We absolutely love visiting Hever Castle as a family. Whether it's to cool down in the water maze during the summer, or to search for the first signs of spring, there really is so much to see and do throughout the year there. I think one of my favourite times of year to visit though has to be during the festive period. We were lucky enough to experience Christmas at Hever castle in 2020, however this was during a period where there were lots of restrictions because of the pandemic. So visiting again in 2021 just after Christmas was the most magical experience that I just had to write about.
We decided to arrive later in the day this time (around 3pm) to make sure we got to see everything fully. Hever Castle offer Twilight tickets which are a fantastic idea if you are wanting to visit just to experience the festive additions. These tickets let you enter from 4pm and stay until 8.30pm. We decided to arrive just a little earlier than this as we wanted the littles to be able to enjoy the playgrounds whilst it was still light - they really are a must do if you're visiting with young children!
The ferris wheel was great fun and a definite highlight of our visit! The ride was a great length and the views from the top were spectacular - you could see all over the grounds of Hever which looked especially lovely with all of the festive lights. The carousel was in a fantastic location right in-front of the castle and the lights and traditional music made it feel extra magical! This area also had a hook-a-duck stall, as well as doughnut and coffee trucks. We purchased from both and thoroughly enjoyed our treats despite them being on the slightly expensive side (5 doughnuts for £5 for a rough price estimate).
Next stop was the children's trail - this year based on the classic tale of Pinocchio. We loved the Peter Pan trail last year but this one was definitely better! There were lots of models and decorations that told the story, as well as the addition of story boards which really helped the children to understand what was going on (they haven't seen the film!). We even spotted characters from the story whilst walking around the grounds too which was such a lovely touch.
The last stop of our evening visit to Hever Castle was the festive light trail. Even longer than previous years, the trail takes you all around the gardens and grounds where you can see beautiful light displays, fountains in the lake and even a glittering disco ball or two. It really is beautiful to walk around once the sun has gone down - but do remember to bring a torch (or phone with one built in) just in case, as some of the lights had gone out due to technical difficulties during our visit, so some areas were pitch black!
Of course you can also visit the beautiful Hever Castle itself during your visit (you need to purchase a castle and gardens ticket for this). The Castle is traditionally decorated for Christmas and I can only imagine how beautiful it looked! And if you are lucky enough to get tickets, you can also see Father Christmas in his Grotto if you visit before Christmas too - something we are really hoping to do in the future!
Visiting Hever Castle during the week between Christmas and New Year really was the perfect way to 'blow away the cobwebs' but still sneak in that last bit of festive cheer. And I know it would be even more magical in the lead-up to Christmas too. Either way, if you're looking for a fun and festive day out during December I would 100% recommend a visit to Hever. I can imagine it will be even better in 2022!
We received our entry tickets in exchange for our review and coverage. All opinions are honest and my own.
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