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Plenty have tried but we think we’ve finally cracked it. After countless hours, days and weeks of painstakingly researching all the best places to go in London – bars, restaurants, shops, tourist attractions and everything else – we’ve created The Perfect Christmas Day Out in London.
Starting and finishing at the Rathbone, this whistle-stop tour of London at Christmas will take you from the ancient to the brand-new, to pubs older than some countries and to some of the most famous tourist sites in the world.
Check in to the Rathbone, and after you’ve explored the hotel and the locale, get an early night and plenty of sleep because this is a day you’ll never forget…
The Perfect Christmas Day Out in London
Good morning! Today’s the day! We trust you had a good night’s sleep and here’s your itinerary for the day –
9.00am
It’s breakfast time. Come downstairs to the restaurant for your choice of a free continental breakfast or for a small supplement, a traditional English breakfast. Alternatively, we lovingly prepared a list of the best places for breakfast in London so depending on how long you’re with us, you can mix it up, one day in, one day out!
10.00am
It’s time to venture out and to work off your breakfast and get you ready for lunch we’re going for a walk! Ask the concierge to point you towards Oxford Street and from there, wander down Regent Street (the lights won’t be on yet but we’re coming back to that later) and you’ll find Hamleys and yes, the Apple Store!
Walk past the classical sweeping curves designed by architect John Nash and you’ll get to Piccadilly Circus and it’s brand-new 780m2 screen advertising everything from wellington boots to sugary soft drinks. Carry on a bit and you’ll bump into Leicester Square with its famous street performers and caricaturists and this is where you can find cheap theatre tickets so if there’s something you fancy, have a look around and you can usually find some great deals.
As you walk out the other side of Leicester Square, you can either turn right down Charing Cross Road and you’ll end up in Trafalgar Square (where you’ll find Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery) or you can go straight over and you’ll be in Covent Garden where you’ll have to dodge the street performers and human statues.
11.30am
It’s probably time for a drink and a sit down. You find great coffee in any of the cafés around Covent Garden or Leicester Square where you can watch the world go round for a while.
12.00pm
How about a pre-lunch boat trip? You can jump on the Thames Clipper for a ride up and down the River Thames where you’ll see London’s famous bridges, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and lots more world-famous landmarks. It’s also worth getting off on the South Bank and wandering up and down for a while to take in the creativity and the exciting vibes that seem to permanently permeate the promenade.
1.30pm
It’s lunchtime and what better way to prepare you for an afternoon of fun than a burger! Here’s our list of the best burger restaurants in London for you to choose from.
3.00pm No visit to London is complete without a visit to perhaps our most famous landmark – St Paul’s Cathedral and once you’ve marvelled at the splendour of Sir Christopher Wren’s magnum opus and heard a whisper in the Whispering Gallery, there’s time to explore some of London’s most obscure tourist spots, most of which are within a short walk of St. Paul’s. How many can you find!
7.00pm
It’s been a long day, but we’re not finished yet! Make your way back to the Rathbone to get refreshed and maybe relax with a pre-dinner cocktail in our lounge and then when you’re ready, our concierge will grab you a cab which will take you to your pre-booked restaurant where you can even get 10% off as a guest of the Rathbone (we think of everything!)
10.30pm
After dinner take a stroll down Oxford and Regent Streets but this time the fantastic Christmas lights will be on and you’ll be able to see the amazing Christmas windows in the department stores. Every year they compete with other to see who designs the best ones! They really do look amazing but by now you’re bound to be exhausted!
11.30pm
It’s time to come back to the Rathbone for a nightcap at the bar and a very well-earned night’s sleep!
So if you’re coming to London over Christmas, don’t forget to make sure you book your stay at The Rathbone now!