London
Dublin
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British Isles · Multi-city itinerary
British Isles itinerary — December 2026
By Tripsapien Research · Updated May 20, 2026
December 2026 is an off-season time for the British Isles trip (London, Dublin & Edinburgh). Daytime highs run from about 7°C / 45°F to 9°C / 48°F across the stops. Plan around 7–9 days for the full London, Dublin & Edinburgh loop. Tripsapien checks every place on your list against your exact dates — hours, closures and booking pressure at each stop.
The route
About 7–9 days · 3 cities
The capitals of the British Isles: London and its museums and West End, Dublin for Georgian squares, Trinity College and the pubs of Temple Bar, and Edinburgh, the Scottish capital under its castle. Short flights and the East Coast main line connect them.
London
London in December
Temperature
47°F / 39°F
8.1°C / 3.8°C
Precipitation
16d
2.4in · 60.1mm
Daylight
8.2h
December is cold and festive, with West End shows, Southbank markets, ice rinks, and Oxford Street lights driving demand.
December is cold and festive, with West End shows, Southbank markets, ice rinks, and Oxford Street lights driving demand.
City overview
London sits on the River Thames, where Westminster, the City, South Kensington, Camden, Shoreditch, Notting Hill, Greenwich, Mayfair, and Covent Garden compress royal government, finance, museums, markets, theatre, and immigrant food into one transport map. The Tube, Elizabeth Line, National Rail terminals, and river piers make the city work as a set of village-like districts rather than one walkable center.
Food & drink
London food spans fish and chips, full English breakfasts, Sunday roasts, pie and mash, Brick Lane curry houses, salt-beef beigels, jellied eels, and modern pub dining. Borough Market, Brick Lane, Chinatown, Brixton Village, Broadway Market, and Southall are the first food map rather than one single restaurant row.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Victoria and Albert Museum
- 2National Gallery
- 3British Museum
- 4Westminster Abbey
- 5Natural History Museum
- 6Tower Bridge
- 7Tower of London
- 8Buckingham Palace State Rooms
- 9Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge
- 10Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
1Victoria and Albert Museum
4.8★ · 66,846indoorOpen dailyThe V&A in South Kensington holds decorative arts, fashion, sculpture, photography, Islamic art, cast courts, theatre collections, and design objects. It sits beside the Natural History Museum and Science Museum.
Wikipedia
2National Gallery
4.8★ · 61,432indoorOpen dailyThe Trafalgar Square museum opened in 1838 and holds Van Eyck, Leonardo, Titian, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, Van Gogh, and Seurat. Charing Cross and Leicester Square stations are short walks away.
Wikipedia
3British Museum
4.7★ · 172,964indoorOpen dailyThe Bloomsbury museum opened to the public in 1759 and displays Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Assyrian reliefs, Greek sculpture, prints, coins, and global archaeology. Tottenham Court Road and Holborn stations are the easiest Tube approaches.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Westminster Abbey
- 5Natural History Museum
- 6Tower Bridge
- 7Tower of London
- 8Buckingham Palace State Rooms
- 9Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge
- 10Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Neighborhoods
1Westminster and St James's
Westminster is ceremonial and governmental, with Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, St James's Park, Buckingham Palace, and The Mall in one high-security walking zone.
2South Kensington and Chelsea
South Kensington is museum-heavy, with the V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Exhibition Road, and Chelsea streets nearby.
3Covent Garden and Soho
Covent Garden and Soho are theatre-and-nightlife dense, with Seven Dials, Neal's Yard, Chinatown, Carnaby Street, West End theatres, and late restaurants.
4Camden and Regent's Canal
Camden is market-led and music-linked, with Camden Lock, Regent's Canal, Roundhouse, street food, tattoo shops, and walks toward Primrose Hill.
5Shoreditch and the City
Shoreditch adds Brick Lane curry houses, street art, Spitalfields Market, bars, and tech offices beside the City's St Paul's, Bank, Leadenhall Market, and skyscrapers.
6Notting Hill and Kensington
Notting Hill has pastel terraces, Portobello Road market, Carnival history, bookshops, and quick access to Kensington Gardens and Holland Park.
Getting around
Transport for London runs the Tube, Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, buses, trams, river buses, and contactless/Oyster fares with daily caps. Use the Tube for cross-core trips, the Elizabeth Line for Heathrow and east-west speed, buses for short central hops, and National Rail terminals for day trips.
