Hyde Park – Winter Wonderland

Tis the season to be merry! Given that Kenz and I will be having a very unconventional Christmas this year trekking through the steamy jungles of Borneo, we thought we’d get into the Christmas spirit early this year. And what better way to join in the festivities than a trip to Winter Wonderland. Held annually in Hyde Park, this is one of the main attractions during the holiday season along with ice skating at Somerset House and endless Christmas parties, Christmas drinks, Christmas pub lunches, Christmas dinners; eating minced pies and drinking mulled wine.

For an entire month, Hyde Park corner is all decked out in white lights, Christmas trees, and holiday wreaths, making this an amazing festive spectacle. With friends in tow, we made a visit on a frigid Sunday late afternoon. If you live in the U.K, then you know that the sun sets around ummm…3:30ish in the winter. Depressing, I know. Why do you think we take a 2 week ‘sun’ holiday each winter?

Highlights of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland includes: an ice staking ring, a giant ferris wheel, a circus for all the wee ones, rows of Christmas markets, and my personal favorite: the Bavarian Village. This year, they also had a major ice sculpture exhibition if you are interested. We did a bit of shopping at the elegant Christmas markets for ornaments and gifts. My friends were on the search for the perfect London painting to hang on their new home when they repatriate back to the US in January. Then it was on to my favorite activity: eating Bavarian sausages and drinking mulled wine, or in the case of the boys, German-style beer steins.

If you can make it before Christmas, I’d highly recommend it. Grab some friends, bundle up, bring cash and enjoy a day at Winter Wonderland.