The dust has settled on the Olympic Park, the curtain has fallen on the Cultural Olympiad, and the Jubilee is just a distant memory… 2012 has been a very special year for London, but it’s not all over quite yet! So tap in a quick search for hotels Londonand make a last-minute bargain sprint for the finishing line.

Jazz musicians from the four corners of the world will congregate in November for the London Jazz Festival, featuring more than 300 events in venues ranging from major concert halls to intimate bars. Headliners include Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, John McLaughlin’s 4th Dimension, Jan Garbarek and the Kenny Wheeler Big Band. Complementing the live performances is an eclectic programme of films, talks and masterclasses.

Shoppers will be flocking to the West End on 24 November for the annual traffic-free extravaganza, when Oxford Street and Regent Street become pedestrian zones, and promotions, performances and festive giveaways take place throughout the day. Take a detour into Carnaby Street, which is basing its Christmas decorations theme on the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones.

There’s still time to catch the Shakespeare Staging the World exhibition at the British Museum (until 25 November). Here you can discover what London was like in Shakespeare’s time through the bard’s famous works, characters and plays, along with paintings, rare manuscripts and historical artefacts. The exhibition is a collaboration between the British Museum and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and forms part of the World Shakespeare Festival and London 2012 Festival.

Hyde Park’s famous Winter Wonderland opens for the festive season on 23 November. Alongside the huge ice rink, observation wheel and Christmas market, attractions include Zippo’s Circus, the traditional Bavarian village where you can enjoy mulled wine and spicy German sausages, and the Magical Ice Kingdom featuring more than 500 fabulous ice sculptures.

The Festival of Winter Walks organised by the Ramblers Association takes place across the capital from 22 December to 6 January. Explore locations as diverse as Epping Forest, the Regent’s Canal, the South Bank and the Olympic Park. The walks are open to all ages and are free of charge. More information is available from http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/events/festivals/winterwalks.

For a cultural, family-friendly event, treat them to tickets for The Snowman, a live version of the classic book by Raymond Briggs performed by Sadler’s Wells, which opens for its 15th year at the Peacock Theatre on 28 November, or splash out on a box at the Royal Opera House for the Royal Ballet’s spellbinding performance of Swan Lake (until 24 November).

Finally, why not relive the excitement of the Royal Jubilee by getting to know a little more about our current queen’s famous predecessor Victoria Revealed is a new permanent exhibition in Kensington Palace which explores the life and reign of one of its most famous residents with personal objects and artworks exhibited in the very rooms she once called home.

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Photo by magnus_d on Flickr.