What to Do in the UK This Winter

Winter in the UK is a magical time of year, and Britain is home to some of the most exciting cities in the world. From Nottingham to Cardiff, Croydon, Gatwick and Leeds, if you have forever been dreaming of a white Christmas, winter the UK may just be the perfect choice of destination this year.

The following are fabulous ideas for what to do in the UK this winter.

Winter Wonderland Festival in Nottingham

Located at the old market square, Winter Wonderland in Nottingham is an ice rink and festival market that is surrounded by stunning Christmas lights and trees. There are rustic cabins that sell seasonal food, crafts and mulled wine, as well as live music that plays from the bandstand.

This is one of the most festival Christmas markets in the UK. It runs from 20 November 2015 until 3 January 2016.

Photo CC by Mike Kniec

Visit Cardiff Castle

Cardiff puts on its own version of a winter wonderland festival and ice skating rink, with the addition of a 60m high ferris wheel ride. If this is a city you haven’t visited before, winter is one of the best times of the year to dive into history with a visit to Cardiff Castle.

Come Christmas time, the castle is decked out with a spectacular show of lights, and the building shines brightly throughout each night. The interior of the castle is also done up with beautiful decorations specifically for the winter months.

Christmas Market at Leeds

If you’re heading through Leeds, you can catch one of the best Christmas Markets in the United Kingdom at Millennium Square.

Leeds Christmas market is one of the longest running German Christmas markets in the UK. It runs from 13 November 2015 to 20 December 2015 and is set up with traditional wooden chalet stalls that have been sourced from authentic German traders, a Christmas carousel and festive lights and greenery. Shop for handmade arts and crafts, unique gifts, festive decorations and toys. For those interested in the food scene, there are traditional German delicacies available like bratwurst and gluhwein.

Shop for handmade arts and crafts.

A Winter Sound at Croydon Fairfield Halls

For those who enjoy music and caroling, a winter sound at Croydon Fairfield Halls is an event you cannot miss. This is a concert put on by children and youth from Wandsworth schools, and 600 voices come together to produce festive music for the town. 

The programme is presented by the Music Academy. Croydon is a very accessible by train – only 15 minutes from central London. Croydon hotels are very cheap, so you could consider booking to stay overnight.

Fly Away For the Day

The fabulous thing about Gatwick is that there are cheap flights that service Europe from the UK every day. Add some excitement into your winter break by visiting France for the day or jetting over to Northern Ireland!

Budget airlines often offer flights as cheap as 10 GBP, and there are plenty of options for destinations throughout Europe that are only an hour or so away, easily doable within a day. Hotels in Gatwick are cheap and start from as low as $39 per night.

Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging since 2007, with the main aim of inspiring others to embark on their own worldwide adventure. Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Committed to bringing you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

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