London is one of the best cities in the world to spend the winter holidays, that is if you don’t mind the rain and cold. If Australia or LA is out of the question, then why not embrace the festive spirit with a trip to London. Putting a positive spin on the early sunsets and cold climate is easy in London, especially with the dazzling Christmas lights and many ways to shelter from the winter winds, especially with the luxurious Barbican Hotels offering comfy rooms and impeccable service. If you’re still not convinced, we’ve compiled some of the best reasons to come to London during the winter period, encapsulating the very essence of the city, whilst catering to all ages and tastes.
London’s built for bad weather!
London as a city readily caters for the cold, much of its most effective public transport taking travellers underground. With large museums, theatres, pubs and bars, the infrastructure of the city accounts for the famously dreary weather often associated with the UK. Whilst the city also has many green spaces for those summer months, it equally gives ample opportunity for you to enjoy what’s on offer shielded from the elements.
Enjoy a cosy British pub
There’s nothing quite like a cosy British British pub I the winter time. With mulled wine on tap and warming selections of ales and beers, London’s pub scene gives you the chance to kick back with friends and family in front of an open fire. With many pubs offering up pool, table football and many a boardgame, you’ll never get bored in these often-historic public houses. What’s more, some of the best Christmas dinners are served up at pubs, with Sunday roasts often catering for every taste possible. Every borough of London plays host to good old-fashioned British Pubs, each with their own unique history and individual style.
London’s entertainment scene is next level, and most of it is inside
Save the summertime outdoor theatres, and perhaps The Globe on Southbank, a lot of the city’s entertainment takes place inside buildings. Save Hyde and Victoria Park music festivals for the summer months and get down to the Albert Hall and Hammersmith Apollo. It’s no surprise that the city is rife with aspiring artists, the city is full of inspiration in the form of free art museums such as the Tate Modern and the Newport Street Gallery.
Winter walks in Royal Parks
For those crisp Christmas mornings, a stroll in one of London’s leafy parks is always a great way to burn off those Christmas calories. With Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland offering up Christmas market stalls and a surprising medley of public and professional ice skating, you’ll never find more Christmas cheer in one place.
You don’t have to visit the British equivalent to Santa’s Grotto to soak up London’s winter parks, there are plenty of others dotted around, of note Regents Park and Primrose Hill, the latter making one of the best spots in the city to watch the New Year’s fireworks. Other great parks suited to a Christmas walk include Hampstead Heath, Victoria Park and Greenwich Park, all offering another slice of London history and great swathes of green to help you escape the often-claustrophobic clutches of the extended family Christmas. If you want to travel further afield, Epping Forest and Richmond Park are two wildlife conservation areas where you can spot red deer, the closest we’ll get to Rudolph here in the UK.
