38 UK Christmas Light Trails 2021: The Most Complete Guide

Looking for things to do this Christmas? Christmas light trails are springing up all over the place in 2021. Being an outdoor event, they’re the ideal place to be able to enjoy the sparkle of Christmas and socially distance. They’re a great alternative for a Christmas family day out if you’re not able to book a Santa’s Grotto.

I love Christmas light shows and am lucky to have some fantastic light trails near me, including Kew Gardens and Blenheim Palace.

These festive light experiences sell out fast to so make sure to have a look at this comprehensive list to find a Christmas light trail near you.

*Please check the current Government guidelines before visiting. More details can be found on the websites for each light trail. Dates will be updated for 2021 when they are released*

Christmas Light Trails in the East

Belton House

Christmas at Belton

When: Weekends from 25th November 2021 to 22nd January 2022
Where: Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 2LW
Tickets: Adult – £20.00 (or £28.00 with parking), Child (3-16) – £14.00, Under 2 – Free. Family of 4 – £74.00 with parking.

Thursford

Thursford Enchanted Journey of Light

When: TBC – see tickets for the Christmas Spectacular 2021
Where: Thursford, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21
Tickets: £15.00 per person, Under 2 Free

Lincoln Castle

Lincoln Castle Christmas Emporium

When: TBC
Where: Lincoln Castle, Castle Square, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 3AA
Tickets: Adult £8.00, Child £5.50 (Family £21.50)

Anglesey Abbey

Anglesey Abbey

When: TBC
Where: Anglesey Abbey, Quy Road, Lode, Cambridgeshire, CB25 9EJ
Tickets: TBC

Helmingham Hall

Helmingham Hall Illuminated Garden Trail

When: TBC
Where: Helmingham Hall, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 6EF
Tickets: Adult – £13.00, Child (5-16) – £8.00, Under 5 – Free

Audley End House & Gardens

Enchanted Audley End

When: TBC (see also Santa Trains running at Audley End)
Where: Audley End House, Audley End Road, Audley End, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4JF
Tickets: N/A

Christmas Light Trails in the South East

Blenheim Palace

Blemheim Palace Illuminated Light Trail

When: 19th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022
Where: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP
Tickets: Adult – £22.50 (or £32.50 with parking), Child (3-16) – £16.00, Under 2 – Free. Family of 4 – £74.00 with parking.

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor Christmas Lights

When: TBC (but see also the Christmas Fair from 13th November 2021 to 23rd December 2021).
Where: Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0JH
Tickets: Adult £19.98, Child (5-17) £9.99, Under 5 Free

Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest

Christmast at Bedgebury

When: 19th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022
Where: Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest, Bedgebury Road, Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 2SJ
Tickets: Adult – £20.00 (or £28.00 with parking), Child (3-16) – £13.50, Under 2 – Free. Family of 4 – £72.00 with parking.

If you’re looking for other things to do in the area, don’t miss Rye, one of the most beautiful small towns in England. There are also plenty of other things to do in Kent, including visiting nearby Leeds Castle, one of the best castles in Kent.

Hever Castle

Twilight Christmas at Hever Castle – one of the most impressive castles in Kent

When: TBC
Where: Hever Castle, Hever Road, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7NG
Tickets: Adult – £19.00, Child (5-17) – £11.50, Under 5 – Free

RHS Wisley

Glow at RHS Wisley

When: TBC
Where: RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
Tickets: Adult – From £15.00, Child (5-16) – From £10.00, Under 5 – Free

Hylands Estate

Enlightened

When: TBC
Where: The Pleasure Gardens, Hylands Park, London Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8WQ
Tickets: Adult – from £12.00, Child – from £9.00

Christmas Light Trails in the South

Wakehurst

Glow Wild 2020

When: TBC
Where: Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 6TN
Tickets: Adult – £15.00, Child (4-16) – £9.00, Under 4 – Free

Kingston Lacy

Ignite at Kingston Lacy

When: TBC
Where: Kingston Lacy, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4EA
Tickets: Adult – £15.00, Child (2-18) – £10.00, Under 2 – Free

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens

Leonardslee Illuminated 2020

When: TBC
Where: Leaonardslee, Lower Beeding, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6PR
Tickets: Adult – £16.00, Child (2-15) – £8.00, Under 2 – Free

Christmas Light Trails in the South West

Stourhead

Christmas at Stourhead

When: 26th November 2021 – 2nd January 2022
Where: Stourhead, Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 6QF
Tickets: Adult – £12.00 (or £28.00 with parking), Child (3-16) – £14.00, Under 2 – Free. Family of 4 – £74.00 with parking.

