Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026. This is the one day when London feels completely different. The Underground, ordinary buses and most trains are not running, and shops and the big museums are closed. Yet the streets, parks and river are still there to enjoy, and you can book a Christmas meal, a special bus tour or a Thames cruise. We have lived in London since 2010, and a quieter walk on this day can be one of the most memorable parts of a festive visit.
Choose something within walking distance of where you are staying if you can. If you book a tour, a cruise or lunch on the other side of London, arrange the journey to and from it before Christmas Day.
What to do on Christmas Day in London
Go for a Christmas morning walk
Westminster is an easy starting point: see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, cross Westminster Bridge for the London Eye, then follow the Thames along the South Bank. The bridge views are especially striking without the usual crowds. From there you can continue to Trafalgar Square and its Christmas tree, Covent Garden’s decorations or the streets around St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace. The shops may be shut, but London’s squares, river views and architecture are yours to explore.
Another route we like is a walk around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, followed by lunch nearby. If you choose the Thames path, remember that cafés and public toilets may be less available than usual, so take water and plan your meal stop in advance.
Ride a Christmas Day sightseeing bus
Golden Tours offers a Christmas Day hop-on hop-off bus, with a route past landmarks such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. The listed service runs about every 30 minutes between 10 am and 4 pm. You need a ticket valid for 25 December; some departures have a live guide, and there is an optional Christmas lunch. Unlike a regular sightseeing ticket, the Christmas Day ticket does not include a river cruise or walking tour.
If you would rather stay on a coach with a guide, the operator also sells a panoramic Christmas Day tour. Its morning option includes a Sung Eucharist at Westminster Abbey; the afternoon option gives more sightseeing time. Choose between the two styles of bus tour based on whether you want to stop and explore on foot or simply sit back and see the city.
Take a Christmas Day trip from London
If you would like a change of scenery, organised Christmas Day coach tours take care of the transport and often include lunch. This is a very different sort of day from a quiet London walk: you will spend more time travelling, but you can see places that are difficult to reach on your own when normal trains are not running.
- Oxford, the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon: the 2026 Christmas Day tour combines historic town streets, Cotswold scenery and a traditional lunch. This suits you if you enjoy walking and want a complete day away from London.
- Windsor, Oxford and Avebury: the Christmas tour includes a visit around Windsor, Oxford and the Avebury stone circle, with lunch. Windsor Castle itself is closed on Christmas Day, so go for the town and route rather than expecting palace admission.
- Canterbury and Greenwich: the Christmas Day programme includes a trip through Canterbury and Greenwich with a traditional lunch. It is a useful alternative if you prefer Kent’s historic streets and the riverside to a long Cotswolds journey.
All these tours start at a specified central London meeting point and finish later in the day. Check the departure and return stops before booking, because the first and last part of your journey still needs to work without TfL. If you have children, allow for a long coach day and plan food and toilets around the scheduled stops.
Watch the Peter Pan Cup Race
The Serpentine Swimming Club’s Peter Pan Cup is scheduled for 9 am on 25 December 2026 in the Serpentine at Hyde Park. It is a Christmas morning swim for qualifying club members and free to watch from the bank. It makes a distinctive start to the day, but arrive before the race begins and dress for standing outdoors in winter. Follow it with a park walk or a booked lunch.
Take a Thames cruise
City Cruises offers a Christmas Day sightseeing cruise, a one-hour circular trip with commentary, and a separate Christmas Day lunch cruise with a festive meal. The river is a lovely way to see Westminster and the City when ordinary river services are limited. Choose the sightseeing cruise if you already have lunch booked; choose the meal cruise if you want the river journey to be the centre of your day. Both need a Christmas Day booking, and the meal cruise has a longer boarding and dining window.
Golden Tours also offers a guided city tour followed by a Christmas lunch cruise, departing from Victoria and finishing by Westminster Pier. This combines two experiences but fills a large part of the day; check the meeting point carefully because there is no ordinary TfL service to take you there.
Visit a Christmas service
Christmas worship at St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St Martin-in-the-Fields is a way to experience these buildings on the day itself. A service is different from a sightseeing visit: arrive in time, respect the congregation and use each church’s Christmas programme for entry details. St Paul’s lists Christmas Day services for 25 December 2026, while Westminster Abbey publishes its own Christmas worship schedule.
