Today I wish to share my information to spending Christmas day in London with you. While the Christmas season is a busy time in the UK capital, December twenty fifth is a very totally different story. If you’re planning to be in London on Christmas day, you’ll have to know a number of necessary issues. Read on for my information. I’ve included a map, too.
Christmas Day in London
From weblog readers to social media followers and journey planning shoppers, lots of people ask me what it’s wish to spend Christmas day in London. It’s a part of many Christmas itineraries, and it may be a preferred time to go to.
Today I wish to reply that query and offer you some suggestions and recommendation from my private expertise of spending many December 25ths in the town.
Whether you’re a customer, an expat, or somebody who’s new to London this yr, spending Christmas day in the UK capital is exclusive and unforgettable.
It’s the one time of yr you’ll expertise sure phenomena, and it’s one thing you’ll at all times keep in mind.
Whether you’re planning to spend Christmas day in London this yr or in the longer term, my information will allow you to put together for the one-of-a-kind points of the day so you may profit from your time right here.
Is Anything Open on Christmas Day?
The first query folks ask me is whether or not something in London is open on Christmas day. The normal reply isn’t any. While the run-up to December twenty fifth sees the town buzz with festive pleasure, the day itself is the other.
The identical could be true of Christmas Eve on December twenty fourth and Boxing Day on December twenty sixth. And don’t overlook New Year’s Day on January 1st, when lots of issues are closed once more.
But again to December twenty fifth. Shops are closed on Christmas day in London. Christmas markets are closed. Restaurants, bars, and pubs are closed. Museums and sights shut their doorways, excursions stop to run, and the town is also known as a ghost city.
There are notable exceptions, notably amongst church buildings (clearly), accommodations, and a choose variety of eating places and pubs (extra on that beneath).
If you’re planning to be in London on Christmas day, ensure that to perform a little research properly forward of time to see what’s open if you’re right here.
Does Public Transport Run on Christmas Day?
Another query I usually get requested is whether or not public transport runs on Christmas day in London. Again, the reply isn’t any. If you’ve ever wished to have a genuinely quiet day in London, that is the time.
There are not any trains. No tube. No Overground. No DLR. No trams. No buses. Nothing. There are hardly any vehicles driving round, as most locals have left the town (or pushed elsewhere in the town the night time earlier than) to spend Christmas with household or mates.
If you don’t have a automotive, you’ll have to plan fastidiously. I like to recommend staying in a resort in central London so you may stroll to any locations you wish to spend time in. You can see choices and e book one right here. I’ve written extra about this beneath, too.
Do Taxis Operate on Christmas Day?
You can e book a taxi, black cab, automotive service, or Uber, however remember that costs are very excessive on Christmas day. If you may keep away from it, I like to recommend doing so. If you may’t, I like to recommend reserving properly in advance and getting a value quote up entrance.
How Else Can I Get Around?
If you don’t wish to take a taxi or stroll, you may lease one of many many bicycles or scooters docked across the metropolis. With so few vehicles on the street, it may be an satisfying time to trip round.
Where Should I Stay?
As I discussed beforehand, I like to recommend staying in a resort in central London so you may stroll to any locations you wish to spend time in. You can see choices and e book one right here.
You may check out my weblog posts about the very best space to remain in London, the very best accommodations on your fashion, and quirky accommodations for extra concepts.
I’ve even printed a weblog submit about the very best pubs with rooms in London. It’s an excellent one to take a look at if you need one thing distinctive and totally different for the festive season.
If you’re after one thing notably Christmassy, there are many accommodations that get all dressed up for the season. Each yr The Dorchester decks its halls with lovely decorations and provides Christmas meals and afternoon tea.
There’s at all times a designer Christmas tree at Claridge’s, and the foyer of The Langham is decked with decorations. In the City of London, The Ned has gorgeous bushes and festive adornments all through its eating places (that are open on Christmas day).
Over by Liverpool Street station, The Andaz at all times has nice decorations. The Andaz is likely one of the high London accommodations at Christmas on numerous ranges, together with its festive meals choices.
If you don’t wish to break the financial institution, The Rubens on the Palace in Victoria has nice decorations. It’s proper by Buckingham Palace and it’s cheaper than a few of the different festive London accommodations at Christmas. If that appeals, you may e book a room right here.
Is it Cold on Christmas Day?
