Christmas Day in London 2026: What’s Open & Things to Do

Spending Christmas Day in London in 2026? From what’s actually open on 25 December to Christmas Day lunch, church services and how on earth to get around without the Tube—here’s how to spend Christmas Day in the city, from a Londoner.

This post may contain affiliate links. Check out my Disclosure & Privacy Policy for more information.

Christmas Day in London is the one day of your festive trip I would not wing.

Friday 25 December 2026 is very different from the rest of Christmas in London—there are no normal London buses, Tubes, trams or Overground trains, and most shops and major attractions are closed. Unfortunately, wandering around a Christmas market with a mulled wine at 2pm might not work out the way you’d hope.

But after 10 Christmas seasons living in London, I’ve learned it can also be one of the best times to spend the festive season in London, if you plan ahead…

Shall we?

P.S. – If your trip includes the days around Christmas rather than just 25 December, use my full Christmas in London guide and 3-day London Christmas itinerary too. This guide is specifically for Christmas Day itself.

---

Quick Overview: What’s Open on Christmas Day in London 2026?

Christmas Day 2026	What’s happening?
Tube, buses, trams + London Overground	All TfL services are closed
National Rail	Very limited to no service — check your exact operator
Taxis + private hire	Available in limited numbers; pre-book where possible and expect Christmas fares (Uber works as well)
Santander Cycles + Lime Bikes	Great to do on Christmas Day if you’re comfortable cycling in London
Parks	Open, including Hyde Park
Westminster Abbey + St Paul’s Cathedral	Open for Christmas Day worship, not normal sightseeing
Peter Pan Cup	9am at the Serpentine, Hyde Park
Christmas Day tours + Thames cruises	Only specific tours operate
Restaurants + pubs	Some open with special menus; advance booking is essential
Shops + supermarkets	Mostly closed
Museums + major attractions	Mostly closed
Christmas markets + Winter Wonderland	All closed on 25 December

---

---

First: How Do You Get Around London on Christmas Day?

Before you book anything it’s important to keep in mind there’s no normal public transport in London on Christmas Day.

That means no Tube, no trams and no London Overground trains (and yes, even buses).

So if your hotel is in Kensington and your Christmas lunch is in the City, you can’t plan the journey the way you would on literally any other day. It’s also why I’d make sure your Christmas in London hotel is very central for your trip. Here’s my list of top recommendations.

With that said, I’d build your day around walking first. Black cabs and licensed private-hire cars do operate, but there are fewer of them and Christmas Day fares can be higher, so anything time-sensitive is worth arranging beforehand (Uber should still be working too).

Santander Cycles or Lime Bikes are other options if you’re confident cycling in London too, but the keyword is confident here!

P.S. – If you need to travel to or from a London airport on 25 December, arrange that separately with your hotel or a booked transfer.

---

Things to Do on Christmas Day in London 2026

1. Watch the Peter Pan Cup in Hyde Park at 9am

If you want one thing that feels properly Christmas Day in London, make it the Peter Pan Cup.

At 9am sharp, members of the Serpentine Swimming Club race 100 yards through the Serpentine in Hyde Park, and watching it live will put you right in the Christmas spirit.

The club’s Christmas morning race dates back to 1864, while J.M. Barrie became involved in 1903 (the same year the Peter Pan story was making its way towards the London stage) and donated the cup that gave the race its name.

For 2026, the club has confirmed the 163rd Christmas Morning swim for 9am on 25 December. And although you can’t just ‘turn up and join in’, spectators are more than welcome.

I’d get there a little early and wrap up ridiculously well…

---

2. Go to a Christmas Day Service at Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s

You don’t need to be religious to understand why Christmas morning inside one of London’s great churches is a very different experience from normal sightseeing.

Westminster Abbey holds a Christmas Day Sung Eucharist, with the Abbey choir, carols, a sermon and Holy Communion. The service is ticketed and places are released in advance, so it’s not one I’d leave until Christmas Eve.

St Paul’s Cathedral is another brilliant option and has already published its 2026 Christmas Day programme with Morning Prayer at 7.30am, Early Eucharist at 8am, Choral Eucharist from 11am–12.30pm and Festal Evensong from 3–4pm.

Just bear in mind you’d be joining to attend a worship service. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive on foot!

