London in December

[Eltonsglasses]

What's worth visiting?

We are going to book the winter wonderland but apart from that I'm a bit lost!

What age group are you all and what sort of things do you like doing ? Winter Wonderland can be hell on earth if I'm honest. In recent years it's more of a place for big groups to go drinking rather than for families. It's really just and so expensive!

I would look at:
Ice skating by Natural History museum (if it's still there)
Harrods toy shop (less manic than Hamleys!)
Walk down Regents Street to see the lights
Walk along the South Bank
Covent Garden (we used to book to see Santa here when DC were little)
London Eye
Book to see a show
Eat somewhere like TGIs/ Rainforest Cafe/ Planet Hollywood (if you have DC)
Riverboat cruise

Bear in mind it will probably be cold and busy, so I would book somewhere inside to visit and book somewhere to eat so you're not just wandering around.

Great list above! Ice skating at Somerset House is magical and well organised. They had a lovely Xmas shop too last time I went very pretty. Short walk to Covent Garden for all the stalls and outdoor bars and lights.

Ah sorry, just 2 adults - we are regulars to London so just looking for Christmasy things to do - not looking to see any shows this time round. Good advice re winter wonderland - we don't drink but thought it might be nice for a mooch around, may give it a miss now!

Winter Wonderland is good if you go in first thing in the morning on a bright cold day. By about lunchtime it starts to fill up with families and then the office parties/stag and hen groups arrive and the whole thing turns into a cesspit of bawling drunks and screaming children. And mud.

Ah well then! Stroll along south bank for the outdoor bars and stalls? Cov garden is beautiful at the moment?

I love winter wonderland and it’s nice without children. You can toast marshmallows and watch an oompa band so give it a go. I have been ice skating but I just like wandering and the lights and smells. The fact you have to book will mean it’s quieter. I’d go fir a coffee in the royal opera house bar overlooking Covent Garden.

This year you have to book Winter Wonderland and pay entry at popular times so hopefully it will be less busy. There is also the Southbank and Covent Garden which can be nice for a wander. What about getting the Thames Clipper once it is dark and seeing places lit up?

We went in December a few years back when dc was about 10 & we did lots of the things already mentioned:
We visited natural history museum
Ice skating outside the museum
A history walking tour of the tower of London (these tours are really fab, we've done them in several cities now)
Exploring Covent garden & the Moomin shop there. Dinner admiring the lights
Walked from covent garden down regent st admiring the lights & visited hamleys
Visit to Harrods toy store (+beauty & jewellery & food halls!)
Tate modern
We had a great few days!

Around this time of year I always enjoyed a mooch about Fortnum and Mason as they often dress the shop beutifully for Xmas and have lots of interesting food (and other) things in stock. Then a look about Liberty's Xmas shop because they normally have a great stock of Xmas decs and some really stunning baubles.

When I lived in London these two were annual staples.

And if you go to Liberty, you may as well walk down Carnaby Street to see the lights there.

Covent Garden is also a good suggestion.

If you like art, the Tate Modern and National Gallery are great places to spend time out of the cold.

Winter wonderland is bloody awful! I'd give that a miss to start with.

Yes to a mooch in fortnum and mason. Regents street for lights.
Ice skating at Somerset house if you like that.

If you go to Winter Wonderland, take a walk down Mount Street (on the way to Fortnums?) once it's dark, it's such a pretty road and the lights and decorations are lovely.

Carnaby street lights
Fortnum & Mason - afternoon tea is lovely
Ice skating at the Tower of London
South bank

WW is absolutely shite.

The tree in trafalgar square - they often have Carol singers round it. Ice skating in Greenwich, they used to do it in Somerset House too (other end of the strand) but don't know if they still do. The lights in Covent Garden, I think there are mulled wine stalls there. Walk along southbank, mulled wine again. There are some events happening on South Bank too, but didn't take much notice of the poster. Borough Market to buy your Christmas cheese. St Martins in the Square Christmas shows. RoH.

That should say St Martins in the fields sorry. All of this would be way better than WW which is quite shit.

Harrods food hall definitely!
I think Hampton Court is having some kind of light trail and Christmas event.
There’s a cinema in Wandsworth that goes all Christmas themed - it’s called the Backyard Cinema and it’s very nice and cosy.

Agree covent garden and south bank. This year we are taking DC 14 & 12 on a Thames trip. WW is shocking avoid.

Seven Dials, Covent Garden, Regents St, Carnaby St and Oxford St can all be walked in one go and are fantastic lights. You can do dinner or drinks in the middle to break it up.