This year will be our first Christmas in London as ex-pats and we’re so excited to enjoy all the holiday activities! There are plenty of amazing events and activities, but nonstop shows and food can get pricey. (Here are some … Read More
I tend to get cold really easily so I wanted to make sure I stayed plenty comfortable while visiting European Christmas markets in December. We were planning on a route that included Basel, Switzerland; Colmar & Strasbourg, France; and Baden-Baden, … Read More
I love this time of year. Our family celebrates Christmas, and before that Diwali, and I love the festivity and joy that is present during this season. One of the biggest things I hope to teach my kids is to … Read More
Each year, I love sharing what we’re actually giving our kids for Christmas. It’s always my most popular gift guide, which I understand because I love seeing what real people are actually gifting, not just sharing in theory. Here’s what … Read More
Winter packing always has me considering how I can repurpose and bring down weight. Winter clothing just tends to be more bulky, so I want to minimize however possible, including with winter trip shoes! Here are my favorite 3 shoes … Read More
Here are some of our favorite Black Friday deals that are perfect for travelers – either yourself or for gifting to a loved one who loves to travel. These are all products and services we personally use and love and … Read More
Instead of doing a ton of Christmas present shopping, I tend to use Black Friday mostly as an opportunity to stock up on my favorite consumable items (like skincare). I love getting items I use every day for a much … Read More
Here are all my favorite Black Friday deals available this year. They’re things we personally use frequently and really love, and have paid for with our own money. A lot of them are items where I stock up this time … Read More
A few years ago, I started giving my kids an “Christmas Advent Box” on December 1st. It has a few items in it that we were excited to enjoy together through the season, and helped us focus on time and … Read More
We obviously love to travel. And we know a lot of others who love to travel. And we love gifting them things they’ll actually use and love. But so many gifts for travelers mostly include things like $400 pieces of … Read More
We love this REI sale each year – it’s one of the biggest and best for items we actually need and use very regularly. I love purchasing things we need anyway at a lower price! Here are some of my … Read More
We loved our recent 1 week fall trip to Europe and exploring the Balkan Peninsula. The whole trip was 10 days including travel, and we packed with only backpacks so wanted to keep things very minimal. Everything I took easily … Read More
This year will be our first Christmas in London as ex-pats and we’re so excited to enjoy all the holiday activities! There are plenty of amazing events and activities, but nonstop shows and food can get pricey. (Here are some of the London Christmas activities we have planned.) The good news is that there are tons of FREE things to do in London at Christmas.
Here are some of the free London Christmas activities I’d recommend adding to any Christmas in London itinerary!
Winter in London can get chilly with temperatures between the 20s-40s Fahrenheit (0s-low teens Celcius) both day and night . Be sure to dress in layers and be prepared for rain.
These are my very favorite WINTER TRAVEL SHOES, that are also my everyday shoes for many months of the year living here in London. They’re sturdy, pretty waterproof, great for cities or moderate trails, can dress up or down, and are super comfy for miles and miles of walking. They’re the only shoes I took on a recent winter trip!
I also love THIS PARKA – it’s super warm and waterproof, so it’s great for the chill and wet weather. I love that it has zipper pockets, too – great for putting my phone in when walking around a city or while traveling – and that it goes down to my knees to keep me warmer. I also have and love this long lightweight insulated coat – it’s water-resistant (not waterproof), long (extra warmth), and warm (though not as warm as the other one). The best part is that it packs down SUPER small – perfect for travel.
Here are some of our favorite FREE London Christmas activities!
London has no shortage of Christmas markets and they are among the top London Christmas events. Here are some of the markets to put on your Christmas in London itinerary:
Like so many others, one of our favorite things to do during the holidays is look at Christmas lights. These are for sure some of the best things to do in London in winter. Here are some of the places we’ll be visiting for free light shows in London:
SO many stores in London set up festive displays inside and out during November and December. There are also lots of hotels that put up gorgeous displays, as well. Walking to see them is such a beautiful winter activity in London! Here are some great spots for London Christmas window displays:
Many hotels and shops have Christmas tree displays open to the public. Here are some favorite local spots for viewing festive tree displays.
The city of London goes all out with Christmas decorations and it’s so fun to see them spanning the streets. While not totally free, one really fun way to see the light displays is to hop aboard a double decker bus. If you’re wondering which London bus to ride to see Christmas lights, hopping on the 139 near Selfridge’s is a great bet! Here’s more info on seeing London Christmas lights by bus.
Here are some of the best London Christmas streets:
London has a mind-boggling number of Christmas concerts and carols and sing alongs. Here are some amazing ones that are also very friendly on the wallet because they’re totally free! These also make really great winter date ideas in London.
London has tons of free museums, and many of them get glammed up during the final months of the year. It’s been one of our favorite free things to do in london at Christmas! Here are a few great London museums to visit at Christmas for their London museum Christmas displays:
If you’re looking for free things to do in London in December, this free art trail has 12 sculptures of The Snowman decorated by different artists to represent the 12 Days of Christmas. It’s a fun family activity in London during Christmas time!
Add this Christmas Day race for the Peter Pan Cup to your list of things to do in London in the winter.
There are all sorts of Christmas services in London throughout the month of December and over Christmas weekend. Here are some great ones:
I hope these Christmas ideas in London are helpful – hope you enjoy and please let me know what festive things to do in London you choose!
