The 15 Best Places to Meet Santa in the UK

Christmas tends to lose its magic as we get older, but with children in our lives, it all comes back. Writing letters to Santa, leaving out mince pies and a carrot on Christmas Eve, and hurriedly unwrapping stocking gifts to see what ‘Santa’ bought is exciting all over again. And this time, you get to see the infectious excitement and wonderment on your loved ones’ faces. To soak up the festive magic for as long as possible, there’s nothing better than taking the kids to meet Santa. Luckily, he (and his elves) do the rounds of the UK. Find the best places to meet Santa in the UK here. 

Take the kids to meet Santa at these 15 festive experiences

15. Santa at Knowlesey Safari, Knowlesey, England

Dates: 30 November – 23 December

Tickets from £20

Knowlesey Safari knows how to make Christmas extra special. Santa’s kept busy here with daytime grotto visits, which must be purchased with safari admission tickets, and the evening Santa panto show. Tickets for the panto must be booked with Enchanted Light Trail. 

There are many festivities here, but if your little ones are desperate to meet Santa, we recommend the daytime grotto visit. Children are welcomed into the toasty grotto, where the Main Man is waiting for an individual chat. A professional photo is snapped and sent to you, and all children receive a cuddly toy worth £25.99 and a bag of festive goodies. 

14. Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh, England

Dates: 16 November – 23 December

Tickets from £19.95

Bamburgh Castle is magical all year round but is particularly enchanting during Christmastime. The castle is transformed into a Christmas Kingdom, with this year’s theme being A Christmas Through Time. Journey through Christmasses of past, present, and future, with characters delivering festive tales, songs, and performances along the way. Learn about centuries-old Christmas traditions, and enjoy festive goodies. And let’s not forget the main event. Santa’s Grotto at Bamburgh Castle makes a good case for being the most beautifully decorated, located in a stateroom lit up by fairy lights, with a huge Christmas tree. Each child gets the chance to sit with Santa for a special and personal experience and will receive a gift unique to Bamburgh Castle. 

The ticket price to meet Santa is in addition to the Bamburgh Castle admission ticket. 

13. Chirk Castle, Wrexham, North Wales

Dates: 30 November – 5 January

Ticket to Chirk Castle includes Santa visit

In true Welsh fashion, Chirk Castle’s treasures are protected by a dragon. As you’re guided through the castle, you’ll come across more loyal guardians who fiercely protect the castle. It’s a touch of magic that the kids will love, and it’s just as enjoyable for the grownups, exploring the festive grounds, beautiful staterooms, servant’s halls, and festive decorations. You’ll almost forget what you’re here for. Meet Santa in his Reverse Grotto every weekend from 10.30 AM to 3.30 PM, and impart the importance of generosity and giving, especially around Christmas, by donating essential items to the Oswestry and Borders Foodbank. End the visit with a festive drink in the cosy tearoom. 

12. Folly Farm, Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, Wales 

Dates: Weekends between 8 November and 22nd December

Tickets from £8.50

For last-minute meet-and-greets with Santa, it doesn’t get better than Folly Farm. You can never really predict when your little one might start pleading to meet Santa, and if anywhere can make that wish come true on short notice, it’s Folly Farm. No booking is required here – you can visit Santa in his Grotto on your trip to the farm. The children will also love meeting reindeer and stroking ponies in the barn. 

Kids can also meet Folly Farm’s Snow Princess and Ice Queen at the Snow Globe, take a virtual reality sleigh ride, decorate their own gingerbread man, and find hidden prizes on the gingerbread trail. But of course, meeting Father Christmas is the main event. He hands out individual gifts to each child, which is included in the £8.50 ticket fee. 

11. Beirhope Alpacas, Hownam, Scotland

Dates: 8 – 24 December 

Tickets from £40

This unique Christmas experience is so much more than a Santa’s grotto. Children (and grown-ups) can walk with alpacas in the beautiful Cheviot Hills, as well as feed alpacas, goats, and sheep in the barn. There’s even a reindeer feed-making station, so animal-loving kids can really get involved in the experience. And there are tonnes of festive activities, too. The whole family can get involved in the Elf Olympics – an activity that’s sure to be entertaining – as well as Sam’s Stocking Filler Treasure Hunt and Santa’s Mailroom. The elves get involved to make it as cheerful and magical as possible, with surprises along the way. It’s a memorable experience for kids of all ages, with meeting Father Christmas and receiving a special gift being the cherry on top.

