Prices are TBC and will be confirmed soon. 

• Parking is free.
• A small booking fee applies.
• Twilight Tickets for entry after 16:00 are charged at a premium rate. There are peak and standard Twilight prices.
• Daytime tickets are off-peak, standard and peak.
• On the gates tickets are subject to availability. Pre-booking is advised to avoid disappointment (including annual members). Walk-ins cannot be guaranteed.
• Fairground prices are above.

• November 20 – 22 (11:30 – 20:30)
• November 23 & 24 (Closed)
• November 25 & 26 (11:30 – 18:30)
• November 27 – 29 (11:30 – 20:30)
• November 30 – 3 December (11:30 – 18:30)
• December 4 – 23 (11:30 – 20:30)
• December 24 (10:30 – 16:30)
• December 25 & 26 (Closed)
• December 27 – 30 (11:30 – 18:30)
• December 31 (10:30 – 16:30)
• January 1 & 2 (11:30 – 18:30)

Time slots for admission are at 15-minute intervals.
Daytime Tickets are for time slots up until 2.45pm (2.15pm on 24 & 31 Dec and 3.45pm on 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan).
Twilight Tickets are for time slots from 16:00 onwards. Last Exit is at 20:30.
There is no entry between 15:00 and 16:00 (with the exception of 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan).
Please arrive at the grounds at the time slot you have booked.

Last exit times shown are for exit from the grounds not for individual activities. All other times can be found in the information provided above under ‘Things to Do‘.

• Pre-booking is recommended for admission (including annual members) to avoid disappointment and to save money. Walk-ins cannot be guaranteed.
• During the Annual Member booking window, members can only book for other members, except for children under 5. Please ensure you have all membership numbers ready when booking, as each number can only be used once. Make sure you use the correct membership number with the matching ticket type (e.g., a child ticket needs a child membership) to avoid it being marked as invalid.
• You can only check out once during the Annual Member booking window so if you wish to purchase more than one date/time then these tickets should be added to your basket before checking out (max 12 tickets per booking). Further bookings can be made from 11am on 30 September 2026.
• Tickets go on sale to Annual Members on 23 September 2026 at 11am, one week before they go on sale to the general public on 30 September 2026. Sales will be suspended between 11:59 on 29 September and 11am on 30 September. A randomly assigned queuing system will be in place during this time.
• When booking, to validate your membership, please enter your valid Hever Castle membership number/s.
• You will also need to produce a valid membership on entry. Failure to provide a valid membership will mean that you will be charged the full rate on entry.
• Daytime Castle & Gardens tickets – free for all Annual Members for time slots for arrivals on or before 14:45 (except 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 24 Dec, 27  – 31 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan) when they are free all day).
• Twilight Castle & Gardens tickets – discounted for Annual Members for time slots for arrivals between 16:00 and 18:00.
• The Castle is included in your Christmas visit for all Annual Members (both Garden Only members and Castle & Garden members. You may select Father Christmas tickets or Castle & Garden tickets. There is no additional charge for the Castle upgrade this Christmas.
• To book Christmas tickets during the Annual Member priority period, those needing a carer will require a valid carer membership number.

To qualify for group prices and benefits a minimum of 15 people are required for each group visit. Payment is required in a single transaction.

Click here to view the Christmas package. Click here to learn more about general group visits.

If you would like to make an inquiry for a booking of 15 or more persons for Christmas 2026 or 2027, please email groups@hevercastle.co.uk.

Our access guide can be found here. The ground floor of the castle is accessible to manual wheelchairs but there is no access to the castle for motorised wheelchairs, prams or buggies.

Warning: Christmas light displays contain flashing lights.

Annual Members who require carers
Christmas prices apply to members with accessible needs. Please use your annual membership to book. General admission at Christmas for carers is free of charge on a 1 to 1 ratio. Please use their carer annual membership to book. Non-member carer tickets will only be available from the general release on 30 September.

If you need to apply for a carer annual membership, please provide proof of disability (see below) in person at the Information Hut. We advise doing this early to ensure we have enough time to process this membership before Christmas tickets go live.

Visitors who require carers
Christmas prices apply to visitors with accessible needs. General admission for carers is free of charge on a 1 to 1 ratio. Please select the Carer ticket when making your booking. This ticket will not be available until 30 September. Proof of disability (see below) will be requested on arrival. Failure to provide proof will mean that you will be charged the full rate on entry.

Proof of disability
This may include a Blue Badge, statement of special educational needs from LEA or NHS, a letter from a medical professional on NHS headed paper, a DLA or PIP letter from the Department of Work & Pensions, Attendance Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or a National DID Card. We do not accept carer cards or Access Cards. Failure to provide proof will mean that you will be charged the full rate on entry.

Limited accessible parking for blue badge holders is available. Please speak to the team on arrival.

SEN Father Christmas

This experience will take place on Saturday 28^th November and Saturday 5th December at 11:30 and 11:45 (10:30 arrival in the grounds) and will be tailored to children with SEN requirements. Our fully trained Grotto staff will ensure the space is calm and welcoming, so that visitors do not feel overwhelmed. Communication picture cards will be available.

