Christmas in London is a real-life winter wonderland. I’ve never seen a city go as big for the festive holidays as London- yes, it even beats Christmas in New York City! London stores, residents and restaurants go over-the-top in holiday decor. It is truly a sight to see this historic city during the holiday season. If you’re looking for an incredible winter trip with plenty of Instagram photo ops, Christmas markets, cultural activities and landmarks, the best shopping and festive restaurants and bars, add London to your Christmas bucket list!
Looking to spend the holidays in the NYC? Check out my Instagram Guide to Christmas in New York City
HOW MUCH TIME TO SPEND IN LONDON?
London is one of the largest cities in Europe and a cultural capital of the world, so there is a ton to do here! London is great for a stop for a few days along your Euro trip, but there is plenty to do here if you plan to spend a week here! I’ve been to London many times for a long weekend trip, so 3-4 days is definitely doable to see the most of the city.
During my Christmas trip, we spent 5 nights and 6 days in the city which was more than enough time to see all of the beautiful holiday decor and the main sightseeing. London puts up their holiday decorations in November, so a good time to visit is between mid-November and December!
THE GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS IN LONDON
There is so much to see during this time of year in London, so I’ve carefully curated this travel guide of all of the top spots for holiday decor, iconic landmarks, beautiful shopping areas, Christmas markets and the most insta-worthy bars and restaurants this time of year. Check out all of my recommendations below!
DECORATED BUILDINGS
London locals and businesses alike love to decorate their doorsteps with festive, over-the-top decor! I love walking around London during the holidays and admiring the creativity of these creations. I’ve gathered some of my favorites here to help you on your walking tour.
THE BOLTONS
The Boltons is a residential street in Chelsea with beautiful traditional homes. One home in particular always does Christmas big! You can find my favorite decorated home at 23 The Boltons. Remember: this is a residential street, so be respectful!
ANNABEL’S
The first photo that inspired me to travel to London during the holidays was the massive festive decoration display at Annabel’s in London. Annabel’s is a private, members-only club that truly outdoes themselves every year for the most outrageous decorations. Each year their display is different, so it’s always something new to discover. This gingerbread house facade was in 2021 and my personal favorite of theirs so far!
NEIL STRAIN FLORAL COUTURE
Neil Strain Floral Couture is another London establishment that changes up their holiday decor every year. Its a luxury flower shop located in the chic Belgravia neighborhood nearby Harrod’s and it’s definitely worth a stop for a photo-op!
USHVANI
Ushvani is a day spa, wellness center and yoga studio located near Sloan Square. It changes up the decor every year, but its always a beautiful Christmas display to wander past as you’re shopping in the area!
SHOPPING AREAS
London is one of the major fashion capitals of the world, so the shopping here is AMAZING. I always come back with some new outfits! The shopping areas in London also get in the holiday spirit, so you can shop and feel like you’re in a winter wonderland.
OLD BOND ST
Old Bond Street is a luxury shopping area with some of the most fabulous Christmas decorations. I LOVE the iconic red telephone booth located next to the decorated Cartier and Ralph Lauren stores on this street.
REGENT ST
Regent Street is another popular shopping area with all types of stores. The Christmas light displays on Regent street are truly one of the most beautiful I’ve seen! They’re on from early November until the New Year from 3pm to 11pm each day.
FORTNUM & MASON
Fortnum & Mason is a department store located nearby Old Bond St. They have an amazing food market and a great selection of gifts! The exterior of the store is decorated with a festive advent calendar during the holiday season.
DUKE OF YORK SQUARE
Duke of York Square is a high-street shopping area nearby Sloane Square. It has a beautiful walkway installation for some holiday photos and tons a good stores (the Zara here is amazing!)
HARROD’S
Harrod’s is a London icon, especially during Christmas. This massive department store is a must-visit during your London trip even if it’s just for some luxury window shopping or a visit to the epic food market.
THE LANDMARKS
A trip to London is not complete without a visit to the city’s iconic landmarks. These spots are equally as stunning any time of year, so be sure to pay a visit during your Christmas trip!
TOWER BRIDGE
Tower Bridge is London’s insta-famous bridge (commonly confused with London Bridge). I loved visiting the historic Tower of London tour, then taking a walk across Tower Bridge for some cute photos and beautiful views of the city over the river.
The view from afar at The Queen’s Walk nearby London City Hall is also one of my favorites and there is a cute Christmas market there during the holidays you can find in my Christmas market guide later in this post.
THE LONDON EYE
The London Eye is a massive observation wheel with 360 degree views of London. I recommend a ride for the experience and the views, though it is a bit pricey at around $44 per person. If you’re looking for a cool instagram photo op with the London Eye, try out Victoria Embankment directly across from it.
THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS
If you’re searching for European Christmas markets, this city has a selection to choose from massive events to small markets in popular shopping areas. Christmas markets typically have a great selection of festive food and drinks, local gifts and lots of holiday decor!
COVENT GARDEN
The Covent Garden Christmas Market is my favorite in the city. For the month of December, Christmas market lights are live every day from 11 am – midnight and snow flurries occur every hour from midday until 9 pm. I loved visiting both during the day and at night to see the giant Christmas tree lit in all of its glory.
