At the time of writing it's the end of August, but some venues are already selling tickets for their Santa's Grottos and Father Christmas experiences, and we don't want you to miss out on any of the popular ones that get sold out early.  So, even though the children are only just starting back at school we've started our list of Where to See Santa for 2025 and we'll continue to update it over the next few months, including all the local carnivals, markets and fairs where Santa will be making an appearance!

We do our best to ensure all these details are correct but from time to time things do change so please do check the websites and book where necessary to avoid disappointment.

Look out for the entries highlighted below in green, these indicate sessions catering for children with additional needs.

Last updated 3rd September 2025

Christmas Grotto at Burston Garden Centre
Weekends from 8th November then daily from 4th to 24th December 2025
Come and visit Santa in our magical Christmas grotto. 
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Christmas Grotto at Burston Garden Centre - Quiet Sessions
Sundays 16th, 23rd Nov & 30th November & 7th December 2025, 10am to 10:30am
Our quiet needs sessions have been developed to provide a more relaxed and quiet environment for children with special educational needs (SEN). These sessions are the first of the day, which is when our centre tends to be quieter.
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Willows Farm Santa Spectacular
Weekends from 22nd November, then 19th to 24th December 2025
There’s no better place to bring your children to meet Santa and enjoy a fabulous festive family day out. Take a trip through our magical winter wonderland where you’ll find Santa in his amazing Grotto. Santa will give children a key to his Toy Shop where they can choose any gift from the hundreds stacked from floor to ceiling. Visit our Create-a-Cuddle Workshop where children can choose from a range of soft toys to make, name and take home along with a certificate. Get crafty and decorate tasty gingerbread. Write a letter to Santa (don’t forget to add your address so he can reply!) Visit the Toy Workshop. Sing along with our new festive shows and more!
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Father Christmas at Stockwood Discovery Centre
12th - 24th December 2025
Join Santa’s whimsical elves in his workshop where all the magic happens and create your very own festive keepsake to treasure. Don’t forget to mix up some special reindeer food to sprinkle on Christmas Eve for Rudolph and his friends whilst you’re there. Before you see Santa in an exclusive slot for your family, be sure to write your Christmas wish to share with him and we are sure he’ll have a little something for you too.
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Santa Storyboats at Frogmore Papermill Wharf
23rd December 2025
Santa Storyboats are very special. Santa makes a special visit to joins us, on our trip, in a festive Bryan Donkin boat. Dressing up is expected! Christmas themed stories will be told by our storyteller, as we take a trip down the River Gade, from outside our Visitor Centre, along the River Gade, down to the Grand Union Canal and back. Children will receive a gift from Santa. Booking is essential to join the fun. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 1st December.
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Meet Santa at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
22nd November - 24th December 2025
Meet Santa returns to Whipsnade Zoo! Sign up on the website for more information when booking opens.  Booking links will only be sent to those who register their interest via the website!
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Breakfast or Afternoon Tea with Santa at Tring Garden Centre
Breakfast: weekends from 22nd November then 20th – 24th December 2025
Baby & Toddler Breakfast: 15th - 19th December 2025
Afternoon Tea: 13th, 14th, 20th - 23rd December 2025
Come join us to create wonderful memories with the whole family! Give your little ones a morning or afternoon they’ll never forget filled with fun, food, and a surprise visit from a very special someone…Take the opportunity for a photo* with Santa before receiving a special gift and handing over those all important letters!
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Knebworth House Dine with Santa
14th and 21st December 2025
Give your family an early Christmas treat with a fantastic meal at Knebworth Barns complete with a visit from Santa. Pre-booking essential.
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Christmas at Mead Open Farm, Leighton Buzzard
Weekends from 6th December then 19th - 24th December 2025
Experience a magical festive adventure on selected dates in December, as the yuletide cheer of the North Pole takes over the farm. Meet Father Christmas in his grotto for a group story then visit the Make a Bear Workshop to create your own cuddly bear. Don't forget to pick a toy from his Grotto. Decorate gingerbread with Mother Christmas, wander through The Magical Forest, have a laugh at The Pudding Club Show and make some Reindeer food to take home ready for Christmas Eve. New for 2025: a brand-new immersive adventure at Christmas HQ.
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Father Christmas at Wrest Park
Weekends from 29th November, to 21st December 2025
