21 Brilliant Things to do in London in January 2025

January is a great month to visit London. It’s much quieter than other times of they year. It’s can also be cheaper. Despite the colder weather, there are a multitude of fun activities and events to add some sparkle to your winter.

We have listed things to do for every type of budget from free and cheap activities to complete indulgent things to do. There’s also something for every type of visitor, from families to couples to solo travellers. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, discover the winter charm of this magificent city

Is January a good month to visit London?

Yes! It can be quieter and cheaper than other months of the year which makes it a good time to visit.

On the downside, the weather can be cold, rainy and wet. There is also less daylight with about 8 to 9 hours of daylight a day.

However, London is a city that never stops and there are plenty of activities to do after dark. In January, these include outdoor ice skating, winter light trails and shows and plenty of indoor activities. Museums and art galleries are less crowded then in the summer.

It’s also a good time to make use of the daylight and there are plenty of outdoor activities and events for daylight hours too including amazing winter walks, outdoor winter swimming, the Bankside frost fair, a snowman trail and lots more.

Read on to find the best things to do in London in January 2024.

Celebrate New Year’s Day

Photo Credit : Wikimedia Commons

If you’re in London on the 1st January, don’t miss the New Year Parade. Starting at 12 noon at Picaddily, it moves to Regents Street St James’s, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. It’s a specatcle to marvel. See floats, musical bands, singers, performers and lots more. The public line the streets and watch the parade for free.

Illuminate Your January with a Winter Light Trail

Photo Credit: Loco Steve / Wikimedia Commons

Bright up your January with a walk around an illuminated light trail.

Head to the Canary Wharf light trail from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 1st February, daily between 5pm and 10pm.  Walk through 12 temporary installations as well as their permanent light artworks. All  artworks are free to visit and there will be food and drinks stalls lining the route.

Winter lights at the Southbank runs until 2nd February.  The Southbank is lit up by a series of outdoor artworks by 12 contemporary artists. It’s free to visit everyday and of course the best time to visit is after dark!

Christmas at Kew hosts the UK’s original light trail and is runs until 5th January 2024. Walk through 3km of stunning light trails which include kaleidoscopic projections, dancing lakeside projections, himmering tunnels of light and trees drenched in jewel-bright colours.

Go Ice Skating

Photo : The ice skating rink at Somerset House

Many of the pop up outdoor ice rinks that are part of the festive celebrations stay open into January. Here is quick round up of where to go:

Glide at Battersea, and the ice rink at Westfields   are open until 5th January.

Skate up until the 12th January at Somerset House. Finally the ice rink at Canary Wharf opens right up until 23rd February.

Take a Buckingham Palace Guided Tour

You can take a guided tour of Buckingham Palace on several dates throughout January. Choose between a private tour for adults or a guided family tour.

With the family tour, an expert guide take you and your little ones on a fun filled tour that highlights stories about the Palace and its history.

The adult tour allows you to see the magnificent state rooms when the Palace is not normally open to the public. See the gilded ceilings and glittering chandeliers without the crowds!

Visit a Museum or Art Gallery

Photo : The British Museum

January is a great time to visit London museums and art galleries. They are warm and dry – protecting you from the colder (and wetter) January weather. Plus they are often quieter, especially when the kids have returned to school after the Christmas holidays.

Many of London’s exceptional museums and galleries are free. Spend a day at the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern (and many more) without spending a penny.

It’s also a great time to visit one of London’s more unusual museums. The Jack the Ripper Museum won a Travellers Choice Award in 2024. There’s also the Old Operating Theatre Museum, the Fan Museum and the Cartoon Museum.

Here is our pick of top events happening at London museums and galleries in January :

The Natural History Museum – It’s your last chance to see the birds, brilliant and bizzare exhibtion which is closing on 5th Jan.

The National Art Gallery – see the Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers exhibition which is closing on 19th Jan.

The Science Museum – immersive yourself in hands on gaming  experiences at the Power Up exhibition

The Museum of Docklands – see the mixed-media installation, Exodus which is inspired by migration through the present lens. It highlights the history and challenges of major population movements through time. It’s on display until 25th May 2025. 

There are so many amazing events taking place at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in January including tours and plays

The Shakespeare’s Globe Story & Tour is a great way to learn about the iconic Globe Theatre. Go back in time and learn about the sights, sounds, and secrets of Shakespeare’s London in this immersive exhibiton.

Expert guides will tell you how the original 1599 theatre survived the plague, fire and political oppression and rose again in the 1990s. Book your ticket here.

If you like theatre, why not watch a performance? From 10th  January, watch Cymbeline, Shakespeare’s late, tragic comedy of love and rebellion showing in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

The Globe also runs some amazing walking tours. You can join a guide on a Twighlight Tour. Meet at 5.30pm and learn about Shakespeare’s fascination with the dark.

Alternatively, join a guide at 2.30pm for Shakespeare’s True Crime Walking tour. 

There’s also the Pride Guided tour and the Ghosts and Ghouls family tour.

Embark on a Historic Walk with the Family

Head out with the kids and learn about the history of London with an historic walk.

The Museum of London is holding several guided and family walks. Choose between a historic Roman walk through the streets of Londonium, the Second World War family walk, a guided walk in and around Smithfield London to learn about tudor history or the Great Fire of London family walk to discover the fire of 1666.

The walks take place on dates between throughout January.

Get Spooked on a Ghost Tour

Ghost walks are fun at any time of year but they are extra better when it’s dark which makes January a great time to go on one. It gets dark early all month (before 5.30pm) so you can book your tour in the early evening for an eerie evening.

