London Christmas Markets 2026: Dates and Weekend Plan

Mulled wine under Hungerford Bridge, a giant tree in Covent Garden and fairground lights over Hyde Park: London does Christmas on a big scale. This guide brings together the 2026 dates for the main markets, a two-night weekend plan and the cheapest ways to get there from the North, the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Why go

Why London is worth the trip at Christmas

The big draw is how close everything is. Southbank, Covent Garden and Leicester Square are all within about a 20-minute walk of each other, so you can see three markets and the West End lights in one evening without the Tube.

The lights go up early. Carnaby and Regent Street are expected to switch on in the first week of November, and Covent Garden’s switch-on is on Thursday 12 November 2026. By mid-November almost everything is open, from free riverside chalets to ticketed evenings like Christmas at Kew and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

It works on almost any budget, too. Fill the days with free markets and lights, and save paid extras like skating for one evening.

2026 dates

London Christmas markets 2026: dates, Tube and entry

Dates were checked on official websites in mid-October 2026. Where 2026 dates aren’t announced yet, the card says so and gives the usual timing. Check again the week before you travel.

• Southbank Centre Winter MarketDates: 2 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, daily 11am to 10pm (craft stalls until 9pm).
  Nearest Tube: Waterloo or Embankment.
  Entry: free. Chalets run along the river under Hungerford Bridge. Official details
• Hyde Park Winter WonderlandDates: 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day. Most days open at 10am and close at 10pm.
  Nearest Tube: Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch or Knightsbridge.
  Entry: everyone needs a booked entry ticket. Off-peak slots are free to enter, while other slots, rides and shows cost extra. Ticket guide
• Christmas in Covent GardenDates: starts with the lights switch-on on Thursday 12 November 2026. The end date isn’t published yet. It usually runs into early January.
  Nearest Tube: Covent Garden or Leicester Square.
  Entry: free. Expect a giant tree and decorations, plus the Piazza’s everyday market stalls. Official details
• Leicester Square Christmas marketDates: the Skate Leicester Square rink runs 31 October 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Christmas stalls run alongside it, but separate market dates aren’t published.
  Nearest Tube: Leicester Square.
  Entry: free to browse. Skating is ticketed. Official site
• Greenwich MarketDates: open all year, daily 10am to 5.30pm, closed Christmas Day. The 2026 festive programme isn’t announced yet. The market usually goes festive from mid to late November.
  Nearest station: Cutty Sark DLR, or Greenwich rail station.
  Entry: free. Visit info
• Borough MarketDates: open daily all year. Christmas 2026 hours aren’t published yet. Last year it opened early on Christmas Eve and closed from 25 to 27 December.
  Nearest Tube: London Bridge.
  Entry: free. Christmas page
• King’s Cross and Coal Drops YardDates: 2026 dates aren’t confirmed on the official site yet. In 2025 the festive markets ran from 27 November to 22 December. Early listings mention a new Granary Square market from mid-November.
  Nearest Tube: King’s Cross St Pancras.
  Entry: free. King’s Cross
• Christmas at KewDates: selected evenings from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, 4.20pm to 10pm. Not open on 16, 23 or 28 November or on Christmas Day.
  Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens (District line and Overground).
  Entry: ticketed with timed entry, so book ahead. Official tickets
• Skate at Somerset HouseDates: 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027.
  Nearest Tube: Temple, about a 2-minute walk.
  Entry: ticketed, from £11 (child, off-peak) plus a booking fee when checked in October. Adult and peak prices are higher. Official tickets

Explore

Things to do beyond the markets

• Walk the West End lightsWalk from Covent Garden through Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus to Regent Street and Carnaby. It’s free and best after dark, which in December means from about 4pm.
• Christmas lights bus tourOpen-top evening tours run from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and take around 90 minutes. They’re good with kids or tired legs. Compare Christmas lights tours
• Go skatingSomerset House and Leicester Square are the central rinks. Others in 2026 include Battersea Power Station (from 6 November), the Queen’s House in Greenwich (from 18 November) and Hampton Court Palace (from 20 November).
• Thames by boat to GreenwichA river trip is a relaxed way to reach Greenwich Market, the Cutty Sark and the Queen’s House rink. Compare Thames cruises

The plan

A two-night London Christmas weekend

This plan assumes you arrive on Friday afternoon and leave on Sunday afternoon, with one evening kept for a booked treat.

Friday: South Bank by the river

Drop your bags and head for the Southbank Centre Winter Market, open until 10pm. Graze along the chalets, then cross the Golden Jubilee footbridges for the view back over the river. If you’ve booked a late skate, Somerset House is a short walk over Waterloo Bridge.

