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Christmas Market Trips to London

London is a fantastic city to visit all year round but in December it is truly transformed into a festive extravaganza with twinkling lights, ice skating rinks, traditional markets.

At Christmas time the South Bank of the River is transformed into a wintry wonderland, where global cuisine and an artisan Christmas market come together in one sparkling location.  Amble past wooden chalets which line the banks of the Thames and pick up gorgeous stocking fillers from the Winter Market. Or, tuck into some Christmas fare underneath the glittering Christmas lights.

In Hyde Park, you can truly immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere of Winter Wonderland, one of the biggest Christmas markets in London.  Other locations for Christmas Markets in London include Leicester Square, London Bridge City and Greenwich.  Many of these pop-up London markets appear in mid-November and stay open until the New Year

Take your choice of the London iconic sites, shows and attractions with a touch of festive atmosphere your students will love.

Prices start from£169pp

Price Shown includes

  • Return rail travel (based on the fare from Birmingham stations)
  • 1 night B&B accommodation
  • Specialist group travel insurance
  • Bespoke itinerary planning service
  • Free place ratios
  • Locate My Trip - live trip tracking app 
  • Online trip organiser & travel app
  • 24/7 support whilst you are away

Places to Stay


Reasons to Visit

The lastminute.com London Eye

The famous London Eye is one of the world’s highest observation wheels, standing at 135 metres high. The wheel has thirty-two capsules, each of which holds 25 people and views possible as far away as twenty-five miles on a clear day.

The View from The Shard

The View from the Shard is situated on floors 68, 69 and 72, almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in London, where you can take in all of London at once with 360 degree views of up to 40 miles long.

Sightseeing Tours by bus

Hop-on hop-off bus tours are great for general sightseeing, giving access to all the major sites. Departing from Grosvenor Gardens it includes Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London Eye and Piccadilly Circus.

Thames River Cruises

A great opportunity for you to discover the 'must-see' sights in London. Watch as the River Thames weaves its way through the heart of London and see the history of this city around every bend. Cruises depart frequently from Westminster Pier, Waterloo (London Eye) Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier.

IFS Cloud Cable Car

Rising to a height of 90 metres, the IFS Cloud Cable Car offers you an exciting 1.1km cable car journey across the Thames on the UK’s only urban cable car connecting the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Victoria Dock.

The London Dungeon

Transport yourself back to the darkest moments in the capital's history within the deep depths of the London Dungeon.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Founded in 1852, it is well known for the wide variety of its collection. The items include furniture, fashion and textiles, sculpture, paintings, silver, glass, ceramics, jewellery, books, prints and photographs which illustrate the artistic life of many different cultures from all over the world.

Science Museum


The science museum houses exhibits on computing and ICT with a collection representing how the storage, manipulation and communication of information have become fundamental to human existence. These collections cover electronics, information and computing, mechanical computing, media technologies, networks including the internet, printing, radio, satellites, sound reproduction, software and telephony.
 

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history.

As well as being located in a stunning and striking Romanesque architecture building, which is considered a work of art in its own right, the museum is famous for the dinosaurs, but they also house over 80 million specimens spanning 4.5 billion years of Earth's history.

The museum offers too much to mention here but have collections under the categories of: oceans, human evolution, space, dinosaurs, British wildlife as well as visiting collections and exhibitions. Check out their website for up-to-date information.  https://www.nhm.ac.uk/

West End Theatre Tickets

The majority of student groups who visit London like to round off their trip by seeing a show. We can also book pre-theatre meals at nearby restaurants for you. Save up to 50% on the normal ticket price by attending a midweek (Mon-Thurs) evening or matinee performance. The majority of top West End shows offer these affordable discounted tickets to student groups year round (excluding school holiday dates).

Wicked

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WITCHES OF OZ...

WICKED tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

WICKED is suitable for a general audience. As a guide to parents and guardians, it is recommended for ages 7+

(Source: https://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/london/about/synopsis)

NOTE: There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability.

Stranger Things

Brand New for 2024 from the much loved Netflix TV series.

BEFORE THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN…
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.

Show at: Phoenix Theatre
Times: Tuesday - Saturday 7pm, Friday & Saturday Matinees 1pm & Sunday 3pm
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including an interval
Age Recommendation: 12 and over.
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evening and Friday matinee

Matilda the Musical

Matilda The Musical is the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl. With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

Recommended for ages 6 and above.

(Source: https://uk.matildathemusical.com/about/the-story/)

NOTE: There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability.

The Lion King

Set against the majesty of the Serengeti Plains and to the evocative rhythms of Africa, Disney's multi award-winning musical uses breath-taking masks and puppetry to create pure theatrical magic. At its heart is the powerful and moving story of Simba - the epic adventure of his journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role as King of the Pridelands.

(Source: https://disney.co.uk/shows/the-lion-king-musical-tickets)

NOTE: There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability.

Mary Poppins

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins returns to the Prince Edward Theatre, it's original West End home, this October.

The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny is triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. 

On show at: Prince Edward Theatre 

Times: Wednesday 7.00pm.  Thursday-Monday 7.30pm.  Thursday, Saturday & Sunday matinees 2.30pm.

Mamma Mia!

Set on a Greek Island Paradise, the story of a daughter on the eve of her wedding and her quest to discover the identify of her father, all set to the music of ABBA.

NOTE: There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in.
Jamie is terrified about the future. He is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Recommended for ages 14 and above

(source: https://www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/)

NOTE: There are other shows/plays on offer not featured. All are subject to availability.


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What you say

Once again delighted with the service we have received from beginning to end with EST.  Queen Elizabeths Grammar School

I will continue to use EST as each year our annual London trip gets better and better. Kings Leadership Academy

An excellent trip which was thoroughly enjoyed by staff and students. I received great support throughout. Sir John Deanes College

This was my second journey via European Study tours and I would highly recommend the company to anyone bringing groups to London. Pianca School