20 Awesome Places To See Santa In London 2022

Looking for places to see Santa in London this Christmas?

We have been to lots of Santa’s Grottos over the years and have found that some of the best are in London. London really is one of the best cities in the UK to visit at Christmas with kids as there are so many fabulous London attractions for kids.

We’ve never managed to get into the Santa’s Grotto at Harrods but we’ll put it on here anyway in case you happen to be a Gazillionaire (or as lucky as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)!

We haven’t been to all of these places to see Father Christmas in London. This post is just a way to let you know what is on this year and we’ll aim to update it when more dates are released.

For the London Santa’s Grottos that have been announced, tickets are selling out fast so book soon to secure your meeting with Father Christmas in London!

Looking for something a bit special this year? How about looking into one of the Santa Sleepovers in the UK or even booking a DIY Lapland trip (which works out much cheaper than the package holidays!)

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Visiting London for the first time? How about getting some London themed games and entertainment for the kids? Perfect for the hotel room or restaurants…

London Top Trumps and our own London colouring book and pens just in case). We also love these kids’ travel guides to London, a London sticker book and things to spot in London book.

If you want to combine your London Santa visit with some of the top attractions in London, we can recommend these ones for kids:

• London Eye (see what’s on at Christmas at the London Merlin attractions)
• Madame Tussauds
• Shrek’s Adventure (a bit alternative but if your little one is a Shrek fan, they can meet Shrek Santa in his Shrektacular Grotto on 3rd,4th,10th,11th and 17th – 24th December).
• London Dungeon
• SEA LIFE
• Tower of London
• Buckingham Palace
• The Shard
• London Zoo

If you’re looking for ideas of something different to do in London with kids, we have recently discovered these London TreasureMapTrails. They are a really fun way to sightsee with kids and are great value. You can also get 10% off with code: FLASHPACKING.

And if you are staying over in London and are looking for a family-friendly hotel, check out our recommendations on where to stay in London with kids and our guide to family accommodation in London with pools. For more budget accommodation, here are some of the Premier Inns in London we recommend for families. They offer free breakfast for kids.

We also have a few suggestions at the end of the post.

Places to see Santa in London in 2022

Visiting a Santa’s Grotto in London is just one of the many fabulously festive family Christmas events in London.

These are London Grottos have not all released their dates yet so check back in as we will be updating this post.

ZSL London Zoo

The Magic of Christmas at London Zoo
Dates: 26th November to 3rd January 2023.
Ticket Price: £Currently need to email to express interest. Book London Zoo tickets here).
Location: London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY.

They are also offering the opportunity for a VIP Breakfast with Mrs Claus on select dates.

If you live locally, the London Zoo annual membership is definitely worth getting. See also what is going on at Whipsnade Zoo at Christmas as your zoo membership can also get you into Whipsnade.

Harrods

Harrods Grotto 2022

Dates: Tickets are usually released mid-November. The caveat is that you need to have spent at least £2000.00 in their store or be one of the 160 lucky families to get a ticket when they are released. This is out of a total of 4,400 tickets so the chances are quite slim.
Ticket Price: £20.00 per child.
Location: Harrods, 87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7XL.

Hamleys

Hamleys Grotto 2022

Dates: 20th November to 24th December 2022.
Ticket Price: Up to 3 people – £50.00, 4 people – £65.00, 5 people – £80.00 and 6 people – £95.00.
Location: Hamleys, 188-196 Regent Street, London, W1B 5BT.

The National Gallery

Meet Father Christmas

Dates: Weekends 27th November – 12th December and Daily from 18th – 23rd December 2022.
Ticket Price: Ticket on sale from Mid October.
Location: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Santa Land at Winter Wonderland

Dates: 18th November to 2nd January 2023.
Ticket Price: Visiting Santa’s Grotto is free but you need to buy a ticket to Winter Wonderland. First come, first served.
Location: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London, W2 2UH.

Selfridges

Breakfast with Santa

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: From £50.00 per person.
Location: Selfridges & Co, 400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1AB.

See also Storytime with Santa and Elf School.

Museum of London Docklands

Meet Santa

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: TBC.
Location: Museum of London Docklands, No1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL.

