4 Days in London at Christmas

Four days in London at Christmas feels like stepping into a festive fairytale, they just do Christmas all out. From the elegance of Chelsea to the spectacle of central London, the lights don’t just decorate the city, they change its mood. This trip included lots of coffee and walking… thank jetlag, indulgent lunches, football-fuelled detours and classic London pubs that smell like history and red wine. Exactly how I like it.

We based ourselves in an Airbnb in Chelsea, which honestly set the tone for the whole stay. Quiet, elegant streets, beautiful townhouses and the kind of neighbourhood where everything feels polished but still lived in. Being able to walk everywhere and feel like a temporary local is the only way to do London!

Just around the corner was Sloane Square and the Ralph Lauren festive pop‑up in Chelsea, all evergreen garlands, tartan details and insta-worthy photo opportunities. It felt very old‑money Christmas, the kind that makes you want to people‑watch and pretend you own a cashmere coat collection.

Day 1

Day 1 started early with breakfast at iconic The Ivy Chelsea, which is less about the food and more about the mood. Plush interiors and the feeling that everyone there has nowhere urgent to be. We leaned into it.

Lunch was at Daphne’s, and this is where Christmas really wrapped itself around us. The warmth hits you first, the glow from the fireplace in the atrium, the low hum of conversation, the clink of glasses and rich Italian fare. Deep reds, soft lighting and festive greenery and baubles make the space feel intimate and indulgent, like you’ve stepped into someone’s impossibly elegant dining room. It’s the kind of place where lunch stretches into afternoon without effort, where you order another glass just because it feels right, and where the season feels fully alive.

Day 2

Day 2 took a sharp left turn from London to a football pilgrimage. We caught the train to Manchester, heading for Etihad Stadium to see Man City take on West Ham. There’s something so exciting about arriving at a stadium on a Premier League match day, the crowds thickening, the chants, the sea of sky blue everywhere you look. We couldn’t resist picking up Manchester City scarves as souvenirs, wearing them proudly.

Inside the Etihad, the atmosphere is electric. City dominated, and watching Erling Haaland in action was worth the trip alone. When the final whistle blew at 3–1 to City, the stadium buzzed with that shared high only football seems to create. By the time we made our way back to London that night, tired yet excitedly replaying the game, it felt completely unforgettable.

Day 3

Day 3 was full tourist mode. We jumped on the hop‑on, hop‑off double decker bus and let London show off. Big Ben, Westminster, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, all the greatest hits from the top deck with cold air and cameras out.

We hopped off at Borough Market, because you simply have to. Among the chaos and crowds, we tracked down the famous strawberries and chocolate which I can confirm are extremely yummy! Afterwards we headed to The George Inn for drinks, one of those pubs that makes you feel like you’ve slipped back a few centuries. Low ceilings, timber beams, pints and wine on worn wooden tables. It’s impossible not to love it.

Day 4

Day 4 we slowed things down again. Steak for lunch at an Argentinian restaurant called Gaucho Tower Bridge, with views that could never get old and a glass of red that made us cancel any remaining plans for the afternoon. From there, a wander past Buckingham Palace, ticking off one last iconic sight.

We ended the trip at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese for drinks… dark, cosy and wonderfully chaotic. One of London’s oldest pubs, it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and feels like it hasn’t changed much since. Low ceilings, narrow rooms, and walls that hum with centuries of conversation. Literary ghosts linger here too – Dickens and Mark Twain were known to drink within these walls. A perfect full stop to four days that balanced indulgence, history and just enough spontaneity.

London at Christmas delivers! I loved it so much, much more than I thought I would.