---

3. Take a Christmas Day Open-Top Bus Tour

Normally I wouldn’t tell you that the answer to London public transport shutting down is…another bus. But Christmas Day is a very strange exception.

Golden Tours runs a Christmas Day hop-on hop-off bus specifically for 25 December, with buses scheduled every 30 minutes between 10am and 4pm.

The route takes in the usual Central London heavy hitters—Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, Trafalgar Square, Westminster and more—but with a fraction of the normal traffic outside.

There’s also an option with a three-course Christmas lunch at Browns Covent Garden, so two birds one stone!

---

4. Or Do the Christmas Day Sights & Sounds Tour + Westminster Abbey

If you like the idea of seeing London but don’t care about hopping on and off, I’d look at the Sights & Sounds of London on Christmas Day instead.

The morning departure leaves Victoria at 8.30am and includes the Christmas Day Sung Eucharist at Westminster Abbey (the afternoon version leaves at 2pm and spends longer sightseeing instead).

A lovely one if you want a Christmas Day planned for you!

---

5. Have Christmas Lunch on the Thames

If you’d like to combine your Christmas Day with some lovely sightseeing, City Cruises is also running a Christmas Day sightseeing cruise and a full Christmas Day lunch cruise from Westminster Pier.

The lunch version includes a welcome glass of sparkling wine, a traditional three-course Christmas lunch, tea or coffee, festive music and carols, and around three hours on the Thames.

You can also go for their coach tour + Christmas Day lunch.

---

6. Walk Through an Almost Empty Central London

There’s something almost surreal about walking through Central London on Christmas Day.

The decorations are all still there—the enormous tree in Covent Garden, the Norwegian spruce in Trafalgar Square, the angels floating above Regent Street—but almost everything that normally sits underneath them has disappeared for the day.

No shoppers weaving around you with bags. No queues spilling out of shops. No Christmas market stalls or street performers competing for your attention. Even Oxford Street, which I normally associate with an almost comical amount of people in December, feels completely different.

With that said, a little self-guided Christmas walk is one of the best ways to spend the special day in London.

I’d start in Covent Garden, walk through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly, then follow Regent Street up towards Oxford Street, without worrying too much about ticking anything off along the way.

And if you’re here for the days either side of Christmas too, save the shopping for my Christmas shops in London guide and the mulled wine and market stalls for my Christmas markets guide.

---

7. Pick a London Park and Go for a Proper Christmas Day Walk

Another major perk of London at Christmas is that the Royal Parks stay open.

Hyde Park stays open, so after the Peter Pan Cup you can walk the Serpentine, continue into Kensington Gardens and let Christmas lunch be the only actual reservation of the day.

Just don’t confuse Hyde Park being open with Winter Wonderland being your plan for the day. Christmas Day is the annual pause in the middle of London’s otherwise very busy festive season.

---

8. For Families: Check What’s On at JW3

JW3

One of the more useful places to know about on Christmas Day is JW3, the Jewish community centre on Finchley Road.

It regularly programmes Christmas Day activities while much of London is closed. For 2026, its family pantomime Dick Whittingberg Gets Into a Pickle has an 11am Christmas Day performance, and their ice rink is open on the day too.

It’s not Central London, so with no public transport I would only build this into your plans if you’re staying nearby or have already sorted a car.

If you’re travelling with children, my Christmas in London with kids guide has plenty more for the surrounding days.

---

Where to Eat on Christmas Day in London 2026

When it comes to planning where to eat for Christmas Day in London, you’ll absolutely need to plan ahead.

Although there are restaurants and pubs open, the good ones have a finite number of Christmas Day sittings.

For something easy and Central London, Browns Covent Garden has a five-course Christmas Day menu and works particularly well if you’re doing the Golden Tours bus.

If you want a pub rather than a grand hotel, The Prince Bonaparte in Notting Hill is taking Christmas Day bookings, with Champagne and oysters on arrival before the full Christmas menu.

For a mid-range hotel option, Origin Kensington at the Royal Garden Hotel has a five-course Christmas Day lunch and dinner worth dipping into.

And of course, there’s The Ritz, with a Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant Christmas Day lunch or Christmas Day afternoon tea if you’re keen.

If none of that sounds like your Christmas, Chinatown also has a few restaurants open for non-traditional—but quite frankly delicious—Christmas Day food.

