London will be eerily silent on Christmas Day because many shops, restaurants and transportation services will be closed.
Planning is therefore essential if you need to buy something or eat in the capital. However, all royal parks (which includes the majority of the big ones in London) are open, affording the ideal opportunity for a brisk winter stroll.
However, parks aren’t the only places that are open on Christmas Day. Here is our guide to everything we know that is open on December 25.
What restaurants are open on Christmas Day?
Restaurants open on Christmas Day are likely to have limited opening hours so it's worth double-checking with them directly. Here is a list of the places that will be open:
What pubs are open on Christmas Day?
What hotels are open on Christmas Day?
Transportation
The tube, buses, TfL Rail, DLR, Overground, trams, river buses, Emirates Air Line and National Rail are all not running on Christmas Day.
Taxis, private hires, and Dial-a-Ride will be the only modes of transportation available.
Christmas markets
Unfortunately, these are unlikely to be open anywhere in the capital.
What supermarkets are open on Christmas Day?
Major supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Co-op, M&S, Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury’s are all closed on Christmas Day.
However, smaller shops may be open to help those in need of last-minute items. Your best bet is likely to try a local corner shop.
Some of the major brands do keep their smaller stores (like Sainsbury’s Local or Tesco Express) open for limited hours on Christmas Day. Those details haven’t been confirmed for 2024 just yet but we’d expect them to come in the next few weeks.
Deliveroo
The online food delivery service is running throughout the Christmas period. However, it’s worth noting that fewer riders might be out and about, so leave yourself plenty of time when ordering.
Post offices
Christmas occurs on a Wednesday this year, which means that all post office outlets in the UK will be closed.
Some branches will open on Wednesday, December 28.
Hospitals
Here is a list of the main hospitals in London that are open 24 hours, but hours may differ:
GP appointments
You can get an urgent appointment with a GP in north-east London from 8am to 8pm on Christmas Day. This includes practices in Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Hackney and the City of London.
If you have an urgent but non-life-threatening medical need, visit NHS 111 online or call 111.
Church
Christmas Day services will be held at a large number of churches and cathedrals in the London area, including St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square also hosts a Christmas Day service.
Hampton Pool
The heated pool will be open to daring souls who want to take a plunge. Make sure to reserve your tickets in advance.
Brockwell Lido, in south London, also traditionally opens so people can have a Christmas Day dip in its (freezing cold) waters. Details for 2024 are yet to confirmed.
Take a Thames boat ride
Book yourself in for a River Thames sightseeing tour.
