ROARR! at Lenwade sees Father Christmas on 4 to 23 December, £22 a child with one adult. Wroxham Barns has private grotto visits at £25 a child. All dates and prices.
Three Santa experiences around the Broads are already on sale for 2026, and all three need booking in advance. The cheapest child ticket is £22 at ROARR! in Lenwade, which includes one adult. The most private is Wroxham Barns, where your group has Santa to itself.
Prices below are the organisers’ own, checked on 25 September.
The quick answer
- ROARR!, Lenwade: 4, 5, 11, 12 and 17 to 23 December. £22 a child including one adult, extra adults £10.
- Wroxham Barns Christmas Experience: 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 22 December. Children £25, adults £15, infants £10, private grotto visit for up to 14.
- Bure Valley Railway Festive Express: 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December, from Aylsham. Price not published.
Compared
| Where | Dates | Child | Adult | Gift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROARR!, Lenwade | 4, 5, 11, 12, 17 to 23 Dec | £22, one adult included | £10 extra | Child chooses a gift from the Toy Emporium |
| Wroxham Barns, Hoveton | 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 to 22 Dec | £25 (age 2 and over) | £15 | Golden coin to spend in Santa’s Toy Shop |
| Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham | 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 to 24 Dec | Not published | Not published | Personalised present |
ROARR!, Lenwade
The Magical Father Christmas Experience runs on 4, 5, 11, 12 and 17 to 23 December 2026 in timed sessions. Children collect a passport to the North Pole, meet the Candy Cane Elf, have gingerbread, visit Father Christmas and walk the Enchanted Winter Trail to the Toy Emporium to choose a gift.
- Child ticket £22, including one adult. Each additional adult is £10.
- Annual passholders get 10% off.
- Places per session are limited and advance booking is essential.
(Magical Father Christmas Experience 2026)
ROARR! runs two other Christmas sessions:
- Bark in the Dark, 6 and 13 December, evening sessions for dogs. £22 per dog, including up to two humans, extra humans £10. Includes a visit to Father Christmas, dog treats and a Christmas toy. No other animals (Bark in the Dark 2026).
- Grown-up Grotto, Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 December, 8.05pm to 8.55pm, adults only. £15, including gingerbread, a gift and a festive cocktail (Grown-up Grotto 2026).
Wroxham Barns Christmas Experience
5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19 to 22 December 2026. The Adventure Farm becomes a Christmas day out, and the Santa visit is private to your group, up to 14 people. Children write a letter at the North Pole Post Office to hand to Santa, then get a golden coin to spend on a gift of their choice in Santa’s Toy Shop. Wroxham Barns says the activity stations, shows, animal encounters and characters are all included in the ticket.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Children, 2 and over | £25 |
| Adults | £15 |
| Infants | £10 |
You secure a place with a 25% deposit (The Christmas Experience). The Christmas Maker’s Market is on the site on 5 and 6 December, the first weekend: see our Christmas markets page.
Bure Valley Railway Festive Express, Aylsham
A 30-minute steam ride from Aylsham to Brampton and back, with Santa’s sleigh, a grotto visit, a personalised present for each child and a snack box. Dates are 5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19 to 24 December 2026, and pre-booking is essential. The railway does not publish the Festive Express price on its website. Our Bure Valley Railway Santa train page has the full detail, including the Noel Night Train and Mince Pie Specials.
Aylsham switch-on grotto
At the 2025 Aylsham Christmas lights switch-on, Santa’s grotto ran from 6.15pm to 7.45pm in the Green Room, reached via The Loke, for children under 12. The 2026 switch-on has not been dated yet: see our Aylsham switch-on page.
Blickling
Blickling has no Santa this year that the National Trust has announced. Its Christmas programme is a Shaun the Sheep garden trail, a decorated house and late openings. The Garden of Lights is not returning: read Blickling at Christmas.
Still to be confirmed
- Session times at ROARR! and Wroxham Barns, shown only when booking.
- The Festive Express price.
- The Aylsham switch-on date and whether the grotto returns.
Driving out on a December Saturday? Check Broadland roadworks and travel first. All eight Broadland council car parks are free: see parking in Broadland.
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