CHRISTMAS will soon be upon us, so it’s time to get those festive dates lined up in your calendar.
You don’t need to shell out a fortune for lifetime memories though – we’ve rounded up plenty of activities full of festive cheer that won’t break the bank. From free ice skating to festive illuminations – here are the top memory-making days out for you and your family…
Ice skating
Nothing says winter and Christmas quite like a festive ice skating rink.
Blackpool has a synthetic ice rink that stretches 20m long and is FREE to use, including free skate hire – all you have to do is show up and hand over your shoes for some boots.
Meanwhile, Caerphilly On Ice at Caerphilly Castle is selling early bird skate tickets from just £9.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – the UK’s largest open-air ice rink is built around Hyde Park’s Victoria bandstand and has tickets from £9.35 for kids and £12.95 for adults, off-peak.
Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire has a festive ice rink set within its adventure park from November to February, with tickets from £14.
Boxpark Liverpool is bringing back its popular ice rink, with adult tickets from £10 and kids tickets from £8.
Dalkeith Country park has a Winterfest Skating Rink, with £11 tickets for adults and £9 tickets for children.
Aviemore Ice Rink at Macdonald Highland Resort has adult ice skating tickets for £14 and kids tickets for £12.
Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland has ice skating tickets from £15 for adults and £12.50 for kids.
Ice Skate Birmingham at Centenary Square has early bird adult tickets from £9.50 and kids from £8.50, rising to £14 for adults in peak times and £12 for kids.
Nottingham’s Winter Wonderland has ice rink and sky skate tickets from £13.60 for adults and £9.60 for kids.
Bath on Ice has tickets from £16.50 for adults and £14 for kids, with an outdoor rink beneath the Christmas lights in Royal Victoria Park.
Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland – York’s original and largest open-air ice rink – returns for its 21st year, with adults tickets from £18.09 and kids from £16.99.
Skate Manchester in the city’s Cathedral Gardens has adult tickets from £16.80 and kids tickets from £15.40.
Light trails
Light trails such as RHS Glow Light Trails at Wisley cost as little as £7.50 per adult and £6 per child when booked for an off peak session in advance.
RHS Bridgewater’s celebration of light in Salford runs from 26 November to 30 December new Super Off Peak tickets starting at £9.25 for adults or £6 for RHS members, and £5.50 for kids.
Gulliver’s Theme Parks has their annual Land Of Lights running from October 24 to January 30, with early bird tickets from £12.50 for both adults and kids.
The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail returns from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with its biggest and brightest trail yet, on Torquay’s seafront.
The Winter light Trail through Trentham Gardens at Trentham Estate near Stoke On Trent is very affordable, with adult tickets from £17 and kids tickets from £12.50.
Lightwaves Salford is running from 23 November to 13 December 2026 and is free to enter, with illuminated artworks along a 2km trail around MediaCity and Salford Quays.
Alnwick Garden light trail in Northumberland runs from 20 November to 3 January and has off-peak tickets from £18.15 for adults and £11 for kids.
The Christmas Light Trail at National Trust’s Dunham Massey in the North West costs from £19.50 for adults and £13 for kids.
For a rainproof option, try Noel – a Christmas light show at Liverpool Cathedral from 27 November to 5 December, priced from £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for kids.
For that post-Christmas lull, The Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival returns from 19-30 January, 2027. It’s free with no booking required.
The Bristol Light Festival will return for its seventh edition from 18 February to 27 February 2027. It is free to attend, with no booking or ticket required.
Lantern parades
For the ultimate wholesome activity, why not take part in a local lantern trail with the kids.
For example, Burning the Clocks in Brighton will return this year with thousands of people making paper lanterns and carrying them through the city before burning them on the beach.
This years theme will be ‘Magicada’ which represents a symbolic rest followed by a noisy awakening – though a date for when it will take place is yet to be revealed.
In Devon, Totnes launches its late night Christmas shopping nights on December 8 with a free Carnival Lantern Parade through the town.
There will be handcrafted lanterns with live music and street performers alongside 70 stalls and 125 independent shops remaining open into the night.
In South London, a light procession takes place through Maritime Greenwich on November 18, ahead of the annual Christmas lights switch-on that evening.
Winchester Cathedral Lantern Parade takes place on 23 November, with participants carrying recycled or homemade lanterns through the city streets – the theme this year is ‘Angel’s Message.’
Leamington Lantern Parade in Leamington Spa takes place on December 6, with participants carrying homemade lanterns to a backdrop of stilt walkers and carol singers.
Corn Exchange’s Festival of Light in Newbury town centre takes place on December 13, with lantern-making workshops available to the public in the run-up.
Christmas markets
The UK is home to some fabulous Christmas markets and most are free to visit.
Most towns have their own, and here are some of the biggest, oldest and quirkiest around the country.
Manchester’s Christmas Markets feature 200 wooden chalets across ten city centre locations, with a fairground and a huge Ferris wheel, craft stalls, a pop-up pub and an undercover ice skating rink.
