You'd be hard-pressed to find a global city that doesn't go all out come Christmastime.?
Twinkling lights strung over shopper-filled streets, ice rinks brimming with skaters and squares stuffed with shimmering trees are all fairly standard these days. And honestly, as travelers, we've grown to expect to see them this time of year.?
But nowhereand I mean nowheredoes the season like London.?
This city absolutely, positively lives for the holiday. The setting for A Christmas Carol, Love Actually, and more office Christmas parties than you can jiggle a punch ladle at, London embraces the run up to the big day with gusto, which means it's also a great time to visit. ?
Being in London during the season feels like scoring a starring role in your very own straight-to-streaming holiday movie (A Big Ben Christmas, anyone?). One minute, you're watching a Christmas light & tinsel-covered cycle rickshaw blasting Mariah Carey zip past, the next, you're standing in front of a sparkling department store window feeling like a kid again.?
Throw in a big city buzz that only a handful of global cities can hold a candle to, and you've got a recipe for holiday travel magic.
Ice skaters at Somerset House in London (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Great Skate
Christmas in London officially begins after your first loop on the seasonal ice rink at Somerset House. Skate at Somerset House with Switzerland Tourism runs until early January and provides more pinch-me moments per lap than any other rink in the capital. Sitting right beside the Thames, the iced quadrangle of this grand residence-turned-cultural hotspot is truly elegant and the perfect place to snap a photo for your Christmas card. Somerset House: come for the ice skating, stay for the exhibits inside and the pop-up bar pouring mulled Whispering Angel ros.
Christmas Lights on Regent Street in London (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Beautiful Bulbs
London has picked up a lot of accolades for its seasonal light displays. As a result, you'll be dodging influencers up and down Regent Street as they pose under the street's signature sparkling angels. There's no need to follow them into the median to get the perfect angle, because simply strolling under the bulbs as a red double-decker bus passes by will be enough to give you goosebumps.?
Other great light displays are on Carnaby Street and Oxford Street, with both streets also serving as shopping areas fully stocked with seasonal bustle.?
Festive afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason in London (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Tea Time?
Pounding the pavement looking for presents is fun, but it can also be a little tiring. Enter afternoon tea. Taking time out of your day to pause for delicious dainty sandwiches and warm beverages is a quintessentially British way to spend a couple of hours (and a good idea no matter the calendar page), and come Christmastime, the experience gets dusted with a sprinkling of snow during special festive versions served around the city.?
Long a friend of the Royal Family, Fortnum & Mason is one of London's most esteemed department stores (The Queen even used to do her Christmas shopping here) and a fine place for afternoon tea during the holiday season. During my visit to its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, the usual array of tasty little sandwiches and sweet treats featured seasonal flourishes (this year's menu included orange & mixed spiced loaf, sweet chestnut mousse and a chocolate ornament with tonka bean and caraibe). To say nothing of an eye-catching red and green Battenberg cake also being dished up.?
After your battery has been re-charged by some of the finest tea blends in Britain, head downstairs for another round of shoppingor simply admire the brilliant display of bobbing Christmas puddings.?
Christmas by the River Christmas market in London (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Must-do Markets
London is home to a handful of Christmas markets, but the Thameside Christmas by the River possesses a hard-to-beat combination of backdrop and character. Located directly on the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge in South Bank, Christmas by the River is home to dozens of stalls selling classy gifts and a range of food from around the globeand a terrific view of Tower Bridge.?
In the opposite direction, Southbank Centre boasts a riverside winter festival, and across town, there's also a lively Winter Wonderland event in Hyde Park.?
Leadenhall Market in London at Christmas (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Carol-ing
If it wasn't for Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol, the holiday season might not be celebrated with the same unadulterated enthusiasm. The tale takes place in London, so it's possible to retrace the fictional steps of some of the characters.??
Head to the City of London financial district to peek down dark alleys like Newman's Court (purported to be the location of Scrooge's Counting House), admire St Michael Cornhill church (which fits the description of the church mentioned in the opening of the book) and pop through Leadenhall Market.?
