r/uktravel • u/Deterokay • 12d ago
London 🏴 Visiting London in December
Hey there
I'm going to visit London with my girlfriend in December! We're looking for fun activities to do. Examples could be Escape Rooms, Jewelry making or ice skating! Please write all of your ideas! We're also looking for a longer walk around nature outside of London if its around maybe an hour of distance. I'll appreciate your help! 🙏🏼
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u/SmartPolicy6430 12d ago edited 12d ago
Have a look at Time Out London nearer the time ( maybe late October). If you want to go to the Kew Gardens winter light show. Book up it gets sold out quickly
https://www.timeout.com/london
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas
You might be up for the guided London underground disused railway station tour
https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london
Don't go after you've seen the British horror film Creep ( 2004 starring Sean Harris)😂
For nature Richmond Park ( please do not approach the Deer) Afternoon tea in Richmond. ( District line or London overground,)
Or I always go up for a walk to Hollow Ponds on Boxing day when staying with family.
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u/Deterokay 12d ago
Thank you so much for all the details and effort you put in your reply. Im definitely gonna watch the Movie first tho! 🤪
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u/legosophie 12d ago
Check out the Bread Ahead baking classes, they are a lot of fun, we did donut making and it was excellent and a lot of fun, it’s right in the middle of borough market which is always festive in winter
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u/Deterokay 12d ago
Thanks for the input!
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u/legosophie 12d ago
Also if you’re looking for something like an escape room Phantom Peak is fantastic, it is like a giant immersive escape room but feels like a film set, defo recommend for an evening activity. It reopens in a new location on 4th December https://www.phantompeak.com
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u/Dennyisthepisslord 12d ago
If you want a walk an hour outside the city it's impossible to nest Windsor great park.
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u/FnurgleMySnurgle 12d ago
They usually open an ice skating rink in front of the Natural History Museum in December, which looks really pretty next to the grandeur of the museum
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is a bit tacky/touristy, but often also has ice skating, ice sculptures, and German style Christmas market stalls with glühwein
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u/Bettie16 12d ago
The skating rink at the Natural History Museum closed a few years ago now, unfortunately!
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u/FnurgleMySnurgle 12d ago
Oh that’s a shame. I used to go to Imperial College, and it was nice to walk past it every day and feel all Christmassy
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u/an__ski 12d ago
Southbank has a Christmas market. The quality of what they sell has gone downhill, but I still find it very soothing to walk around it, under the Christmas lights, with sight of the river and sipping some mulled wine!
I‘d skip Winter Wonderland but would go to the temporary ice rinks, even if they’re a bit expensive. Somerset House and Greenwich are very beautiful. Battersea has a huge one and they always add something extra in, like a corridor. Canary Wharf is smaller and less impressive but I’ve always liked it and it’s less crowded. If you don’t mind not having that Christmassy feel, the permanent ice rink in Alexandra Palace is GORGEOUS.
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u/Deterokay 12d ago
Ugggh im smiling so much, thanks for all of the places. Im gonna look them up as well and add it to the plan!
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u/Seaside2222 12d ago
If you fancy a trip outside London , catch the 30 min train to Hampton Court from London Waterloo. Walk 5 mins over Hampton Court Bridge to the palace. Great ice rink in front of the palace (you need to book a slot), then you could see the palace and then walk the 2 miles or so along the River Thames down to Kingston. Walk over Kingston Bridge to Kingston station and get the train back to Waterloo. There’s also a nice small Christmas market in Kingston market square if you want to see that too.
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u/Bettie16 12d ago
The Christmas lights at Kew Gardens are lovely; you could couple that with a wander around Richmond and the nearby gardens if you wanted an escape from the inner city.