London Winter Bucket List 2025: 50 Things You Can Only Do in December

December in London is its own season: not just winter, but a month of rituals, temporary spectacles and things that vanish on January 2nd. If you want a real local’s bucket list the kind you can actually follow without racing from one end of the map to the other here are 50 December-only things to try in London in 2025. I’ve added quick location and Tube notes so you can stitch a sensible route together.

Markets, Pop-ups & Seasonal Shopping (1–12)

1. Visit Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (big rides, Bavarian village, markets) Marble Arch Tube; open 14 Nov 2025–1 Jan 2026 (timed slots recommended).

2. Wander the Southbank Centre Winter Market with riverside chalets and street food Waterloo Tube; free to browse.

3. See the giant Oslo spruce in Trafalgar Square and catch evening carols Charing Cross / Embankment Tube.

4. Shop Covent Garden’s festooned Christmas stalls and watch street performers Covent Garden Tube.

5. Hunt for gifts at Old Spitalfields Market’s late-night makers’ editions Liverpool Street Tube.

6. Explore Christmas by the River (London Bridge City) riverside chalets; London Bridge station.

7. Buy artisan presents at Coal Drops Yard winter markets King’s Cross station.

8. Pick up seasonal food at Borough Market (evening lights and stalls feel special in December) London Bridge station.

9. Browse Leicester Square Christmas Market and try the small ice rink Leicester Square Tube.

10. Visit Greenwich Market’s festive edition and see the Cutty Sark lit at dusk Cutty Sark DLR.

11. Track a tiny neighbourhood pop-up or branded winter bar (King’s Cross & Soho are good bets) walk from King’s Cross or Tottenham Court Road.

12. Try a themed hotel pop-up afternoon tea book early, many hotels post limited-run menus

Ice, Skates & Winter Play (13–19)

1. Skate beneath Somerset House’s glow Temple / Covent Garden; book a session (12 Nov–11 Jan 2026).

2. Try the new Leicester Square ice rink central, compact and full of atmosphere. Leicester Square Tube.

3. Find a rooftop pop-up ice rink (Peckham & select rooftops sometimes run short-term rinks) check pop-up listings.

4. Take the family ice-skate + hot chocolate loop: Somerset House → Covent Garden → Leicester Square.

5. Book a nighttime skate under Somerset House lights for candlelit ice photos.

6. Try a beginners’ session (many rinks run shorter learn-to-skate slots in daytime).

7. Watch a small community rink event feel the local December buzz rather than the tourist crowd.

Lights, Trails & Special Illuminations (20–28)

1. Walk Oxford Street and Regent Street lights after dusk Oxford Circus / Piccadilly Circus Tube.

2. Take the Christmas at Kew illuminated trail through the gardens Kew Gardens (District / Overground); timed entry, sells out (14 Nov–4 Jan 2026).

3. Stroll the Southbank projection & market combo Waterloo Tube; free market, ticketed projections.

4. See the lights at Covent Garden and hear a street choir near the piazza. Covent Garden Tube.

5. Photograph Tower Bridge lit against a cold Thames night Tower Hill Tube.

6. Seek out small neighbourhood light trails (Camden, Notting Hill, and Hackney often add installations).

7. Catch late-night façade projections or small commissioned installations in the City check local council listings.

8. Walk the Thames at dusk from Westminster to Tower Bridge for sequential views of the city lights. Westminster → Tower Hill.

9. Hit newly commissioned light pieces (2025 had several new pieces at Kew, Southbank and scattered park projections).

Theatre, Music & Seasonal Culture (29–36)

1. See a West End musical many shows run extra December performances; book matinees if evenings sell out. Leicester Square / Covent Garden Tube.

2. Book a seasonal concert or carol service St Martin-in-the-Fields and Westminster Abbey are classics but require tickets. Charing Cross / Westminster Tube.

3. Watch a pantomime with kids quintessentially British and only available in season (book ahead).

4. Catch a seasonal special at the Royal Albert Hall (Carols, Proms-style specials and festive concerts). South Kensington Tube.

5. Find pop-up classical sets small choirs in church lobbies or hotel grand rooms offer intimate seasonal music (walk local church listings).

6. Attend a weekend late-night museum opening (Tate Modern and others run December late sessions). Southwark / Blackfriars Tube.

7. Book a ticket for an immersive winter theatre pop-up these often run only for a few weeks.

8. Go to a UK-style brass band or carol evening in a local square communal, old-fashioned and very December.

Food, Drink & Seasonal Treats (37–43)

1. Eat a warm mince pie from a traditional baker (Fortnum & Mason is a classic stop) Piccadilly / Green Park Tube.

2. Try mulled wine at a riverside chalet on Southbank or London Bridge City. Waterloo / London Bridge.

3. Book a festive afternoon tea at a hotel limited runs, book early

4. Visit seasonal pop-up bars (igloos, alpine lodges, and rooftop chalets in King’s Cross & Shoreditch).

5. Try a themed festive menu at a new 2025 restaurant opening use Time Out-style roundups to pick the hot ticket.

6. Join a pudding-making class or Christmas baking workshop (many culinary schools run December sessions).

7. Toast at a cosy pub with a log fire look for seasonal menus and mince-pie specials.

Quirky & Local Traditions (44–50)

1. See the Trafalgar Square tree lighting and hear the story of why it’s from Oslo a living diplomatic tradition. Trafalgar Square Tube.

2. Spot tiny hidden Christmas symbols around the city holly, weathered wreaths and old pub decorations in Bloomsbury, Soho and Notting Hill.

3. Watch a local charity choir or Salvation Army band collecting at major stations (a December civic ritual). Waterloo / Victoria / King’s Cross.

4. Book a Boxing Day stroll watch London change rhythm from rushing shoppers to leisurely walkers (stores have restricted opening rules on Christmas Day). West End / Oxford Street / parks.

5. Trace the old Oxford Street & Regent Street lights history by walking both streets and imagining the mid-20th-century switch-ons. Oxford Circus / Piccadilly Circus.

6. Visit a lesser-known quiet church carol service (Parish churches keep December intimate services that tourists rarely find). Various central parish churches(check local listings).

7. Photograph London on a frosty dawn from Primrose Hill or Parliament Hill December mornings have unique clarity that sharpens the skyline. Chalk Farm / Hampstead Heath.

How to use the list (local planning tips)

• Pick two “big” things (e.g., Kew + Winter Wonderland) and three small (markets, warm pubs, a short show). That keeps the day manageable

• Book timed tickets for Kew, Winter Wonderland and major rink slots they sell out on weekend evenings.

• Use contactless / Oyster on the Tube for quickest transfers; riverside walking between clusters often saves time.

• Weekday evenings are gentler than weekends for markets and lights.

• If you’re staying central, choose a comfortable base hotel in the West End easy walking distances to many items on this list and a warm place to recharge

December in London is temporary, so slow down

These 50 bucket-list ideas are all words and promises until you put on a coat and step into the city. The secret is not to chase the entire list; pick a handful, let the rest happen by accident, and keep one evening free for aimless wandering: a lighted street, a market stall, a choir in a square. That’s when London’s December feels like a small, shared surprise.

For daily crowd tips, last-minute pop-up announcements and tiny local hacks that make rigged lights and market queues easier, follow @london.yaar your slightly nosy London friend for the winter season.