The Ultimate London Christmas Guide For 2025 (With Map!)

The lead up to Christmas is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit London, with the city bursting with festive spirit. As we get ready to celebrate yet another magical season, I’ve written this London Christmas Guide to help with your upcoming visit.

Between Christmas decorations, Christmas markets, festive events, and themed tours and activities, there’s certainly no shortage of things to do and see!

*Last updated in January 2025.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links for products or services that I personally endorse and love. Should you make a purchase, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Jess Eats The World!

Is Christmas the best time to visit London?

Christmas in London is BIG! London is one of the best cities in the world to experience the lead up to Christmas, when the festive spirit is amped up to the max and with an infinite number of things to do and see.

In my opinion, the lead up to Christmas is one of the best times of the year to visit London, as it’s one of the seasons when the city truly comes alive. London weather around Christmas is cold, but not extreme – and if you’re very lucky you might catch some snow!

Now, because of its popularity during the holiday season, London does get very busy around Christmas.

If you’d like to avoid the crowds, my advice is to visit early in the season, around mid- to late November, when many streets switch on the Christmas lights and the festive decorations are already up. Alternatively, the period after Christmas keeps all the decorations and most of the festive activities until early January, with fewer crowds.

---

London Christmas Guide: Christmas Things to Do in London in 2025

1. See the London Christmas Lights

London’s world-famous Christmas lights are one of the main things to see when visiting the city during the holiday season. Fortunately, London’s holiday season is pretty long and the city starts decorating early – Oxford Street is usually the first street to switch on its lights at the start of November, and the lights and festive decorations stay up mostly until the end of the first week of January.

London Christmas Lights switch-on dates for 2025:

There are a few ways to experience the Christmas lights in London, and what you pick may depend on your travel style, accessibility requirements, and whether this is your first visit to the city.

London Christmas Lights Walking Route (With Map!)

If you don’t have accessibility or mobility issues that prevent you from doing so, I would always recommend that first-timers do a London Christmas Light Walk.

Not only do you get plenty of time to admire and snap photos of the prettiest Christmas lights in London, but you also get to experience the heart of London’s Christmas spirit and some of its iconic streets.

I created the below map with a London Christmas Lights Walking Route that you can follow as a self-guide (zoom in to see it).

It starts in Oxford Street and ends in Covent Garden, passing by the most beautiful and Christmassy streets in London, like New Bond Street, Old Bond Street, and Regent Street. The map also includes all the best Christmas photo op spots and London Christmas Markets and Ice Rinks!

The walking route on the map takes 1-2 hours to complete, including plenty of time for breaks and photos!

London Christmas Lights Tours

If you’d rather opt for a guided tour of London along with sights of the city’s iconic Christmas lights, or if you or anyone you’re travelling with have mobility issues, there are many tour options (from London open top bus tours to black cab tours, guided walking tours, and more!):

2. Visit London’s Christmas Markets and Ice Rinks

No Christmas trip in Europe is ever complete without exploring the Christmas Markets to sip some mulled wine, warm cider, or hot chocolate, and perusing through the many food stalls to warm up in the crisp, cold nights. Plus, if you’re fond of ice skating, you can’t miss the city’s coolest ice rinks!

London has several Christmas Markets that your can visit, and they’re all marked in the London Christmas Guide Map shared in this article (click to jump!)

London Christmas Market dates for 2025:

• Southbank Centre Winter Market – Early November, TBC
• Christmas in Leicester Square – Early November, TBC
• Christmas in Trafalgar Square – Early November, TBC
• Covent Garden Christmas Market – Mid-November, TBC
• Winter by the River and Hay’s Galleria – Mid-November, TBC
• Greenwich Peninsula Christmas Market – Mid-November, TBC
• Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park – Late November, TBC
• Novikov Christmas Market – Late November, TBC
• Christmas at Spitalfields – Late November, TBC
• Fulham Palace Christmas Fair – Late November, TBC
• Kings Cross (Coal Drops Yard) Christmas Market – Early December, TBC
• Christmas at Borough Market – Early December, TBC
• Old Spitalfields Christmas Market – Mid-December, TBC

London Ice Rink dates for 2025:

3. Chase London’s Christmas Decorations

London decorates for Christmas early, from the beginning of November – however, new façade and street decorations continue to pop up throughout the season leading up to Christmas. Walking around the city during this time is never boring!

