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Day trips

Spending Christmas in the UK as an international student

Christmas is a time for tradition, festive spirit and celebrating our loved ones. For international students it can often be a lonely time of year, especially for those who cannot return home for the festive period.

You might find that many of your friends return home for the Christmas break and it may be quieter than usual. It is important plan ahead to ensure that you too have a merry Christmas!

London is simply beautiful at Christmas and has lots going on. Here are some Ideas of what you can do in London during the festive period:

Christmas lights: Why not visit the Christmas lights in London? Visit London have a superb guide on the 21 best outdoor lights in London for 2024. ISS have two trips to Christmas at Kew on Wednesday 11th December and Wednesday 18th December. For more information and to book see Day Trips section below.

Get outdoors and get active! We all know that spending time outdoors in nature is good for you. How about taking a festive walk in nature? Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Richmond park… are all beautiful at this time of year. If you would like to try something different, then ice-skating might be the perfect activity for some festive cheer. TimeOut have some suggestions of the best places to go ice-skating this winter.

Christmas Markets: You could also visit the many Christmas markets in London for a spot of Christmas shopping and some festive food? Don’t forget to try a traditional hot chocolate with all the trimmings – marshmallows, cream, sprinkles – yum!

How about a festive night in?

If you know that you will be spending some time alone, take initiative and plan something. If your friends are here too, perhaps host a Christmas feast together – maybe you could all bring one traditional dish to share together? A cosy movie night is also a good option; select a Christmas movie or two, grab some popcorn, a mince pie and some festive hot cocoa – sounds idyllic!

Virtual Christmas

Do plan some videocalls with friends and family, wherever they may be. It’s important to keep in touch with our loved ones, especially if you are spending the festive break alone. It is now possible to host virtual meals, Christmas quizzes and games so even if you are on your own, you don’t actually have to spend Christmas alone.

Christmas day at ISH

International Students’ House are hosting Christmas day. The day will begin with welcome drinks at 11.45am, followed by a 3 course traditional British Christmas Lunch (Halal Turkey or Vegetarian option) with Christmas Crackers, a screening of the 3 pm Speech by His Majesty the King, followed by a movie or a walk in nearby Regent’s Park. A goodie bag will be provided on departure to tide you over for the rest of the day. Please note that there is no public transport available in London on 25th December, so you will need to plan to come to ISH by taxi / uber, bicycle or walking.

Student tickets cost £20 and any non-student guests are charged £40. Student IDs will be checked on arrival on 25th December.

The deadline for tickets to be booked is Monday 16th December. All tickets are non-refundable. You can book here.

HOST UK

Why not spend Christmas with a Host family? Host UK offer the opportunity for you to spend the festive period with a host family. HOST visits can be for a day, a weekend, or 3 days at Christmas and allows you to experience a traditional Christmas with a British family. For more information and to book visit the HOST UK website.

Christmas Closures

Remember that most of the University closes for Christmas on Friday 20th December and will reopen open on 2 January 2025.

The international student support team runs a programme of trips throughout the academic year. These trips are open to all students of the College.

Remember to follow us on social media @iss_imperial and @issimperial to ensure you’re the first to know about the events and trips we have on offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the day trips?

The day trips are open to all current Imperial College students, including EU and UK students. Occasionally staff members may attend, but they must ask permission from the International Student Support team first.

Unfortunately non-Imperial friends and family members are unable to attend.

How do I register and pay?

Click on the link in the trip you would like to attend. You will be asked to complete a registration form and will then be taken to a payment page where you will need a credit/debit card to pay. Your place will not be confirmed until you have paid.

Please note that each student wishing to attend the trip must register and pay separately.

What do I need to bring with me?

For each trip, you must bring:

Your Imperial College ID card.
Your Oyster Card if the trip is in London.
Suitable clothing and shoes for the weather.
Suncream, sunhat and water bottle if it is likely to be warm.
Lunch if you will not be buying this on the day. Please note that restaurants are likely to be busy and you may wish to reserve a table in advance, especially if a large group of you will be eating together.
Money to cover your expenses. Please do not bring very large amounts as we cannot be held responsible for this.
A camera.

There may also be additional items you will need to bring for specific trips but you will be notified of these in a pre-trip email.

What if I need to cancel?

Tickets are non-refundable unless otherwise stated.

Please be aware that as tickets for our trips are purchased in advance by the International Student Support team, we are unable to provide a refund of money if you can no longer attend. If you can no longer attend, you may find another Imperial Student to take your place. You will need to email us to let us know.

If there is a waiting list for the event, we may be able to find someone to replace you. In this case your payment will be refunded from the person taking your place on the trip.

If you have any queries about this, please email us: international@imperial.ac.uk

What are the closing dates below?

The closing date for each trip is the date after which no more bookings will be accepted. Note that a trip may fill up before the closing date.

Please note that all events are open to Imperial College students only. Each person wishing to attend must register and pay separately. PLEASE DO NOT PAY FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE