmes. You'll get to see iconic sights where the shows have been filmed and get to check off some iconic landmarks and famous London neighborhoods, too. Getting In: A number of some of the Best London Walking Tours are available on the London Explorer Pass. Fat Tire Bike Tours of London Go to the places in London the tour buses can't and get in a little exercise on a London bike tour. This guided biking excursion takes you to some of the most popular sights throughout London, including: the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Royal Parks, Kensington Palace, Trafalgar Square, and more while expert guides fill you in on the history of each site. Bike tours are one of the best ways to get to know the city and experience London like a local. Getting In: Fat Tire bike Tours of London are available on the London Explorer Pass. St. Paul’s Cathedral Designed in 1710 by one of the most famous architects of the time, Sir Christopher Wren, St. Paul's Cathedral remains one of the most iconic architectural structures in London with its notable dome and surrounding spires. Serving as the seat of the Anglican Church in England, there's a lot of history behind St. Paul's Cathedral. Take a self-guided tour with one of the multimedia tablets provided or plan your visit around the daily scheduled tours (subject to availability). You'll get to climb up the 528 steps to the top of the dome for sweeping views of London, including the River Thames, Tate Modern, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Getting In: St. Paul's Cathedral tickets are available on the London Explorer Pass. The Sky Garden The Sky Garden is a lush, indoor garden open to the public with three stories of perfectly landscaped greenspaces and floor-to-ceiling 360-degree views of the city. Getting In: Admission is free but you do need to book your free tickets about three days in advance with a time slot to visit. Tickets are available three weeks in advance and can be booked up to an hour before you go, depending on availability. The Royal Parks London has one of the highest values of green space per capita in the world. With 47% of of London classified as green space, it's hard to ignore the thousands of green spaces and parks scattered throughout the city. Make the most of the very green city and plan to spend some time getting to know London's greener half. Locals love to stroll, picnic, relax, play games, and more in these lovely spaces, so you'll certainly fit right in. Pack a picnic and head to Hyde Park, near Kensington Palace or Green Park near Buckingham Palace. Or, explore the beautiful grounds of Notting Hill, one of the more upscale areas of the city. Getting In: Admission to the Royal Parks are free. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Image credit: Old Globe Theater Facebook page. The original Globe Theatre was built by William Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, in the late sixteenth century but was destroyed in a fire in 1613. A reconstruction of the theatre was built on the same site in 1614 but was later closed in 1642 due to a ban on theatrical performance and spectating. The current structure, called "Shakespeare's Globe" was built in 1997 and stands as a testament to the importance of the theatre industry and to one of its most playwrights, William Shakespeare. Getting In: Admission to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is not available on the London Explorer Pass. King’s Cross Railway Station Harry Potter fans will know it as the home of Platform 9-3/4, where you can get a picture of yourself pushing your luggage cart through the brick wall. "Best to do it at a bit of a run." - Mrs. Weasley. Certainly one of the most popular things to do in London for Harry Potter fans. Other than platform 9-3/4, there's lots to see at King's Cross, look up at the intricate ceilings and admire the architecture, or hop on a train and take a trip to nearby destinations like Yorkshire or Scotland. Getting In: There is no ticketed admission to visit the King's Cross Railway Station. British Museum By Ham (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia CommonsDedicated to documenting the history of human culture, the British Museum is one of the largest and most comprehensive museums of its kind with over 8 million works and artifacts on display, perhaps most famously, the Rosetta Stone. Free guided tours are offered daily or you can choose to take an audio tour with a headset full of pre-recorded expert commentaries that coincide with the exhibits. Getting In: Admission to the British Museum is free. Abbey Road By Sander Lamme (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia CommonsSnap an iconic tourist photo of you and your crew crossing the famous crosswalk (in London referred to as a "zebra crossing") on Abbey Road. Most recognizable from the album cover of Abbey Road, by The Beatles, it's also home to Abbey Road Studios, formerly EMI, a recording studio. Submit your photo to abbeyroadcrossing.com and you could be featured on their site! Just be careful when crossing, it's actually a pretty busy road! Getting In: There is no ticketed admission to visit this location. Remember to Save on Admission There you have it. Our list of some of the most popular and top things to do in London for your upcoming trip. Whether you're in London for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, the London Explorer Pass is a great way to see the city and save up to 35% on top things to do in London. Plan to visit some of these top attractions during your trip. Whether you are traveling with young kids, teens, or just adults, we're sure you and your family will have a great time.
Casey Makovich

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