Many shops, buildings, and cafes/pubs put up new Christmas decorations each year, and provide the perfect photo op for your travel memories! Some of the most popular spots include the façade of Annabel’s private member’s club, the adorable red car at KOYN restaurant, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, the shops at New Bond Street, and The Churchill Arms – the most Christmassy pub in London!

I’ve marked all the best locations for Christmas decorations and photo spots in the London Christmas Guide Map shared in this article (click to jump!). The map includes not only the most popular spots, but also some lesser-known Instagrammable streets and corners!

4. Enjoy a Christmas Afternoon Tea

From the list of quintessentially British experiences, enjoying an Afternoon Tea is certainly one of them. Apart from being a must-do activity on any trip to London, Christmas-themed Afternoon Teas flourish across the city in November and December, making them extra-special during this time of the year!

There are Afternoon Tea options for all tastes and budgets. Smaller independent cafes offer Christmas-themed Afternoon Tea menus for more affordable prices, while some classic London hotels offer sets with extravagant decorations and flair.

Remember that experiences in London get booked up pretty quickly! Be sure to make a reservation well in advance of your visit to avoid disappointment.

The most iconic festive afternoon teas in London:

5. Enjoy a Meal or Drinks at London’s Christmas Restaurants and Winter Igloos

I’ll say it again, London turns into a festive wonderland during Christmas, and you can feel it everywhere – from the shops to the restaurants!

The most important thing to know about London restaurants is that they tend to get booked up. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance of your visit to guarantee your experience.

London’s Most Christmassy Restaurants, Bars, and Pubs:

London’s Best Winter Igloos:

6. More Magical Christmas Activities and Experiences in London

If the above list isn’t enough to satisfy your Christmas spirit, here’s a few festive experiences and activities you can do in London this winter:

Where to Stay: Hotels in London Near Christmas Markets

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating how large London is. Staying in the “wrong” part of London can mean long commutes to the areas you’re looking to visit.

To save you the hassle, I’ve compiled some hotel recommendations close to the various Christmas Markets:

London at Christmas FAQ

How many days to spend in London for Christmas? London is a big city and, even if you’ve visited before, the Christmas season brings a whole new light to the city. I would recommend spending one week in London to cover all the main sights and partake in some festive experiences, reserving 1-2 days for day trips out of the city (the Christmas Markets in Oxford, Birmingham, and Bath are good options). Remember that during winter it gets dark early (before 4PM).

What’s the most beautiful and Christmassy street in London for Christmas? Regent Street is considered the most beautiful and Christmassy street in London. However, using the Christmas Lights Walk map in this London Christmas Guide, you’ll discover other streets and decorations that are also really beautiful!

Are London’s Christmas lights on all night? No, typically the street Christmas lights are turned off at around 11PM.

Will it snow in London at Christmas? Ah, the magical question! In the last few years, it has not been typical for London to see snowfall around Christmas, though it can always happen (as it did just a couple years ago!). Usually, snowfall in the UK comes with delayed trains and cancelled flights, so some Londoners are not fans of it. For those like me, who grew up in warm countries, we always secretly wish for a white Christmas – maybe we’ll get lucky 🙂

Last Thoughts

I hope this Christmas Guide helps you plan your next trip to London during the Christmas season, and making the most of it. I’m sure you’re going to love soaking up the festive spirit!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have questions regarding any part of this post, and I’ll do my best to help.

Planning to visit London during Christmas season? Pin this post to save it for later!