Christmas in London 2018

London is worth a visit at any time of the year but at Christmas, we think it is particularly special. If you are joining us this year for our Christmas and New Year Course then you are in for a treat. There are so many wonderful things to see and do at this time of the year and many of them are free.

Here is Tti’s guide to the best of London at Christmas time:

Make the most of your time in London over the festive period by visiting one of London’s magical Christmas markets. Here are our picks of the best markets giving you the chance to turn Christmas present shopping into a fun day out returning home with lots of original gifts from our wonderful city!

 

The largest Christmas event in London which seems to get bigger each year is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. This market is a must for any visitors to London over the next few weeks. Attractions include Zippo’s Christmas Circus, ice skating under the stars, the Giant Observation Wheel and the Magical Ice Kingdom. There are also plenty of fairground rides and 200 chalets to browse in the Christmas Market. Opens 10 am to 10 pm daily until Jan 6th. Look out for this market on our December Social Programme!

Another popular and large market is the Southbank Centre Winter Market. It takes place until 6th January. The Winter Market and pop-ups offer the very best in global street food, craft beers, cocktails, artisan gifts and more. Along with the market you can also get involved in the South Bank Winter Festival.  Where you will find lots of lovely activities for all ages. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Our final pick is Covent Garden Market! We LOVE walking through this market at any time of the year but at Christmas, it is extra special! The beautiful Christmas tree in the piazza and the stunning decorations in the Market Building really get us into the Christmas Spirit! This year they have created ultimate Christmas Instagram spot on the North Piazza. The Covent Garden green vintage ’67 Morris Minor is parked up on the North Piazza and has been decked out with a stack of 21 Christmas presents, 20 lights and finished with a festive green wreath. Definitely worth a few pictures!

We are sure that you will find some great gifts at these markets as well as having a great time in our fabulous city at this magical time of year! Happy Shopping!

It seems to us that year on year more ice rinks pop up in London over the festive period. As our Christmas Course students are arriving this weekend, we thought we would select the top five rinks as skating is a must for any visitor to London at this time of the year.

 

In the past pop up ice rinks were not necessary as unbelievable as it may now seem, the Thames used to freeze over! Between 1600 and 1814, it was not uncommon for the river to freeze over for up to two months at the time! Enterprising Londoners made the most of the wintery conditions and set up the Thames Frost Fairs. Between 1607 and 1814 there were a total of seven large fairs, as well as some smaller ones. According to historical records shops, stalls, pub and ice rinks were all set up on the frozen river! Here is a list of the most popular ice rinks in London for 2018.

  1. Natural History Museum Ice Rink-link

  2. Tower of London Ice Rink-link

  3. Skate at Somerset House-link

  4. Hampton Court Ice Rink-link

So, you’ve been ice skating and bought all your Christmas presents at one of the beautiful markets, so what’s next? Here are a few more seasonal suggestions:

How about visiting a royal palace? Kensington Palace has several Christmas events taking place throughout December. They include finding out about how Victorians celebrated Christmas as well as Christmas music and cinema events. Or how about a Christmas show? There are so many great shows to see at this time of year, everything from musicals, seasonal concerts, festive ballet to the British favourite, pantomimes! Snow White at The London Palladium is a star-studded show and will certainly get you into the Christmas Spirit!

We look forward to welcoming you to this amazing city at this magical time of year!

To find out more about our Christmas and New Year course please follow this link: www.ttischool.com

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