For some reason this year I have not been feeling very festive as much as I usually do in December. And so, when we decided to book a ticket to Winter Wonderland.
Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, London, is somewhere I have wanted to visit for many years and so I was excited to visit and experience the festivities and the atmosphere. In the hope that I would feel more festive. I went to Winter Wonderland with my partner, one of my little sisters and her friend. It started off a bit stressful due to cancelled or delayed trains. But we made it.
If you haven’t been to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. It has a Christmas market, fun fair rides, a variety of food trucks and stalls, an ice rink, lots of fun fair games as well as music tents. There is so much to experience and do for a variety of ages. It was £7.50 for admission, but if you book rides ahead of time you can get your admission for free.
We got to enjoy drinks, I stayed on hot chocolate because I was ridiculously cold and it helped me stay warm. I was concerned (having not visited before) how accessible it was going to be as well as how much seating was available, as I would need to take breaks and rest. I found a few tented areas to sit, but I didn’t find other seating and so I struggled a bit more. If you do require rests be aware of the seating availability and where it is located.
Walking through Hyde Park was a multi-sensory experience. You had Christmas music, lights and the smells of various food places. It was a really positive and festive atmosphere.
I think if we were going to go again we would book on a different day. As we went on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm, it was incredibly busy and only got busier as the day went on. I would definitely go earlier on the weekend or during the week. So if you do not want to queue for over an hour or more for rides definitely pick an off-peak time.
Tips I would give to people who are looking to go to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park:
- Book your tickets for rides online when you book your admission to save money and save queuing for long periods at rides.
- If you can, choose an off-peak time.
- Definitely head to the rides you want to go on first.
- To avoid waiting, do not take a bag.
- Wrap up warm as it be so cold, especially if you are like me and feel the cold more.
- Travelling to Hyde Park by tube, use Hyde Park Corner as it is the smallest walking distance to the venue.
- You do not need wellies. There may be mut at the entrances and exits but it is minimal. The Winter Wonderland grounds are covered with boards/flooring so your feet will stay dry (if it is not raining of course). Just be careful of the connections as I did find them to be a slight trip hazard. Luckily I had support. So be careful if you are unsteady on your feet.
I definitely feel more festive after visiting there. We have planned in the next week to go to Covent Gardens to see the lights and experience the lights around London. I am really excited to see as many as possible. Thank goodness for thermal clothing. If you want to see my experiences you can head over to my Instagram for pictures and reels.
Have you ever been to Winter Wonderland Hyde Park? Or a Winter Wonderland near you? I’d love to hear what places you have visited that are also festive in the comments.
OMG! That look so much fun 😍 especially around the time of Christmas. I hope you’ve had a great time there.
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That’s awesome you did book and enjoy some times outside. I’m sorry you arent feel that festive. The winter wonderlad look awesome. Thank you for the tips!
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This looks amazing! Our Belfast market is NOTHING like this. It’s on a much smaller scale. That being said, I don’t really like being in such crowded areas. COVID really boosted my social anxiety.
This is not local to me, out Bournemouth one is just a market and a few rides throughout the gardens and beach. But I have always wanted to go to Winter Wonderland for years. But I don’t blame you regarding covid. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Oh I do love a Christmas Fair/Market. They just get me right into a festive mood!
I went to the Winter Wonderland last year in Newcastle and it was quite good fun! The only problem is massive crowds just get to me but I still pushed on and enjoyed myself. I recently just went to Edinburgh Market! 😀
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I’ve not been to this before but it sounds like something I would enjoy a lot — it makes me wish I was still living in London! The tips you gave too were really useful; it’s always best to have an idea what we can do in advance, etc to make it a great experience.
It is definitely a fun experience to have. Thank you for reading and commenting.
This looks like such an amazing experience. We’ve always wanted to go to a European Christmas market. American ones just don’t compare.
I hope you get to go to one soon. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I haven’t been to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland but I think I would like to go one year! I think I would need rest breaks too, so some more seating would be better x
Definitely visit, it is a great attraction. But definitely knowing ahead of time where the seating is can be really helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Glad you had a good time Lauren. I was thinking I might visit the Christmas Market in Glasgow tomorrow (Saturday). I think the tips you gave for Hyde Park will apply to most of these Christmas attractions. I hope it gets a bit warmer for your visit to Covent Gardens and travel is easier. The train strikes are causing so much disruption
We’ve been to winter wonderland a few times now. Albeit a few years ago. We’d always try go during the week though to avoid the crowds. Not that it’s never not crowded! Definitely a game changer for getting in the festive spirit though.
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
Yeah going in the week during the day is also a lot less crowded. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I hope you have a lovely time. If you are going to share it on your blog I look forward to hearing your experience. Yes unfortunately if it doesn’t warm up I won’t be going, as it is too painful for me to stay out in -5. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Wow. This sounds like a nice experience, that I wish I can fly from my country to London right now to visit Hyde Park. Thank you for this post. It’ll definitely be on the top of my list of places I will visit whenever I come to London.
If you do ever go to London, definitely check it out. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I’ve never been before but it looks dreamy! Those are some good tips! Annoyingly, I wouldn’t be able to go during the week because my partner’s work schedule. Looks fun though 🙂
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Aw wow this looks like such an amazing experience! I’ve never been before, but I visited London for a few days this time next year and it was such a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing x
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Also not been feeling Christmassy this but I love this place. We went here a few times when we lived in London. But I agree with you, the hustle and bustle is a bit much at times. Thanks for sharing. Jade MumLifeAndMe
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You’ve given some good tips about going to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, it looks amazing there and I would love to go on the Ferris Wheel! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Yeah the wheel was huge! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
We went one of the first years it was open, and my son was only 2. We did earlier in the day which was definitely quieter, but it was a great experience. Not sure I’d want to go now with how busy it gets.
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i love christmas markets and this one looks so fun and festive! thanks for sharing your experience with us.
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Aww, this looks like such a fun time! I’d love to visit one day. Thanks for sharing your photos, experience, and what to look out for!
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It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park!
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I wish that I may ever visit this type of beautiful places
I was meant to go to that but I feel ill. I’ve been ill for most of December which sucks. I hope you had a great Christmas and will have a great new year
Sorry to hear you have been feeling unwell. I hope you feel better soon