If you’re looking for Christmas Gifts, check out the cute Apple Market for local vendors or many of the name brand stores in the Covent Garden shopping area.
The market has stalls selling festive foods and igloos you can dine in! This year, there is also a vintage sleigh photo op and pop-up installations, so check out the website.
HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is the biggest and best Christmas market festival in London. It takes place from mid-November to the beginning of January every day from 10 am – 10 pm. There are tons of food and drink vendors, shows, ice castles and ice skating, fun festive rides, games, gifts, and Christmas lights! We had so much fun spending the evening here, trying out new foods, ice skating, riding rides and hanging out in the bar tents. Tickets are around $9 during peak hours and free otherwise!
LEADENHALL MARKET
If you’re familiar with the Harry Potter series, you will certainly recognize Leadenhall Market which was in a few scenes of the film. While not technically a Christmas market with market stalls, there are a variety of restaurants, bars and shops here to explore and the market gets all decorated for the holidays with a giant Christmas tree.
SOUTHBANK CENTER WINTER MARKET
The Southbank Center Winter Market is located nearby London Bridge and has a variety of drinks, street food and local gifts. This is a great stop if you’re checking out London or Tower Bridges.
Nearby is Hay’s Galleria which also has a selection of shops and restaurants, a beautiful giant Christmas tree and a Christmas bar pop-up.
CHRISTMAS BARS, RESTAURANTS & CAFES
London is a foodie city. There are a ton of amazing food and drink options to explore and some of London’s best go over-the-top in instagrammable decor, especially for the holidays! I love a festive vibe during the Christmas season, so I’ve gathered a list of the best Christmas bars, restaurants and cafes for your visit.
THE IVY CHELSEA GARDEN
The Ivy has several locations across London, each of which are decorated differently, but my favorite decor is always at The Ivy Chelsea Garden. The Christmas decorations change up every year, so there is always a new display to snap a pic with (this one was in 2021). The food is modern British comfort classics, so make a reservation in advance to dine here as well!
DAPHNE’S
Daphne’s was my favorite restaurant our entire trip- I’m an Italian food-lover and absolutely adore the ornaments covering the ceiling of the greenhouse and bar area (this decor in the photo below was from 2021). The food is outstanding and the ambiance was even better! This is a special spot during Christmas, so make sure to reserve here in advance.
THE CHURCHILL ARMS
The Churchill Arms is a local pub and Thai restaurant nearby Notting Hill Gate. It is adorned with lit Christmas trees during the holiday season and gorgeous floral blooms in the spring/summer! This is a cool spot to grab drinks and eat some yummy Thai comfort food after you’ve had a few!
PEGGY PORSCHEN BELGRAVIA
Pink and Peggy Porschen go hand-in-hand. London’s most insta-famous pink café and bakery gets all dressed up for the holidays! They have locations in Belgravia and Chelsea, but their Belgravia location has my favorite decor. The decorations below are from 2021 and they change them up every year.
You should reserve in advance for a table if you want to dine-in for high tea or sweets, though they do offer take away and walk-in seating when available. We loved sitting outside with the cozy blankets they provided!
ALTO BY SAN CARLO
Another festive Italian favorite is rooftop restaurant, Alto by San Carlo which gets cozied up for the Christmas season. This restaurant is located on top of popular department store, Selfridge’s, and it has delicious Italian food and insta-worthy vibes. Be sure to reserve in advance for a table or you can opt for walk-in seating at the bar area. The decor below is from 2021 and changes every year.
KOYN
Koyn is a Japanese restaurant in Mayfair that serves delicious sushi and Japanese Izakaya dishes. During the holidays, the exterior is dressed up with cute decor and a vintage branded car!
COPPA CLUB
Dining in an igloo was a major bucket-list check for me! The igloos with the best views of the city are at Coppa Club where you can see Tower Bridge and The Shard. Igloos have a minimum spend and need to be reserved in advance, but it’s absolutely worth the experience.
FAIT MAISON
London has a ton of cute insta-worthy cafés and Fait Maison is one of my favorites simply because I love the food. It has a mix of Middle-Eastern and café classics, plus the decor is sublime!
RALPH’S COFFEE
American import, Ralph’s Coffee, has a location in London at Old Bond St inside the Ralph Lauren flagship store. The coffee is pricey, but the Christmas vibes are immaculate.
FIFTY CHEYNE
No. Fifty Cheyne is an elegant restaurant in the Chelsea neighborhood serving modern British classics. This restaurant is a real treat and it goes all-out for holiday decor. Reservations here are necessary.
34 MAYFAIR
I am adding this restaurant to the list, though I have a disclaimer that I was sadly disappointed by dining here. The food and service are excellent at 34 Mayfair, but I was anticipating a restaurant draped in thousands of colorful ornaments hanging from the ceiling and there were zero. I did enjoy the food, but if you are expecting over-the-top Christmas decor, the inside is rather plain now.
SHANGRI-LA AT THE SHARD
The high tea at Shangri-La at the Shard has the best views of London from above. We loved getting to experience a festive take on the traditional British high tea service and admire the views of Tower bridge from above. Make sure to reserve in advance as this is necessary for entry!
I hope this travel guide inspired your future London holiday trip! Please feel free to comment any questions below or send me a DM @sammcclendon.
