City Tips

Looking for fun, budget‑minded ways to sprinkle festive cheer during your Clink hostel stay? Whether you’re flying solo, bunking with mates or making new friends in the lounge, this list of 80 Christmas bucket list ideas has everything from warming hot‑chocolate sips and market strolls to Secret Santa swaps and movie nights. So grab your favourite Christmas jumper, rally your pals and let’s make this Christmas one to remember!

Christmas Bucket List Ideas

1. Bake festive biscuits with friends.
2. Go ice skating at a nearby rink. For festive ice skating, Museumplein in Amsterdam offers a scenic rink in front of the Rijksmuseum with seasonal charm. In London, Somerset House and Battersea Power Station provide iconic backdrops and a lively atmosphere. In Dublin, try Dundrum on Ice for a classic winter experience.
3. Organise a festive photo‑challenge scavenger hunt around the city, ticking off items like Santa hats or nativity scenes.
4. Learn to say Merry Christmas in five different languages and teach it to new friends.
5. Make and swap homemade decorations.

6. Host a Christmas film night (Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone…).
7. Wrap presents for loved ones or to donate at a charity collection point.
8. Take an evening stroll or free walking tour to admire the festive lights.
9. Catch up with an old friend over a festive drink.
10. Volunteer a few hours at a local charity or soup kitchen.
11. Wear your best Christmas jumper or matching pyjamas for a Christmas party.
12. Start a new festive tradition such as a themed potluck or Secret Santa.
13. Write and exchange New Year resolutions with a friend.
14. Sample seasonal street foods such as roasted chestnuts, candy canes or mince pies.
15. Build a gingerbread house with your friends.

16. Hang up Christmas stockings to decorate your house.
17. Play Christmas film bingo during your movie night.
18. Attend a low‑cost festive community show. In Amsterdam, local theatres such as Badhuistheater or intimate venues like De Kleine Komedie often host seasonal performances, readings, or storytelling events with modest ticket prices. In London, consider attending carol services or candlelit concerts at venues like St Martin‑in‑the‑Fields, Westminster Abbey, or St Paul’s. Many are community-led and low‑cost or by donation. In Dublin, keep an eye on community choirs like the Culwick Choral Society or candlelit carol concerts in churches and cultural centres. These typically offer affordable festive music experiences.
19. Host a festive cookie decorating competition.
20. Make homemade Christmas crackers.
21. Create a DIY advent calendar from recycled materials.
22. Learn to make traditional mulled wine or mulled cider.
23. Host a wreath‑making session using foraged greenery.
24. Visit a winter pop‑up art installation or illuminated garden.

25. Attend a pantomime performance at a local theatre.
26. Craft personalised gift tags using paper scraps.
27. Host a festive quiz night with seasonal questions and prizes.
28. Create your own Christmas‑themed cocktails or mocktails.
29. Build a snow fort or ice sculpture if you have access to snow.
30. Take a Christmas baking masterclass focused on yule log, stollen or panettone.
31. Make table centrepieces from natural materials like pinecones and holly.
32. Take a day trip by train to a nearby town’s Christmas market or winter festival. Check the best Christmas markets in London and Amsterdam!
33. Watch a live‑streamed Christmas concert or choir performance.
34. Read a Christmas classic aloud with friends, such as Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.
35. Write thank‑you notes to people who have made your year special.

36. Decorate a small houseplant or palm as a festive mini Christmas tree.
37. Make paper snowflakes to gift as small decorations.
38. Craft simple paper crowns or hats to wear at Christmas dinner.
39. Make homemade jams, chutneys or preserves to give as gifts.
40. Write a Christmas‑themed poem or short story and share it at a gathering.
41. Watch the Christmas Day parade on television or online.
42. Set up a book exchange with winter or festive‑themed titles.
43. Learn a traditional Christmas dance or devise your own festive routine.
44. Attend a light sculpture trail, projection mapping show or lantern festival.
45. Make Christmas‑scented bath salts or candles for gift giving.

46. Host an open mic night featuring festive songs, poetry or stand‑up.
47. Stitch easy Christmas ornaments from felt or fabric scraps.
48. Create a Christmas‑themed crossword or word search and challenge friends.
49. Learn to play a classic Christmas tune on an instrument of your choice.
50. Visit a historical church or building to admire its festive decorations.
51. Create a memory jar for guests to write down and share favourite moments.
52. Set up a festive photo booth with homemade props for group pictures.
53. Make mince pies from scratch.
54. Dress in festive colours for the whole of Christmas week.
55. Attend a local open mic night sharing Christmas legends and ghost stories.

56. Visit the museum’s Christmas exhibition during its free festive evening opening.
57. Volunteer to help decorate a community hall or school for the Christmas celebrations.
58. Start a reverse advent challenge by anonymously leaving a small festive treat for someone each day.
59. Organise a surprise carol performance on a bus or train.
60. Host a budget friendly tasting of Christmas ales or winter stouts in the lounge. Amsterdam, London, and Dublin are great cities for discovering new beers, each with a vibrant brewing scene. Amsterdam offers inventive brews from spots like Brouwerij ’t IJ, London is packed with craft favourites like Beavertown, and Dublin goes beyond Guinness with rising stars like Whiplash and Rascals.
61. Create a Christmas countdown calendar with a mini task for each day.
62. Make a paper chain for the twelve days of Christmas, adding a link daily with something you’re grateful for.
63. Lead a daily “12 Days of Christmas” carol or festive fact share at breakfast.
64. Craft a hanging Christmas mobile using twigs, ribbon and small decorations.
65. Hold a wrapped Christmas book swap where everyone chooses a mystery festive story.

1. Build a miniature Christmas snow globe in a jar with water, glitter and small figurines.
2. Curate a playlist of local buskers performing Christmas carols and share it with everyone.
3. Learn to fold napkins into Christmas trees and star shapes for a festive dinner setup.
4. Host a Christmas storytelling circle where each person adds a line to a growing festive tale.
5. Hold a listening party for Christmas themed podcasts or festive audio dramas
6. Decorate paper lanterns for a Christmas lantern display.
7. Bake and ice a festive cake mosaic using coloured royal icing.
8. Set up a hot chocolate bar with unusual festive spices and syrups to taste test.
9. Start doing a festive fact of the day on a whiteboard with Christmas trivia.
10. Host a flash fiction challenge for 100 word Christmas tales.
11. Design and solve a Christmas themed crossword puzzle.
12. Learn to ice Christmas biscuits with classic royal icing piping techniques.
13. Bake edible place cards, cookie name tags for each guest’s Christmas dinner setting.
14. Film a collaborative Christmas rap or parody song.
15. Take part in a festive Postcrossing exchange by sending festive postcards to strangers around the world.

To Sum Up

There you have it, a merry collection of festive, budget‑friendly Christmas bucket list ideas designed to bring travellers together. Whether you decide to cosy up with hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols, swap handmade decorations or explore bustling markets, the point is to embrace the festivities. So try something new from this list of Christmas bucket list ideas and create memories that last long after the Christmas tree has been taken down. 

Let Us Help You Make Christmas Memories

Stay with Clink Hostels in Amsterdam, Dublin or London and turn your Christmas bucket list into reality. From communal movie nights to Secret Santa swaps, you’ll find the perfect spot to celebrate, connect and unwind after a day of festive fun. Book your stay today and start making Christmas memories you will treasure for years to come.