A Lilidorei Christmas runs 16 November to 3 January, Thursday to Sunday until 18 December. Combined tickets cost £7.60 an adult until 4 December, then £14.
A Lilidorei Christmas runs from Monday 16 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 at the play village beside The Alnwick Garden, open 10am to 3pm. Until 18 December it opens Thursday to Sunday only; from 19 December it opens every day, except Christmas Day, when the Garden and Lilidorei are both closed. A combined Garden and Lilidorei ticket bought online costs £7.60 an adult and £5.40 a child up to 4 December, then £14 and £11.80 from 5 December, with Gift Aid.
Overview
- Dates: 16 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- Days: Thursday to Sunday until 18 December; every day from 19 December to 3 January, except 25 December.
- Hours: 10am to 3pm.
- Tickets: combined Garden and Lilidorei ticket, booked online. Adults £7.60 and children 3 to 16 £5.40 until Friday 4 December; adults £14 and children £11.80 from Saturday 5 December. Under-3s free. Prices include Gift Aid; without it they are slightly lower.
- Extra: the Elf Workshop craft is £1.
- Where: The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick. Sat nav NE66 3RA.
Everything on this page comes from The Alnwick Garden’s event page and its opening times and prices page, both read on 6 November 2026.
What is on
The Garden says each of the village’s Clans has decorated its Clan House for Christmas. Around them:
- A forest of 1,500 Christmas trees to wander through.
- The Nutcrackers of Sillyshriek Trail: find four giant nutcrackers, “each with their own quirky tale”.
- Christmas traditions from around the world, told by the elves, and a brand-new Christmas story from Storyteller Elf.
- The Elf Workshop, where children make a craft to take home, for an extra £1.
- The usual play: climbing and sliding on Elfwin Drin, which the Garden bills as the biggest play structure in the world.
Day tickets cover both Lilidorei and The Alnwick Garden.
Prices and the 5 December jump
The price depends on the date, not the age band alone. These are the Garden’s online prices for the combined Garden and Lilidorei ticket from 1 November 2026 to 3 January 2027:
| Ticket | Saver: Thu 5 Nov to Fri 4 Dec | Standard: Sat 5 Dec to Sun 3 Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £7.60 (£6.90 without Gift Aid) | £14.00 (£12.70 without Gift Aid) |
| Child 3 to 16 | £5.40 (£4.90 without Gift Aid) | £11.80 (£10.70 without Gift Aid) |
| Child 0 to 2 | Free | Free |
So a family of two adults and two children pays about £26 on a November visit and about £51.60 from 5 December, at the Gift Aid prices. If the date is flexible, the last Saver weekend is Thursday 3 to Friday 4 December: the Saturday after is the first Standard day.
All tickets are non-refundable, and standard tickets cannot be changed. The Garden sells a Flexi Ticket for a small extra charge, which lets you move your date up to three times.
Opening days
| Period | Lilidorei daytime |
|---|---|
| 16 November to 18 December | Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm |
| 19 December to 3 January | Every day, 10am to 3pm |
| 25 December | Closed |
| From 4 January | Closed; reopening date to be confirmed |
One thing to check before you book: the Garden’s opening times page lists Lilidorei’s daytime hours from 16 November to 18 December as “10am-9pm”, while the event page says 10am to 3pm. We quote the event page, which matches every other daytime listing; the evenings belong to Winter Lights, which is a separate ticket.
Winter Lights is a different visit
From 20 November, the Garden and Lilidorei reopen in the evening, 4.30pm to 9pm, for Winter Lights, an illuminated trail with its own tickets, from £11.70. A Lilidorei Christmas day ticket does not get you into the evening show. Every Winter Lights date band and price is on our Winter Lights page.
Also at the Garden this Christmas
- The Alnwick Garden Christmas Fair, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10.30am to 3.30pm, in The Pavilion; free, no Garden ticket needed (The Alnwick Garden).
- Festive Alnwick Markets, in The Pavilion on 5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19 and 20 December, 10am to 3pm; free (The Alnwick Garden).
- From 20 November the Pavilion Cafe and the shop stay open between 3pm and 4.30pm, between the day and evening sessions.
Getting there and parking
The Garden asks drivers to use the postcode NE66 3RA, which it says gives the right turn-off from the A1, then follow the brown signs. The address is Greenwell Road, Alnwick, NE66 1HB, and the phone number is 01665 511350. Alnwick’s town car parks, and the parking disc rules for its short-stay bays, are on our parking page. The Cobbles and Clayport Street works in the town centre pause from 7 December to 4 January; check our roadworks and travel page before you set off.
On Friday 20 November, the night of Alnwick’s lights switch-on, Bondgate Within is closed from 7am to 10.30pm: see our switch-on page.
Frequently asked questions
When does A Lilidorei Christmas start?
Monday 16 November 2026, and it runs to Sunday 3 January 2027. Because it opens Thursday to Sunday until 18 December, the Garden’s own timetable makes Thursday 19 November the first open day after the start date; the booking calendar shows which days are on sale.
Is Lilidorei open every day at Christmas?
Not until 19 December. From 16 November to 18 December it opens Thursday to Sunday. From 19 December to 3 January it is open daily, except Christmas Day.
How much is a Lilidorei Christmas ticket?
Online, with Gift Aid: £7.60 an adult and £5.40 a child (3 to 16) up to 4 December, then £14 and £11.80 from 5 December. Under-3s are free.
Is Santa at Lilidorei?
Yes, as a separate ticket. Father Christmas has a grotto at Lilidorei from 21 November to 24 December, with daytime and evening visits from £26.50 a child; dates and prices are on our Father Christmas at Lilidorei page. For other grottos and Santa trains nearby, see our Santa grottos page.
More Christmas days out: Christmas at Bamburgh Castle, Christmas at Cragside, Kielder Winter Wonderland and the Christmas markets.
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