Make the most of the festive season with your family on this magical week-long getaway. Featuring the Christmas capitals of London and Dublin, delight in all the Old World holiday trimmings!
Why London/Dublin?
Very family friendly, easy public transportation, English speaking, and most of all– the Christmas magic is real here– the lights, the decorations, the joy, and the Harry Potter — it’s an absolute bucket list. It’s easy to fly into London and bonus points for flying out of Dublin into the US (if a US citizen) because you go through US customs in Dublin, which means you won’t be dead tired standing in line for ages after your trip is over! This saves so much time and to top it off Dublin to US flights tend to be much cheaper than the rest of Europe!
Itinerary
Days 1-3: Christmas in London
Wander glittering winter wonderlands at Hyde Park Winter Festival – ice skating, rides, circus shows set kids aglow. Tour festively decorated landmarks like Kew Gardens’ Glow Trail. Catch a Christmas panto matinee for music, laughter and participation. Don’t miss Harrod’s elaborately trimmed shop windows!
Day 4: Experience the Harry Potter Christmas Magic
If you have time and booked in advance, go visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour. It’s not in central London, but you can easily get there and Harry Potter has a special place in our Christmas Vibe.
Take the quick hour flight to Dublin. Note that there is an all day train/ferry option as well that can be fun for kiddos that love trains and ferries, but it is about 11 hours.
Days 5-6: Christmas Cheer in Dublin
Roam Dublin’s pedestrian Winter Lights Festival showcasing Irish artists and culture. Explore the massive Dublin Christmas Festival at Convention Centre – Irish artisans, Santa meet-ups. Drive out to historical village of Kildare for medieval Yuletide markets.
Highly recommend 2 museums in Dublin: The Little Museum of Dublin and the Irish Whiskey Museum. Both highly entertaining and educational while being quite affordable. See more about the full Dublin itinerary here.
Day 7: Fly Home With Magic Memories
Pack in some last carols at local Christmas concerts and watch Irish stepdance buskers before one last Irish breakfast and farewell to Europe. Return home with cherished family memories spilling with holiday magic!
With London and Dublin decking their ancient halls at Christmastime, families find no shortage of festive wonders paired with iconic sights to ignite that holiday sparkle. Those seeking to surround kids in seasonal merriment need venture no further into Old World charm and storybook fantasy come to life!
