Where are the Christmas Markets in London? Your Complete 2026 Guide

There’s nowhere quite like London when the Christmas lights go up. Squares fill with chalets, churches glow with fairy lights, and the smell of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts drifts along the Thames. But with markets scattered from Kingston to Canary Wharf, working out where the Christmas markets in London are (and which ones are actually worth your time) can take some planning.

And you can take our word for it: at London Bridge Hotel, we’re right next to of one of the city’s best-loved festive markets. Below, we’ve listed London’s best Christmas markets by area, with typical dates, opening hours, and exactly how to get to each one from our perfectly-placed city sanctuary.

Note: Christmas market organisers tend to confirm their exact 2026 dates in September or October, so we’ve given the usual running period for each market based on previous years. We’ll keep this page updated as dates are confirmed, but always double-check with the official market website before you travel.

London’s Best Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets Near London Bridge Hotel

If you’re staying with us at London Bridge Hotel, you’re already in an ideal location for the capital’s best festive markets. Here’s what’s on our doorstep:

Winter by the River, London Bridge City

• Where: Between Tower and London Bridges
• Usual dates: Mid-November to early January
• Opening hours: Approx. 11am–10pm daily (shorter hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve)

This is the Christmas market London Bridge is best known for, and it’s a five-minute stroll from our front door. Wooden chalets line the riverside with Tower Bridge and the Tower of London as a backdrop, and there’s a heated terrace bar, mulled wine, mince pies, and gourmet sausages to keep you warm. It’s also home to a pop-up curling rink if you fancy trying something new.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Walk. It’s a flat, well-lit ten-minute riverside walk from the hotel via Tooley Street and the Queen’s Walk. No Tube necessary

For more festive inspiration around our neighbourhood, our Christmas in London Bridge guide covers everything else worth doing nearby, from light switch-ons to winter rooftop bars.

Borough Market at Christmas

• Where: 8 Southwark Street, SE1
• Usual dates: Open all year, with an extended, festively-decorated period through November and December
• Opening hours: Varies by day — check the market’s own site closer to the time for December opening times, as some traders extend hours in the run-up to Christmas

It isn’t a pop-up chalet market in the traditional sense, but no guide to Christmas markets in London Bridge would be complete without Borough Market. By December, the historic arches are strung with lights and stallholders have mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas cheeses, and other festive treats piled high. It’s the best place in London to do your Christmas food shop.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: We’re the definition of a hotel near Borough Market, as we’re an eight-minute walk south along St Thomas Street and Borough High Street.

Leadenhall Market at Christmas

• Where: Gracechurch Street, City of London
• Usual dates: Weekend pop-up markets run through December; check the official Leadenhall site for the confirmed 2026 festive weekends
• Opening hours: Pop-ups typically noon–5pm; the normal Victorian arcade is open daily

This is the City of London’s most photogenic Christmas market. It’s a Victorian iron-and-glass arcade (yes, the one Harry Potter fans will recognise as Diagon Alley) strung with lights and dressed for the season. It’s more about atmosphere and craft stalls than a full chalet village, but it’s a beautiful stop whenever you visit.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Take the Tube one stop from London Bridge to Bank or Monument (Northern or District/Circle line), then it’s a two-minute walk. Alternatively, it’s a scenic 20-minute walk over London Bridge itself.

St Katharine Docks Christmas Lights

• Where: St Katharine Docks, E1W
• Usual dates: Late November to late December
• Opening hours: Open daily; lights switch-on event happens early evening on opening day

A short hop across Tower Bridge, this working marina turns into a glittering waterside scene each winter, with a Christmas tree, twinkling lights reflected in the water, and local artisan traders selling handmade gifts. It’s one of the prettiest, and least-crowded, festive spots in central London.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Walk across Tower Bridge (about 20 minutes) or take the Tube to Tower Hill via Bank (roughly 15 minutes).

Guildhall Yard Christmas Market

• Where: Guildhall Yard, City of London
• Usual dates: Early to mid-December
• Opening hours: Check nearer the time — the British Red Cross will likely confirm dates in autumn

Set in the medieval Guildhall in the historic heart of the City, this smaller market makes the most of one of London’s most atmospheric backdrops. It’s a good one to combine with a wander through the City’s quieter, older streets.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Bank (one stop from London Bridge), then a five-minute walk.

Christmas Markets on the South Bank and around Southwark

Southbank Centre Winter Market

• Where: The Queen’s Walk, SE1
• Usual dates: Early November to early January
• Opening hours: Roughly 11am–10pm daily; closed 25 December, 31 December, and 1 January

Alpine chalets line the riverside path between the London Eye and the Royal Festival Hall, with street food, mulled wine, hot chocolate and craft stalls, all with Thames views. The Southbank Centre Winter Market is free to browse and easily combined with a trip to the London Eye or a show.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Walk along the river via the Golden Jubilee footbridge, or take the Tube to Waterloo via Bank. Either way it’s about 20–25 minutes.

Merry Marylebone Christmas Market

• Where: Marylebone High Street
• Usual dates: Early December, typically one day
• Opening hours: Daytime — check nearer the time for confirmed hours

A world away from the big central chalet markets, this is a boutique, village-style street event on one of London’s prettiest high streets, with independent stalls, food, and a local feel.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Baker Street (via Bank and the Jubilee line), roughly 30 minutes.

Christmas Markets in the West End

Covent Garden Christmas Market

• Where: The Piazza, Covent Garden
• Usual dates: Mid-November to early January
• Opening hours: Monday–Saturday roughly 10am–9pm, Sunday 12pm–5pm (closed Christmas Day)

The Covent Garden Christmas market is one of the most photographed festive scenes in London, thanks to a towering tree strung with lights, giant baubles and bells hung from the Market Building, and canopies of light around Seven Dials. The Apple Market and East Colonnade run their usual craft and antiques stalls throughout.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Covent Garden via Bank and the Piccadilly line (around 25 minutes), or Leicester Square station if the Covent Garden lift queue is long.