Where to eat on Christmas Day in London
Christmas lunch is a highlight of the British festive season: think roast turkey or another main course, roast potatoes, vegetables, Christmas pudding and perhaps crackers on the table. Many pubs and restaurants require a reservation and sometimes a deposit or pre-order. We would decide on lunch first, then plan a walk, tour or cruise that begins and ends within a sensible distance.
Traditional pubs by neighbourhood
- Near Hyde Park: The Swan on Bayswater Road publishes a Christmas Day menu and works well after a walk in the park.
- In the West End: The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden offers a central location for a Christmas walk. Nearby The Three Tuns by Marble Arch publishes a Christmas Day booking page.
- By the river in East London: The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping lists Christmas Day 2026 bookings and has a wonderfully atmospheric riverside setting.
- South of the river: The Horniman at Hays in Hay’s Galleria is appealing for a London Bridge walk; see its own Christmas booking calendar for the day you want. The Duke of Sussex near Waterloo is another well-placed pub for a South Bank walk.
Fuller’s maintains a London Christmas Day pub finder, which is particularly useful if you are staying outside the centre and would prefer to walk to a local meal.
Restaurants and hotel dining
- Victoria: Browns Victoria has a 2026 Christmas Day menu. It is convenient if you are staying near Victoria or joining a tour from there.
- Tower Bridge: Butler’s Wharf Chop House advertises Christmas Day dining with a view across the river. A meal here pairs naturally with a walk by Tower Bridge.
- Mayfair: May Fair Kitchen has announced a five-course Christmas Day 2026 meal, with lunch and dinner sittings.
- Piccadilly: The Ritz offers special Christmas Day dining and afternoon tea if you want to make the meal the main occasion. Its Christmas lunch is a substantial luxury booking.
- Westminster: The Cinnamon Club offers an alternative to a traditional roast in its former library dining room. See its seasonal booking page for the Christmas meal.
- City rooftops: Aviary has a five-course Christmas Day meal with skyline views, Champagne and two afternoon arrival windows. Its 2026 menu requires choices in advance. Coq d’Argent also offers a five-course Christmas Day meal above the City, with a French menu and rooftop setting. Both are a longer walk from the West End, so they make most sense if you are staying nearby or have arranged a car.
- Near Liverpool Street: Duck & Waffle has a 40th-floor view and advertises 24-hour dining. It is a flexible alternative to a set hotel lunch; book a table specifically for Christmas Day and choose from the menu offered for that date.
Hotels can be practical on a day with no public transport: ask the restaurant in your hotel first, or look at the dining rooms of a hotel within walking distance. The Savoy and other central London hotels have several restaurants and festive programmes, but each has its own booking and dress arrangements. If you would rather avoid organising a separate table, a Christmas lunch cruise is another complete option.
What closes on 25 December?
Winter Wonderland closes for Christmas Day, as do the seasonal Christmas markets. The London Eye, Tower of London, many other attractions and the big museums do not offer normal sightseeing admission on 25 December. Shops and supermarkets are also mostly closed. Get anything you need for breakfast, snacks or children on Christmas Eve; plan an outdoor route or a specific Christmas Day experience instead of relying on an attraction’s ordinary timetable.
How to get around London on Christmas Day
There is no regular Underground, bus, Overground, DLR or Elizabeth line service on Christmas Day. Walking is the simplest option if your hotel is central. Black cabs and pre-booked private cars may be available, often at holiday rates; arrange an essential journey in advance and check where the driver can pick you up.
Some long-distance coaches, including National Express, run Christmas services, which can help with airports or intercity travel. Their routes and departures are separate from ordinary London buses. Book the exact airport journey ahead and check how you will get between the coach stop and your accommodation.
Christmas Eve and Boxing Day
The two neighbouring days feel very different. On Christmas Eve you can still enjoy shopping, lights and performances before early closing times. On Boxing Day some shops reopen for the sales and Winter Wonderland opens again. If your trip covers all three, our 24, 25 and 26 December guide helps you spread the activities out.
Hi, we are Alberto and Amy, the London locals behind PlanTrip London. We’ve lived in London since 2010 and have spent every year since exploring the city, from its famous landmarks to the markets, pubs, parks and hidden corners most visitors never find. Over the years we became the go-to trip planners for friends and family visiting London, so we created this site to share the same first-hand, tried-and-tested advice with you. Every itinerary, tip and recommendation here comes from our own experience with our two children, so you can plan a London trip that’s easier, better value and far more memorable.