You will often hear that “everything is closed” in London on Christmas Day. That’s mostly true for transport, shops, museums and Christmas markets, but the city is far from dead: the parks are open, the streets are full of people walking, the lights stay on and some restaurants serve all day. The real challenge is getting around and eating, so the trick is to plan both before the 24th.

Here’s what to expect on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2026, and what is actually open.

Why Christmas 2026 is a little different

In 2026, Christmas Day is a Friday and Boxing Day is a Saturday. Because Boxing Day falls on a weekend, the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December.

That matters for planning. Boxing Day 2026 is a normal Saturday for shops, so expect the sales to be busy. Some offices, services and smaller businesses will treat Monday 28 December as their day off instead, and transport timetables can differ from previous years. If you read advice written for an earlier Christmas, check the dates before relying on it.

Public transport over Christmas

Christmas Eve (Thursday 24 December)

Services run during the day but finish early. In 2025, TfL warned that services would end earlier than usual on Christmas Eve, so plan your evening around the last train, not the last orders. Taxis and ride-hailing apps get busy and more expensive from early evening.

Christmas Day (Friday 25 December)

Nothing runs: no Tube, buses, Elizabeth line, Overground, DLR, trams or National Rail trains. In 2025, the options that remained were:

  • Santander Cycles, London’s hire bikes, and rental e-scooters in the boroughs that have them.
  • Taxis and private hire, including Uber and Bolt. Expect fewer drivers and higher prices, and book ahead for anything important.
  • Coaches from Victoria Coach Station.

The Congestion Charge and ULEZ did not apply on Christmas Day 2025. Walking is the easiest way to get around central London on the day, and the empty streets make it surprisingly pleasant.

Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December)

A reduced service runs. In 2025 the Tube and buses ran, but there was no Elizabeth line, several Overground lines were closed, the DLR ran a reduced service, and only a few train companies ran very limited services. There was no Night Tube.

Check TfL’s major works and events page and the TfL Go app before you set off.

Getting to the airport on 25 and 26 December

This is where Christmas catches out visitors most often. If your flight is on 25 or 26 December, sort out the journey to the airport before you travel.

  • On Christmas Day, there are no trains or Tubes to any airport. Coaches and taxis are the only options. National Express has run airport coaches on Christmas Day in previous years, so check its 2026 timetable.
  • Heathrow: at Christmas 2025, there was no Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line on 25 or 26 December. The Piccadilly line has run a limited service on Boxing Day in past years.
  • Stansted: Greater Anglia ran a revised Stansted Express service on Boxing Day 2025, with no trains on Christmas Day. From central London, the usual route is the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale, then the Stansted Express.
  • Gatwick: rail services on Boxing Day have been very limited in recent years. Check National Rail before relying on the Gatwick Express or Southern.

For an early flight on the 26th, have a backup: a coach ticket or a pre-booked taxi.

Are the Christmas markets open on Christmas Day?

No. None of the Christmas markets, ice rinks or ticketed light trails in our London Christmas markets tool opens on 25 December. That includes Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the Southbank Centre Winter Market and Winter by the River at London Bridge. The street lights in Regent Street, Carnaby, Covent Garden, Bond Street, Leadenhall Market and Old Spitalfields stay on, and they are free to walk around.

On Boxing Day, most reopen. According to the opening dates we track, these are open on 26 December:

  • Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, from 10am. See our Winter Wonderland on a budget guide.
  • Southbank Centre Winter Market, from 11am.
  • Winter by the River, London Bridge City, from 11am.
  • Kingston Christmas Market and Chelsea Winter Village.
  • Ice rinks at Somerset House, Battersea Power Station, Leicester Square, the Queen’s House in Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace. Compare prices in our Christmas ice rinks guide.
  • Christmas at Kew, the evening light trail.

The King’s Cross Winter Market is an exception: it stays closed on 25 and 26 December.

Eating on Christmas Day

This is the part to plan. Most restaurants, cafés and pubs close, and many of those that open only serve a set Christmas menu, which is often expensive. Supermarkets are closed too (see below), so stock up on the 24th, especially if you are staying in an apartment.

What usually opens:

  • Chinatown. Many Chinese and other Asian restaurants around Gerrard Street open as normal and are the classic Christmas Day option. Last year, Londonist confirmed a list of Chinatown restaurants open on the day. Expect queues at lunchtime.
  • Indian restaurants and takeaways in many neighbourhoods, plus some kosher restaurants in north London.
  • Some pubs. Most independent pubs close, but chains such as Young’s, Greene King and Wetherspoons have opened some branches in past years, often with shorter hours.
  • Hotel restaurants, which usually serve set Christmas menus. Book well ahead.
  • A few bakeries and cafés. Eight Gail’s bakeries opened on Christmas Day 2025, and some Pret branches have opened in past years.

