Roaming with Red

While I am completely aware that the festive period has well and truly ended, there is no harm in reminiscing on last year’s Christmas to make it through the gloomy next two months! For me, the lead up to Christmas is usually filled with longer days and warmer weather. Unsurprisingly, it was a little bit different this year! This year I swapped the promise of sun filled days on the beach with snowy cold mornings and mulled wine. If, like me, you’re already hanging out for Christmas to come around again, here are 5 must do things in London in the lead up to Christmas to put on your 2023 festive bucket list.

Take a Walk Under the Shimmering Christmas Lights

One of my favourite parts of Christmas is the decorations. There is something so magical about seeing the streets bathed in shimmering light. London is no different – the city comes alive as people go hunting for the festive lights. Unsurprisingly, places like Oxford Street, Soho and Covent Garden are epicentres for this Christmas cheer. Each area decorates their streets with a different design, creating a kaleidoscope of colour and light throughout the city. I would recommend, however, you go looking further afar from the city and enjoy the lights in your local area as well. The Christmas cheer seems to pop-up everywhere you go and you just don’t know what treasure you might discover.

Do your Christmas Shopping at a Christmas Market

Christmas markets are synonymous with this time of year. Their opening properly signals the start of the festive season and brings a definite festive cheer to London. Potentially it’s the Aussie within me that makes me so excited by the prospect of visiting a Christmas market! Little markets pop-up all around the city to signal the start of Christmas, as people look for a warming mulled wine or a charming gift for family and friends. If you’re looking for some recommendations, try Leicester Square or Southbank. Both provide charming little markets to fill your belly with warm wine and heart with festive cheer.

Get Festive with Season Specific Activities

With the start of Winter coinciding with the start of the Christmas season, Winter activities also start to make an appearance during this time of the year. Big ice rinks pop-up around the city, at places like the new Battersea Power Station, providing the opportunity to get fully immersed in this Winter Wonderland. If ice-skating is not your thing, try a walk through the special Christmas edition of Kew Gardens to see the light display that only shows up once a year. A word of warning, this event is ticketed and sells out super fast so would recommend booking in advance.

Warm Up at a Festive Pub

Continuing from point 3, Christmas is cold in the UK! Maybe it’s just me, but with snow falling in the weeks before Christmas last year, there was a serious need to warm up during the day. Most pubs and bars embrace the festive cheer, decorating their interiors and including warming Christmas themed drinks on their menu. Find a pub and sit there for a while as you try to defrost from the cold winds taking over outside!

Escape the City and Venture Outside of London

Ok, so this is a bit of a cheat because it isn’t necessarily about London. However, it does start from London so I’m keeping it in here! Christmas markets pop-up all around the country as the festive cheer truly takes over the UK. While there are many fun Christmas markets to visit within London itself, sometimes it’s the ones that sit a little further out that are the true beauties. The British countryside is filled with charming little towns and bustling metropolitan cities just calling out for a Christmas market. If you’re looking for a beautiful small town market, try Bath, Winchester or York. While I didn’t actually visit these this year, I hear they are absolutely stunning! Alternatively, if you’re looking for a much bigger Christmas market, try Birmingham. This market seems almost never ending as you walk through rows upon rows of food and gift stalls. One recommendation, book your trains early! Train strikes are currently causing havoc throughout the UK and ticket prices go through the roof for weekends during Christmas.

It may have been a short UK Christmas for me this year, with me escaping back to the Aussie Summer for a bit, but it was still very enjoyable. While London is always lively, it certainly develops a different feel in the lead up to Christmas. The streets become sparkly as the festive atmosphere grows and it is well worth taking the time to enjoy everything the city has to offer at this time of year.