New Years Eve In London

A brand new year is right around the corner, and we've got the lowdown on the best ways to celebrate. From dazzling firework displays to festive Royal Parks, here's our guide to ringing in the New Year in London.

By Vanessa Teo
New Year in London
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Spending New Year’s Eve in London this year? Whether you’re fired up for fireworks or ready to ring in the New Year in a quieter fashion, there are plenty of attractions that are open over the holidays. We've searched high and low and found some of our favourite things to do to ring in the new year.

Get your skates on

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Open-air ice rinks have been set up at iconic locations across the capital, for the festive season. Choose a scenic backdrop for your glide across the ice, including Somerset House, the Natural History Museum, the Tower of London and others. Warm up with a hot drink in the café or spectator’s gallery after your session; skate hire is usually included in the ticket price.

Get your culture fix

Many museums will stay open on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, ranging from big-name attractions to smaller institutions. Think the V&A for art history, the Imperial War Museum for insights into people’s experiences of war, or the British Museum for human history and culture. With more than 200 museums to choose from, there is very little that isn’t covered, but do check the specific opening times before you set off.

Get traditional

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The New Year’s Eve in London fireworks display is for ticket-holders only, but if you don’t want to watch on your TV screen, there are several other good vantage points. Primrose Hill is always popular and several bridges are not included in the access-controlled area (Lambeth, Southwark and the Millennium Bridge). Hotels and restaurants with roof terraces may also be able to offer you a high-enough perch – why not ask?

On New Year’s Day, the Mayor’s parade takes place between Green Park and Parliament Square, with over 8,000 performers representing the capital’s 32 boroughs and countries from around the world. There's a different theme every year, often accompanied by giant balloons, music, confetti and special displays.

Get away from it all

Christmas at Kew

London’s Royal Parks are a haven of calm and will be open throughout the holidays. Hyde Park will play host to the New Year’s Day Serpentine races, including a 3K fun run and a longer 10K course. You may also see a few wild swimmers taking their traditional New Year’s Day dip.

Further from the city centre, the Cutty Sark in Greenwich is the world’s sole surviving tea clipper - the fastest ship of her time. Discover what life was like on board, possibly with fewer visitors than normal. In Richmond, the Christmas at Kew exhibition will run until 2nd January. Or, you can experience Christmas at Court at Hampton Court Palace, complete with Tudor-era festive food and music.

Get planning

Many other attractions will be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If you choose carefully (and have a bit of luck), you could end up with a trip to the Zoo or Kensington Palace when it’s a lot less crowded than usual. However, other attractions, such as Winter Wonderland or key shopping areas holding sales, are likely to experience peak visitor numbers as Londoners come out in force to spend the bank holiday weekend with their loved ones.

Transport for London will also run late services on New Year’s Eve and a Sunday service on New Year’s Day, but please check your exact route online as engineering works are often planned around the holidays. Many supermarkets and other essential shops are also open on both days, but opening hours vary by location.

There are plenty of exciting things to do on New Year’s Eve in London – far more than just fireworks and parties. Whatever you decide to do, we wish you a good trip and a fabulous New Year!

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Vanessa Teo
London Travel Expert

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Scary Attractions in London
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Scary Attractions in London

