Christmas at the Castle runs 21 November to 3 January. Light trail from £17, ice rink from £8, Santa from £29 and pre-book only, with no tickets on the day.
Christmas at the Castle runs from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Warwick Castle has published the dates and the entry prices for all four strands of it, which is more than most of the district’s Christmas has managed this early.
What it has not published is a calendar of which nights each thing actually runs. Every strand is sold in timed slots on “selected dates”, and the only way to see which dates are live is to go through the booking page. That matters most for Stories with Santa, which the castle says cannot be bought on the day at all.
The prices, and what each one includes
All of these are “from” prices, meaning the cheapest slot on the cheapest date, not a flat rate. Taken from the castle’s own pages on 6 September 2026:
| Ticket | From |
|---|---|
| Daytime castle entry | £18 |
| Ice skating only | £8 |
| Light trail only | £17 |
| Castle entry + skate | £18 |
| Castle entry + light trail | £27 |
| Stories with Santa (includes castle entry) | £29 |
| Santa Sleepover, per person | £72 |
Daytime castle access on a combined ticket is 10am to 4pm, last entry 3pm. That is a short winter day, and the last entry is the number that catches people out, not the closing time.
The light trail
An illuminated route through the castle grounds and gardens, about 45 minutes, on a fully accessible route. Evening timeslots start from 4.30pm.
Two things the castle states plainly and people miss. Evening parking charges apply on top of the ticket, and Merlin annual passholders still have to pre-book a free reservation rather than turning up on the pass.
The ice rink
An open-air rink on the east front of the castle, under Guy’s Tower. 45 minutes on the ice per slot, from £8.
- Children under 3 are not allowed on the ice at all.
- Skate aids for children are limited and first come, first served.
- There is a handrail around the outside.
The castle gives two different arrival times for the same session: the ice skating page says arrive 15 minutes before your slot, the Christmas FAQs say 20 minutes. Take the longer one.
Stories with Santa
Held in the Great Hall, on selected dates across the whole run. From £29, which includes castle entry. Each child gets a Christmas gift and the castle promises “a surprise for the grown-ups” too.
The arrival guidance is contradictory again: the Santa page says arrive at the Great Hall at least 10 minutes before the slot, the FAQ recommends a minimum of 30 minutes before. Allow 30.
It is pre-book online only. No tickets on the day, whatever the queue looks like.
Santa Sleepovers
An overnight package at the castle from £72 per person, including an elf wake-up call. The castle’s page carried the line “weekend dates are selling out fast” on 6 September, which is worth taking at face value in early September for a December weekend.
What has not been published
- Which nights the light trail, rink and Santa sessions actually run. “Selected dates” is all the site says.
- Whether the castle opens on 24, 25 or 26 December. The opening hours page loads its calendar dynamically and shows only the current day.
- The top of each price band. Every figure above is a floor.
We will update this page when the castle publishes a date calendar.
The rest of the district’s Christmas
The castle is the paid-for end of it. The free end runs in the two town centres: the Leamington Christmas lights switch-on on Sunday 15 November with the market Sundays either side of it, and Warwick’s Victorian Evening on Thursday 26 November. The Royal Spa Centre pantomime covers the Christmas holidays themselves.
Getting there
The castle sits in the middle of Warwick, and its own car park charges separately in the evening for light trail and rink visitors. Town centre alternatives are West Rock (CV34 4DZ) and Cape Road (CV34 4UN); check our parking page for charges and closing times, and the roadworks and travel page before you drive in on a dark December afternoon.
Every date and price above was read from warwick-castle.com on 6 September 2026. Prices are “from” prices set by slot and date, so the figure at checkout will usually be higher.
Frequently asked questions
When does Christmas at Warwick Castle start in 2026?
Saturday 21 November 2026, and it runs to Sunday 3 January 2027. That covers the light trail, the ice rink, Stories with Santa and the Santa Sleepovers, all sold in timed slots on selected dates within that window.
How much is the Warwick Castle light trail?
From £17 per person for the trail alone, or from £27 for castle entry plus the trail. These are the cheapest slots rather than a flat rate, and evening parking is charged on top.
What time does the Warwick Castle light trail start?
Evening timeslots start from 4.30pm, according to the castle’s own Christmas FAQs. The trail takes about 45 minutes and the route is fully accessible.
How much is ice skating at Warwick Castle?
From £8 for a 45 minute slot on the ice, or from £18 with castle entry included. Children under 3 are not allowed on the ice. Skate aids are limited and given out first come, first served.
Can you book Stories with Santa on the day?
No. Warwick Castle says Stories with Santa is only available to pre-book online and that tickets cannot be bought on the day. It is held in the Great Hall and costs from £29 including castle entry.
Is Warwick Castle open on Christmas Day?
The castle has not published it. Its opening hours page loads a calendar dynamically and shows only the current day’s times, so there is no confirmed answer for 24, 25 or 26 December 2026 yet.
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