Dublin
Dublin in December
Temperature
47°F / 37°F
8.5°C / 2.6°C
Precipitation
13d
3in · 75mm
Daylight
7.3h
Sea
49.1°F
9.5°C
December is wet and festive, with Grafton Street lights, pub sessions, and short daylight shaping plans.
December is wet and festive, with Grafton Street lights, pub sessions, and short daylight shaping plans.
City overview
Dublin sits on the River Liffey where Georgian squares, Viking-medieval lanes, literary pubs, Trinity College, the Liberties, Temple Bar, Smithfield, and St Stephen's Green make a compact city-center route. The city works best on foot, with DART coastal trains and Luas trams extending the map to Howth, Dun Laoghaire, and the docklands.
Food & drink
Dublin food is pub, market, and coast-fed: a full Irish breakfast plates sausage, bacon, eggs, pudding, beans, and tomato, Irish stew slow-cooks lamb or mutton with potatoes, seafood chowder uses Atlantic shellfish, and boxty turns potato into pancakes. The Brazen Head, Moore Street, George's Street Arcade, Temple Bar Food Market, Capel Street, and Howth seafood stops add soda bread, fish and chips, oysters, and Guinness pours.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Kilmainham Gaol
- 2National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology
- 3Christ Church Cathedral
- 4St Patrick's Cathedral
- 5EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
- 6Temple Bar
- 7Phoenix Park
- 8Trinity College and Book of Kells
- 9Guinness Storehouse
- 10Dublin Castle
1Kilmainham Gaol
4.7★ · 2,817indoorOpen dailyThe jail opened in 1796 and is tied to Irish nationalist prisoners, the 1916 Rising executions, and penal history. It is west of the center near the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
WikipediaGuided tours sell out well ahead; book online as soon as dates open.
2National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology
4.6★ · 14,861indoorOpen dailyThe Kildare Street museum displays the Ardagh Chalice, Tara Brooch, bog bodies, Viking finds, goldwork, and medieval objects. It is beside Leinster House and Merrion Square.
Wikipedia
3Christ Church Cathedral
4.5★ · 11,634indoorOpen dailyThe cathedral was founded around 1030 and rebuilt in stone under the Anglo-Normans, with a crypt, tiles, and medieval city history. It stands near Dublinia and Wood Quay.
Show 7 more sights
- 4St Patrick's Cathedral
- 5EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
- 6Temple Bar
- 7Phoenix Park
- 8Trinity College and Book of Kells
- 9Guinness Storehouse
- 10Dublin Castle
Neighborhoods
1Temple Bar and College Green
Temple Bar and College Green are central and busy, with pubs, Trinity College, the Irish Whiskey Museum, cobbles, buskers, and river crossings.
2St Stephen's Green and Grafton Street
The southside shopping-and-park district has Grafton Street, Georgian doors, Iveagh Gardens, Little Museum of Dublin, and Merrion Square nearby.
3The Liberties
The Liberties is old and working-class, with Guinness, whiskey distilleries, St Patrick's Cathedral, Francis Street antiques, Thomas Street, and market streets.
4Smithfield and Stoneybatter
Smithfield and Stoneybatter mix the Jameson Bow St. distillery, Lighthouse Cinema, cafes, pubs, apartments, and quick access to Phoenix Park.
5Docklands and Grand Canal Dock
The Docklands feel newer, with EPIC, Samuel Beckett Bridge, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, tech offices, canals, and riverfront walks.
6Rathmines and Portobello
Rathmines and Portobello are local and food-heavy, with canals, cinemas, pubs, brunch spots, and red-brick residential streets south of the core.
Getting around
Dublin Bus, Luas trams, DART coastal rail, commuter rail, and Leap cards cover the useful visitor network. Walk the center, use Luas for Heuston-Smithfield-Docklands, and use DART for Howth, Malahide, and Dun Laoghaire.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh in December
Temperature
44°F / 34°F
6.9°C / 0.9°C
Precipitation
12d
2.6in · 65mm
Daylight
6.7h
Sea
46.2°F
7.9°C
December is cold, with Christmas markets and Hogmanay setup making central hotel timing important.
December is cold, with Christmas markets and Hogmanay setup making central hotel timing important.
City overview
Edinburgh sits between Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat, and the Firth of Forth, with Old Town closes, New Town crescents, Leith waterfront, Stockbridge streets, Bruntsfield cafes, and Calton Hill viewpoints forming a compact but steep city. Its August festival season changes the city more completely than any single attraction.
