Winter Wonderland, that all-encompassing London Christmas attraction, has returned for its 16th annual outing, featuring more rides, roller coasters, ice slides, rinks and general festive fun than ever.
In between the express train, the circus, the food stalls and the bars (not to mention the chance to meet Father Christmas) there can be an awful lot of stress. It's a busy time of year and there's no getting around it: Winter Wonderland is always packed.
More than 100 attractions regularly cram into the Hyde Park space, and with around 2.5 million people visiting every year, getting organised before a visit is crucial.
So to avoid to much last minute panic, here are all the essentials you need to know before swinging by.
Tickets, timings and prices
This year’s edition of Winter Wonderland begun is already well underway and runs to January 1. It's found on the east side of Hyde Park — you can’t miss it — and entry runs from 10am until 9.30pm daily, with the park closing at 10pm. Winter Wonderland is closed on Christmas day itself, though.
Booking a ticket in advance is the easiest way to avoid any on-the-day panic, and generally speaking, ticket availability is good, and the two-hour entry window should give you enough flexibility to make visiting a breeze.
On weekdays, entry to Winter Wonderland is free on until 2pm; £5 per person until 4pm, and after 4pm, is £7.50. At weekends, prices start at £5, increasing to £7.50 from 2pm (and staying that way all day). Prices for adults and children is the same, though infants under 2pm go free, as do personal assistants to those requiring assistance.
However, guests who spend £25 when booking on additional activities will get their entrance ticket for free.
There is also the option of booking the Santaland Unlimited Ride Pass for children to get free entry to all attractions for one day.
Those pre-booking tickets will need to enter at their time slot for arrival, but can stay for as long as they like.
What’s on
Winter Wonderland has a glut of festive frivolities, most of which are charged for. The large ice skating rink seems to get more popular each year, but costs £16.50 per person. Ice sculpting is a newer addition to the line-up of activities, but is much dearer at around £70 each.
Winter Wonderland almost wouldn’t be recognisable without the giant ferris wheel and at £11 a pop, this is one of the more affordable additional activities in the park.
With a new show for 2023, Zippos Circus is a classically family-oriented performance, tightly packed into a 50-minute show performing in what’s billed as the UK’s biggest tent. For a higher-octane evening, the Cirque Beserk promises stunts, acrobatics and a motorcycle Globe of Death…whatever that is. At £14.50 and £15.50 respectively, the circus and cirque performances can be booked throughout Winter Wonderland.
For those with younger kids, the new addition for 2023 Justin’s Christmas Sing-along should keep any troublesome toddlers smiling, though there's only one date remaining (December 12).
Food and drink
Making a return for 2023, Bar Ice promises a 10-below experience: sitting on a giant block of ice, sipping from a glass carved from a large ice cube… you get the idea. Tickets usually fly for this one so be sure to book, but elsewhere, there are plenty of good food and drink options that are not ticketed.
The Bavarian Village is a popular spot for revellers to indulge in those classic festive flavours. Think Bratwurst, gluhwein and mince pies alongside DJs, live music and dancing until the park closes.
Elsewhere, the Street Food Village is perhaps the more serious food-forward destination, with brands like Flesh and Buns, Stakehaus, Chick ‘n’ Sours and the Duck Shed all setting up stall here.
