London Christmas markets: Winter Wonderland and where else to go
- Published
- 24 October 2026
- Reading
- 5 min read
- Where
- London, England
- Prices checked
- 26. Oct 2026.
London has no single Christmas market, only a ticketed amusement park, a riverside walk and a few lit squares. This page sorts out which is which, what they cost and how to see the best of them in one evening.
London keeps arguing about whether it has a proper Christmas market, and the answer depends on what you are happy to pay for at the gate. Winter Wonderland is a ticketed amusement park with a market built in, while everything else on this page is a walk that costs nothing to enter. The park runs 19 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027, and the rest of the city fills in around it.
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland spreads across the park with the Ice Kingdom, which presents Neverland this year, and an open-air rink beside it. The organisers bill their Giant Wheel as the largest portable observation wheel in the world, and a new Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus arrives for 2026. The Après-Ski Party Resort serves mulled wine, beer and bratwurst to DJ sets, while Explorer's Rest and Le Chalet & Fire Pit Stage are free to enter and host live bands. It opens every day except Christmas Day, and the last day is a Family Fun Day. Hours: mostly 10:00–22:00, last entry 21:30 (some days open later).
Entry, time slots and what it costs
A ticket is required for everyone, toddlers included, and the organisers say it applies at two years old or at ninety-two. Entry runs in one-hour slots between 10:00 and 20:00, and you can book until 23:59 on the day before. There are three tiers, with off-peak in green at €1.20, standard in gold at €6.40 and peak in orange at €9.60. Entry becomes free if you spend €29.10 online in a single order on rides, attractions or meals. At off-peak prices the wheel costs €10.30 per adult, and skating starts from €14.70. Book the off-peak slot if you can, since it is the cheapest way in.
Official ticket
- Off-peak
- €1.20
- Standard
- €6.40
- Peak
- €9.60
- Book by
- 23:59 the day before
Through a partner
- options with a guide or audio guide
- usually costs more than the official ticket
Southbank Centre Winter Market
This winter market stretches along Queen's Walk beneath Hungerford Bridge, between the Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens, in wooden chalets that face the river. The menu runs from truffle burgers and duck wraps to Dutch pancakes and churros, with mulled wine, hot cider and hot chocolate to wash it down. Fire and Fromage, down by the water, sells all-you-can-eat raclette and a fire pit with sweets to toast. Time Out sums up the entry policy as free to enter and have a wander. It runs 2 Nov 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 and so carries on past New Year. Hours: daily 11:00–22:00 (craft traders until 21:00), closed 25 and 31 Dec.
Covent Garden, Greenwich and Borough Market
Covent Garden is no closed market. It stages a Theatre of Christmas, switched on 12 Nov 2026 with more than 300,000 lights, a 50 ft Norwegian spruce on the West Piazza and golden bells and baubles on the Market Building. The Forest of Theatre is a grove of trees inspired by stage shows, and Festive Thursdays run every Thursday. Greenwich holds a lantern parade and lights switch-on 18 Nov 2026 at 17:00, which winds through the Old Royal Naval College and Cutty Sark Gardens to the Georgian Market. Borough Market is food rather than stalls, and its December opening: daily from 30 Nov 2026 (closed 25, 26 and 27 Dec). Winter by the River and Christmas in Leicester Square exist as names this season, though their 2026 dates are only expected so far.
A food tour with a local guide: several tastings in one walk.
A route for one evening
Spend the afternoon at Covent Garden, where the lights come on at dusk, then cross to Southbank for the evening, since it stays open until 22:00. Winter Wonderland replaces that second stop only if you have booked a slot, and the park also closes at 22:00 with a last entry at 21:30. The park has four gates, and the official site reckons about 12 minutes on foot from Paddington, 14 from Bond Street, 17 from Green Park and 19 from Victoria. Green Park and Bond Street have lifts for anyone who needs to avoid stairs. On Boxing Day the Elizabeth line does not run. With one evening and no wish to pay, take Southbank and Covent Garden, and save Winter Wonderland for the rides and the rink.
Bus, wheel and river: the ticketed side
The best of a London Christmas is the free walk, and three tickets lift an evening on top of it. The bus and boat ticket suits a first visit, since one ride gives the lights and the other the river. The wheel is for anyone who wants the city from above, and it stands at the end of the Southbank market.
- Christmas Lights Tour, City Sightseeing with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers: a 90-minute open-top bus tour with a live guide from Stop 22 on Haymarket, along Regent Street, Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square, on one ticket that also carries you on the river. The tour operates 13 Nov 2026 – 2 Jan 2027, with both legs on the one ticket.
- London Eye: a full rotation takes around 30 minutes, and the wheel is closed on Christmas Day. Santa in the Sky: selected dates, 21 Nov – 24 Dec 2026.
- London Eye River Cruise: a 40-minute circular trip on the Thames from the London Eye Pier, with departures at 45 minutes past the hour and live commentary.
Where to stay
Winter Wonderland and Southbank sit on opposite sides of the centre, so choose a room beside the Tube line you will use most. A base near Marble Arch or Green Park serves the park, and one by the river serves the walk.
One free evening is enough London at Christmas. Take Covent Garden before dark and Southbank after, and buy Winter Wonderland tickets only if the rides are the reason you came.
Check the same room on both sites: price and cancellation terms can differ.
England, in brief
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England
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Warsaw Christmas markets: Old Town and Plac Defilad
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York Christmas markets: St Nicholas Fair and what to pair it with
→York's main Christmas market is St Nicholas Fair, set along Parliament Street, and this page explains where it sits, when it runs and how to fit the Shambles and the Minster into the same evening.
Bath Christmas market: a short run, so pick your day
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Trieste Christmas markets: the mercatini around the Borsa and Ponterosso
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Szeged Christmas market: Advent at Dóm tér
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