Visiting England in December means you can take advantage of the special Christmas markets and unique gifts as well as winter festivals and outdoor skating rinks. However, you may want to plan some time indoors since England winters can be bitter. Visit the country's historic sites or hang with locals in a pub to get warm.
In December, Christmas markets are plentiful and you can find many unique, handmade gifts. In Birmingham, the Frankfurt Christmas Market offers 75 stalls in Victoria Square. In Bristol, choose from all kinds of gifts for sale at the Christmas Market at the Southville Centre. A café offers coffee and snacks. The Christmas Festive Fayre is in front of Norwich's City Hall. There you can find more than 80 stalls to peruse, offering jewelry, soap and cards. Try Italian, Polish, German and French foods.
In London, visit the Bankside Frost Fair, a free winter festival designed to mimic the medieval fairs. The fair has dog sledding, 70 stalls for shopping, a street theater and other entertainment and ice sculptures.
In London, head to Haven Green for open-air skating among trees. Or visit the city's largest outdoor ice skating rink in Hyde Park. At Leeds, visit England's biggest temporary outdoor ice rink. In Cornwall, try The Cove, a winter wonderland with a skating rink, Christmas lights and a decorated tree.
Visit Buckingham Palace's state rooms. These rooms feature paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt and Poussin, sculptures by Canova, and English and French furniture. Also at the palace, the Royal Mews is home to state vehicles, including horse-drawn carriages. View the Gold State Coach used during the queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Tour Windsor Castle. The state apartments here feature fine works of art from the Royal Collection. From October to March, you can also see George IV's private apartments. See Queen Mary's Dolls' House and St. George's Chapel, an example of Gothic architecture and the home to the tombs of Henry VIII and Charles I, among other royalty.
Take a walking tour. The Kent countryside is featured in the Weald of Kent, a five-mile trip that goes by a 12th-century Norman castle and church. Take the Bath Skyline Walk around the hills surrounding Bath. See an Iron Age hill fort and Roman and medieval settlements.
Visit Westminster Abbey and tour the area where British monarchs are crowned and where more than 3,000 people are buried. Tour the Tower of London, and see the crown jewels. Also tour St. Paul's Cathedral and climb the dome.
Choose a pub or two and mingle with locals over a pint.
