Festive family day trips for Christmas 2024 across England – Polar Express train rides, Lapland UK and light shows

THE Christmas season is almost upon us, and there’s no better way to spread holiday cheer than a festive day trip with family and friends.

Castles and stately homes across the country are adorned with garlands, wreaths, stocking and lights, and the UK even has it’s very own Lapland.

Also new this year is the UK’s highest snow globe, 52 metres high and with fairytale-like falling snow.

We’ve put together a list of some of the best Christmas day trip offerings – but you’ll have to be quick before tickets sell out.

The Polar Express and other festive train rides

The Polar Express offers the experience of a train ride set to the sounds and songs from the family favourite holiday movie The Polar Express.

Departing from many different locations in the UK, passengers experience the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away by rail for a magical one-hour trip to the North Pole. They are joined on board by the popular characters inspired by the movie including dancing chefs who serve each passenger hot chocolate and a delicious treat.

Rail operators that offer the experience include London Euston, Swanage Railway, Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells and Caledonian Railway in Scotland.

The price of a ticket varies by location and class of travel, but typically costs between £22.95 and £59 per person.

Other festive train rides in the UK include Severn Valley Railway Santa Specials, Dartmouth Steam Railway’s Train of Lights, and Belmond British Pullman.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Hogwarts in the Snow

Harry Potter fans are invited to experience a very ‘Harry Christmas’ at the walk-through exhibition and studio tour in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.

Iconic Harry Potter sets are dressed for the festive season in a blanket of film making snow, beginning with the Great Hall, with towering Christmas trees and fireplaces adorned with holly, mistletoe and wreaths, and finishing up with a walk around the Hogwarts Castle model, blanketed with snow.

Tickets are available until the 31st of December and start from £56.

Christmas castles

If there’s one thing the UK has a lot of, it’s castles. And what better what better way to celebrate the festive season by visiting one embellished with large trees, garlands, and festive lights.

Warwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle and Hever Castle are just a couple of the many castles offering festive experiences.

Leeds Castle in Kent is also putting on A Nutcracker Christmas, which offers the chance to wander through rooms filled with sparkling decorations and to meet some Nutcracker character favourites.

Along the way, be prepared for a thrilling showdown between the Nutcracker and the cunning Mouse King, and your mission is to rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Christmas event is running 23rd November-5th January, and entry is included with general admission to the castle, which is £31.50 for adults and £22.50 for kids if you book online.

UK’s Highest Snow Globe at Up at The O2

Up at The O2, the award-winning roof walk attraction, has announced it will be launching the UK’s highest snow globe later this year.

From 22 November 2024 to 5 January 2025, climbers visiting Up at The O2 will enjoy a guided climb over The O2’s iconic roof, before stepping into an immersive snow globe when they reach the attractions’ 52m-high summit. Against the backdrop of the London skyline, the UK’s highest snow globe will feature fairytale-like falling snow, the sweet smell of cookies, and a whimsical winter set-up, making for the ultimate festive photo moment.

During an extended 25 minutes on the roof, climbers will have plenty of time to capture the ultimate snowy shots and will also be treated to a delicious gingerbread cookie to enjoy. For those looking to really get into the festive spirit, glasses of bubbly, along with soft drinks, are also available to purchase.

Snow Globe Climbs are available from £44 per person, with tickets on sale now at the Up at The O2 website.

Lapland UK

Lapland UK is an immersive theatrical experience near Ascot, with experiences and performances for the whole family to enjoy.

A 4.5-hour journey through an enchanted forest and Elven world, and helping the Elves make toys, decorating gingerbread with Mother Christmas, ice skating, and meeting the man in red himself, Father Christmas, are just some of the activities on offer.

Tickets for this year are now sold out. But for a chance to grab any return tickets when they become available, you can subscribe on the website.

Christmas At Kew and other light shows

Christmas At Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar, with its light trail taking over its 300-acre botanic garden.

Be mesmerised by the flickering flames in the fire garden, wander beneath larger-than-life illuminations and don’t forget to glimpse Father Christmas along the way.

Along the route, you’ll also find independent street food vendors offering tasty festive delights, from hot food and sweet treats to spiced winter warmers and hot chocolate. 

For non-Kew members, tickets are £25.50 for off-peak and £32 for peak times. Members pay £21.50 for off-peak and £26 for peak times.

Other light shows going on across the UK include Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Longleat in Wiltshire, Killerton in Exeter, Bedgebury in Kent, Mayfield Park, Manchester, and Liverpool Cathedral.

For a free Christmas lights tour option, walk around Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street in London. The lights are usually switched on in early November and remain up until around January 6th. 

Historic houses decked out for Christmas

Historic houses all over the country are also being decorated for the season. From the 1800s to the 1980s, visitors can be transported back to the festivities of different times.

Prepare to be spellbound at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire as the Magic of Books exhibition inspires the festive decorations around the ground floor of the house.

Take a trip down memory lane at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire, with decorations inspired by rumours of wild house parties at the Hall in the 70s and 80s. 

And immerse yourself in a Victorian Christmas at Somerset’s Tyntesfield.