Food & drink
Edinburgh food is Scottish staples with a strong pub map: haggis is minced offal, oats, and spice served with neeps and tatties, Cullen skink is smoked-haddock soup, and cranachan folds cream, oats, raspberries, honey, and whisky into dessert. Grassmarket pubs, Stockbridge Market, Leith's Shore restaurants, New Town whisky bars, and chip shops add Scotch pies, shortbread, drams, and fish suppers.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park
- 2Calton Hill
- 3Royal Mile
- 4Princes Street Gardens and Scott Monument
- 5Edinburgh Castle
- 6Palace of Holyroodhouse
- 7National Museum of Scotland
- 8Royal Yacht Britannia
- 9Scottish National Gallery
- 10Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
1Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park
4.8★ · 4,771outdoorThe extinct volcano rises 251m above the city, with paths from Holyrood, Duddingston, and the Salisbury Crags. Views reach the Castle, Firth of Forth, and Pentland Hills.
2Calton Hill
4.8★ · 6,446outdoorThe hill east of Princes Street has the National Monument, Nelson Monument, Dugald Stewart Monument, and one of the classic skyline views toward the Castle and Arthur's Seat. It is a short climb from Waterloo Place.
Wikipedia
3Royal Mile
4.7★ · 23,477outdoorThe Old Town spine runs from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace through Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate, closes, churches, pubs, and souvenir shops. It is steep, crowded, and central to most first-time walks.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Princes Street Gardens and Scott Monument
- 5Edinburgh Castle
- 6Palace of Holyroodhouse
- 7National Museum of Scotland
- 8Royal Yacht Britannia
- 9Scottish National Gallery
- 10Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Neighborhoods
1Old Town
Old Town is medieval and vertical, with the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, Greyfriars, Victoria Street, closes, pubs, ghost tours, and festival venues.
2New Town
New Town is Georgian and ordered, with Princes Street, George Street, Queen Street Gardens, galleries, shopping, and hotels.
3Leith
Leith is port-city and food-led, with the Shore, Royal Yacht Britannia, Water of Leith paths, seafood restaurants, pubs, and tram links.
4Stockbridge
Stockbridge is village-like, with Sunday market, Raeburn Place, Dean Village access, Water of Leith walks, and independent shops.
5Bruntsfield and Morningside
Bruntsfield and Morningside are local and cafe-heavy, with Meadows access, cinemas, bakeries, bookstores, and tenement streets.
6Southside and Marchmont
Southside and Marchmont are student-and-festival districts, with University of Edinburgh buildings, the Meadows, theatres, pubs, and August venues.
Getting around
Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams, airport tram service, and contactless day caps cover most visitor moves. Walk the Old Town-New Town core, use trams for airport-Leith links, and expect steep climbs between Waverley, the Royal Mile, and the Castle.
Best time to do the British Isles trip
In December, the British Isles trip runs daytime highs from 7°C / 45°F to 9°C / 48°F, with nights down to about 1°C / 34°F at the coolest stop. It is one of the wetter months, with up to 13 rainy days at the wettest stop. Weighed across all 3 stops, December is an off-season time to travel.
The most comfortable months across London, Dublin & Edinburgh are August, July and June, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at every stop. December 2026 is off-peak to go.
Check this route against your dates
Tripsapien starts with the sights on this page or places you paste, then checks hours, closures, booking pressure and neighborhoods for your exact December dates — across every city on the British Isles trip.
Plan this British Isles tripCommon questions about the British Isles trip
- When is the best time to do the British Isles trip?
- The most comfortable months across London, Dublin, Edinburgh are August, July and June, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at each stop. December is an off-season time — see the per-stop weather below for the exact picture in December 2026.
- How many days do you need for the British Isles trip?
- A comfortable British Isles trip runs about 7–9 days, allowing roughly London 3, Dublin 2, Edinburgh 2 nights plus travel between stops. Add a day if you want a slower pace or extra day trips.
- What's the route for the British Isles trip?
- The classic order is London, Dublin & Edinburgh. Each city below has its own December weather, events and top-sights list.
- Will the sights be open during my December British Isles trip?
- Opening days and hours vary by weekday, season and public holiday, and they differ from city to city on a multi-stop trip. Paste your British Isles list into Tripsapien and it checks every place in London, Dublin, Edinburgh against your exact dates, flagging closures and what needs booking ahead before you go.