Whatever you choose, book in advance. Popular places fill up weeks before, and walk-ins are a gamble. For a budget option earlier in December, see our cheap Christmas set menus guide.

Are shops and supermarkets open on Christmas Day?

Large shops are closed by law. In England, any shop with more than 280 square metres of sales space must close on Christmas Day, which covers department stores, supermarkets and most high-street chains. The big supermarket chains also usually close their small convenience branches.

Small shops can open. Some independent corner shops, off-licences and newsagents open for at least part of the day, and they are a lifesaver for milk, bread or a forgotten battery. Pharmacies can also open, but most close, so collect any medication before the 24th.

On Christmas Eve, supermarkets and shops close early, often in the late afternoon. On Boxing Day, a Saturday this year, large shops can open as normal, and the Boxing Day sales start in Oxford Street, the West End and shopping centres.

Free things to do on Christmas Day

  • Walk through a quiet central London. Without traffic, a walk from Trafalgar Square along the Mall, through St James’s Park and down to Westminster is magical, and the Christmas lights are still on.
  • Go to a park. The Royal Parks stay open. At 9am, the Serpentine Swimming Club holds its Peter Pan Cup, a race in the Serpentine in Hyde Park that dates back to 1864. Only club members swim, but anyone can watch for free from the bank.
  • Join a Christmas service. London’s churches welcome visitors of all faiths. At St Paul’s Cathedral, the Christmas Day Festal Evensong on 25 December 2026, from 3pm to 4pm, is free and needs no ticket. The 11am Choral Eucharist was also unticketed in 2025. Arrive early. For the ticketed services before Christmas, see our free Christmas carol services guide.
  • Cycle with a hire bike. Santander Cycles run on Christmas Day, and the empty roads are the easiest they will be all year.
  • Watch the King’s Christmas message at 3pm, a British tradition, from a pub or your hotel.

Attractions such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and the major museums are closed on Christmas Day.

Things to do on Boxing Day

  • Hampton Court Palace: the Wilderness garden is free to visit on 26 December, with no booking needed. See our Hampton Court free garden days listing.
  • The sales in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Westfield, if you can face the crowds.
  • Winter Wonderland, Christmas markets and ice rinks (see the list above).
  • The London Eye has opened on Boxing Day in past years, and Merlin attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the SEA LIFE London Aquarium and the London Dungeon opened with reduced hours on 24 and 26 December 2025.
  • Football. Boxing Day is a big day for Premier League fixtures. Check your club’s schedule.

Most major museums stay closed on Boxing Day. The British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery usually close from 24 to 26 December. We will add 2026 opening hours for the main museums and attractions once they are published.

Plan-ahead checklist

  • Book Christmas Day lunch or dinner now, or plan to cook.
  • Shop on the 23rd or 24th for food, drinks and anything else you need until the 26th.
  • Plan the journey back from your evening on the 24th around the last train.
  • Sort your airport transfer if you fly on 25 or 26 December.
  • Pick up medication before the 24th.
  • Check each attraction’s festive hours before you go, as many change between 24 December and 1 January.
  • Look at New Year too: see our New Year’s Eve fireworks guide and free things to do in December.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day questions

Is everything closed in London on Christmas Day?
Not everything. Public transport, large shops, supermarkets, museums, attractions and Christmas markets are closed. Parks, churches, many Chinatown and Indian restaurants, some pubs, hotel restaurants and some small shops are open, and the Christmas lights stay on.
Does the Tube run on Christmas Day?
No. There is no Tube, bus, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line or train service on Christmas Day. Santander Cycles, taxis and ride-hailing apps are the main ways to get around.
Does the Tube run on Boxing Day?
In 2025 the Tube ran a reduced service on Boxing Day, but there was no Elizabeth line and no Night Tube. The 2026 plans are usually published in November, and we will update this page when they are.
Are the Christmas markets open on 25 December?
No. All the markets, ice rinks and light trails we track are closed on Christmas Day. Most reopen on 26 December, including Winter Wonderland and the Southbank Centre Winter Market.
Are supermarkets open on Christmas Day?
No. Large shops in England must close on Christmas Day by law, and the main supermarket chains usually close their small stores too. Some independent corner shops open. Do your food shopping by the 24th.
When is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026?
Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December.

Sources and checks