Winter Wonderland London 2018: Tickets, opening hours, ice skating and more for the Hyde Park Christmas festivities

Winter Wonderland is coming to town for another year, promising rides, beer halls, an ice rink and more.

For those looking to get a slice of the seasonal action, here’s everything you need to know about London’s biggest festive celebration.

When is Winter Wonderland open?

The Christmas extravaganza will launch at 4pm on Thursday November 22 and will be open every day from 10am–10pm until January 6, apart from Christmas Day, when it will be closed.

It tends to get very busy during evenings and weekends so it's often best to head down on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Where is it?

As with every year, Winter Wonderland will take over a south west section of Hyde Park.

If you prefer to enter in style, Hyde Park Corner is where you’ll find all the sparkling signage

Neighbouring tube stops include Bond Street, Green Park (best for step-free access), Knightsbridge, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Paddington and Victoria.

For full travel information, visit the official Winter Wonderland website.

What’s on at Winter Wonderland?

This year promises to be bigger and better than ever. Old favourites making a comeback include the UK’s largest outdoor ice rink, Zippo’s Christmas circus, Bar Ice, Bar Hütte with Christmas karaoke booths, festive rides and the giant observation wheel which climbs to 60 metres high.

New activities for 2018 include ice sculpting workshops, Peter Pan on Ice, stand up comedy ‘lates’ at the Circus MegaDome and Backyard Cinema screening the Christmas classic The Snowman.

As usual, the traditional German Christmas market will return too, offering more than 200 enchanting chalets selling arts, gifts, jewellery and decorations.

Winter Wonderland tickets

You can enter Winter Wonderland for free but you’ll need tickets for most of the major attractions – so be sure to book them in advance via the official website.

Organisers advise getting to the site 30 minutes prior to pre-booked attractions as there will be no refunds or exchanges for late arrivals.

Eating and drinking at Winter Wonderland

The Bavarian Village is set to host a number of cafes, restaurants, bars and cosy chalets. Guests can enjoy a wide range of festive snacks including bratwursts and burgers as well as seasonal tipples like mulled wine and hot chocolate.

In the evening, the Bavarian Hall will boast live music and DJs and the large space is the perfect setting for sing-alongs and dancing.

What to bring

Winter Wonderland is outside so be sure to wrap up warm in hats and scarves — especially if you’re heading to Bar Ice where it gets to a nippy -10°C.

Cash is also a must; you may struggle purchasing things from the winter market without it, as not all vendors accept cards. It's probably worth bringing an umbrella too — just in case.

Hyde Park, W2 2UH, hydeparkwinterwonderland.com