Seasonal
The 6 Best Things to Do in London in Winter
Six ways to do a London winter properly, from the Kew light trail and skating at Hampton Court to a fireside pint on Fleet Street and an afternoon in the thermal baths.
In short: our top picks are Christmas at Kew, Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
London does winter better than it lets on. The light goes by half four, the river turns the colour of pewter, and the whole city quietly reorganises itself around warmth: a fire in a back bar, a hot chocolate held in two hands, a tunnel of light strung through bare trees. The trick is knowing which of it is worth the cold and which is just tinsel. We have left Christmas Day itself out of this. What follows runs roughly November to February, and mixes the big annual set pieces, the ones that come back every year and are genuinely good, with the evergreen pleasures that have nothing to do with the calendar. Book the dated things early. The rest will still be there in the dead weeks of January, which is rather the point of them.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas at Kew | Kew | £££ |
| Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink | East Molesey | ££ |
| Hyde Park Winter Wonderland | Hyde Park | |
| Southbank Centre Winter Market | Southbank | ££ |
| Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese | City of London | ££ |
| AIRE Ancient Baths London | Covent Garden | ££££ |
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Editor’s choice
Christmas at Kew
Why we pick itThis is the original London light trail and still the best, a mile-plus walk through the gardens after dark with installations strung through the trees and reflected off the lake. Wrap up, time it for a dry night, and finish on a hot chocolate at the end. New for this year are a couple of adult-only evenings if you would rather skip the buggies.
After-dark light trail
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Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
Why we pick itSkating in front of Henry VIII's Tudor gatehouse, fairy lights overhead and the palace floodlit behind you. It is a proper outdoor rink rather than a slick of slush, and far more atmospheric than the tourist crush of the central ones. Adult tickets sit around eighteen pounds. Book a dusk slot so the lights come up while you are on the ice.
Open-air ice skating
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Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Why we pick itYes, it is enormous and yes, it can feel like the whole of the M25 has turned up. But entry is free, the Bavarian beer hall is a genuinely good night out, and the observation wheel at dusk is hard to beat. Go on a weekday evening, head straight for the mulled wine and the proper rides, and treat the rest as scenery.
Festive funfair and market
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Southbank Centre Winter Market
Why we pick itA line of Alpine chalets along the Queen's Walk with the Thames on one side and the South Bank lit up on the other. It is free to wander, open late, and the best of the central markets for a stroll because the river does half the work. Come for raclette and a glass of something hot, then walk it off towards Waterloo Bridge for the view.
Riverside Christmas market
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Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Why we pick itRebuilt just after the Great Fire and barely touched since, this Fleet Street warren of low-ceilinged rooms had Dickens and Mark Twain among its regulars. In winter the front bar keeps a real fire going. Get there early on a dark afternoon, claim a seat near the hearth with a pint, and let the city forget you for a couple of hours. Closed Sundays.
Historic fireside pub
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AIRE Ancient Baths London
Why we pick itCandlelit thermal pools in the cellars of a Georgian townhouse off the Strand, where J.M. Barrie once lived. You drift between a warm caldarium, a bracing cold plunge and a eucalyptus steam room with the lights down low. The ninety-minute bathing experience starts around a hundred pounds, and there is no better antidote to a wet, dark January afternoon in town.
Thermal baths and spa
Before you book
Winter Wonderland, Christmas at Kew and the Hampton Court rink all run mid November to early January and sell out on weekends, so book a timed slot a few weeks ahead. Kew and the rink are best on a clear, cold night. AIRE Ancient Baths takes bookings year round and is worth saving for grim, lightless February. The Cheshire Cheese is closed Sundays; go on a wet weekday afternoon when the fire is lit and the place is half empty.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Christmas at Kew is our editor's choice: This is the original London light trail and still the best, a mile-plus walk through the gardens after dark with installations strung through the trees and reflected off the lake. Wrap up, time it for a dry night, and finish on a hot chocolate at the end. New for this year are a couple of adult-only evenings if you would rather skip the buggies. Christmas at Kew, Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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