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Follow our route
We wanted to take in a few usual and unusual Christmas lights and to do this we made use of our Oyster cards and jumped on the Tube to see as much of the capital as we could in one night – So here is what we did!
Connaught Village
This is a 7 minute walk from Marble Arch station as shown in the map below. Marble Arch is serviced by the Central Line, so it is pretty easy to get to from across London. We had never ventured into Connaught Village itself before, but this leafy location in the heart of the city seemed to be full of unique shops and eateries.
What drew us here is the utterly charming tree, dedicated to one of our Christmas film favs ‘Love Actually’. The wander along the road was a ceiling blanketed of blue twinkling lights and trees with star lights and at the end of our walk below.
Check out our video of the walk up to the tree below on Youtube –
From here we retraced our steps, back the way we came, and headed toward the lights of Winter Wonderland, however as we had been here a few times in recent years we didn’t venture in and just took a shot passing. Earlier in the day we were going to pop in, however as we got closer we found out that this year you needed to book a ticket in advance for entry (unlike previous years we have been). Entrance on the day was £5, but if you pre book the day before it’s free.
Winter Wonderland
Ever After Garden in Grovesnor Square
Whilst not technically Christmas lights we went to the Ever After Garden. This is for the Royal Marsden Cancer charity and it is a garden of remembrance. The Ever After Garden will be a reflective tranquil haven in the heart of Mayfair during the festive season, where everyone everywhere can honour and remember treasured friends and family they have lost. Christmas is definitely a time where we remember loved ones,friends and family. It was a really moving experience.
Dedications are available for a suggested (minimum) donation of £10 by visiting the Ever After Garden.
Check out our video around the Ever After Garden below. You can also donate to them at https://www.royalmarsden.org/support-us/give/ever-after-garden.
Oxford Street
One of the busiest shopping streets in London, and it runs for 1.5 miles of retail heaven, if that’s your thing. In the run up to Christmas it turns into a twinkling haven and this year is no exception.
Check out our video of walking down Oxford Street and Selfridges below –
Continuing to walk along Oxford Street we crossed the road and found Bond Street which gave us below:
Check out our video down Bond Street below:
Back onto Oxford Street staying on the same side we came to New Bond Street
With the obligatory London Black Cabs.
Wandering along again we took a right at Oxford Circus
We came across these beauties adorning the sky, what we would suggest is to walk down the road further and cross into the middle Island and capture these beauties on Regents Street.
Carnaby Street
Our next destination from Regents Street mapped below
2 minute stroll onto our next delve into Christmas.
And the Carnaby Kaleidoscope adorned with beautiful butterflies
Walking through Soho onto to Piccadilly Circus.
We then took the Underground from Piccadilly Circus to Embankment, we then wander over the River Thames over the Golden Jubilee Bridge with great panoramic views of the city.
Onto to the Southbank and Christmas Market, you know you will be there, when some wonderful aroma start filling the air.
After we walked back over the bridge and back onto the Underground at Embankment onto Leicester Square station, we pick this station as it seems to get you to the exit quicker than Covent Garden.
Onto Leicester Square and the Christmas market. With different chalets with all sorts of gifts and food and a chocolate fountain.
Onto the fabulous Covent Garden, some amazing photo opportunities round this area, the first photo on this article is also in Covent Garden.
The famous Christmas tree
There are Christmas lights galore other ones were at Seven Dials, Coals Drop Yard, Granary Square and the list could go one. This is how we did a walk/train around in one evening .
