Christmastime in London, 2024

London, UK

SS
Sheila Stone Tours
  • Email address verified
5 reviews
Dec 7 - 16, 2024
Group size: 4 - 8
Christmastime in London, 2024
London, UK

Sheila Stone Tours
  • Email address verified
5 reviews

Dec 7 - 16, 2024
Group size: 4 - 8

About this trip

See London all decked out in her holiday finery! Visit Kensington Palace and the huge Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square. Ride on a double-decker bus while having a delicious afternoon tea and cruise down the Thames past Big Ben to Greenwich. Marvel at the decorated windows of Harrods and Selfridges. Get groovy (or go punk) at Carnaby Street.

Get your holiday shopping done at the Christmas Markets at Covent Garden, Greenwich Village, and the stalls set up along the Thames. Take a special Christmas tour of Charles Dickens’ house and see special holiday exhibits at The Victoria & Albert Museum. We spend an evening wandering through a magical wonderland of lights at Kew Gardens, take a verger-led tour of Westminster Abbey, and return to the Abbey for their Evensong. We visit Kensington Palace, the British Museum, and have dinner at a pub literally covered in Christmas trees.  You’ll get a free day too but help and suggestions will always be available. 

Food is such a special part of the holidays and we don’t want to miss out. We start with a festive afternoon tea while seeing the lights from a double-decker bus.  We feast on traditional meat pies, fish & chips, have a delicious lunch in a crypt (really!), and eat among Londoners at the stalls of the Southbank Market. We might even run into a group of rollerblading Santas. We drink mulled wine, lift pints, and, of course, imbibe lots of tea.

Everyone gets a special Christmas Welcome-to-London goodie bag upon arrival. Because, you know, Christmas.

Last but not least, we will experience a real Christmas Panto. A Pantomime is a musical comedy stage production full of comedy and audience participation. I really can’t explain it – but it’s a very British holiday tradition and so much fun! 

What’s included

  • Accommodation
    Single rooms - no extra charge!
  • Ground transportation
    Tube, double decker bus, cute black taxis
  • Admissions
    All group admissions
  • Meals
    9 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 dinners
  • London goodie bag
    Because Christmas!

What’s not included

  • International airfare
  • Travel insurance
    Recommended!

Available Packages

EARLY BIRD
Available until May 5, 20248 left

 Balance due 09/30/24.   PLEASE NOTE AMEX IS NOT ACCEPTED.


Deposit is not refundable, unless cancelled by tour operator.

$4,800
Deposit: $500
REGULAR
Available until November 5, 20248 left

  Balance due 09/30/24.   PLEASE NOTE AMEX IS NOT ACCEPTED. 


 Deposit is not refundable, unless cancelled by tour operator. 

$4,900
Deposit: $500

Itinerary

DAY 1, SATURDAY
Welcome to London!

Your flight will leave on Friday, December 1st and arrive in London on Saturday December 2nd. After going through customs, you use your Oyster Card to board the London Underground for the ride to Earl’s Court. There’s only one line and one direction, which makes it easy! You will receive your Oyster card and precise directions before you leave home. Leaving Earls Court station, you walk the short distance to our hotel and get settled in. Jet lag is never fun but, after you freshen up, we will go for a bit of a walk to clear the cobwebs and see some London icons.  Dinner is at the Blackbird Pub near the hotel, then we retire early to get a good night’s sleep to be rested for the fun times ahead.
Meal included: Dinner.

Your Organizer


SS
Sheila Stone Tours
5 reviews
I’m Sheila Stone and I love travel so much that I started a tour company when I was 60. (Have I mentioned that I’m also a late bloomer?) I create and lead small groups of women to interesting places in Europe & Japan. I have also created some Speed Date a City weekends here in the States. My tours give women an opportunity to meet other women travelers and local women too. We support local businesses by staying in small hotels and eating at family restaurants as much as possible so this is travel you can feel good about!

Reviews

I had such a great day with Sheila. She organize all of our stops. Explained the origin of the food we were eating. I felt as if I was in another country. It's always wonderful to spend time with Sheila!
By Judy m for Sawtelle Foodie Walk 1 on May 30, 2022
Thank you Sheila for a fabulous time in Santa Fe. Everything was perfectly set up for us. The Hotel was in a great location. It was very clean and included breakfast. The museums were so interesting. Sheila is a delight to travel with. So organized. I definitely will travel with her in the future. I'm still thinking about the delicious chocolate tasting!
By Judy m for SPEED DATE A CITY: SANTA FE on Apr 05, 2022
What a great weekend in Santa Fe. Sheila is a great organizer and everything ran smoothly. Action packed but with plenty of time to walk around and relax. We hit some great spots and I don't think we missed anything. Sheila did a great job and it was just a fantastic trip. Caroline
By caroline.marshall@cshs.org for SPEED DATE A CITY: SANTA FE on Mar 28, 2022
Really fun four-day weekend! Sheila is a knowledgable tour guide, and was able to pivot when we needed to make changes to the itinerary, and she also kept our needs in mind. I had a great time and hope to join her on another one of her tours!
By Lynne L for GALentine's GETAWAY WEEKEND on Feb 23, 2022
The Christmas Holiday Tea in Santa Monica was wonderful. Sheila always organizes great events. We all had fun getting to make new friends!
By janet c for Los Angeles Christmas Afternoon Tea on Dec 13, 2021

References

I recently traveled with Sheila on her Japan cherry blossom tour 2023. We had a wonderful time, seeing and doing so much, both traditional and unusual tourist stuff. Sheila was open to suggestions and did not hesitate to change the itinerary when weather or interests dictated a change was needed. I particularly enjoyed meeting her Japanese friends as their personal approach to guiding provided insight into the lives and culture of Japanese families. There was lots of laughter, great food and good company. I would definitely recommend traveling with Sheila.
By Berit H on 17 Apr, 2023
The Wild About Harry Tour was amazing! My kids and I had a fantastic time. Sheila was great in making sure we saw as much of Harry Potter that London and Oxford have to offer, and she was also helpful in getting us to see the cities and planning our side trip to Paris. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we will never forget, and we talk about constantly. Thank you!
By Denise R on 21 Jul, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed my Bayou trip with tour host Sheila and local host Andrina. Great mix of fun sights including Mardi Gras museum, local food, shopping, bars and music in NOLA. A powerful Whitney plantation visit. Andrina hosted a traditional crawfish boil and an amazing get together with women of the local area representing the various cultures of the region. Felt like visiting with friends and family. Highly recommend this trip! Sheila is a great guide and trip planner.
By Nancy F on 19 Jul, 2021