Travel: Best Tourist Hot Spots to Visit in London this Christmas

From the annual Christmas markets and London shopping, to winter festivals, shows and tours, there’s never been a better time to experience a Christmas in London. With lots of events scheduled on the calendar in 2016, this Christmas promises to be the best year yet for locals and visitors to the English capital.

But before you set off to see all the sights and festivities, you’ll need to arrange accommodation and the easiest way to do that is with the HomeAway & Owners Direct mobile app. Loaded with all the tools you’ll need to plan, book and manage your stay, this app makes it quick and easy to find and book the perfect London holiday rental in just a few taps!

Now you have your accommodation sorted, we’ll take a look at the best tourist hot spots in London this Christmas.

Explore London’s Christmas Markets

Christmas market with decorations in London. Photo: fotolia.com[/caption]Eat, drink and be a Merry Christmas Shopper at London’s famous Christmas markets, located at different sights around the capital.

Find unusual crafts and global cuisine at the free London Bridge City Christmas Market or sip a little mulled wine as you wander around Southbank Centre’s popular Winter Market on the banks of the river Thames. You’ll find a unique assortment of crafts and gifts, bespoke goods for your home, handmade beauty products and more at the Horniman Christmas Fair and you can pick up a bargain on original luxury goods and stocking fillers at the City Christmas Fair in Draper’s Hall.

There’ll be Winter Kitchen masterclasses and more than 50 artisan food and drink stalls at the BBC Good Food Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace and why not explore a mix of stalls, restaurants, shops and pubs at the Leadenhall Market? Christmas in Leicester Square will be brimming with hand-crafted gifts and festive decorations and there’ll be gifts and festive treats at more than 100 stalls at the Christmas Fair at Chelsea Physic Garden. If you’re looking for something unique for the kids, you can’t pass up this opportunity to find the perfect present at the Museum of Childhood’s Christmas Designer Market.

London’s Top Christmas Attractions

See the Warner Bros. Studio decked out for Christmas with Hogwarts in the Snow. Winter has arrived at Hogwarts. Glittering Christmas trees line the Great Hall and a replica festive feast is laid out on the long tables. Special-effect fires roar in the fireplaces, the Gryffindor common room is filled with Christmas treats and the detailed castle model is covered in a special blanket of snow. Get up close to props and models used in the Harry Potter films, and take a look around the studio’s famous movie sets decorated as they were for the festive scenes.

Get your ice skates on at Somerset House, Hampton Court Palace, Wembley Stadium, Canary Wharf and the Natural History Museum. You can also skate in the shadow of the famous (or should we say ‘infamous’) Tower of London from 16 November 2016 to 3 January 2017.

Be dazzled by the Christmas Lights and seasonal window displays on Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street in London. Other popular locations around London for Christmas Light displays include Carnaby Street, Covent Garden, South Molten Street, Duke of York Square, South Bank, and Trafalgar Square.

Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland returns to London for the 10th year in 2016. It’s free-to-enter, family-friendly and plays host to lots of Christmas-themed activities, including Winter Wonderland ice skating, big top shows, an observation wheel and a huge Christmas market.

And for Something a Little Different

Located in East London, Winterville in Victoria Park is said to be London’s quirkiest Christmas festival.

Experience life as a courtier in Victorian England at Kensington Palace and explore the fashions worn by The Queen, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.

Take a wander around the glittering wonderland of Christmas at Kew at the Royal Botanical Gardens or cheer on the festively-dressed teams at London’s annual Great Christmas Pudding Race. It may also be worth your while to take a romantic stroll through the colourful Enchanted Woodland at Syon Park.