Edinburgh’s Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens are easily some of the prettiest, with wooden chalets, fairground rides and a Ferris Wheel alongside a background of Edinburgh Castle.
York’s St Nicholas Fair looks like something from a Hallmark Christmas movie, with plenty of local traders selling local produce and crafts in wooden chalets.
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market was named one of the best in Europe in 2024 – is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Austria and Germany, with traditional arts and crafts plus German food and drink.
Oxford Victorian Christmas Market takes place from November 12 – 15, with costumed traders and Victorian-style street performers, alongside 50 stalls selling decorations, food and drink.
Portmeirion Welsh Christmas Market runs from 4-6 December in Portmeirion Village, Gwynedd, North Wales, featuring 120 stalls and live performances around along the village’s unique streets.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland is the biggest Christmas event in the UK.
The attraction returns to London’s Hyde Park on November 19 and will run until January 3, 2027.
Yes, there are plenty of activities and food stands that cost a fortune, but there are also ways to keep costs down and have a fantastic day out.
This year there are tonnes of £1 entry tickets, which are typically for weekday sessions.
Free activities once you’re inside include:
Visiting Santa’s Grotto in Santa Land is free and comes with a small gift.
Free live music at the Market Square and the Explorer’s Rest.
There’s a free Elves’ Workshop too, with interactive experiences and games for little visitors to enjoy.
Christmas day out at the National Railway Museum
In York, you can visit the National Railway Museum for free and its upcoming Christmas event is also free.
Free Christmas activities include writing a letter to Father Christmas, exploring winter science activities and designing a 2027 calendar.
You can upgrade your experience to meet Father Christmas aboard the Guard’s compartment on a train for £15 per child.
The event runs from December 2 to 23 and each child will get a small gift as well as a hot chocolate.
National Trust Santa Visits
The National Trust is an excellent location for the annual family festive day out.
The buildings are already beautiful and look great spruced up with some decorations, they often have winter trails through the large gardens and many of them feature their own Santa’s grotto.
When booking an activity, you actually get a lot of festive fun for the price of your ticket.
For example, Father Christmas at the Farm, at Tatton Park in Cheshire, features a nativity scene, live music, festive entertainers, a grotto, make-your-own reindeer food and a Christmas pop-up cafe. Adult tickets are £12.50 and kids tickets are £14. Runs from November 21 to December 24.
Father Christmas at Sunnycroft in Telford, Shropshire lets visitors step into the world of The Wind in the Willows with a 20-minute journey through the homes of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad, that ends with a visit to Father Christmas.
One child and one accompanying adult costs £25. Runs from December 4-13.
Storytelling with Santa at Kingston Lacy in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, lets kids enjoy a story read by by Father Christmas, plus a gift and a photo opportunity. Tickets cost £15.50 per child and includes one accompanying adult. November 28 – December 23.
Visit Father Christmas at Gibside Stables in Gateshead lets visitors join playful forest elf Happy Holly Berry and Father Christmas for a festive story, then receive a small gift and a photo opportunity. Kids tickets tickets cost £18 and the adult is included in the price. Runs from November 29 to December 23.
Find out more about the National Trust Santa visits here.
Coca-Cola Christmas Truck
The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck tours each festive season, offering free drinks, festive photo opportunities and interactive games.
Admission is free and you don’t need to buy tickets or book in advance.
Coca-Cola usually reveals the tour schedule around mid-November, featuring around 15 stops across the UK.
The stops usually run from around midday to 8pm, between late November and Christmas.
Day Out With The Kids has their own truck tracker, which they’ll update when the 2026 dates come through.
Christmas light switch-ons and parades
Across the UK there are also a number of Christmas light switch-ons and parades that don’t cost a penny to watch.
For example, you could head to Carnaby Street’s Christmas lights switch-on in central London, which will take place on November 4, with the theme ‘Press Play on Christmas’ and neon lights inspired by 1990s nostalgia.
Neighbouring Covent Garden has its Christmas lights switch-on on November 12, featuring more than 300,000 lights and free festive entertainment around the piazza.
Also in the area is Regent Street’s Festive Spirits switch-on on November 5, with a traffic-free event, family entertainment and in-store experiences.
Newcastle Christmas Light Switch-On is on November 12 and features live entertainment, panto stars and festive games.
Darlington Town Centre Christmas switch-on takes place on November 15, hosted by radio DJs and starring pantomime characters, plus a fireworks display after the switch-on.
Rochdale Town Hall hosts Ignite Fire Festival – with a magical trail of fire, lights and sound from November 20-22 that ends with the town’s Christmas light switch-on.
Preston’s Christmas Lights Switch-On returns to the Flag Market on November 21, with East 17 headlining an evening of live music, entertainment, magic, football, pantomime and plenty of festive fun.
The Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On took place on September 4 and the lights will run nightly until january 3 – six miles of illuminations along the Promenade from Starr Gate to Red Bank Road.