Winter Adventures in London

For many travelers, visiting London is one of the top destinations on their list. There are two reasons it has earned such a lofty position. Even though London isn’t the best city for budget travelers there is something special about the city in winter. And there are a lot of things to do in London during Christmas Time.

1- London is one of the major travel hubs of the world; it is easy to start a backpacking adventure almost anywhere in the Europe or Asia from London.

2- Something is ALWAYS going on in London. While you might associate the city of fog with being cloudy, cold, and snowy; I assure you that if you avoid this city because you are worried about hypothermia, you will be missing out on some great winter activities. Here are a few things to do when experiencing winter in London.

Santa Run

Feeling a little plump from all that Christmas cheer? Is the cold getting to you? Well, then suit up in your best Santa outfit and get ready to burn some of that holiday fat while participating in a heart pounding good time. The Santa Run is a 5 or 10k that helps raise awareness and money for several different charities. Need I say anything else? Remember though, riding your reindeer is considered cheating! Even if you are not a runner, just go to watch and cheer as hundreds of people dressed as Chris Krinkle run a marathon! It promises to be a good time. If you are interested, you can view more information here.

British Museum

Running Santas aren’t your thing then maybe don’t visit Santa Rosa in the winter either.? Would you rather stay indoors? Then visiting one of the best places in Europe aka the British Museum might just be the place for you. I am not a massive museum person, but this one is worth checking out. This stunning museum showcases many rare objects from all over the world. It provides you the opportunity to actually see the things you only were able to read about in your history books. One of my personal favorites is the Rosetta Stone, the famous chiseled stone that holds the ancient code that made deciphering hieroglyphs possible.

Pet A Reindeer

If your Christmas wish since the age of 5 has been to come face to face with a reindeer, then may all your wishes come true. Yes, that’s right. Every weekend in London, you can go reindeer petting. If this is something you are interested in, then head to either Convent Gardens or the zoo.

Visit the Globe

The Globe is a one of a kind experience you can only have in London, but it gets even better this winter. The Candle Lit Theater is gathering a group of children actors to take part in the winter tales based loosely on Shakespeare. As always, the Globe offers the highest performances, fit for royalty, and this one should be a wonderful event when it is released early next year.

Hit the Ice

Yes, the classic winter activity – ice skating. What better way to spend an afternoon with a friend on a brisk day in the city? Some of London’s major attractions have rinks. I mean, who doesn’t want to say, “I’ve ice skated in the Tower of London”? Hyde Park also has a rink as well as many others.

Get Warm on the Hop On Hop Off Bus

After spending the day ice skating, warm yourself by grabbing a hot coffee and jumping on the hop on hop off bus. This is a great way to see all the sights of the city without freezing in the cold. Your tickets are good for a couple days and have a variety of routes to choose from to ensure you don’t miss a single sight that London has to offer.

London is a great city no matter the time of the year, but holds a certain energy during winter. If you are passing through, backpacking Europe, or live around the area, you will want to head to this wonderful, magical city for a couple days of winter madness. After all, if you are going to be cold anyways, you might as well enjoy it.