10 things to do this winter in London

10 things to do this winter in London

The city of London is transformed every December into a sparkling winter wonderland. Although the weather gets colder and the days get shorter travellers visit London during the festive period to join in the Christmas and New Year’s Eve Festivities.

We’ve created this countdown of the top 10 things to do in London this winter. All within easy reach of your Fraser Suites Queens Gate Kensington luxury serviced apartment, located in the heart of West London.

10 - Take a trip to the theatre

There are countless pantomimes and Christmas shows scheduled through the festive period. Christmas crowd-pleasers like The Snowman will be on Royal Festival Hall, perfect for getting into that festive feeling.

9 - Shopping

Ninth on our list of 10 things to do in London this winter is shopping. Christmas is a time of giving and sharing but also a great excuse to treat ourselves. Shoppers flock to many areas of London all year round to indulge in some retail therapy. During the winter months, these areas are hit by the festive bug and transformed Into sparkling outlets of decorations and light.

Convent Gardens offers a Christmas card like atmosphere. If you aren’t in a festive mood the main square offers a certain charm that will certainly put you in one. Street performers brace the cold winds of London to keep shoppers entertained, the cobbled stone paths are lit up by the sparkling decorations that cover the square and in the middle of it, one of London's biggest Christmas tree stands. The square is loaded with toy shops too like the Disney Store, The Moomin Shop and Benjamin Pollock’s toy Shop. Convent Gardens is only a 15-minute journey on the Piccadilly line until you get to South Kensington station.

Oxford Street and Regent Street get a Christmas makeover in December too making shopping there that little bit more special. Both streets complete the festive look by decorating their window displays into mesmerizing attractions that passers-by stop to marvel at. You’ll find all the big brands like the Apple store, Hamleys and John Lewis between both of them too.

If shopping’s more of a necessity you can always reward yourself with a cider in a warm cosy pub nearby!

8 - Christmas at Kew

If you’re visiting London this December the Royal Botanical Gardens undergoes a transformation each year turning it into a glittering wonderland. Each year the Gardens turn into a popular after-dark Christmas event where visitors can follow illuminated trails by more than one million lights. There are also food stalls and Victorian funfair rides! Kew Gardens is only a half an hour journey on the Upminster line from Fraser Suites Queens Gate.

7 - Take a tour

Quite a few different tours occur during the month of December. The days get a little shorter and colder but this gives night tours a certain charm about them. You can get a city tour of all the different light exhibitions or go on a walking tour exploring all the haunted pubs.

6 - Magical Lantern Festival

One of the best things to do at Christmas in London is visiting the Magical Lantern Festival in Chiswick. The UK’s Chinese Lantern festival floats back into Chiswick House and Garden for a second year in 2017 to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Here you will find more than 50 different light installations and a massive giant fire rooster to gaze at!

5- Visit Queens Ice and Bowl

Queens Ice and Bowl has to make our list of the top 10 things to do in London during winter. If you’re ready to skate, dine and bowl head on down to London's only permanent ice rink Queens Ice and Bowl! The leisure venue has been around since the 1930s but has only recently undergone a major revamp! The attraction now boasts an ice rink, and a restaurant from pop-up pro Jimmy Garcia, it also has 17 bowling lanes and houses a retro arcade games room that includes favourites like Mario Kart and Street Fighter II.

London Pass holders are entitled to a free session of ice-skating as well. This exclusive discounted card will get you access to other attractions in the area too like Kensington Palace, Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, the former home of Lady Diana and more than 60+ other attractions.

4 - A Christmas classic

Start feeling nostalgic and take a trip down memory lane and watch a classic at the Prince Charles Cinema. The Picture House in Leicester Square will be playing classics like Home Alone, Elf or Die Hard and offers a free mince pie too. After an afternoon at the movies, you might want to stretch your muscles and unwind. Frasers Suites Queens Gate have gym facilities for all guests to enjoy.

3 - A trip to the past

Visit one of the many museums offering an insight into how we celebrated Christmas hundreds of years ago. Geffrye museum allows you to have a look at various decorated living rooms stretching back hundreds of years. The free museum is only a twenty-minute journey on the District Underground Line and then a short bus journey on the 242 Homerton bus at Bank Station Poultry until you get to Pearson Street.

2 - Visit Hogwarts in the snow

Harry Potter fans will be able to enjoy Christmas dinner in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Get up close and personal to the props, costumes and models used in the Harry Potter films. Fans who visit the studios over the Christmas period will have the opportunity to see how the movie sets were decorated for the festive scenes.

1 - Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is last on our list of top ten things to do in winter in London. Why don’t you lose yourself in all the festive fun down at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. The free to enter family event hosts a lot of different activities to do in December. The event comes to Hyde Park from the middle of November all the way until January the 1st.

Hyde Park is only a ten-minute walk away from Fraser Suites Queens Gate and nearby tube stations close to the park are Marble Arch, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria and Knightsbridge.

The Winter Wonderland hosts the largest outdoor ice rink in the UK! You can skate on the ice rink while live music plays in the background. If you’re dreading the cold then not to worry a warm hot cabin is nearby. There is also the option to do a bit of shopping at one of the 150 chalets of the Angels Christmas Market. You can be sure to find some unique and unusual items for sale.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous there are plenty of rides at the park including the iconic Giant Observation wheel that will take you on a thrilling ride 200 feet above the park offering you a spectacular view of the city! If that doesn’t offer enough excitement you could take a deep breath and sit back on the world’s largest on the world’s largest transportable rollercoaster, the Munich Looping!

On top of these fun and entertaining activities for all the family you will be able to attend a number of different shows like the acrobatic wonders at Zippos Circus or take a step into Santa’s Grotto and meet Father Christmas and his elves. The night wouldn’t be complete without visiting one of the various restaurants, bars or food stalls on site for some food, churros, mulled wine or hot chocolate!

After a long day out you might prefer to come back to your apartment to relax and grab a bite to eat. We offer room service between 5:30 and 1 am. You can choose between our two locations depending on the nature of your stay. Our Frasers Suites Kensington location is perfect for long stays and then our Frasers Suites Queens Gate location for shorter stays

Book your stay at Fraser Suites Queens Gate now.