Museum of London

Victorian Grotto

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: TBC.
Location: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN.

London Transport Museum

Meet Santa

Dates: 4th – 23rd December 2022 from 11 am to 3 pm daily.
Ticket Price: TBC.
Location: London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB.

The Strand Palace

Santa on Strand

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: £25.00 per child (including gift), £5.00 per adult and £8.00 for a photo.
Location: The Strand Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, London, WC2R 0JJ.

Also just a short stroll from here is the Somerset House ice skating rink, one of the best places to go ice skating in London.

Alexandra Palace

Santa’s Grotto at Alexandra Palace

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: £14.50 per child.
Location: Alexandra Palace East Court, Alexandra Palace Way, London, N22 7AY.

You might want to combine this visit with some ice skating too!

Royal Albert Hall

Storytelling with Father Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall

Dates: 2nd to 20th December 2022.
Ticket Price: £21.50 per child.
Location: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP.

Broadgate Circle

The Winter Forest

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: TBC.
Location: Exchange House, 12 Exchange Square, London, EC2A 2BQ.

Fortnum & Mason

Storytelling with Father Christmas

Dates: Sold Out for 2022.
Ticket Price: N/A.
Location: Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London, W1A 1ER.

Kew Gardens

Christmas at Kew

Pop along to see the fabulous Christmas light trail and say hello to Santa along the way.

Dates: 16th November 2022 to 8th January 2023.
Ticket Price: Adult – £21.50 to £28.50, Child (4-16) – £14.00 to £14.50, Under 4 – Free.
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE.

Chelsea Physic Garden

Father Christmas Storytelling

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: £11.50 per child and £9.50 for an accompanying adult.
Location: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 4HS.

Jungle Cave

Breakfast with Santa

The Jungle Cave (formerly Rainforest Café) is one of our recommendations for family-friendly restaurants in London and offers the opportunity to have breakfast with Santa in London.

The breakfast lasts 90 minutes and includes a meeting with Santa and a goody bag for children.

Dates: TBC.
Ticket Price: From £15.00 per person.
Location: Jungle Cave, 20 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 7EU.

Hard Rock Cafe

Santa’s Grotto & Breakfast with Santa

Dates: Santa’s Grotto is taking place at weekends during December.
Ticket Price: TBC.
Location: Hard Rock Café, Criterion Building, 225-229 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HR.

Springtime Nurseries

Christmas Wonderland

Dates: 11th November to 24th December 2022.
Ticket Price: Children – £14.95, Adults – £3.95.
Location: Springtime Nurseries, Cattlegate Road, Crews Hill, Enfield, EN2 9EE.

National Trust

The National Trust has a few lovely properties in London that usually a meet Father Christmas experience. Make sure to check out their website to see what is going on this year.

These are the best places to see Santa in London in 2022.

What else is there to do in London at Christmas?

Other things to do in London at Christmas

You might also want to just wander around and peruse the festive gifts in the London Christmas markets or marvel at the twinkling Christmas lights in London.

These are some of our favourite free things to do in London at Christmas – including some of the best museums in London for kids.

How about booking an ice skating session at one of the fabulous ice rinks in London? Hampton Court is ideal for family day trips from London.

If you fancy venturing out of London over a weekend, how about these Santa Sleepovers near London? We also have a post on festive Christmas breaks for families.

We also have a whole section on Christmas if you are looking for more festive days out this year, including details on the best Christmas markets in the UK and, if we can travel this year, the best Christmas markets in Europe!

Accommodation in London

Looking for the perfect, family-friendly hotel in London to complete your visit to London at Christmas?

Luxury

The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences – Located in Mayfair, this is a 5 star luxury aparthotel with a difference.

See also:

The Ritz – Located on Piccadilly near Hyde Park Corner.

The Rubens at the Palace – Located near Buckingham Palace.

St Ermin’s – Located near St James’s Park. They also do a fabulous afternoon tea for kids.

Mid-Range

Park Plaza County Hall – Located near the London Eye.

Budget

Premier Inn Waterloo – Located by Westminster Bridge near the London Eye.