Saturday: West End lights and Hyde Park

Get to Covent Garden early, before the Saturday crowds, to see the tree and decorations. Then walk to the Leicester Square market and rink. After lunch, follow the lights through Piccadilly Circus to Regent Street and Carnaby.

Spend the evening at Winter Wonderland, booked ahead. Saturday slots are busy, so allow time for queues. If fairgrounds aren’t your thing, do a lights bus tour or an evening at Kew instead.

Sunday: Borough Market, then home via King’s Cross

Be at Borough Market for opening, as Sunday hours are shorter (10am to 4pm last year). Have brunch there, then wander west along Bankside.

If your train leaves from King’s Cross, St Pancras or Euston, finish at Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square, right next to the stations. With more time, take the DLR or a riverboat to Greenwich Market instead.

Where to stay

Where to stay for London’s Christmas markets

For a short weekend, stay somewhere you can walk back to after dark, and book early because December Saturdays fill up. Use the map below to compare places to stay.

• Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London (South Bank)A big modern hotel by Westminster Bridge, a short riverside walk from the Southbank Centre Winter Market. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• Strand Palace Hotel (Covent Garden)A large hotel on the Strand. Covent Garden, Somerset House and Leicester Square are all a few minutes’ walk away. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• Point A Hotel London King’s Cross St Pancras (budget)Compact, budget-friendly rooms near King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston, handy for trains from the North and Midlands. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• citizenM Tower of London (Tower Hill)Stylish, compact rooms by Tower Hill station. Borough Market and the South Bank are easy to reach across the river. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.
• Bayswater and Paddington (good value)Lots of mid-range and budget hotels. You can walk across Hyde Park to Winter Wonderland, and the Elizabeth line from Paddington is quick into town. Check prices on Hotels.com, or compare on Booking.com / Expedia.

Getting there

How to get to London

By train from the North and Midlands

From the North and Midlands, the train is the easiest option. King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston are all a short walk from each other.

• King’s Cross: LNER from Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Lumo runs a low-cost service from Edinburgh and Newcastle.
• Euston: Avanti West Coast from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow. London Northwestern Railway runs slower trains from Birmingham that are often cheaper.
• St Pancras: East Midlands Railway from Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.
• Marylebone: Chiltern Railways from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill. It’s slower than Avanti but worth comparing on price.

To save money, book Advance tickets as soon as they’re released and compare fares on National Rail. A railcard saves a third on most fares. Couples can use a Two Together Railcard, and families a Family & Friends Railcard. Check the time restrictions, and look out for engineering works, especially in late December.

By coach

Coaches are usually the cheapest option, though slower than the train. National Express and Megabus run from across the UK to Victoria Coach Station. Hyde Park is about a 20-minute walk from Victoria.

Flying from Scotland and Northern Ireland

Flying mainly makes sense from Northern Ireland and Scotland. Searching “LON” compares all the London airports at once. Try Belfast to London, Glasgow to London or Edinburgh to London. These use example dates of Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026, so change them to suit. From Edinburgh, compare the train too, as it takes you straight into King’s Cross.

From the airport into central London

• Heathrow: the Elizabeth line or Piccadilly line (TfL), or the faster but pricier Heathrow Express to Paddington.
• Gatwick: the Gatwick Express to Victoria, or Thameslink and Southern trains, which are often cheaper.
• Stansted: the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street.
• Luton: the shuttle to Luton Airport Parkway, then a train into St Pancras.
• London City: the DLR, which links to the Tube.

Driving isn’t worth it for a markets weekend. Central London has the Congestion Charge, the ULEZ and pricey parking, so check charges on TfL if you do drive.

Save money

Money-saving tips

• Tap in with contactless: pay-as-you-go fares are capped each day, so you never pay more than the daily cap for the zones you use. Use the same card or phone for every journey, or the cap won’t work.
• Take the bus for short hops: buses have a flat fare. The Hopper fare also gives you unlimited bus journeys within an hour for that single fare.
• Kids travel free: under-11s travel free on the Tube and buses with a paying adult.
• Stick to the free markets: Southbank, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Greenwich, Borough and King’s Cross all cost nothing to get into. Walking between the central ones saves on fares.
• Book Winter Wonderland off-peak: off-peak entry slots are free, but you still need to book one. Set a budget for rides and food before you go in.
• Pick Kew’s off-peak nights: tickets are cheaper on 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 30 November and 1 and 2 December 2026.
• Go earlier in the season: late November is quieter than mid-December, and market mornings are calmer than evenings.

MAKE MORE OF YOUR DAY

Explore more places on the map

Choose what you need, then use the map to compare locations and plan the rest of your day.

Things to do →Places to eat →Places to stay →Find more walks in the UK →