If you're looking to get spooky in the run-up to Halloween, check out our picks of the best scary attractions in London and prepare for the fright of your life! Including: London Bridge Experience London Tombs Tower of London London Dungeon and more! Scary Attractions in London: London Bridge Experience If you're looking for scary attractions in London, where better to start than the one voted the scariest of them all for 11 years running? That would be the London Bridge Experience, and it's gloriously ghoulish. Buried within the vaults below the instantly recognisable London Bridge, you'll find a captivating journey into this iconic site's dark and fascinating history. This immersive adventure, led by interactive characters, provides a gripping experience that is perfect for families seeking an engaging activity in London. As you travel back through London's grim past, you'll encounter some of the city's most notorious and macabre figures, including William Wallace and Jack the Ripper. Prepare to witness, hear, and even smell the authentic ambiance of London Bridge over its 2,000-year history. If all that sounds too terrifying for your little ones - fear not. The London Bridge Experience is actually a rather tongue-in-cheek exploration of the city's macabre side, so kids will have a ghastly good time too! Scary Attractions in London: London Tombs But there's even more to the London Bridge Experience; if you dare to venture further into the bowels of hell - or just under the experience itself - you'll be in for something utterly frightful. It's called the London Tombs, and it's not for the faint of heart. The London Tombs is an immersive scare maze that's inhabited by a chilling cast of characters and creatures, ranging from clowns, doctors, zombies, dentists, butchers, and spiders, to name just a few. It promises an exhilarating and spine-tingling experience for those seeking a day out in London filled with thrills and chills. Sure, it might not be historically accurate, but around Halloween time, nothing will put the fear of god in you quite like London Tombs. "Why won't someone think of the children?" we hear you wail from behind your screen. Don't worry, they did. The London Tombs also offers 'Guardian Angel' tours that amputate all the scariest and bloodiest bits, providing a more light-hearted tour for those who may be scarred for life by killer clowns and zombies snapping at their heels. Scary Attractions in London: Tower of London Over its 900-year history, the Tower of London has garnered a chilling reputation as one of the most haunted places in the city. It is said to be the eerie home to 13 ghosts, with some of the most notable apparitions being the restless spirits of Anne Boleyn and the two ill-fated young princes. Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated second wife of King Henry VIII, met her tragic end at the Tower in 1536. Since her execution, her ghost is believed to haunt the Tower's Chapel Royal, where she is said to roam the corridors while carrying her severed head. Spooky! Anne Boleyn's apparition is among the most persistent and frequently sighted ghosts at the Tower. In 1483, the young princes, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, were imprisoned in the Tower and mysteriously disappeared. Many suspect they were murdered as part of a plot to secure the throne for their uncle, Richard III. Over the years, there have been numerous reports of ghostly sightings of the young princes, with some witnesses claiming to have seen the spectral figures of the two boys holding hands and appearing lost in the Tower's passageways. So, while you can't take an official ghost tour of the Tower of London, you can certainly go there and see them for yourself! Scary Attractions in London: London Dungeon The "Dungeon" brand is well-known across the globe, with a handful of locations across cities in Europe. Turns out life throughout the continent was pretty grisly! So, if you want high-production value scares, along with rides that'll leave you screaming, head to the London Dungeon. Visitors will enjoy a fun, scary, and often hilarious immersive journey through 1000 years of London's history. Walk into different sets with live actors who use storytelling and theatre combined with audience participation to bring the past to life. Meet a variety of characters, from infamous criminals like Jack the Ripper, to hooded torturers whose identities remain a mystery to this day. Prepare yourself for unexpected jumps, eerie encounters, and heart-pounding moments that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. And that's before we even mention the white-knuckle rides. However, The London Dungeon is not solely about thrills; it also serves as an educational journey into the darker chapters of London's history. Gain insights into pivotal events and locations, including the Great Fire of London, the Gunpowder Plot, and the infamous Bloody Tower, ensuring that your visit is both entertaining and informative. Scary Attractions in London: Highgate Cemetery While not an attraction in itself, a visit to Highgate Cemetery should definitely be on your list of scary things to do in London! Why? Well, because it's haunted. Allegedly. And if you don't see any ghosts? Well, it's beautiful either way. The cemetery is split into two distinct sections: the East Cemetery, which you're free to roam, and the West Cemetery, which requires a guide. The East Cemetery is a mesmerising mix of ornate Victorian gravestones and tombs, where you'll find the final resting place of luminaries like Karl Marx - he's the communism guy. For an immersive experience steeped in the mystique of Highgate Cemetery, embarking on a tour of the West Cemetery is a must. Accompanied by an informed guide, you'll gain fascinating insights into the cemetery's history, its most celebrated residents, and the intriguing legends and ghostly tales from its past. Will you see the many spectres that supposedly shuffle through the cemetery? Who knows?! Scary Attractions in London: Clink Prison Museum And finally, prepare to be locked away at London's oldest and most infamous prison. It's called The Clink, and it's a brutal exploration of crime and punishment throughout London's dark history. Operating from the 12th to the 18th century, The Clink Prison gained notoriety for its harsh and oppressive conditions. The museum now stands on the original site, housing historical exhibits and displays that vividly resurrect the bleak realities of medieval and Tudor prison life in London. One of the most unsettling features of the museum is its array of replica torture devices, including the rack, the scavenger's daughter, and various implements designed for the purposes of punishment and intimidation. A close encounter with these devices serves as a stark reminder of the brutal practices of the past. And those were our picks of the best scary attractions in London! If you want to see the sunnier side of the city, check out the London Pass! Offering access to more than 70 of London's most recognisable landmarks, it's a great way to see the city and save while you're at it!
Dom Bewley
Blog

London Ghost Tours: A Local's Guide

WoooooOOOOOoooo. Ghosts. Whether you believe in them or not, they are everywhere. In your kitchen cupboards. Crouched above your bedroom door. There's even one behind you. Right now. Watching you. And yes, they saw what was on that other tab. Filth. So now you know all about their existence, it's time to turn the tables and hunt them down. And where better to start than London? England's capital city has endured millennia of strife, conflict and unimaginable horrors in the past. These days the most shocking thing you'll see in London is someone riding an electric unicycle, but there are countless skeletons within its closet. So don your most protective hunting gear, pack your night-vision camera, and stuff your pockets with garlic (wait is that vampires? Maybe they can be ghosts too). Here's everything you need to know about the best London Ghost Tours. Haunted London Pub Tour It's no secret that ghosts love alcohol. Why do you think they're always hanging around you? So why not increase your ghost hunting odds, and have a tipple or two, with Haunted London Pub Tour? It's a great way to get your friends - if you have any - involved. The tour involves London pubs, unsurprisingly, and you're sure to learn a lot about London's chequered history from the entertaining guides. Plus there's beer, or wine, or whatever poison you choose. London Bridge Experience Explore 2000 years of London's darkest history with the London Bridge Experience. It's one of the scariest attractions in London, so we'd recommend leaving the wee ones at home where they belong. See first hand what it was like for Boadicea to battle the Romans, experience the fate of traitors like the Gunpowder plotters, and discover the gory details of Jack the Ripper's killing spree. It's an interactive experience, with actors taking on the roles of each historical figure. And for those brave enough, the experience can be followed by a descent into the tombs beneath the bridge. Rumour has it that ghosts of the souls lost in the Great Fire still roam the caverns. Dare you face them? One of the unmissable London ghost tours, for sure.
Dom Bewley
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Best Restaurants Near The Shard

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