Ten Wonderful Ways to Enjoy London in the Winter

My son moved from Toronto to London recently. We decided on a family Christmas in London. He asked his London work colleagues for personal recommendations of the best places to take his mother and brother. The thorough suggestions were pages long. We were grateful. This blog post shows some of what these London insiders say are the best ways to enjoy London in winter time. Pictured below is my son in Convent Garden Market.

 

First we strolled  through  London’s Royal Parks to get the amazing health benefits of the trees.  Below brothers walk and talk  in St James Royal Park.

 

One Royal Park, Hyde Park, (South Kensington tube stop) has an outdoor WinterWonderland. Here we are toasting the Royal Parks of London with warm spiced mulled wine. Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland is open from November to January every year. Attractions include: the UK’s largest outdoor skating rink which circles Hyde Park’s Victorian bandstand. 

 
The highly recommended Royal Albert Hall (South Kensington tube stop) is London’s iconic space. It was  voted the most Most Prestigious Christmas Venue at the Prestigious Star Awards 2016, beating 2,000 other places in Europe.

 In Royal Albert Hall, Carols by Candlelight,  we were part of a sold out crowd of 5000 Londoners. Together with this 5000 strong crowd, we joined  in an uplifting Singalong with the Mozart Festival Chorus and Orchestra by candlelight in full 18th century costume.

Next, we “must have a Brunch reservation at the Balthazar in Covent Garden. We had a wonderful dining experience here. Covent Garden Tube stop is close to Trafalgar Square. 

 

We were glad we followed the recommendation to take the boat cruise on The Thames. 

 

 

We visited my son’s office in Mayfair area (Oxford Circus tube stop).

 

 

On to the Oxford Circus tube stop and Soho in the evening on our way to the recommended restaurant Dishoom.

 

 

St Paul’s Cathedral (St Paul tube stop) is an elegant London landmark. Here we are noticing and appreciating Londoners ability to enjoy queuing for Christmas Carol Service.

 

West London’s Piccadilly Theatre ( Piccadilly Circus Tube Stop) has a low key exterior. The interior is posh Art Deco. We were in the “stalls” (main floor). 

 

Once Annie started, we could not look away. The huge cast were perfect professionals in acting, dance, and song. We were spellbound.

 

Our final day, we followed the recommendation to go to fish! in the Borough market.(Borough tube stop). This restaurant has been thriving since 1999. Fresh fish is delivered daily by the same fish monger. The fish melted in our mouths. The taste exceptional.

 

We loved London in the winter.  The list of wonderful things to do is pages long. We can’t wait to work through the list on another vacation to London.

Cheers! Verla

27 comments on “Ten Wonderful Ways to Enjoy London in the Winter

  1. I lived near London for a while and reading your post and seeing the pictures reminded me how much I loved it! I hope to go back to visit friends and all my favorite spots again! But maybe this time I’ll take a boat cruise on the Thames like you. That is one thing I never got to do.

  2. There are so many intriguing and fascinating places around this world, and I enjoy seeing pictures and reading about people’s adventures for places where I have not been.

  3. What a fantastic trip! I’ve always wanted to visit London. This sounds like a wonderful way to spend a family Christmas! Thanks for sharing.

  4. The picture of your boys walking together brought tears to my eyes; it’s simply perfect. What an absolutely spectacular trip for you! London at Christmas time looks truly magical.

  5. Great photos. Looks like you all had a nice time. Your post made me think that I’ve never had mulled wine, probably because I live in Miami where it never really dips below the 70s and I haven’t traveled much during the winter season.

  6. I have a few friends that have visited London and have said they don’t like the city. This posts paints the city in a different light for me. The pictures are lovely. I definitely want to visit now and see for myself.

  7. Oh my goodness! This looks like such a wonderful trip! You did so much, it was nice to get locals recommendations. Love your photos, too!

  8. Amazing vacation! An inside scoop to the best places is invaluable. Such an incredible itinerary and wonderful pictures.

  9. My husband and I definitely want to go back to the UK and visit London. We went to Scotland last year. London looks so beautiful during Christmas time! 🙂

  10. You were such a great guest. I loved hosting you and Jesse. We explored the City of London together, and well. Until next time – love Max

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