It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and if, like me, you have yet to start your Christmas shopping then help is at hand! London is an incredible place to go shopping but it can feel overwhelming, particularly at Christmas time when the streets are so busy.
But it is possible to hit the London streets, find the perfect gift and return home in one piece – you just need to know where to look.
The following is my list of favourite shops, including some of London’s iconic department stores, markets and independent boutiques, where you are guaranteed to find the perfect present. Here are the best place to go Christmas shopping in London, and the most unique London gifts to pick up along the way.
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10 Christmas gifts that you will only find in London
- Liberty print notebooks, silk scarves, tote bags and ties
- A Fortnum & Mason food hamper
- A gift from Buckingham Palace
- London Underground themed gifts from the London Transport Museum
- An umbrella from James Smith & Sons who have been making umbrellas since 1830
- Arthur Bear from Hamleys
- London-themed biscuits from Biscuiteers
- A hat from Lock & Co Hatters, the oldest hat shop in the world.
- Wine from Berry Bros & Rudd, the oldest wine and spirits merchant in Britain
- Cheese from Paxton & Whitfield, one of the oldest cheesemongers in the UK
1. Oxford Street & Regent Street
Truthfully, I find Oxford Street overwhelming at the best of times but throw in the Christmas crowds and it’s enough to make me want to hide in a cafe drinking large quantities of hot chocolate.
My trick to visiting Oxford Street during the holidays is to avoid weekends if you can – week days are still busy in November and December but they are less frantic that on Saturdays and Sundays. You could also avoid Oxford Circus tube station and get off at Bond Street instead. If all else fails, just take deep breaths and enjoy the Christmas lights!
Still, it’s worth braving London’s most famous shopping street as this is where you will find Selfridges. This is one of my favourite London department stores, packed full of everything you could ever need from designer clothing to a dedicated Christmas shop.
It’s worth visiting for their extravagant window displays alone; for 2025, Selfridges has been transformed into a magical Disney-inspired wonderland with a light and music show taking place very 15 minutes from 5 – 9pm. The grand finales reveals an 11-metre-tall, custom-made 3D Disney Castle at the corner of Oxford and Duke Street.
Regent Street is the place to really get into the festive spirt: during the Christmas season, the famous street is decorated with dozens of illuminated flying angels.
Just off Regent Street is Liberty London, which first opened its doors in 1875. The grand Tudor revival building was constructed from the timbers of two ships – HMS Impregnable (formerly HMS Howe) and HMS Hindustan – with the ships’ decks used as flooring for the store. It remains today one of the prettiest department stores in the city.
Liberty is particularly famous for its miniature floral, paisley and abstract prints, today known as “Liberty prints”. These make great gifts and are available to buy as washbags, notebooks, dressing gowns and more.
2. Carnaby Street
The birthplace of Swinging London, colourful Carnaby Street is today an ideal spot for some London Christmas shopping. The road is lined with chain stores include Muji, Birkenstock, RIXO and MAC Cosmetics. It’s particularly good if you’re visiting London with teens, or looking for the perfect present for the teenager in your life.
Nearby is Sherry’s, Carnaby Street’s longest serving independent retailer that specialises in 60s style clothing including parkas, button down shirts, three button suits and other items of clothing that might be seen on the likes of Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher (spoiler: both have been known to shop here).
My kids are also fans of Third Man Records, which was personally designed by Third Man founder Jack White of the White Stripes. With two levels, the shop inlaces a retail space and a small live music venue downstairs.
3. Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a Christmas cracker during the holiday season; the piazza is decorated with giant baubles, oversized bells and spinning mirrors balls. Plus, there’s an enormous Christmas tree decorated with over 30,000 lights.
Some of the most popular shops include Paul Smith, Strathberry, the Cambridge Satchel Company and Charlotte Tilbury, not forgetting the giant Apple Store. There’s also the Covent Garden Market with market stall selling crafts and unique gifts.
My favourite stores in Covent Garden include the Moomin Shop, the Tintin Shop, Stanfords travel bookstore and the jeweller’s Alex Monroe.
Choosing Keeping is another one of my favourites and the perfect place for finding a unique gift. This luxury stationary store is known for its elegant paper goods and handcrafted baubles – I particularly love their handblown glass paperweights.
4. Iconic Department Stores
If you only visit one shop in central London over Christmas, make sure it’s Fortnum & Mason.
Located just off Piccadilly Circus, this huge department store is known for its elaborate window displays as well as its holiday hampers packed with fine teas, luxury biscuits, fancy jams and more. Even if you don’t get a hamper, the boxes of teas and tins of biscuits make really lovely Christmas presents.
It gets very busy over the festive season but it really is one of the best places to go Christmas shopping in London.
