Things to do in London at Christmas 2017
Christmas Day in London 2017
Christmas Day, December 25th, 2017 is on a Monday.
If you're spending Christmas Day in London, you need to do a little planning in advance as almost everything will be closed for the day, and there will be very little transportation - there will not be a London bus service, and the tube network or overland trains will both be 'offline'. Some private bus companies will operate special services.
So although it's actually quite pleasant wandering around an empty capital city, smiling at passers by (as opposed to the normal 'ignoring' them), you do need to think about the basics such as food. See our section on 'What's Open on Christmas Day?' below!
Christmas Day on the River Thames
What could be more unique than a Christmas cruise on the beautiful River Thames, where you can see all the sights of London?
Cruise down the Thames while enjoying a fabulous traditional British Christmas lunch, passing London's great landmarks including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Southbank, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament - feasting on great food and great sights! Click for more info
Christmas Day on a Vintage London Bus
Why share London with all the other travellers?
See the best of London's iconic landmarks on Xmas Day when the streets are empty and virtually traffic free.
One of the most iconic images of London are the red buses, so can you imagine a more interesting way to see the great London sights? The tour takes you through some of the most interesting areas, as well as the most famous ones, with local guide bringing London's history to life. Click for more info
Christmas Day Luxury Tour
If
you like a little bit of luxury with your sightseeing, join this tour to see
London at its quietest - the streets are calm and empty - which means that you
spend more time looking at great sights, and less time in traffic!
Your transport will be a luxury air-conditioned coach and your guide will share all their London knowledge to bring the history and tradition of the world's most famous capital city to life. If you really want to pull out all the stops you can additionally add the Christmas Morning London Tour to which includes a three course traditional Christmas Lunch on the River Thames. Click for more info
What's Open on Christmas Day?
Christmas is the most widely celebrated event in the British calendar, and although London is a multi-cultural melting-pot, most places will be closed. The largest exceptions are Chinatown in the heart of London, just south of Soho, as well as Southall in West London and Brick Lane in the East.
The majority of the larger hotels will be serving food and drink (note that some of the smaller ones may not so it's always wise to check ahead of time), and you'll also find many of the pubs are open for business.
All the main parks should be open, so there are plenty of places to take a walk. Our favourite is Hyde Park.
Or you can read one of our contributor's blog posts on A Different Christmas Day in London!
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You May Not Know
European Crusaders brought the mince pie back to England in the 12th Century. It was filled with meat, as well as fruits and spices. Although it has kept the same name, there is no longer any meat in a British mince pie. Well not normally.
