Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park: Experience Christmas Magic in London

Colourful illuminations, a festive mood, hot chocolate and other delights – London is one of the best places to spend the month of December while awaiting Santa’s arrival. A concentration of all this magic can be found in the heart of Hyde Park, transformed for the season into a gigantic funfair. Discover an enchanting world of ice sculptures and braziers, circus attractions, traditional carousels and thrilling rides. The highlight of the show is the Ferris wheel, where families, friends and couples gather to admire the breathtaking view of London’s monuments. Step into Winter Wonderland!

Every winter, from November to January, part of Hyde Park, one of London’s eight Royal Parks, plays host to a very popular event: Winter Wonderland. An annual treat for locals and an unforgettable experience for visitors, this funfair is a chance to soak up the Christmas atmosphere that envelops the city. Six weeks of enchantment, not to be missed when you visit the British capital.

As you walk down the main avenue, crowned with multicoloured arches, you already feel as if you’re in another world. Vibrant colours, dizzying towers, marquees and funhouses. The place is buzzing with excitement. Gather your friends, invite your other half and enjoy Winter Wonderland your own way. Day or night, from 10am to 10pm. For fair ride enthusiasts, there’s a range of attractions to suit all tastes and ages.

Ready for take-off? Winter Wonderland invites you to take to the skies, widen your horizon or enjoy an adrenalin rush. Climb aboard one of the gondolas on the 70-metre-high Giant Wheel. During the day, it offers incredible views for miles around. In the evening, it promises a romantic moment, suspended in mid-air against a backdrop of glittering skyscrapers. Looking for a thrill? Line up for the Munich Looping. When you reach the first summit, the train stops for a few seconds. Don’t close your eyes – take in the London skyline, from the BT Tower to the Shard. When the carriages pick up speed again and you’re propelled backwards, the view is no longer so clear! Another option is to board the flying chairs of the Aeronaut Starflyer, a ride that gives you the impression of gliding through the London skyline and could just as easily have been called ‘Flying with Peter Pan’...
 

The Giant Wheel

• Open 10am-9:45pm
• Adult fare: £8-£11
• Private pod (6 people) on request

Wrap up warmly before entering the Magical Ice Kingdom, where the temperature is -10 degrees. This is a place of magnificent sculptures, with a new theme every year. If this frosty trail inspires you to become an ice sculptor, you can start learning your trade at a workshop organised by Winter Wonderland. Need more thrills? Make your way down the ice mountain to the sound of laughter and screams, under the glow of the Northern Lights. Winter Wonderland’s must-see winter attraction is undoubtedly its ice rink, the largest outdoor ice-skating rink in the UK. During the day, glide and twirl on the ice, amongst the trees around Hyde Park’s iconic bandstand.

Magical Ice Kingdom

• Book your time slot ahead (30 mins)
• Last entry at 9:30pm
• Adult fare: £9-£12.50

In keeping with the theme, you and your children can whoosh down a giant ice slide on an inflatable rubber ring. Be sure to take in the Zippos Christmas Circus in the afternoon. The programme includes performances by acrobats, dancers, contortionists, jugglers and clowns. Winter Wonderland is also home to a magical place for the little ones: Santaland. As a family, you can search for a present in Santa’s cave and enjoy a spin together on the penguin bumper cars. Your teenagers may prefer to find their thrills on the many rollercoasters at the funfair.
 

Santaland

• Free entry, payable activities
• Unlimited pass available
• Santa’s Grotto: 10am-6pm

Adrenalin rushes are not your thing? Don’t worry! There’s no need to ride a roller coaster to experience the thrill and magic of this special place. As well as the funfair, Winter Wonderland is home to a fantastic Christmas market in London. Take a leisurely stroll through the wooden chalets and you’ll find plenty of original gifts and souvenirs. Why not buy a quintessentially British decoration to hang on the tree when you get home? You’ll find many colourful paintings and magnets made by local artists. Or send a sentimental message to your loved ones with gingerbread hearts.

The Christmas Market

• Near the ice rink and accessible through the Blue Gate entry

Winter Wonderland fulfils all your culinary cravings, at any time of day and in every corner of the fairground. It’s a chance to sample street food from many different countries, from Venezuela to Germany and Lebanon. You can also find winter classics such as fondue, or the staples of any funfair, like hot dogs (with a vegetarian option) and churros. Winter Wonderland’s flagship drink is hot chocolate, generously topped with whipped cream and marshmallows or speculoos biscuits, to be enjoyed next to a brazier. For drinks before dinner, head to the Bar Ice for a cocktail or a frosty mocktail, or snuggle up next to the roaring fire in Thor’s Tipi bar with a mug of something hot.
 

Bar Ice

• Book your time slot (20 min) – last one at 9:20pm
• £15.50-£17.50 (cocktail included)

Winter Wonderland opens every year around mid-November and lasts for six weeks, until early January. Please note that the funfair is closed on 25 December. Admission to Winter Wonderland is free at off-peak times and ranges from £5 at standard times to £7.70 at peak times. There is a charge for most activities, so you’ll need to budget accordingly. Good to know: the entrance fee is refunded if you spend £25 on attractions at the time of booking. We recommend getting a ticket for Winter Wonderland in advance and booking the most popular activities, if possible, as soon as you plan your trip to London.

You can walk to Winter Wonderland from your central London hotel or take the underground to one of the nearest stations, Marble Arch or Hyde Park Corner. To explore the park and avoid the crowds, you can also get off at Green Park or Knightsbridge. Another option, suggested on the Winter Wonderland website, is to get off at Lancaster Gate station on the Central Line, then walk along Serpentine Lake in Kensington Gardens (with a stop at the Peter Pan statue), before crossing the bridge and saying hello to Hyde Park’s famous squirrels.

For a London stay of three or four days, we recommend you look for a central hotel close to Hyde Park. It’s the ideal place to enjoy all the Christmas illuminations and entertainment, from Carnaby Street to Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. To the north of Winter Wonderland, Mercure London Hyde Park offers accommodation for couples and families with one child. The Victorian-style building guarantees your immersion in the local ambiance. A little more out of the way, but only 20 minutes’ walk from Hyde Park, Novotel London Paddington offers rooms for four people and an indoor swimming pool. A great way to warm up and relax after a frosty, snow-filled day at Winter Wonderland!

London is an incredible city to visit at Christmas time, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the enchanting atmosphere. Illuminations, ice rinks, markets, shows and merry-go-rounds... magical moments to be enjoyed over mulled wine and mince pies, with family and friends, at Winter Wonderland or elsewhere in the capital.