I love London and feel incredibly lucky to live in this beautiful city. Every season, I share with you how London changes through the year through the lens of my phone’s camera. I last shared the views of London at Christmas 2025. Today, I want to show you London in winter 2025/2026. We’re about to enter spring, so let’s take a look at the season coming to an end! Here are some photos from the London parks and landmarks, and a mention of some day trips too.
Early signs of spring
One of the most incredible things about London are the daffodils adorning London parks. You’d think they should be a sign of spring, but actually, you can see them all throughout winter. I actually saw some in St James’s Park at the start of December!
Daffodils appear in various places at different times. In the Olympic Park in Stratford, I usually see them when I return to London right after the New Year’s. In a smaller park nearby, they start to blossom around February. Overall, if you explore London between December and March, you’re almost guaranteed to see daffodils at some point.
I also saw a lot of other flowers: snowdrops, crocuses, and even daisies! It’s such a mood booster, seeing a splash of vibrant colour when the trees are still bare and the weather is gloomy. Seeing the lush, green grass, you wouldn’t believe that the photos were taken in peak winter!
Every year, I love observing the single magnolia tree in my nearest park. This year, I saw flower buds in the first half of February. Magnolias are stunning, but the flowers don’t last very long at all. I always make sure not to miss the perfect moment. The flowers slowly grew, to finally blossom at the beginning of March. They’re so pretty!
The views of central London
My sister visited me for a week in January, and I had a chance to be a tourist in London. I’ve lived here for several years now, but I still enjoy and appreciate the views. Big Ben, after the renovation that finished a few years ago, is still looking glorious! I also visited Sky Garden, which is always fun – the views are unmatched. By the way, I once wrote a post about the best free panoramic viewing spots in London!
Winter is a great time to enjoy nighttime views of London without the need to stay out late. The panoramic view of the skyscrapers of the City of London, seen from the south bank of the Thames, remains one of my favourite sights in London after several years of living here.
St Paul’s Cathedral also looks great at night, especially seen from across Millennium Bridge. You can take some pretty cool photos there!
One of the things that surprised me this year was seeing the large, neon sign on Fortnum & Mason, a luxury department store in central London. At Christmas, they always turn the windows into an advent calendar, with a large sign of the ending year on the side. I shared photos of it in my post about Christmas at London. But what I didn’t know, until recently, is that they change the year sign after the New Year’s!
Wildlife in London
Seeing a variety of animals in London parks always brings me joy. From cute grey squirrels (always ready to beg for nuts) to green parakeets and an occasional fox, it’s almost hard to believe that you’re in the middle of one of Europe’s largest metropolis. Here are some of the cute animals captured in London at the start of 2026. Controversial opinion: I actually find rats cute too! I know they’re considered vermin, but they’re basically squirrels with slender tails, aren’t they?
And, speaking of animals, I have to mention my winter trip to the London Zoo. You can read about it in this post. I wasn’t convinced if going to the zoo in winter would be a good idea, but I absolutely loved it! It’s quite pricey, but if you can, I highly recommend visiting London Zoo.
I also had a dream come true, when I finally saw a wild seal this January! It happened in Southend-on-sea, a town on the north side of the Thames Estuary, not too far from London. You can read more about that event in this post.
Apparently, if you’re lucky, you can see seals in London too! I’m yet to experience that, but who knows – maybe one day I will.
Winter Lights
In January, the annual Winter Lights festival returned to Canary Wharf in East London. I had a great time strolling around the modern area, admiring the exhibits. The event is completely free to visit, and I’ve had a chance to visit it two years in a row now. I hope it returns next year too! It’s a highlight of otherwise grey and gloomy January.
Day trips from London
I already mentioned my trip to Southend-on-sea and the visit to London Zoo, both of which were fun days out.
This winter, I also went to Brighton, and – finally – I managed to see Stonehenge, which was a memorable experience. You can read all about visiting Stonehenge in this post. I shared some tips for getting there without a car, and described what to expect from that visit. Seeing such significant landmarks for the very first time is always a truly magical experience.
I also managed to go on a long hike on the famous White Cliffs of Dover. You can read about it here!
Looking forward to summer days
Winter this year was incredibly rainy. I know that England is known to be rainy at all times, but actually, in my 6.5 years of living in London, I’ve mainly experienced dry weather. It rains a lot in the north, but the south-east of England is actually almost permanently in a state of drought! However, this winter was really wet, with few sunny and dry days – even in London. But when they came, I was incredibly grateful.
Now, I’m ready for warmer days. I hope spring and early summer bless us with better weather conditions. Fingers crossed!
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