Do they know it’s Christmas time at all? – Okay, there are still a couple of weeks left until the Christmas season starts with Xmas songs blasting out in the radios and flashy shopping windows garnished in glamorous Santa attire.
It is common practice, that the city’s Christmas Markets are the centre of attention during this holiday period with carol’s singing around, fairground rides, unique gifts, traditional Xmas treats, and last but not least a nice cup of warm Glühwein. These things will definitely get you in to the merry mood. Hence, check out this little list of the Christmas Market you NEED to visit at least once in London.
Winter Wonderland
20nd Nov 2015 – 03th Jan 2016
Hyde Park
London, W2 4RU
additions, including the observation wheel and a huge Christmas market. Winter Wonderland is the perfect place for both adults and children, stuck up with many rides and attractions. However, the main attraction besides the Giant Wheel is the stunning ice rink, which is actually the biggest outdoor rink in the whole of UK and illuminated by more than 100,000 lights.
Winter Wonderland also includes gentle rides for the little kids, who can meet Santa in his grotto every day. Entry is free, but the queue is immense in the weekends, which leads up people getting denied to enter if it is full – so better be early.
Southbank Centre Christmas Market
20th Nov – 24th Dec
The Southbank Centre Christmas Market along the river returns to Queen’s Walk featuring around 80 traditionally German-style wooden huts, selling a wide range of hand-crafted gift, as well as Christmassy foods and drinks. Browse through a feast of mince pies or ginger bread and some German treats, such as German Bratwurst and the most festive drink during this period – Glühwein. Moreover, enjoy the selection of some affordable and quirky gifts for the family or friends if you don’t have any gifts inspiration for Christmas at all.
If you have kids, don’t forget to stop by the stall, where they can make their own Christmas cards! Anyways, the Southbank Centre’s Christmas Market is part of the Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival, so make sure you attend a couple of those free music events and Christmas shows.
Kew Gardens
25th Nov 2015 – 02th Jan 2016
Visit the annual seasonal makeover at Kew Gardens with a boutique Christmas market, which is filled with hand crafted gifts and many tempting holiday treats for food lovers. Browse through the traditional wooden chalets and choose from a plenty of family-friendly attractions, such as a Victorian carousel or vintage rides, in the Christmas Village with Santa’s Woodland Grotto.
However, the spectacular addition to this year’s Kew’s Winter Market, is the illuminated trail, which sees the gardens transformed into a series of lightning installations created by an UK artist. You can explore those gardens on a relaxed stroll through the winter landscape – those timed trails take around 75 minutes.
Spend a wonderful and magical evening in the annual Enchanted Woodland at Syon Park, in order to get you into that festive and Christmassy mood. The Park will be lit up with thousands of lights, which creates a heart-warming atmosphere and creates a beautiful winter path for walkers to enjoy. The walk takes around an hour and you will pass many species of trees and a frosty lake.
The Enchanted Woodland gives you the chance to the nature in winter dark, so make sure you bring your camera with you to grab those romantic and festive moments. You will be astonished how those historic trees are thrown in contrast against the dark night sky, creating a wonderful reflection on the surface of the water.
Where to stay
If you are travelling to London to get a glimpse of the great Christmas Markets in the centre of the city, you can find many affordable hotels in London. Make sure your stay overlaps with one of the many markets, so you can make the most out of your visit.
Budget
It is not a big secret, that London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. You’ll experience some crazy prices surrounding the Christmas Markets in the range of £4.00 -£5.00 for a cup of mulled wine. However, it happens once a year and Christmas feelings start blooming, when you enter one of the many markets – trust me you’ll be tempted to have at least one drink to fight the cold and get into the Christmas mood!
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