10. The Father Christmas Experience at Marsh Farm, Essex, England

Dates: 16 November – 24 December

Tickets from £30

Marsh Farm takes you on a Christmas adventure, starting at the Elf Academy. Little ones are announced as honourary Elves, sealing the deal with an Elf passport. And of course, they must learn the spells that could land them on Santa’s main team. 

Mother Christmas fuels Santa’s little helpers with sweet treats, before the all-important meet with Father Christmas. Then, elves guide you to the Teddy Bear Market – here, children can make their own fluffy toys to take home. Next stop is the Elf Emporium, where Magical Snowy (Elf money) is exchanged for a gift of their choice. Stick around to enjoy all the festive rides, meet animals on the farm, and go ice skating.

9. Titanic Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Dates: 27 November – 23 December

Tickets are £25 for children under 13 and £12.50 for adults

The Titanic Belfast knows how to put on a Christmassy show. The experience is full of wonder and joy, starting with your Elf guide taking you on a journey through the Enchanted Forest and passing by the Magical Wishing Tree to make a wish. The children will see where the magic happens in the Elves’ Workshop, get involved in the arts and crafts, and have their names checked off the Nice list by the Chief Elf.

Each family gets their own time with Santa, and the friendly team at Titanic Belfast will snap a photo and print it off for you. 

8. Bo’ness and Keinnel Railway, Falkirk, Scotland

Dates: 30 November – 24 December

Tickets from £24

Hop on a steam train to the North Pole (or in this case, Birkhill) for 60 minutes of old-school fun. Before you get on the train, there’s a miniature train, model railway, and engineering workshop viewing gallery at Bo’Ness – it’s all included in your ticket.

The festive steam train is a joy for the whole family. Performers (or, elves) put on a jam-packed show of singalongs, and there’s even a magician. There are complimentary festive drinks, too. And then it’s time for the main event – Santa meets every family on the train, delivering age-appropriate gifts to all the children on board. 

7. Brecon Mountain Railway, Brecon, Wales

Dates: 23 November – 22 December

Tickets from £23

All abroad the Polar Express! The Brecon Mountain Railway is the best steam train experience in Wales, taking you on a beautiful journey from Pant Station to Pontistcill Station. The journey is a 2-mile festive adventure, with plenty of entertainment along the way, courtesy of the elves. Sip mulled wine – or hot chocolate for the kids – while joining in with carols and listening to Christmas tales. As the steam train trucks along, the anticipation to meet Santa builds. Santa and his elves will be waiting at Pontistcill Station, ready to meet every child, and personally gift them a special Christmas present. 

6. Walby Farm Park, Cumbria, England

Dates: 23 November – 24 December

Tickets from £19.50

Christmas at Walby Farm Park delivers impressive bang for your buck. The kids are kept very busy with plenty of activities packed into your experience. Children get their Elven passports stamped at Passport Control, make reindeer food, decorate gingerbread biscuits, post a letter to Father Christmas, toast marshmallows, and much more. Walby Farm Park really brings the magic of Christmas to life – there’s even real reindeer, including an incredibly cute baby reindeer. 

With so much going on – including a build-your-own-teddie workshop at the Teddie-Tastic factory – the kids might forget the reason they’re here. Every child has time with Father Christmas, including individual photographs, and is given a magic coin, which they can exchange for a gift in the Elves’ Toyshop. 

5. The Christmas Experience, Leeds, England

Dates: Santa’s North Pole: 23 November – 24 December | Santa’s Cabin: 25 November – 19 December

Please see website for ticket price details

There are two opportunities to meet Santa at the Christmas Experience: Santa’s North Pole and Santa’s Cabin. Littler ones can meet Santa on weekdays at Santa’s Cabin, set in a cosy cabin for a relaxed, personal experience. All children are given a precious gift to take home. 

