At 4pm in the evening in December London changes and puts on its party face. The lights turn on in the streets, the shop fronts twinkle, and the city that can be somewhat grey and bleak in the winter months, sparkles with life.
London isn’t the most obvious choice for a pre-Christmas break. It doesn’t have the Christmas markets of Germany nor the snow of Switzerland, but London knows how to show people a good time.
Throughout the month of December there are Christmas parties going off left right and centre, every pub and restaurant is decked up to the nines, and there are shows and concerts going on all over the city.
Where to see lights in London at Christmas
One thing London does well, perhaps better than anywhere else in Europe, is the Xmas lights. And because London is diverse and has lots of different areas, the lights aren’t focused in one place with one theme; instead, each area decorates to its own agenda.
Oxford street is the place most tourists flock to for the Christmas lights, but in recent years they have been somewhat disappointing, and the street itself gets very crowded. The lights in Regent’s street are usually better. But the real magic happens elsewhere.
Piccadilly has the Ritz hotel which goes all out at Christmas. Not just in the lobby, but also in the arcade outside. And don’t be afraid to go inside and look at their fabulous Christmas tree: just ask one of the doormen politely and they will let you in.
Just around the corner, Jermyn street has its own, very elegant lights, and the Piccadilly arcade is beautiful at any time of year, but lit up with stars it takes on another kind of magic.
Fortnum and Mason is always worthy of a visit at Christmas. They have the most delicious goodies and their Christmas Pudding is the best I’ve ever tasted (well other than my husband’s)
Cross the road from Fortnum and walk up the Burlington arcade, turn left onto Burlington Garden’s and you will have the joy that is New Bond Street straight ahead.
New Bond Street not only has lights on the street, but the stores take part too, with Tiffany’s and Cartier being the highlight for me.
Is London nice at Christmas ?
I think the run up to Christmas is one of the best times to be in London. The city can be grey and dreary at times, but not in December. The weather isn’t at it’s best, and you should definitely pack an umbrella, but it’s not particularly cold. Snow is pretty rare in London in December.
Best shops in London at Christmas
In terms of Christmas window displays the big hitters are Selfridges on Oxford Street, Liberty on Regent’s Street and Harrods in Knightsbridge. All go full out for their Christmas displays planning them months in advance. I particularly like Liberty as it has an old-world charm that the others lack, and they keep that charm in their window displays. Many of the smaller shops have great displays too.
In terms of food shopping Fortnum and Mason would be my choice. It’s not somewhere I could ever dream of doing my grocery shopping, but for a special treat at Christmas, whether that be mince pies or chutney, it is worthwhile.
I would recommend staying away from Oxford street, which is mostly chain stores that can be found anywhere in the country, or even the world, and instead visit the smaller shops in areas like Marylebone high street.
Covent Garden, although mostly a tourist destination these days, is a nice area for shopping. There are still some original shops in the market hall, and there is usually an artisan market (called Apple market) where you can pick up some nice gifts. The area around the market is full of shops and restaurants and is mostly pedestrianised so makes for a good stroll. The lights are generally pretty impressive too. This year they had a lego Santa. It can get crowded, but when I visited last week (mid-December 2025) it wasn’t too busy.
There are several Christmas markets in London, but from what I saw this year, they are mostly selling mass produced items and don’t offer particularly good value for money or quality.
Places to eat in London at Christmas
London has some of the most amazing and diverse restaurants in the world, so it would be foolish of me to pretend to be able to offer any sort of guide here. Time Out is a good place to look if you are looking for suggestions.
But for me, in the run up to Christmas, the best places to eat in London aren’t the restaurants, but the pubs. Since the smoking ban pubs have reinvented themselves and now offer some of the best places to eat in the city, both in terms of value for money and quality. Added to that, during the festive period they are usually lavishly decorated. Where the restaurants are seeking to surprise you with their menus, offering innovative plates, the pubs normally stick to a more traditional British fare. If you are looking to eat a traditional British Christmas lunch, then go to a pub.
Again, they are far too numerous for me to go into detail, but two that stood out on my recent trip are the Prince Regent on Marylebone high street, and the Holly Bush in Hampstead. Any itinerary we plan in London comes with a suggestion of good pubs to visit.
Is Christmas a good time to visit London?
The run up to Christmas is a great time to visit London. The lights and decorations generally go up from mid-November, but I think the first three weeks in December is the best time to visit London for the holiday spirit. If you can arrange your trip for mid-week rather than the week-end then you will avoid the worst of the crowds. At this time of year, the majority of visitors are locals or people from the South of England coming up to London for the day, so Saturdays and Sundays are twice as busy as the other days. Shops are open on Sundays, but with reduced opening times, usually 11am-5pm or noon-6pm.
However, it is important to note that while the run up to Christmas is one of the best times to visit London, Christmas day itself isn’t. Transport for London runs a reduced service from the afternoon of the 24th. On Christmas day there is no public transport. The tube and the buses don’t run, neither does the overground service nor the docklands light railway. The only way to get around London on Christmas day is by foot or bike. Or to use a taxi/uber. Arriving at the airport in London on Christmas Day would not be a good idea, and any savings you make on the flight will likely be eaten up by the excess taxi fare you will have to pay.
My advice is to visit London before Christmas, enjoy the lights and the shops and the pubs, then go elsewhere in Europe for Christmas day. See my article on the best Christmas hotels in Europe for some ideas.
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