You could probably spend at least a week in London. There’s so much to do and see in this city, especially during Christmas and the holidays. However, if 5 days are all you have then this 5 days in London during Christmas itinerary is the perfect blend that covers the London must-dos coupled with Christmas activities.
Day 1
Spend day 1 of this 5 Days in London during Christmas itinerary checking out Christmas markets in the city.
Start your day at around 9 AM and head to Covent Garden. Grab a spiked hot chocolate from Suzette and check out the Christmas decorations at the Apple Market and the big Christmas tree at the center of the square. If you have time, it is worth coming here during the evening as well when the tree is fully lit up.
From Covent Garden walk to Neal’s Yard. This little courtyard is famous of it’s colorful shops. It’s very close to Covent Garden and is worth a gander.
From Neal’s Yard head over to the British Museum and spend around 2-3 hours here. You can definitely spend a whole day at the British Museum without a problem but with limited time and only 5 days in London during Christmas time, 2-3 hours maybe all the time you have. The museum is free to visit but you do need an advance booking. Try to secure tickets for the 10 AM entry time.
From the museum you can either grab a pre-lunch cocktail at Bar Termini or have lunch at Dishoom in Covent Garden. You HAVE TO make a booking at Dishoom to avoid standing in long lines. They do take lunch time reservations so definitely make one.
After lunch, it’s time to checkout some Christmas markets First at Leicester Square and then walk to Trafalgar Square. The Leicester Square market even had a skating rink if you love to skate.
The sun sets early in London during Christmas time. You can checkout theexact time the sunsets for the days you are in London and book tickets to see Christmas at Kew Gardens. This also requires an advance ticket as it sells out fast! It takes about 2 hours to walk the designated and decorated path inside the gardens. There are lots of food stalls at Kew Gardens if you want to grab food. If not and if you still have energy you could also always come back to the city center and have dinner at a restaurant.
Day 2
Start day 2 of your 5 days in London during Christmas at Westminster Abbey. Try and get the first available time slot as this allows you to walk around the abbey with very little people around. Westminster Abbey is not just any old church. It’s full of British history throughout the ages! It has been the site of coronations, marriages and burials for British monarchs for almost 1000 years. In addition, there are also lots of other famous people burried at Westminster Abbey. The audio guide does a good job of explaining all the things you are seeing. Westminster Abbey is not open on Sunday, so if day 2 falls on a Sunday, then you may have to adjust this itinerary accordingly. The optional Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries for an extra £5 is a worthwhile spend. You can easily spend 2 hours here.
After Westminster Abbey, check out Big Ben from Westminster Bridge.
Then head out for some afternoon tea. Now there are places that offer afternoon tea as early as noon. I picked Fortnum & Mason and had a wonderful experience. Their tea is bottomless and they keep bringing you any food items that you like to have. I have also had afternoon tea at the Hyatt Regency on a previous trip and remember it being amazing too! Only thing to note is that they don’t offer it daily.
After tea, check out Fortnum & Mason! This department store is the best place to get some food related souvenirs if you are looking to take some home. I ended up buying the apricot, lavender and honey tea I had during afternoon tea to take home. They have lots of traditional British Christmas food like mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake as well as other sweet treats like biscuits and candy.
After tea, check out a show at the West End. I picked Les Misérables and it was AMAZING! It gave me goosebumps from the get go. I chose to see the matinee at 2:30 pm as I was meeting a friend for dinner later. But if you rather have your daylight hours then you can also do an evening show which starts around 7-7:30.
After the matinee, you can either have early dinner in or around Soho if you are hungry OR check out all the Christmas lights. If you do the lights first, then do dinner after. I recommend Hoppers in Soho! They have a Sri Lankan tasting menu that is so good!
Christmas Lights Tour: Start at New and Old Bond Streets and then head to Piccadilly Street. On Piccadilly Street, step inside the Burlington Arcade and Fortnum and Mason. Then walk towards Piccadilly Circus, head north on Regent Street, make a detour to Carnaby Street and then head towards Oxford Circus and end the walk at Selfridges on Oxford Street.
Day 3
Start day 3 of your 5 days in London during Christmas at St. Paul’s Cathedral. This massive church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. St. Paul’s is famous for holding the wedding service of the then Price Charles and Lady Diana. It also held the funerals of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill. On a visit here, you will see the interior of the cathedral, the crypt, and climb the 528 steps to the dome. This is fully worth it as it gives you panoramic views over London.
My recommendation is to go to St. Paul’s first thing in the morning so that you can avoid all the crowds. Note that it is closed on Sunday for visits. Once you are done at St. Paul’s, you can check out the Millennium Bridge which is close by.
After this check out the Sky Garden for good views of the city. You may pass the Monument to the Great Fire on your way to the Sky Gardens. In 1666 A great fire ravaged through London and burnt 86% of London to the ground. This monument commemorates that fire and how the city rebuilt from the ashes. While it is free to visit Sky Gardens, you still need to book a ticket in advance. They do sometimes let you do walk-ins but these fill up fast on busy days so don’t take a chance.
After the Sky Gardens grab lunch close by or alternatively at one of the restaurants on-sight. If you do make a reservation for one of them, you do not need a ticket to get in. Then continue on to the Tower of London. I loved the Tower of London! It dates back to 1066 and is rich with so much history. My favorite part about it though were the crown jewels. I visited that section twice and had my mouth open both times! (no pictures unfortunately) You will need about 2 hours here.
In the evening check out Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park It is a Christmas amusement park that includes a skating rink, Christmas markets, rides and a lot of fun and festive activities.
Day 4
Today, explore more sites along or close to the Thames. Start at the Tate Modern chic is one of the largest modern art museums in the world. The best part is that is it free to visit. A bonus is that tit has a viewing platform with good views of the city. Spend about 2 hours here.
Once done, head over to Borough Market for some lunch! This market is one of my favorite things about London! There is something for everyone here! You can easily spend 2 hours (and a lot of money) here!
After the Borough Market check out the Christmas market near Tower Bridge (On the opposite side of the Tower of London). It is officially called Winter (Christmas) by the River.
After this head over to the Shard for sunset. You need to buy tickets in advance as they are cheaper the more far out you buy them. Check out London sunset times HERE. Plan to get a ticket at least an hour before sunset so that you can make it through the security checks and lines with enough time.
Day 5
Start your day at Buckingham Palace on your final day of this 5 days in London during Christmas itinerary. The Palace itself will be closed for visitors during this time of year but if you visiting on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then you can see the changing of the guard at 11 AM.
After Buckingham Palace have lunch at 34 Mayfair which is a nice restaurant with festive Christmas decorations. From Buckingham Palace, make your way to Kensington Garedns and stroll through for a bit.
The make your way to Notting Hill to see some of the colorful houses! Streets like Lancaster Road and Colville Terrace are perhaps the most famous of them all but there are plenty of streets with colorful buildings in this area. After some photo ops check out the shopping on Portobello Street before making your way to the World famous Churchill Arms for a drink.
Getting Around
Getting around London is so easy! The Tube is a great way to get from one place to another. London also has a good bus system as well. You can pay for rides using your tap enabled credit card. You have to make sure to tap the same card on your way out as well. Or you can buy a Oyster card from one of the kiosks at tube stations. I used Google Maps to tell me the fastest way to get from point A to B. Sometimes it was a tube, sometimes it was walking and other times it was a bus ride. Uber is also available but is expensive and traffic can be bad. The Tube for me is always a favorite due to this.
Staying Connected
I always use a Airalo eSIM when I travel abroad. They are easy to install and use.
Staying more days and looking for day trips from London? Check out my post HERE!
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