Longleat

Longleat Land of Light

When: 5th November 2021 to 8th January 2022
Where: Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7NW
Tickets: Adult – £36.50, Child (3-15) – £27.95, Under 2 Free

Westonbirt Arboretum

Westonbirt Enchanted Christmas

When: TBC
Where: Westonbirt Arboretum, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS
Tickets: Adult – £16.00, Child (5-18) – £8.00, Under 5 Free

Bath on Ice

Glow in the Dark Mini Golf

When: TBC
Where: Royal Pavillion, Royal Victoria Park, Bath, BA1 2NR
Tickets: TBC

Christmas Light Trails in the Midlands

Wollaton Hall

Christmas at Wollaton Hall

When: 26th November 2021 – 9th January 2022
Where: Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum, Wollaton Park, Wollaton, Nottingham, NG8 2AE
Tickets: Adult – £19.25, Child (3-16) – £13.75, Under 3 – Free. Family of 4 – £60.52. All prices include booking fee.

Himley Hall & Park

Winter Lights at Himley Hall

When: TBC
Where: Himley Hall & Park, Himley, Dudley, West Midlands, DY3 4DF
Tickets: TBC

Christmas Light Trails in the North East

Castle Howard

Wish Upon a Frozen Star

When: TBC
Where: Castle Howard Estate, York, YO60 7DA
Tickets: Adult – From £17-21, Child (3-16) – From £12-15, Under 3 – Free

Gibside Hall

Ignite at Gibside

When: TBC
Where: Gibside Hall, Near Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE16 6BG
Tickets:Adult – £15.00, Child (3-16) – £10.00, Under 3 – Free

Lightwater Valley Theme Park

Alice in Winterland

When: TBC
Where: Lightwater Valley Theme Park, North Stainley, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 3HT
Tickets: £12.50 per person, Under 2 – Free

Christmas Light Trails in the North West

Dunham Massey

Dunham Massey Illuminated Light Trail

When: From 19th November 2021 to 32nd January 2022
Where: Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, WA14 4SJ
Tickets: Adult – £21.00 (or £29.00 with parking), Child (3-16) – £13.50, Under 2 – Free. Family of 4 – £74.00 with parking.

Lightopia

Lightopia Festival

When: TBC
Where: Heaton Park, Sheepfoot Lane, Manchester, M25 0BP
Tickets: Adult from £21.20, Child (3-16) from £13.78 and Under 2 – Free

Chester Zoo

The Lanterns at Chester Zoo

When: TBC
Where: Chester Zoo, Chester, cheshire, CH2 1EU
Tickets: Adult from £16.00, Child from £13.50 and Under 2 – Free

Christmas Light Trails in London

Kew Gardens

Christmas at Kew

When: 17th November 2021 to 9th January 2022
Where: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE
Tickets: Adult – £21.50 to £26.50, Child (4-16) – £14.00 to £14.50, Under 4 – Free. Family of 4 – £65.00.

Canary Wharf

Winter Lights Canary Wharf

When: TBC
Where: TBC
Tickets: Free

Wembley Park

Wembley Park Winterfest

When: TBC
Where: Wembley Park, Wembley, HA9 0FA
Tickets: Free

Syon Park

Enchanted Woodland

When: TBC
Where: Syon House, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 8JF
Tickets: N/A

Chiswick House & Gardens

Lightopia

When: TBC
Where: Chiswick House & Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, W4 2RP
Tickets: TBC

Eltham Palace

Enchanted Eltham Palace

When: TBC
Where: Eltham Palace, Court Yard, London, SE9 5QE
Tickets: N/A

In the event that some of these light trails are cancelled this year, you could also pop into London to see the London Christmas lights (which are worth seeing anyway).

Christmas Light Trails in Scotland

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Christmas at the Botanics

When: 25th November 2021 – 2nd January 2022
Where: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ
Tickets:  Adult – £20.00, Child – £14.00 and Under 3 – Free. Family of 4 – £66.00.

Faskally Woods

The Enchanted Forest

When: TBC
Where: Faskally Wood, 3 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH16 5BX
Tickets: Tickets for 2021 go on sale in June 2021

Dean Castle Country Park

Illuminight

When: TBC
Where: Dean Castle Country Park, dean Road, Kilmarnock, KA3 1XB
Tickets: N/A

Christmas Light Trails in Wales

Margam Country Park

Luminate Wales

When:18th November to 24th December 2021
Where: Margam Country Park, Neath, Port Talbot, South Wales, SA13 2TJ
Tickets: Adult – from £15.00, Child (3-15) – from £11.00 and Under 3 – Free. Family of 4 – from £48.00.

Christmas Light Trails in Northern Ireland

Antrim Castle Gardens

Enchanted Winter Garden

When: TBC
Where: Antrim Castle Gardens, Randalstown Road, Antrim, BT41 4LH
Tickets: TBC

These are all official light trails in the UK but there are also lots of unofficial ones. Have you driven around your local area and seen some incredible private light displays? There’s a great one on Beech Road in St Albans. It’s definitely worth finding out if there’s one close to you.