Winter Wonderland
If you live in around London, I’d highly recommend visiting Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park at least once because it is a lot of fun! We went there twice (last year and the year before, unfortunately it was cancelled this year due to the current situtation) and had the most amazing time. It is free to enter and have a walk around but there are some things that you have to pay for.
Let’s see how can you get there:
The best way to get to Winter Wonderland is via public transport. There are many tube and mainline stations in close vicinity. The nearest tube stations are: Victoria, Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Green Park, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner.
There is more than one entrance so please visit the website to find out which gate is the most convenient for you.
The top activities are include ice skating with live music (this is the UK’s largest outdoor rink), join the circus show, or watch world-class skaters in the heartwarming shows on ice (I really wanted to see the ballet version but my husband wasn’t fond of the idea). There is so much more to do but for a full list please visit the actual website.
Two years ago we started our day with ice skating which was wonderful and because there are limited sessions with limited number of people it is not too crowded. If I remember right, it was a 45 minutes session but it was more than enough. We then had a little walk around the Christmas Market which is London’s biggest, you can find a lot of festive German food and drinks such as the German sausage (very tasty, you have to try it out), or have some mulled wine or a hot chocolate. We opted for churros which was a little bit messy but very yummy! After eating/drinking we booked a slot to go and see the ice sculptures in the Magical Ice Kingdom. If you book a ticket to go in there, I’d recommend layering up well as it is very cold inside but it is definitely worth it! We loved it so much that we decided to book a ticket the next year as well and they always change the theme for the Kingdom, and there is loads of photo opportunities as well. We then tried out a few rides and games at the fairground and won one or two little teddy bears as well! The next year we did the Magical Ice Kingdom again with the Circus Show which was so entertaining, you can even buy popcorn and drinks, just like in the cinema!
I’d definitely recommend going one year as it is so much fun and it’ll definitely put you in to the Christmas spirit, especially the Market. We’ve had mulled wine at the fire pit with live music, had a nice talk and stroll across the Bavarian Village.
You can find two different markets in Winter Wonderland: the traditional German Christmas Market which is the largest in London with more than 200 charming chalets overflowing with festive goods, or browse the Angels Christmas Market and it’s unique gifts, arts and crafts, trinkets, jewellery and decorations.
But Winter Wonderland is good for everyone: you can bring your whole family with you, even your children. The family activities usually includes carousel and helter-skelter rides at the traditional fairground or rollercoasters. Go and watch Zippos Christmas Circus or one of the many shows, or meet Santa with your little ones in Santa Land! Or if you are visiting with your friends you can book a table at Bar Ice where the bar, tables and even glasses are made of ice. (We were gonna try this out this year as it looks like so much fun!). Or book an alpine cabin with karaoke machine at Bar Hütte where you can have delicious cocktails and food.
I wanted to give you more information about opening times and fees but I cannot remember how much we’ve paid last year or the year before and this year was cancelled so please visit the website for more information if you’d like to visit next year. You do not have to pay for anything if you’d like to just take a walk around but if you’ve found something that you wanna try out, I’d recommend booking in advance because there are limited slots with limited number of people attending at the same time. Have you ever been to Winter Wonderland? If yes, do tell me your experience in the comment section or send me a message on Instagram!
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! xx
