The Best London Christmas Activities with Kids (+FREE Printable Guide with Lights Walk)

This post was updated in November 2024.

When we found out we were moving to London, I immediately got so excited about Christmas season here. What a treat with lights and decorations. It turns out London with kids is even more magical than I anticipated!

Here are some of the the London family Christmas activities we’ve loved, as well as a few others we’ve tried out!

FREE LONDON FESTIVE FAMILY GUIDE: Printable PDF With Lights Walking Route

This year, I decided to put together a printable PDF guide with all my best London festive suggestions, from activities to concerts to festive afternoon teas (including with kids!). It includes the very BEST London lights walk for families to see all the best displays on a reasonable route with kiddos. You’ll find the correct order, explanations of what to see at each stop, and a map to click through, as well. I’ve also included the best festive shows, afternoon teas, concerts, and more.

I hope it helps you enjoy the best of London’s festive season!

Lights Walk & Bus Ride

One of the most magical London Christmas activities is simply to walk around looking at all the lights and decorations. So fun. You can find a link to my recommended festive family lights walk HERE – just pop in your email and I’ll send you the full, perfectly mapped out walk (with explanations of what to see at each stop) straight to your email. It’ll take about 45 minutes if you’re just walking to see all the lights, or up to 2-2.5 hours if you’re popping into shops (Fortnum & Mason is especially fun to wander).

It’s also lovely to hop on a double decker to see the lights from up high! Some buses that go by lights are 12, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453. My favorite option is 139 towards Waterloo. You can hop on at stop BZ on Orchard Street – this is right near Selfridges, but is one stop before the rush. If you want to be sure to get a spot on top near the front (the best for views), hop on a few stops before that. You’ll miss some of the pedestrian areas that are really beautiful, but it’ll give a great overview of Oxford Street and Regent Street especially.

It’s also really fun to watch the lighting ceremonies – there are ones at Covent Garden, Bond Street, Oxford Street, and so many more!

Carols at the Royal Albert Hall

This London family Christmas activity was a close second for what we were told we cannot miss, and it lived up! This London family Christmas sing along was an absolute delight for all ages.

Christmas at Kew

If there’s one London Christmas activity for families we heard about over and over, it was Christmas at Kew. We’ve loved visiting Kew Gardens in nice weather to walk around and play, and it was such a treat to see it all lit up. I definitely recommend booking this one early, and being prepared for a variety of weather conditions. (We like to wear our favorite base layers under clothing with a waterproof parka and boots.)

The Christmas Carol at The Old Vic

Dan found out about this performance about 2 seconds after we found out we were moving to London. We love reading the children’s book version each year as a family, and we wondered whether the live performance would live up.

Turned out it blew our expectations out of the water. It might have been the most incredible theatre experience I’ve ever had – it was beautiful, moving, theatrically amazing, and so very, very jolly.

Festive Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea has been one of our favorite London family activities, and a festive tea is even better! We have a family tradition of doing an at-home Christmas afternoon tea during December, but living in London, we decided to head out for it instead. We’ve tried a number of afternoon teas now, including several festive ones, and the most sparkly and atmospheric, by far, is the one at the Ritz. With live music and stunning decorations, it’s just an amazing experience all around.

Nutcracker

One of our favorite Christmas activities each year is to see the Nutcracker. Last year, we saw the Royal Ballet version, and this year, we’ll see a performance by the English National Ballet at the London Coliseum.

Hogwarts in the Snow: Harry Potter Festive Studio Tour

The Harry Potter Studio Tour is amazing in general, but especially so during the festive season. Everything was stunningly decorated and it felt surreal walking into a very sparkly Great Hall. It sells out very quickly, so be sure to book early here.

Festive Ice Skating

There are a number of fun and special ice rinks throughout the city. Last year, we headed out to the rink at Hampton Court Palace. We’d been meaning to go out to explore the palace, anyway, so it was a great opportunity to head out that way. This year, we’ll head to the Somerset House ice rink. The Battersea rink is also meant to be lovely, as is the one at the Westfield Shopping Center in Shepherd’s Bush if you want a more casual experience.

Pantomime

I was admittedly a bit confused when we first moved here about what a pantomime (or “panto” as it’s called colloquially) exactly is. Turns out, it’s a somewhat interactive theatre experience that’s somewhat slapstick, witty, & fun for a variety of ages. Basically, it’s quintessential British holiday season magic.

While pantos take place year round, they’re especially popular around Christmastime and we loved seeing our first last year! There are plenty of options around the city, but we’ve enjoyed performances at the Lyric Hammersmith (they’re performing Alladin this year).

Father Christmas at Hammersmith Lyric Theatre

Speaking of the Lyric Hammersmith, they always do a performance of Father Christmas! This one is geared to kids under 5, and it’s an absolute delight.

The Snowman

Christmas by the River

European Christmas market are pretty magical. We didn’t get over to this this beautiful market near Tower Bridge last year, so can’t wait to head over there this year.

Lucia Celebration at The Swedish Church

We’ve enjoyed participating in Sankta Lucia celebrations in the past and can’t wait to visit the one through The Swedish Church in London. We had to cancel last minute last year so we’re excited to finally go!

Windsor Castle

Windsor is always a good idea, but especially so when it’s decked out for Christmas. We loved seeing all the decorations up when we visited!

Other London Christmas Activities

Here are a few other activities we’ve enjoyed either for date nights or with our older kids:

• Handel’s Messiah – last year we attended the one at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and this year we’re doing the one at St. Martin-in-the-Fields
• St. Paul’s Advent Carol Service
• All Souls Oxford Circus Carol Service
• Tower of London Advent Service or Christmas Eve service
• King’s College Choir (this year at the Barbican)
• St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church Recitals
• Westminster Abbey carol services
• We love Borough Market any time of year, but I suspect it will be especially magical at Christmastime. This Evening of Cheese with tastings and lots of vendors sounds so fun – we didn’t make it out last year and have other commitments that night this year, but hopefully sometime we’ll get to go!

There’s a notable item missing from this list – the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. We considered going last year, but honestly, it seems super crowded and just a giant carnival. We’ve heard from some who love it and some who hate it, so we’re passing on it again this year.

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