Enjoy the 2013 Holiday Season in London!

Twinkling lights, frosty air and mulled wine: London is at its most magical during Holiday Season! From November until January, the city is turned into one big winter wonderland. There’s ice-skating at the Tower of London, holiday markets all over town, a huge Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square, and, of course, Christmas shopping on Boxing Day! In this article we’ll list some of our favorite activities in London during the holiday season, so you’ll be able to make the most of your visit to London in the autumn and winter of 2013.

Holiday Markets and Fairs in London

Some of the best things about holiday season in London are the many amazing Christmas markets in the city. Besides Christmas gifts, these markets also offer culinary delights such as mulled wine and farmhouse food.

• If you only have the chance to visit one Christmas market, go to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. This fair not only includes a huge Christmas market full of stalls offering handmade gifts and hot cider, but also has a Christmas circus, an ice sculpture garden, and the biggest outdoor ice-skating rink in the UK. While these last activities are ticketed, you can enter the Winter Wonderland site and Christmas Market for free. Walking around the snowy park, you’ll truly be filled with Christmas spirit!

• The Handmade Christmas Fair offers, like its name suggests, hundreds of arts and crafts stalls. The fair will take place on December 13th, 14th and 15th in the famous O2 arena. For £5 you’ll be able to buy great original Christmas presents, and enjoy the best of London’s seasonal food and drinks.

• For one of the most picturesque holiday markets, head to the Southbank Centre Christmas Market. The market consists of several wooden chalets right at the riverside, where you can look for gifts and enjoy hot drinks and typical holiday food, such as bratwurst.

• Christmas at Greenwich Market might be a little way out of the city center, but it’s definitely worth the trip! The market sells anything from antiques, crafts, gifts and more. If you’re looking for an original Christmas present Greenwich is the place to go.

London’s Ice Skating Rinks

Outdoor ice-skating is one of the most fun activities of the season, and ice rinks can be found all over London starting November. Most of the rinks offer one hour skating sessions that can be booked in advance online, which we strongly recommend so you don’t have to wait in line. Here you can glide away while enjoying the views of the River Thames and icy parks of the city!

• The Ice Rink at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is not only the biggest in the UK, but also one of the most beautiful. The ice rink is set up around a Victorian bandstand, and decorated with countless strings of lights. The rink is open until 10 pm, so you can also enjoy skating in the dark. You can rent skates for free at the rink, but adults do have to pay £10.50 (off peak) to skate on the rink. It’s wise to book in advance as the rink fills up quickly!

• The Ice Rink at the Natural History Museum is very family-oriented, and even has a practice area for young kids. Prices for children start at £9, and there’s also a rink-side café where you can enjoy a hot cocoa while watching the ice-skaters. This year the rink will open on October 31st, so you can skate all the way through autumn and winter!

• The Tower Of London Ice Rink might just be the rink with the best view in London. The rink is located in one of the dry moats surround the Tower, and gives an amazing view of the River Thames. Try to book a session in the evening, as the Tower is at its most beautiful when it lights up at night. Prices for adults start at £11.50.

• For another rink with an amazing view of the River Thames, head over to the Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink. This stunning rink has the Tudor palace as a backdrop, and the country views make it well worth the trip to Surrey. Prices for adults start at £11, and be sure to book in advance.

• The Somerset House Ice Rink also boasts a beautiful setting, as the ice rink is located in the courtyard of the neo-classical building. For a really special experience, book a ticket for Club Nights, where you can skate to music spun by great DJs. Tickets start at £7.50.

These are just five of the many great ice rinks you’ll find in London. Some other favorites include the London Eye Ice Rink, the Canary Wharf Ice Rink, and the Alexandra Palace Ice Rink.

Annual Holiday Season Events in London

Besides Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, there are many more enchanting annual holiday season events to attend in London.

• The Tree Lighting at Trafalgar Square marks the unofficial start of the Christmas season in London. Every year, London is presented with a Christmas tree by the people of Norway, in gratitude for the British help during World War II. Once the tree is lit in the first week of December, Trafalgar Square pays host to Christmas carolers and other Christmas festivities almost every day.

• On December 7th, you can watch one of the most fun events of the season: the Great Christmas Pudding Race. Every year, over a hundred dressed up contestants race across the Covent Garden Piazza while balancing a Christmas pudding. The sponsored race raises money for Cancer Research, and is watched by a grand audience every year. After watching the race spectators can explore the many great shops and cafes of Covent Garden.

• For a great start of Christmas morning, head out to The Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park for the Peter Pan Cup Swimming Race. Every year at 9 am on Christmas Day, members of the Serpentine Swimming Club take a plunge in the freezing water of the lake, in pursuit of the Peter Pan Cup. Only members can join the race, but you can enjoy the spectacle nice and dry from the shore.

• Boxing Day occurs on December 26th, and is a public holiday in England. It’s also known as a shopping holiday, as many shops in the country have huge sales. In London, most of the big stores along the city’s main shopping hub, Oxford Street, open early on Boxing Day. Be prepared for the crowds and long lines: lines at Harrods can even start outside! For more ideas on where to go, check out our top 5 shopping spots in London!

• The Fireworks on New Year’s Eve will sound the close of the holiday season in London. Every year on December 31st, there’s a spectacular free fireworks display at the London Eye on the South Bank. You can watch the fireworks from the north bank or from one of the bridges, but do prepare for the crowds! If you want to attend one of the many great parties in a pub or club on New Year’s Eve, be sure to book tickets in advance. Of course you can also choose to watch the fireworks from the comfort of your own home. This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Lambeth has an amazing view of the London Eye!

Celebrate the Holiday Season with your Family in a London Apartment

By staying in a London vacation rental apartment in the holiday season, you’ll be able to enjoy all the traditions of celebrating the holidays as you would have at home. For example, you’ll have access to your very own kitchen, so you can go all out preparing a delicious family meal this Christmas! Another advantage to staying in an apartment is that you’ll have enough room for the whole family. You’ll have a living room that you can decorate for the holidays, and where you can enjoy some homemade eggnog in the evenings while watching Christmas movies on the TV.

If you’re planning on staying in the city for a longer period during the holiday season, have a look at our furnished rental apartments in London.

Things to See & Do in London during the Holiday Season

There’s plenty to see and do in London year-round, but during the Holiday Season there are several extra activities that’ll get you in the holiday spirit in no time!

• If you think the Royal Botanic Gardens can only be visited in summer, think again! From November until January, the Kew Gardens pay host to Christmas at Kew: a beautiful Christmas wonderland, with an illuminated trail through the gardens, Santa’s Woodland Grotto, and an entire Christmas Village.

• For about two weeks in November and December, Syon Park is turned into The Enchanted Woodland. After sundown, you can take a guided walk across the beautiful park. The trees beside the trail are all illuminated in spectacular colors, and you’ll also pass a frosty lake. Dress in warm clothing, and enjoy the hot drinks.

• Holiday Season in London also means theater season, so it’s not surprising that there are many great musicals and theater shows to choose from in the months November, December and January. In December, you can enjoy ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ at the Unicorn Theatre. This adaptation of the famous classic poem by Clement C. Moore will make for a great night out for the whole family.

• Lastly, don’t forget to admire the twinkling Christmas Lights you’ll find all over London! Streets such as Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street will all have garlands of Christmas lights, and London will never have looked more beautiful.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these Holiday Season activities! What’s your favorite holiday spot in London?