Harrods is another famous department store that goes all out at Christmas. The famed Food Hall is a great place to buy a gift for the foodie in your life with luxury jars of brandy butter, elegant hampers, gingerbread-themed patisseries and more.
The department store also has its very own Chocolate Hall with chocolate made on site by Harrods chefs. Make your own chocolate box with a selection of truffles of your choosing or pick from 27 different chocolate bars. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for anyone with a sweet tooth!
Harvey Nichols is not far from Harrods if you are in the market for luxury brands and high-end fashion.
The other place you should visit is Burlington Arcade, an elegant covered arcade that opened in 1819, making it one of Britain’s earliest shopping arcades. It’s famous for its luxury goods but even if you don’t buy anything, it’s a beautiful place to window shop.
Nearby is Bond Street, one of London’s most high-end shopping streets with luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci.
5. Marylebone High Street
This is one of my favourite shopping streets in London, a charming road that sits in the heart of London, near Oxford Street and Baker Street. It’s a great place for holiday shopping (and regular shopping too!).
My favourite shop along here is Daunt Books, one of the best bookshops in London and one of the most beautiful, an Edwardian building with skylights and oak galleries. A large part of the store is dedicated to travel with the books arranged by country. There’s also a good selection for kids.
It’s a great place to come for fashion too: the French brand Sezane has a large store here as does upmarket women’s retailer Me+Em. Other popular shops include Sessun, TOAST, Maje and WYSE London.
Just off Marylebone High Street is the haberdashery V V Rouleaux who stock gorgeous ribbons, trimmings, feathers, fancy millinery and countless other bits and bobs. It’s a beautiful shop to visit even if you are just browsing.
6. Royal & Historic Gifts
For something royally British head to the Royal Mews Christmas Shop. For the first time ever, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is opening its doors as the Royal Mews Christmas Shop.
Open from 14 November to 5 January, the shop stocks a selection of royal gifts, fine food and drinks, festive plants and a range of limited edition items. There are also regal-themed Christmas decorations, Buckingham Palace Dry Gin, royal-themed china and jewellery and much more.
The V&A Museum is another great place to do some Christmas shopping. The museum gift shop is packed full of unique gifts from unique jewellery and textiles to books, posters and homewares. It’s one of my favourite places to pick up something original and the prices tend to be very reasonable.
The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden is another great spot for festive shopping. The gift store sells everything from London Underground themed bedding to cushions made out of the iconic moquette fabric – the exact same fabric used to upholster London’s transport vehicles (there are also socks if you prefer something a little more subtle). The shop has a good collection for kids, too.
Located on Jermyn Street is historic British perfumery, Floris of London. Their luxury soaps and signature scents make beautifully classic gifts.
7. Just for Kids
One of London’s most famous shops is the multi-story toy store Hamleys. This is the world’s oldest and largest toy shop and receives some five million visitors every year. It can be extraordinarily overwhelming but it’s unique to London.
One item you can only buy in Hamleys is the Arthur Bear. Stocked among the plush toys, this dapper looking teddy bear comes dressed in a red waistcoat and tartan bow tie.
For original children’s gifts from London head to Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop in Covent Garden. The toy store, which specialises in cut-out and make Victorian toy theatres, paper shadow boxes and pop-up theatres, first opened in the 1880s in Hoxton before later moving to Covent Garden. It also stocks a range of books, music boxes and other traditional toys.
Located at Paddington Station, the Paddington Bear Shop is the place to get the perfect present. It’s the only shop in the world which is dedicated exclusively to the famous bear. Pick up all manner of memorabilia including books, miniature replicas and your very own Paddington teddy bear.
You’ll find Harry Potter merchandise for sale almost everywhere in London but every Harry Potter fan knowns that it’s worth going to the Harry Potter shop in Kings Cross Station as well.
Located at Platform 9 3/4, this is the place to come to buy everything related to the boy wizard. Don’t miss the chance to have a photo taken of you pushing your trolley onto the magical platform while you’re here.
Shopping for or with teens? Then head to Camden Market, a one-stop destination for vintage finds, graphic tees, hand-crafted accessories, second-hand books and more.
8. Festive Markets
Markets are always a festive favourite and London has plenty to choose from. Some the best in London include Winter by the River with dozens of wooden chalets lining the Thames with views of Tower Bridge in the background. The stalls sell a range of items including handmade gifts, glassware and jewellery.
Southbank Centre Winter Market is another good option, especially in the evening once the stall are all covered in twinkling lights. I find that the Leicester Square Christmas Market stalls focus primarily on food but there are a handful of places to buy gifts too.
Greenwich Market requires a little more effort to reach but it’s very good with local artisans selling jewellery, art, homewares, handmade crafts and more. Make a day of it and visit the Cutty Sark while you are here and stand on the meridian line.
For more ideas on which Christmas market to choose, take a look at this post.