Leicester Square Christmas Market

• Where: Leicester Square
• Usual dates: Early November to early January
• Opening hours: Monday–Friday 12pm–8pm, Saturday–Sunday 10am–8pm (closed Christmas Day)

The Leicester Square Christmas market wraps around an ice rink circling the Shakespeare statue at the square’s centre, with stalls selling festive food, drinks, and gifts. It’s compact, central, and easy to add to a day of West End shopping or an evening catching a show.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Leicester Square via Bank (Northern line), roughly 20 minutes.

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree and Carols

• Where: Trafalgar Square
• Usual dates: Tree is lit early December; carols run nightly through the month; the tree stands until early January
• Opening hours: The square is open 24 hours; carol singing typically takes place in the afternoons and evenings

The Trafalgar Square Christmas market is really about one thing: London’s most famous Christmas tree. It’s a gift from the city of Oslo to London every year since 1947 in thanks for Britain’s support during the Second World War, decorated in traditional Norwegian style. There have been a handful of festive stalls here in recent years, but for more choice, walk five minutes to Leicester Square or across the river to the Southbank Centre.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Charing Cross via Bank (Northern line), roughly 20 minutes.

Somerset House Ice Skating

• Where: Somerset House, Strand
• Usual dates: Mid-November to mid-January
• Opening hours: Sessions run throughout the day and evening; book ahead online

Not a market in the traditional sense, but a festive institution. Somerset House’s grand neoclassical courtyard is transformed into one of London’s most elegant ice rinks each winter, ringed by a giant Christmas tree and twinkling lights.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Temple via Bank and the District/Circle line, roughly 20 minutes, then a short walk.

Further Afield Christmas Markets in London

If you have a day to explore beyond the centre, these are worth the trip:

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

• Where: Hyde Park
• Usual dates: Late November to early January
• Opening hours: 10am–10pm (some exceptions; closed 25 December)

This is on another scale entirely: a full fairground, ice rink, Bavarian village, circus and cabaret shows, Santa’s grotto and a giant observation wheel, along with your typical market chalets. It’s only £1 to enter with off-peak timed slots, though rides and attractions cost extra. Book your entry slot in advance, as the off-peak ones go quickly.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to Hyde Park Corner via Bank and the Piccadilly line, around 30–35 minutes.

Greenwich Market

• Where: Greenwich Market, SE10
• Usual dates: Mid-November into early January
• Opening hours: Daily, roughly 10am–5:30pm, with extended festive hours

This covered artisan market is a joy to visit year-round, but over Christmas it boasts over 200 stalls, carol singing, a Santa visit and a Lantern Parade, and lights switch-on in mid-November. There’s also a riverside ice rink near Queen’s House with views over the Thames.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: The most scenic option is a Thames Clipper riverboat from London Bridge Pier, taking around 20 minutes and dropping you right by the market. Alternatively, take the Jubilee line to Canada Water and switch to the DLR for Cutty Sark.

Canary Wharf Christmas Market

• Where: Canary Wharf, various squares including Montgomery Square and Canada Square Park
• Usual dates: November to December
• Opening hours: Varies by location and event

Christmas markets in Canary Wharf sit alongside a wider winter lights festival, with illuminated art trails through the estate’s plazas, seasonal pop-up markets, and an ice rink in Canada Square Park. It’s a more contemporary take on the festive market than most on this list, and worth it for the light installations alone.

Coal Drops Yard Christmas Market

• Where: Coal Drops Yard and Granary Square, King’s Cross
• Usual dates: Late November to late December (several separate pop-up markets run on different dates within this window)
• Opening hours: Varies

King’s Cross runs a whole programme of festive markets, rather than one single event. Expect changing lineups of independent makers, food traders, and themed pop-ups (past years have included Mexican and Japanese-inspired markets) under the canopy at Coal Drops Yard and around Lower Stable Street.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Tube to King’s Cross St Pancras via Bank (Northern line), roughly 25 minutes.

Kingston Christmas Market

• Where: Kingston upon Thames town centre
• Usual dates: Mid-November to early January (closed 25 December)
• Opening hours: Sunday–Wednesday 10am–6pm, Thursday–Saturday 10am–8pm

One of London’s better suburban markets, with 40-plus wooden cabins, a mulled wine bar, live music, and photo-friendly installations including a giant reindeer. It’s also one of the few that stays open right through to the New Year.

How to get there from London Bridge Hotel: Take the Jubilee line to Waterloo, then a South Western Railway train to Kingston — around 45 minutes to an hour.

When do the Christmas Markets Start in London?

Most of London’s big central markets (Southbank Centre, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and Winter by the River) open in the first two weeks of November and run through to early January, so there’s a good eight-week window to fit them in. Smaller neighbourhood and pop-up markets, like those at King’s Cross or Marylebone, tend to run for a shorter, more concentrated period in late November and December.

If you want the full experience without the peak crowds, aim for a weekday visit in November before the last-minute Christmas shopping rush kicks in through December.

Frequently Asked Questions About London’s Christmas Markets

Make a Weekend of it With London Bridge Hotel

However you plan your festive market crawl, London Bridge Hotel puts you closer to more of these markets than almost anywhere else in the city, with Winter by the River on our doorstep and Borough Market, Leadenhall Market, and the South Bank all within easy walking distance. You can even take this season’s celebrations up a level with a private Christmas party at London Bridge Hotel.

Ready to book your festive stay? Check availability at London Bridge Hotel for this Christmas season.