Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026: Dates and Ticket Tips

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland takes over a corner of one of London’s royal parks for six weeks, just a short walk from Knightsbridge and Oxford Street. Spend the afternoon on the rides, the ice rink and the market stalls, then stay on for the lights, which most people remember. Bring a budget for extras, since nearly everything inside costs extra.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Dates: 19th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Last checked: November 2026

Update: Dates were announced in August. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Winter Wonderland.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Hyde Park, London (near Hyde Park Corner)
Opening times: 10am to 10pm (some exceptions)
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: 10am to 10pm
New Year’s Day: 11am to 10pm
3rd January: Family Fun Day

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended Tour: Beefeater-led Tower of London tour
Public transport:
Busiest stations: Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Marble Arch.
Quietest stations: Bond Street, Victoria and Paddington.
Step free access: Bond Street or Green Park (plus lift).
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion. Q-Park Park Lane is the nearest parking. Pay and Display parking is available on West Carriage Drive.
Where to stay: Buckingham & Lloyds is directly across from Hyde Park.

Tickets & Passes

Admission: You must purchase an off-peak, standard, or peak ticket before you go.
Tickets: Book online. Tickets include the entrance fee. Rides and attractions are additional.
Time slots: You must arrive within your chosen one-hour time slot. Once inside, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.
Passes: Coaster, Explorer, Five Peaks Ride, Santa Land Unlimited.
Packages: Arctic Adventure, Festive Favourites, Santa Land Package, Show Town Spectacular.
Attraction tickets: Purchase online in advance or on the day at the box office (subject to availability). It’s recommended to book in advance to avoid missing out.

Amenities and Attractions

Santa: Meet Santa at Santa Land.
Ice skating: The ice rink surrounds the Victorian bandstand.
Popular rides: Giant Wheel, Real Ice Slide, Ice Mountain, Wave Swinger.
Popular attractions: Magical Ice Kingdom, Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus, Ice Sculpting.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Plenty of options. Every trader has to offer at least one plant-based or vegetarian dish.
Vegan: Plenty of options, including vegan sausages at the Bavarian Village grills and vegan chimney cakes.
Gluten-free: Some options, including Wok Boy’s noodles and Korean fried chicken.
Food specialities: Mulled wine, bratwurst, cheese fondue, chimney cake, Bavarian specialties.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: No.

Nearby Hotels

Buckingham & Lloyds is excellent for its central location and excellent transport links to the rest of London. Alternatively, Nox Kensington Gardens is a great budget option.

Finding a decent hotel in London can be difficult at the best of times, but especially during the busy holiday period.

Read my full guide to hotels in London near Hyde Park. Book early for the best price.

More places to visit are listed in my London Christmas Markets guide.

For a winter getaway, read our guide to the UK Christmas Markets.

Recommended Tours

A Yeoman Warder walks you round the Tower ahead of the general queue, covering the Crown Jewels and the parts most visitors file past. Pair it with Winter Wonderland: the Beefeater-led Tower tour fills the daytime half of a London trip, and Hyde Park takes the evening.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• After dark is when it shines. Reviewers keep coming back to the lights, and the Giant Wheel is at its best once the city skyline is lit up.
• The ice attractions get the warmest reviews, with families singling out the Magical Ice Kingdom and Bar Ice as the highlights of their visit.
• There’s enough to fill an afternoon and evening, from the big thrill rides and the rink to Santa Land for younger children.
• Pre-booked packages and the Santa Land Unlimited Ride Pass come up again and again as the best value, especially for families who’d otherwise pay ride by ride.

Common Complaints

• Entry is cheap, but rides, skating, ice attractions, food and drinks are all paid separately, and many visitors are caught out by how fast it adds up.
• Evenings, weekends and the school holidays are packed, with ride queues of up to an hour after about 4pm. Opening time, or a weekday in November, is far calmer.
• Anyone expecting a traditional Christmas market tends to be disappointed. It’s a loud fairground first, and evenings lean towards a drinking crowd.
• Pushing a buggy through the evening crowds is hard work, so families with small children do better arriving early.

Event Location

At the Christmas Market

The stalls are split between two areas. Market Square is a run of Scandinavian-style alleys lined with wooden chalets, with live music drifting over from the bandstand. Luminarie Lane is the prettier walk, under arches of Italian-made lights, with stalls selling handmade gifts from around the world and a slowly turning bar at the far end.

London weather rarely behaves in December. On one trip I’d hoped to spend my evenings out with the camera, and the weather let me out for just one, so it’s worth knowing that Bar Ice, the Magical Ice Kingdom and the Bavarian Hall are all under cover.