It can get very cold on a January night, so it might be worth checking the weather or wrapping up warm. 

There are plenty of ghost walks and tours to choose from. Read our guide on the best ghost tours in London

Catch a Show at the Theatre

With cold and dark days and nights, January is the perfect time to enjoy a trip to the theatre. From musicals to panto – it’s a great time to take the family.

It’s still pantomine season and you can catch Robin Hood at the London Palladium until 12th Jan. Aladin at the London Hammersmith Theatre and Pinocchio at Stratford East are showing until 4th Jan.

In addition you can still see Hansel and Gretel at the Globe Theatre until 7th January. Tickets are available from just £5!

Why not take the opportunity to see one of London’s best musicals including the Lion King, Frozen or Matilda?

Other notable productions include Elektra. Scheduled to run from January 24 to April 12, 2025, Brie Larson makes her West End debut in Anne Carson’s retelling of the Greek tragedy ‘Elektra’.

If you’re looking for a classic musical, ‘Oliver!‘ returns to the West End, with performances beginning on January 14, 2025, at the Gielgud Theatre.

There’s also  Wicked at the Apollo Victoria: Witness the untold tale of Oz’s witches, with jaw-dropping effects and unforgettable songs. 

Or what about Six The Musical at the Vaudeville Theatre – Join Henry VIII’s wives as they tell their stories in this empowering, historical musical.

Between 17th and 26th January, you can watch films being showcased at a variety of venues across the capital as part of London’s short film festival.

Between 250 and 500 British and International films are being shown as well as live events, workshops and Q and A sessions.

Brave a Winter Swim

Suprisingly there are many outdoor places you can swim at in London even in the depths of January. For a bracing cold winter swim, head down to one of London’s lidos open during the winter. Lidos that are open include Parliament Hill Lido  and London Fields in Hackney.

Die hard winter swimmers can also join the Hampstead Heath winter swimming club to be able to swim in the mixed pond over the winter months.

Read our article on the best cold swimming spots in London for more places to go. 

Indulge in an Afternoon Tea

With cold and wet weather inevitable, January is a fantastic month to take a special afternoon tea. With up to 25% off some afternoon teas during the month of January it’s also easier on the wallet too.

Marvel at a showcase of contemporary and modern art during the London Art Fair. Taking place between 22nd and 26th January the art fair features panel talks, performances and art work displayed in the Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

Art works are exhbited by global galleries which which in the past have included world famous artists including Henry Moore, David Hockney and Bridget Riley.  You can even purchase your own art work with prints and editions starting in the hundreds.

Book online before you go.

Take advantage of some free winter fun! Enjoy a January walk around the fleet street quater in London and discover 12 penguin sculptures at streets including Chancery Lane, Carter Lane, Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street. It runs until 5th January

Download a map here or pick up a physical copy at the City of London Information Centre.

The new Paddington Bear movie is still showing in cinemas. What better way to celebrate then a visit to the Paddington Bear Experience at the County Hall!

Explore many amazing locations from the Paddington movies while helping Paddington and the Brown Family prepare for a very special event; the Marmalade Day Festival.

Find out more

Take a Winter Walk

When the sun shines in January, it is a lovely time to get outdoors and enjoy a winter walk.

There are plenty of parks and green spaces to enjoy. From Hampstead Heath to one of the Royal Parks there’s plenty of places to choose from.  If you’re in central London, why not try some or all of the Princess Diana Memorial Walk. It passes through four of the eight Royal Parks: St. James’s Park, The Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

It’s a great way to blow out the cobwebs, get some fresh air and enjoy exercise to start 2025.

In what has become an annual event, the Lion’s Part Theatre company perform a procession, a play and other festivities to celebrate 12th Night.

Beginning at 12pm on the 5th January at Bankside, near the Shakespeare globe the procession moves to Soap Yard in Borough Yards. The festivities mix ancient midwinter seasonal customs and modern festivities.

On Bankside by Shakespeare’s Globe, led by the BANKSIDE MUMMERS and our London Beadle, the Holly Man will ‘bring in the green’ and toast or ‘WASSAIL’ the people, the River Thames and the Globe. (Wassailing is an old tradition to encourage good health).

The MUMMERS then process to the Bankside Jetty, and perform the traditional ‘freestyle’ folk combat play dressed in spectacular costumes.

Cakes distributed at the end of the play have a bean and a pea hidden in two of them. Those from the crowd who find them are hailed King and Queen for the day and crowned with ceremony.

If you’re looking for a unique experience, there’s nothing like enjoy a relaxing hot tub while sailing out on the River Thames.

Boats sail from Canary Wharf and you can choose from sailing your own boat (no experience necessary) or embarking on a guided tour!

The water is heated to a toasty 38 degrees so you can go out in any weather, rain, sleet or snow making January a good month to do it.

Find out more at Skuna boats.

Celebrate Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is the start of China’s New Year falls on 29th January 2025.  Most years there are celebrations organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association. Although not scheduled for 2025 yet, London’s Chinatown normally comes alive with a vibrant parade with colourful floats and the largest collection of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe.

In addition, in the past visitors head down to Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square where there is  entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

Keep an eye on Visit London to see when the fun is scheduled. 

What’s the Weather Like in London in January

Like most months, January weather can be variable but generally cold or wet.

Prepare for rain, snow, sleet and frost. Days can be grey and rainy or bright and sunny but very cold. The average temperature is around 5 to 6 degrees.

See a screenshot from a weather forecast in January. There are cold days as well as rainy, warmer days forecast so you never know what you’re going to get!

Pin Me For Later

You May Also Like…