Christmas Markets and Mulled Wine: London in December
December in London means one thing: Christmas takes over. The markets return, the mulled wine flows, and the whole city leans into the season. Here’s how to enjoy it without freezing or overspending.
The markets worth visiting
From the South Bank to the pop-ups scattered across town, the Christmas markets are a December ritual. Busy and cheerful, they’re best enjoyed with a hot drink in hand.
Lights and late-night shopping
The festive lights turn an ordinary evening walk into something special, and the late shopping nights mean you can combine a wander with getting things done. Worth bookmarking alongside the city’s festive traditions for your next trip.
Fitting it all in
There’s a lot packed into December. A quick check of London Guide UK helps you line up the markets, the lights and a warm dinner into one smooth evening.
Which markets to prioritise
Not all of London’s Christmas markets are worth the crowds, and it’s worth being a bit selective. Southbank Centre’s market has the best setting, right along the river with the lights of the city as a backdrop, though it gets extremely busy on weekends. Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is bigger and more of a full day out with rides and stalls, but it also charges for entry after a certain time and can feel more like a fairground than a Christmas market. For something smaller and calmer, the markets around Leadenhall Market or in Greenwich tend to have a nicer, more local atmosphere without the queues.
Timing your visit for a weekday evening rather than a weekend afternoon makes an enormous difference. The same market that feels crushed on a Saturday can be genuinely pleasant on a Tuesday evening after work, with shorter queues for the mulled wine stalls and more room to actually browse the stands rather than being swept along by the crowd.
Budgeting for the season
December in London can get expensive fast if you’re not careful, between markets, gifts and the general pull to say yes to every festive event that comes up. Setting a rough budget for markets specifically, separate from gift spending, helps keep things in check, since it’s easy to lose track after a few stalls each charging five or six pounds for a drink and a snack. Free things help balance it out too. The Christmas lights on Oxford Street and Regent Street cost nothing to walk under, and they’re honestly one of the best parts of December in the city regardless of budget.
Wrapping up warm
December in London is properly cold, damp cold rather than a dry freeze, which cuts through a thin coat fast. A proper waterproof outer layer with something warm underneath beats a single heavy coat, since you’ll likely move between outdoor markets and warm indoor stops throughout the evening. Gloves and a hat matter more than people visiting from milder climates expect, particularly if an evening involves standing around a market stall for any length of time.
Whatever you plan for, book any dinner reservations well ahead. December fills up fast across the whole city, and the good restaurants near the main markets get snapped up weeks in advance once the festive season properly kicks off.
Still deciding where to go next? Our guide to Things to Do in London: The Complete Guide might help.