The Santa’s North Pole experience best suits slightly older children. The 40-minute adventure takes you through a snow-dusted winter wonderland, where the kids will truly feel like they’ve entered the behind-the-scenes of Christmas. Meet the elves who are busy at work in their emporium, gearing up for the Big Day. Fizzing with excitement, the children finally meet Santa in his wooden cabin, who will give them a special gift. 

You can add on a trip to the Elf Village, where children can create handcraft keepsakes and listen to Mrs. Claus’ stories about life in the North Pole. 

4. Santa Hunt at Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, England

Dates: 23 November – 24 December

Tickets from £15

For an interactive, one-of-a-kind Christmas experience, it doesn’t get better than the Santa Hunt at Dudley’s Black Country Living Museum. It’s the run-up to Christmas and – shockingly – Santa’s gone missing! All the family must get involved and help the elves find the magic keys that’ll lead you to Santa. It’s 1.5 hours of clue-solving fun for the children and the young (and competitive) at heart. Along the way, Christmas characters will help in your quest to find Santa, guiding you to various stops around the festively decorated village and museum. At the end of the experience, when Santa is found, each child gets the chance to meet him and receive a special gift. 

3. Santa’s Woodland Experience, Glasgow, Scotland

Dates: 29 November – 24 December

Tickets are £24 for children and £10 for adults

Starting out as a Christmas tree farm, the Woodland Experience has naturally become an important stop on Santa’s round. The family-run experience is the leading outdoor Christmas venue in Scotland.

Children are taken on a trailer ride through the enchanting woodlands before elves usher them into the cosy cabin, where they can learn all about life on the North Pole. Lit up by fairy lights and with the distinct scent of cinnamon hanging in the air, it’s Christmas in all its fairytale goodness. Then, when they can barely contain their excitement, it’s time to meet Santa. It’s a warm, personal experience, where Santa listens to every child’s Christmas present requests. All children receive a wrapped gift and get to choose from Santa’s Toy Store.

2. Father Christmas at the Eden Project, Cornwall

Dates: 22 – 24 November, 29 November – 1 December, 5 – 8 December and 12 – 24 December

Tickets are £12, £14, or £16, depending on the date, for one child. All children must be accompanied by one adult. Ticket prices do not include admission – this must be bought separately. 

The Eden Project, with its biodomes and incredible plant life, is already magical. But Christmas the Eden Project is another story. The biodomes turn into a winter wonderland with the Immerse Christmas Lights Experience – which is included in every general admissions ticket. And while that, and Cornwall’s only ice rink, is a wonderful experience in itself, kids can also meet Father Christmas. Last year, he was accompanied by his newest helper, Elfie, who tried to help, but accidentally caused chaos – much to the children’s delight. With playful fun and interactive games, it’s a joy for the whole family. Each child leaves with a gift, too. The immersive theatrical experience is 40 minutes of pure delight – who knows what the elves will get up to this year? 

The Christmas Lights Experience is on select dates between 22nd November and 5th January. Entry is free, but we recommend pre-booking your time slot to secure your space. 

1. Lapland UK, Ascot, England

Dates: 9 November – 24 December

Tickets from £59 in November and £89 in December

The magic of Lapland UK starts before your highly anticipated arrival when Santa himself sends the kids a personal invitation sealed with a wax stamp. When the day arrives, you’ll walk through Ascot’s mystical pine forest to reach the jaw-dropping Lapland world – and the four-hour experience begins. The set, created by Hollywood set designers, is truly magical, and the committed actors – we mean, elves – bring Lapland to life. 

A maze of fairytale pathways and secret passages, with wooden elf houses, elven magic shows, and snow-dusted trees, Lapland is pure Christmas magic. The toy factory is one of the main stops in the experience, where the kids help the elves create a cuddly toy. And there’s the Elven Village, where children can post letters to Santa at Elva’s post office, tank up on sugar at the sweet shop, stroke real huskies, and skate on the ice rink. Then, it’s time to meet the Main Man. There are real reindeer, which are taken care of by Glow the Elf, and the kids will be hopping from foot to foot with excitement as they finally enter Santa’s Grotto.