Things to Do in London in Winter: A Season of Lights, Windows and Snowdrops

Have you ever walked down Regent Street on a dark November evening, just after the lights have gone up?

That is where London's winter starts for me. From early November to the end of February the city has a rhythm that repeats every year: lights, windows, ice rinks, light trails, then a quiet January and the first snowdrops.

These are the things to do in London in winter that I go back to, in the order they happen. Each links to my own post where I have one.

When Do the Christmas Lights Go Up in London?

In the first week of November. In 2025 Oxford Street switched on on 3 November, and Regent Street and Carnaby Street on 6 November. Covent Garden followed on 12 November, and Bond Street soon after.

Looking at them is free. I have ranked the best Christmas lights in London, and kept a list of the switch-on dates.

Which Christmas Windows in London Are Worth Seeing?

The big shops unveil their windows in the first half of November. Selfridges revealed its 2025 windows on 6 November. Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly tells one story across all its windows, and the shop behind them is just as dressed up.

Bond Street is the other street to walk, with the fashion houses competing window by window. I have written up Fortnum & Mason's Christmas windows and the Bond Street displays.

Harrods goes all out too, from the windows to the Christmas shop, where the teddy bears come in knitted hats.

Where Can You Go Ice Skating in London?

Somerset House has had a winter rink in its courtyard every year since 2000. It usually runs from mid-November to around 10 January, closed on Christmas Day. Sessions last 45 minutes, and in 2025 tickets cost between £11 and £26.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has a bigger rink, along with a funfair, markets and shows. It opens in mid-November and closes on 1 January. You need an entry ticket even when entry is free, and the rides cost extra.

Where Are the Prettiest Christmas Wreaths in London?

On the front doors of Chelsea, Belgravia and Notting Hill, and on the shopfronts that treat December as a competition. I keep a guide to London's prettiest Christmas wreaths.

Which Christmas Light Trails Are Near London?

Christmas at Kew has run every winter since 2013, on selected nights from mid-November to early January. It is ticketed, and in 2025 adult tickets started at £27.50.

Hampton Court Palace has its own Christmas season, with an ice rink and a festive fayre in December. For something quieter, the Ever After Garden fills a London lawn with 30,000 glowing white roses.

Where Can You Spend Christmas in a Historic House?

Several National Trust houses dress their rooms for Christmas. Closest to London is Ham House in Richmond, with a new theme each year.

Further out, I spent a December day at Christmas at Charlecote Park in Warwickshire, a Tudor house with a Victorian Christmas inside.

It pairs well with Shakespeare's Stratford at Christmas, about fifteen minutes away.

What Is Open in London on Christmas Day?

Very little, and nothing runs. There are no Tube trains, buses or National Rail trains on 25 December, so plan to walk. On Boxing Day the Tube runs a reduced service from about 7am.

New Year's Eve is the opposite. The Tube runs all night, but the fireworks by the Thames have been ticketed since 2014. Tickets go on sale in autumn, cost £40 to £55 for 2025–26, and always sell out.

What Are the Things to Do in London in Winter Once Christmas Is Over?

January is quiet, which is its charm. The Canary Wharf Winter Lights festival is free and runs every January; the 2026 edition, the tenth, ran from 20 to 31 January.

It is also the month for empty streets and low sun. I spent a freezing morning in Warren Mews in Fitzrovia, and walked through Notting Hill on New Year's Day.

Chinese New Year follows in late January or February, with a free parade from Trafalgar Square to Chinatown on the Sunday. In 2026 it was on 22 February.

Where Can You See Snowdrops in London?

Snowdrops flower from late January through February. Kew, Myddelton House Gardens in Enfield and Osterley Park are known for them. I have found them under the trees in Hyde Park, and around the old trees at Ham House in February.

Visiting London in Winter: Practical Notes

📅 Open days: The season runs from early November, when the lights go up, to the end of February. Most Christmas events close in the first week of January.

⏰ Opening: In December the sun sets before 4pm, so light trails and windows are at their best from about 4.30pm.

🎫 Admission: The lights, windows and wreaths are free. Book skating, Kew, Winter Wonderland and New Year's Eve fireworks in advance.

🚇 Getting there: No public transport runs on Christmas Day, and Boxing Day services are reduced. The Tube runs all night on New Year's Eve.

📷 Best time: A weekday evening in mid-November, before the December crowds.

🗺️ Nearby: For a winter day trip, Stratford-upon-Avon and Charlecote Park in December, or Ham House for snowdrops in February.

What is your favourite thing to do in London in winter? Is there a Christmas window or a light trail I should add?

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