It could be very chilly outdoors in London in late December. The climate is unpredictable, and temperatures can plummet round this time. It may even snow. It can positively rain.
I counsel carrying layers of heat clothes and carrying an excellent umbrella with you if you go. You can get the umbrella I like to recommend on Amazon right here.
My winter packing listing for London may also help you determine what to put on, too. It has plenty of concepts for methods to costume in London in December.
What Can I Actually Do on Christmas Day?
In mild of the whole lot I discussed above, the following query folks ask is what there’s to do on Christmas day in London. While there’s loads to entertain you in the course of the Christmas season, there’s not a lot occurring on December twenty fifth.
Apart from strolling by empty streets and seeing the town at its quietest, is there something happening? The reply is sure. Thankfully.
You can nonetheless discover excursions and different issues to do in London on Christmas day. Select excursions and river cruises run on December twenty fifth, together with guided sightseeing walks and boat rides with lunch. You can see choices and e book one right here.
You may even take a day tour from London on December twenty fifth. Whether you wish to see Windsor or Oxford (or each!), there’s one you’ll love. You can see choices and e book your favourite right here.
You may reap the benefits of all of the issues London has to supply that don’t contain going indoors. Strolling by the Royal Parks is considered one of them.
If you go to Hyde Park, you may watch members of the Serpentine Swimming Club participate in the annual Peter Pan Cup race on the morning of December twenty fifth.
You may uncover a new-to-you neighborhood on considered one of my free self-guided strolling excursions. A well-liked selection is my Covent Garden stroll, the place you may see a few of London’s most well-known Christmas bushes and decorations with out all of the crowds. My different Christmas walks are enjoyable, too.
There are loads extra to select from, and there are further routes in the e book London’s Hidden Walks as properly. You can get it on Amazon right here. It has plenty of enjoyable concepts for locations to discover on foot.
If you’re into ice skating, the JW3 Ice Rink on Finchley Road in North London is open on Christmas day (and Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day). It’s a enjoyable place to get outside and have some winter enjoyable on December twenty fifth.
If you’re in a non secular service, locations like Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral provide Christmas day church providers.
You can try their web sites for details about the timing. It’s a good suggestion to reach early, as Christmas church providers could be very crowded. Some require you to order a spot in advance, too.
Where Can I Eat?
Another query folks ask me is whether or not any eating places are open in London on Christmas day. While most are closed, a number of maintain their doorways open and their kitchens heat.
This is most typical with resort eating places that supply conventional Christmas lunch and dinner for company and out of doors patrons. Many of the town’s well-known luxurious accommodations provide a giant feast on December twenty fifth, as do a few of the others in the town middle.
A number of examples of resort eating places which can be open on Christmas day are a number of eating places at Claridge’s in Mayfair, The Aubrey and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal on the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, Canton Blue at The Peninsula London on Hyde Park Corner, The Dining Room at The Goring in Belgravia, The Ritz Restaurant at The Ritz on Piccadilly, a number of eating places at The Dorchester on Park Lane, and The Game Bird at The Stafford in St James’s.
A number of examples of non-hotel eating places which can be open on Christmas day in London are Duck & Waffle on Bishopsgate, Kahani close to Sloane Square (it’s nice should you like upscale Indian meals), Orrery in Marylebone, Bluebird in Chelsea, and Tayyabs in Whitechapel (it’s considered one of my favourite eating places in London for no-frills Indian meals).
Aside from these, numerous choose locations to eat keep open on Christmas day. Some eating places in Chinatown are open on December twenty fifth, and some resort bars additionally keep open. They’re nice locations for Christmas drinks and festive cocktails.
A handful of pubs maintain their doorways open, too. They’re often chain pubs, they usually’re often open for lunch solely. One is The Founder’s Arms, a riverside pub on the South Bank. A non-chain possibility is The Guinea, an upscale pub in Mayfair.
If you’re in any of those (or others), you’ll wish to e book properly in advance. Some locations e book up months earlier than December twenty fifth.
London Christmas Map
As promised, I created an interactive Google map of all of the locations I discussed in this weblog submit. You can see it right here. I hope it helps you intend a enjoyable and festive day!
Christmas Day in London
I hope you’ve discovered my information useful and that you simply’re feeling extra ready to spend Christmas Day in London. Whether you do it this yr or in the longer term, it’s sure to be a memorable expertise.
Above all, plan forward. Be versatile. Have enjoyable. It’s Christmas, in any case!
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