Father Christmas is taking time out of his busy festive schedule to tell some of his favourite seasonal stories around the Christmas tree. After the group storytelling session, you and your children will meet the man himself, with the chance to take photographs and make memories to treasure. Father Christmas will also give every child a traditional present to unwrap.
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Panto Express with Father Christmas, Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Weekends from 29th November 2025
Start your journey with our family-friendly pantomime, Aladdin, in our festive Visitor Centre. Enjoy your performance and then make your way to the Booking Hall to board the steam train. You will be shown to your compartment and visited by Father Christmas, where each child will be given a special golden ticket.  After the train ride, your adventure continues to the museum where you will be magically transported to Santa’s workshop to meet Mrs Claus and the elves, and your child can exchange their golden ticket for a gift of their choice.
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Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands
Weekends from 15th November, then 1st - 24th December 2025
Join us for a truly magical Christmas experience, filled with festive fun, and cherished moments the whole family will remember for years to come. Pay a visit to Mrs Christmas’ Kitchen and gather around the cosy fire and listen to her heart-warming festive tales. Head into the magical Toy Workshop, where little ones can choose and build their very own Christmas cuddly toy. Of course, no visit would be complete without meeting Santa himself. Join our Elf helpers in the reindeer stables to mix up a special batch of magical reindeer food a Finish your visit by planting your very own mini-Christmas tree in a beautiful bamboo pot. Spaces are limited, and this unforgettable festive experience always sells out quickly.
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Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands - Exclusive SEN Sessions
16th & 23rd November and 20th December 2025
To help make our Grotto experience as accessible as possible to any families who may require any additional support, we are offering an exclusive SEN session. This session will be the same unique Grotto experience you would expect from Frosts, with some small adaptations in the way of smaller groups of people, reduced lighting and sound and less display furniture making it easily accessible for all. 
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Christmas Wonderland at Springtime Nurseries, Crews Hill, Enfield
From 14th November 2025
All aboard at our station platform, where you begin your magical ride through the reindeer forest! You may even be lucky enough to see Santa’s reindeer resting before they take flight on Christmas Eve.You’ll continue your magical ride through the Wonderland where you will see some familiar Christmas favourites, en route to Santa’s magical Ice Kingdom where Santa will greet you alongside your carriage. Remaining in your carriage you finally visit the Elves toy shop where you finish your ride and choose your Christmas gift with love from Santa. Booking opens Friday 5th September.
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The Santa Claus Experience at Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park, Waltham Abbey
Weekends from 24th November then 20th - 24th December 2025
Our fabulously festive Santa Claus Experience is a great way to start your festive celebrations this year. Santa’s cheeky elves can not wait to welcome you on our magical group experience of festive fun.
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The Centre:MK – Santa's Grotto with Peter Rabbit & Friends
21st November - 24th December 2025
Visit Santa this Christmas at centre:mk and experience the brand-new tale of Peter Rabbit and Friends, in a heartwarming new festive adventure! Families will enter Peter Rabbit’s cosy burrow, warmly welcomed by Mrs Rabbit who will tell the tale of Peter’s lost Christmas presents. The Children will use clues to help Mrs Rabbit search for the missing presents, before adventuring out into the snowy forest through Peter’s secret tunnel. Within the snowy forest, families will join Peter Rabbit and friends in some festive fun, where they will decorate gingerbread biscuits for the Christmas feast, before heading off to meet with Santa himself to complete their journey. Each child will take away their decorated biscuit and receive a lovely gift from Santa.
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Odds Farm Park Christmas Cracker, High Wycombe
Fridays - Sundays from 28th Novermber, then 17th - 24th December 2025
Experience the magic as you journey through a winter wonderland to the North Pole and enjoy a special, heartwarming visit with Father Christmas in his cosy grotto! Our best-selling Christmas event returns for 2025 – packed with seasonal sparkle, treasured memories and festive frivolities for all the family.
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Odds Farm Park SEN Christmas Cracker, High Wycombe
29th  & 30th November & 7th, 12th & 14th December 2025
Dedicated SEN sessions are set aside for families with children with additional needs, where there will be a slower pace
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