Leadenhall Market isn't mentioned in the book by name, but back in the days of Dickens, it would have no doubt been the place where someone would have gone to buy a turkey (as Ebenezer Scrooge sends a boy to do at the end of the tale). Keep your eyes peeled when strolling through the pleasant covered shopping space today; you will spot metal hooks where poultry used to hang still dangling above storefronts.?
The market is also the former home of Old Tom, a turkey that escaped the chop (and no doubt a destiny as a Christmas dinner) in the early 1800s to become a market mascot. Pop down the steps into Old Tom's Bar to raise a glass to the famous gander, then head upstairs to the Lamb Tavern and do your best to pretend you're at an office Christmas party with the locals.?
St. Paul's Cathedral and Millennium Bridge in London (Photo Credit: Scott Hartbeck)
Locations, Actually
Then, there's the Love Actually factor. This modern holiday classic was shot all over the capital, and walking around the city this time of year feels like being edited into a scene. Grab a bench at St. Gabriel's Wharf on the Thames to admire the view of St. Paul's Cathedral & Millennium Bridge (just like Sam and his stepdad do during their heart-to-heart). This riverside area is also featured in the scene when Mark staggers out of his house after Juliet watches his very Juliet-centric wedding footage.?
It may not have racked up the stars on the review sites, but there's no doubt that the 2020 film?Last Christmas?made London look lovely, and a stroll through Covent Garden will transport you back to its best moments.?
Speaking of Covent Garden, it's going to be busy, but it also, dare I say, feels charming this time of year. Jolly music wafts over the speakers, there are carts selling warm drinks, and while the crowds on the street and the revelers on the balcony of the Punch & Judy pub can be a bit much at other times of the year, during December, they feel like friends you haven't met yet.?
Exterior of Sea Containers Hotel in London (Photo Credit: Sea Containers)
Riverside Residence?
When choosing a hotel in London at Christmastime, staying close to the River Thames is invaluable, and that's precisely where Sea Containers?is located. Situated directly on the river in South Bank, this hotel is smart, modern and full of maritime splashes, making the perfect base for all the holiday-themed fun I covered above.?
It can be easy to forget about London's historical connection to the high seas, but it quickly comes back here. The hotel takes its name from the former tenant's trade, and upon entering Sea Containers, you glide past a striking blue sculpture of a knot that looks like it was helping keep a giant boat tied down before you arrived. The check-in desk resides inside a remarkable copper enclave that brings a 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea vibe to proceedings. The crew sports classy nautical-striped sweaters.
Interior of river view Loft Suite at Sea Containers (Photo Credit: Sea Containers)
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A nice chunk of the 300+ rooms at Sea Containers boast river & city views, and I can attest that these vistas are as tremendous as they sound. Don't be surprised at all if you spend your first and last minutes of each day staring out the window, gazing upon the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral & the tiered spire of St. Bride's Church while water taxis and barges go back and forth below. Beds, furniture and fittings are sleek & stylish while still retaining a welcoming feel.?
The hotel is also home to the 12th Knot rooftop cocktail bar (you can handle more views, right?), Lyaness restaurant (a fusion of Sri Lankan and British flavors) and the house Sea Containers restaurant.?
As tempting as it may be, you won't spend all your time in the hotel. Stroll out of Sea Containers and walk along the riverside path in one direction for a couple of minutes to arrive at Gabriel's Wharf, where you can reenact Christmas movie scenes on the riverside benches (or get a bird's eye view of folks mudlarking for artifacts in the foreshore), before passing the National Theatre, Southbank Centre and London Eye.?
Walk the other way, and you'll run into Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market before arriving at Christmas by the River.?
That's just on one side of the Thames. Just over Waterloo Bridge lies the ice of Somerset House. Over Blackfriars Bridge is the City of London and the shadows of Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Old Tom.
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The bottom line: Sea Containers possess the perfect location for enjoying the best of London at Christmasor any other time of year. The hotel excels across the board, but the views and location are the things that will stay with you long after the Christmas cards leave the mantle.?
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