---

How I’d Spend Christmas Day in London Without a Tour

If you want your Christmas in London day to feel a bit looser, I’d keep it very simple. Here’s a rough itinerary!

8.30am: Walk or pre-book a cab to Hyde Park and get into position for the Peter Pan Cup.

9am: Watch the race, then take a winter walk through Hyde Park.

Late morning: If you’ve managed to get tickets, head towards Westminster Abbey for the Christmas Day service. Otherwise, use the morning for Westminster, the Thames and Trafalgar Square.

Lunch: Have a Christmas lunch. Browns works if you’re finishing around Westminster/Covent Garden, or a Thames lunch cruise works if you’d rather make lunch the main event.

Afternoon: Walk from Covent Garden → Trafalgar Square → Piccadilly → Regent Street once it gets dark!

Evening: Have dinner or drinks wherever you booked, or retreat to the hotel having spent a very lovely Christmas Day in London.

---

Where I’d Stay for Christmas Day in London

On Christmas Day I would absolutely prioritise being Central.

The Resident Covent Garden would be my pick if you want to walk Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Westminster and the West End without thinking too hard about transport.

But The Welbeck makes more sense if Hyde Park, Marylebone and the Peter Pan Cup are higher on your list.

Read my Christmas hotels in London guide for more options!

---

What About Boxing Day?

The good news is on Boxing Day London starts waking back up.

Public transport runs a reduced service rather than shutting completely, sales start appearing and more attractions, restaurants and shops reopen—although individual hours will still vary.

In short, don’t expect to do any normal London sightseeing until 26 December!

This is also when I’d move your Christmas shopping, London Christmas market plans or any big attraction you’ve been trying to squeeze in.

---

Final Thoughts on Spending Christmas Day in London

Christmas Day in London is one of those days where the city feels completely different from the version you’ve probably spent the rest of your trip getting to know.

The shops are shut, the Tube is quiet and whole stretches of Central London suddenly feel almost empty.

And that’s kind of the beauty of it.

You’ll get the lights without the crowds, the parks without the usual rush and a version of London that feels slower, softer and slightly surreal for the day.

So book the lunch, work out how you’re getting around, choose one or two things you’d genuinely enjoy and leave the rest of the day open.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Londoning,

Candace x

---

FAQs: Christmas Day in London 2026

What day is Christmas Day in London in 2026?

Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December 2026. It’s also a UK bank holiday!

Is anything open on Christmas Day in London?

Yes, but far less than usual. Parks remain open, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s hold services, specific Christmas Day tours and Thames cruises run, and a selection of restaurants and pubs serve Christmas Day lunch. Most normal attractions, shops and markets will be closed.

Do buses or the Tube run on Christmas Day in London?

No. London’s normal buses, Underground, trams and London Overground do not operate on Christmas Day. Walk, pre-book a taxi/private-hire car, use Santander Cycles or Lime bikes if you’re comfortable doing so, or book a dedicated Christmas Day bus tour like this Sights & Sounds of London on Christmas Day tour.

Are trains running on Christmas Day in London?

Most National Rail services don’t run on 25 December. If you have an airport or long-distance journey, book your transport in advance or use Uber on the day.

Are shops open on Christmas Day in London?

Almost all major shops and supermarkets are closed. Do your Christmas shopping before 25 December or save it for Boxing Day and use my Christmas shops in London guide.

Are pubs and restaurants open on Christmas Day in London?

Some are, but I absolutely wouldn’t rely on walking in.

For something central, Browns Covent Garden will have a five-course Christmas Day lunch and dinner menu on. If you want to go all out, The Ritz has a six-course Christmas Day lunch in the two-Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant and its Christmas Day afternoon tea.

I’d book all the above in advance. Otherwise, Chinatown is also worth checking if you’d rather have a non-traditional Christmas meal.

Will it snow in London on Christmas Day?

It can, but I absolutely wouldn’t plan your trip around a white Christmas (sorry!). Expect more cold, grey or wet weather, and if you’re lucky enough to get snow…use my London snow guide.

Is London worth visiting on Christmas Day?

Yes, if you plan for most bits being closed. I wouldn’t choose 25 December for a first and only sightseeing day in London, but as part of a longer Christmas trip, it can be a magical day to explore the city given Central London is so much quieter.

---