Easter has to be one of the best weekends in London. You get two whole extra days off to consume unhealthy amounts of chocolate and if you’re lucky, enough some springtime sunshine! There’s so much on offer in London over the Easter bank holiday weekend with spring fairs, Easter Egg hunts, exhibitions, church services and countless more to choose from! Here are our picks of some the best things that are happening in London over the 2018 Easter weekend.
EASTER EGG HUNTS AND TRAILS
Every year the National Trust puts on their Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt in over 250 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland! There’s a number of locations across London including Fenton House and Garden, Ham House and Morden Hall Park, check out the website to find your closest one! It’s only £3 and everyone is rewarded with a delicious Cadbury treat at the end of the completed hunt, plus your money goes towards funding essential conservation works which will protect the UK’s natural spaces for future generations.
There are also plenty of other egg hunts around London over the weekend including:
- The Lindt Gold Bunny Easter Hunt at Hampton Court Palace
- Easter Egg hunt at Battersea Park Zoo
- WWT London Wetland Centre: Dusty’s Giant Duck Hunt
- Easter Egg-stravaganza at Launderdale House
- Fantasy High Street trail at London Bridge City
- E15 Easter Trail in Stratford
- An Egg Hunt through Time & Space at Time Run.
EASTER CHOCOLATE
If you’d rather not hunt for your chocolate and just buy it, then there is some incredible chocolate shops in London that do beautiful (and delicious chocolate eggs). Our favourite places to visit are of course, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Even if they are out of your price range, it’s still worth popping in for a look at their beautiful displays!
The thing that grabbed our attention this year was the London Eye’s VIP Hotel Chocolat Tasting Experience! For £54 you get two, 30-minute rotations on the eye, two glasses of Prosecco, chocolate and truffle tasting with a Hotel Chocolat ambassador and a Hotel Chocolat goodie bag! I personally can’t think of a better way to enjoy Easter than with Prosecco, chocolate and views of London from the iconic London Eye! Tie this in with a luxurious stay at one of The Montcalm Luxury Hotels, such as the stylish and centrally located London City Suites by Montcalm.
THEMED AFTERNOON TEA
If you haven’t quite gotten your sugar kick from the chocolate then why not book one of London’s amazing themed afternoon teas? One Aldwych has an incredible Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed tea, Hotel Chocolat has their Chocolate Dreams Afternoon Tea on offer and the Sanderson has their Mad Hatters themed tea! The afternoon tea that is still on my London to-do list is at Sketch! Make sure you book over the long weekend as all of these venues are sure to be popular!
CHURCH SERVICES
Easter weekend services are held all across London’s churches and cathedrals, including services at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Southwark Cathedral. Be sure to look up your local church or these venues to find out dates, times and any important information.
EVENTS
No matter where you go in London over Easter, there is something for everyone, with family-friendly Fairs and events, adults-only dance parties and themed ball-pit fun!
- Have a day out at the Horniman Museum and Gardens’ Easter Fair.
- Dance all night long at Easter Sunday Disco Festival at Oval Space, Bethnal Green.
- Enjoy a big day out with Peter Rabbit at Kew Gardens.
- Drink some cocktails and play in an adults-only ball pit at Ballie Ballerson‘s Easter Special.
- Catch the free performance of The Passion of Jesus, which features over 100 performers in Trafalgar Square.
- Enjoy some German-style hospitality at Alexandra Palace’s Springfest, the UK’s largest German Bier festival!
EXHIBITIONS
If the weather isn’t conducive to outdoors activities this weekend, then head inside to one of London’s incredible museums. There’s some fantastic exhibitions running over the holiday weekend, that children and families alike will enjoy and here are two of our top picks for the long weekend!
- Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic exhibit at the V&A.
- Sensational Butterflies at the Natural History Museum.
OPENING HOURS & TRANSPORTATION OVER EASTER
Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays and whilst most shops and attractions are open over the bank holiday weekend, a lot will be closed on Easter Sunday. It’s best to check in advance with individual venues to see if they are open and plan your journey in advance with TFL, as some services may be reduced over this time.
There’s so much on offer for everyone in London over the Bank holiday weekend. Whether you choose to pack as much into your weekend as possible, or just spend it strolling London’s charming streets, parks and gardens (which should be starting to beautifully bloom), your Easter weekend in London is guaranteed to be perfect.
Our opinions are as always, our own.