Food and Drinks

• Bratwurst: Cooked on the big swing grills in the Bavarian Village and served in a roll, with a vegan sausage on offer too.
• Schnitzel: Served as a plated meal with two sides at the Alpine-style grill hut, also in the Bavarian Village.
• Mulled wine: Sold all over the site, but The Christmas Tree Arms, a pub dressed in real cut Christmas trees with a balcony upstairs, is the place to drink it.
• Cheese fondue: At Morty & Bob’s Fondue & Grill in Market Square, a sit-down restaurant that needs a ticket.
• Street food: The Street Food Village covers Indian, Greek, Mexican, Caribbean and Italian kitchens, and the Sleigh-By in Market Square adds Lebanese plates, Neapolitan pizza and Korean fried chicken.
• Pigs-in-blanket fries: The Christmas dinner favourite piled onto seasoned fries at Jolly Hog, next to the Haunted Mansion.
• Chimney cake: The Hungarian pastry, crisp outside and soft inside, with vegan versions available.
• Toasted marshmallows: Done over the open fire pits at the Fire Pit Bar beside the ice rink.

Rides and Attractions

• Aeronaut Starflyer: Swings riders round at 80 metres, with a bird’s-eye view of Hyde Park.
• Airborne: Flips and rolls riders through the air at 65 metres.
• Après-Ski Party Funhouse: A multi-level walk-through themed on an Alpine ski resort, with moving steps, wobbly floors and a double slide.
• Bar Ice: A bar carved from ice and kept at around minus 10°C, where your ticket includes a cocktail. Over-12s only after 7pm.
• Bavarian Village: Chalets, outdoor seating, steins and grills, with live music and dancing inside the Bavarian Hall.
• Blizzard: Spins riders a full 360 degrees, 65 metres above the park.
• Christmas by Candlelight: A candlelit concert with West End performers.
• Dr. Archibald: A VR ride in the Bavarian Village, with a fantasy version during the day and a horror edition from 5pm. Ages 10 and over.
• Euro Coaster: One of the event’s longest-running rides, and a good one for thrill-seekers.
• Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus: New for 2026 in the Big Top in Show Town, mixing K-Pop music and dance with circus acts.
• Giant Wheel: Climbs to 70 metres for views across the London skyline, best of all after dark.
• Haunted Mansion: Festive spirit meets a spooky adventure.
• Helter Skelter: See Hyde Park from all angles as you spiral down this traditional fairground lighthouse slide.
• Ice Mountain: An indoor spinning coaster through mountain caverns, with penguins and the northern lights.
• Ice Rink: The UK’s largest open-air ice rink, built around the Victorian bandstand.
• Ice Sculpting Workshops: Carve your own sculpture in the event’s ice studio. Ages 12 and over, with entry to the Magical Ice Kingdom included.
• Magic Circus Funhouse: Three floors of trick mirrors, shifting floors and surprises in Show Town. Ages 4 and over.
• Magical Ice Kingdom: More than 500 tonnes of sculpted ice and snow, themed this year on Peter Pan’s Neverland, in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
• Munich Looping: The Oktoberfest favourite and the world’s largest transportable roller coaster, with five loops.
• Pirate Ship: The classic swinging ship, which can only be pre-booked online as part of the Explorer Pass.
• Real Ice Slide: Race down on a tube, now with an extra lane.
• Santa Land: The family zone, with more than 16 rides for younger children, including Flying Jumbos, Dragon’s Nest, the Reindeer Ride and Santa’s Runaway Train. Santa’s Grotto and the Elves’ Workshop are here too.
• Snow Jet: A gentle sleigh ride through a snowscape that then kicks it up a notch to become one of the fastest rides at Winter Wonderland.
• The Hangover: As the world’s tallest transportable drop tower, at 85 metres, this ride offers unmatched views across London.
• The Time Machine: Twist, turn and spin on this steampunk-inspired roller coaster.
• Traditional Wave Swinger: A vintage-style ride designed with traditional patterns from around the world.
• Wilde Maus XXL: A traditional wild mouse coaster full of tight twists, in the Bavarian Village. Ages 6 and over.
• XXL: A high-G-force pendulum ride that swings to 47 metres, with a claw that rotates at up to 15 RPM.

Sustainability Tips

• Fair trade hot drinks: Every trader on site uses 100% fair trade tea, coffee and hot chocolate, so your hot chocolate from any stall counts.
• Plant-based on every menu: All traders have to offer at least one plant-based or vegetarian dish, so a meat-free lunch doesn’t mean hunting for a single vegan stall.
• Power from waste oil: The site runs on HVO, a renewable diesel made from waste vegetable oil, and lights, heaters and equipment are switched off overnight.
• Refill your bottle: There are water points around the site, so a reusable bottle saves buying drinks in plastic between rides.
• Cycle in: A quiet cycle route runs along the Broad Walk, and there are Santander Cycles docks at Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Speakers’ Corner. Dockless e-bikes can’t be left in the park, but there’s a large bay on Marble Arch Island.