To register your interest and receive information on tickets and how to purchase them, please email learning@hevercastle.co.uk.

Before booking your tickets, please you take a look at the information provided below about:

• Ticket Information – Making Your Booking – Queuing System
• Exchanges, Transfers & Refunds
• Refund Protection
• Adverse Weather Plan & Cancellation Policy
• Ticket Information – Managing Your Booking

Ticket Information – Making Your Booking

Q: Why is there a booking charge?

Due to the high cost, it is necessary to pass on booking costs for special events like Christmas to our visitors as many other attractions do with experiences of a similar nature.

Q: What is the difference between Daytime and Twilight tickets?

A: Those booking Twilight Christmas tickets will enjoy the experience at night with the castle and gardens illuminated from 16:00 – 20:30. Visitors attending the daytime experience must arrive at the time slot booked, lights go on at 16:00 and final exit is at 18:00 (except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve when last exit is 16:30 and 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan when last exit is 18:30). All visitors must enter the grounds at the time slot chosen.

Time slots for admission are at 15 minute intervals.
Daytime Tickets are for time slots up until 14:45 (15:45 on 1 & 2 Jan). Last Exit is at 18:00 (16:30 on 24 Dec & 31 Dec and 18:30  25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan).
Twilight Tickets are for time slots from 16:00 onwards. Last Exit is at 20:30.
There is no entry between 15:00 and 16:00 (with the exception of 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan).
Please arrive at the grounds at the time slot you have booked.

Q: Can I book Christmas tickets at the Ticket Huts or Information Hut?

A: We cannot pre-book tickets for you. However, tickets can be purchased at the ticket huts on the day of your visit, subject to availability. We advise pre-booking to avoid disappointment, this includes annual members.

Q: Can I just visit the Gardens Only if I want to?

A: There are no Gardens Only tickets for 2026 as the Castle is a free addition at Christmas. During this time there are no Castle upgrade fees for Garden Only annual members.

Of course, if you don’t want to visit the Castle during Christmas then that’s absolutely fine as there is plenty more to do!

If you are a Garden Only annual member and you wish to visit the Gardens Only then pre-booking is not necessary mid-week outside of school holidays, just show your annual membership card at the entrance.

Q: Why can’t I find any concession (student/senior) or family tickets?

A: During the Christmas experience we are unable to offer concession or family tickets due to the additional expenses and resources that the Christmas experience requires.

Q: I am staying at Hever Castle’s Bed & Breakfast or Medley Court, how do I book to visit and/or for the grotto?

A: If you have booked to stay in the luxury Bed and Breakfast or our holiday cottage Medley Court during the Christmas experience then you will be given admission tickets on arrival to enjoy the Christmas experience during your stay. After making your room reservation you will be sent an email containing details for how to pre-book to visit Father Christmas should you wish to do so at an additional charge of £16.00 per child. Father Christmas tickets are limited and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please email stay@hevercastle.co.uk with any questions.

Q: I have a complimentary ticket, can I use this at Christmas?

A: If you are already in receipt of complimentary tickets for Hever Castle & Gardens, these are not valid for Christmas 2026.

Q: What offers can I use at Christmas?

A: Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, RHS, Historic Houses and Gardeners’ World offers are not valid during the Christmas event. There are no offers currently available.

Q: How does the queueing system work?

A: Due to high levels of demand we need to ensure that there is a fair process in place for all those who wish to purchase tickets, whilst providing additional safeguards.

• Annual Member priority booking closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday 29 September.
• From 11:59pm on Tuesday 29 September, a randomly assigned queuing system will be in place ahead of the General Public ticket release on Wednesday 30 September at 11am.
• If you click the booking link between 11:59pm (Tue) and 11:00am (Wed), you’ll be directed to a virtual waiting room. It doesn’t matter whether you join at 11:59pm or 10:59am – you won’t lose your place, so there’s no need to stay up late. You also don’t need to keep the page open, as a cookie will save your spot. Just be sure not to clear your cache or use incognito mode.
• At 11:00am on Wednesday, everyone in the virtual waiting room will be given a random place in the queue.
• Once you are in the queue you’ll be given a queue position and an estimated wait time.
• Your wait time may speed up or slow down depending on others ahead of you (e.g. how quickly they book or if they leave the queue).
• When you reach the front of the queue, you’ll be directed to the booking pages to purchase your tickets. You’ll then have 30 minutes to start your booking. Once you are through to the booking pages, please note that if you leave and start again, you may need to rejoin the queue.
• If you join after 11:00am, you’ll be placed at the back of the queue but no one will be able to jump ahead of you.
• If the queue is already empty when you log in, you’ll go straight to the booking page.
• Tickets will remain in your basket for 20 mins for you to complete your purchase. After this time, they will automatically go back on sale.

Q: Why are you using a queuing system?

A: The queuing system provides the following benefits:

• It provides a fair system for allowing purchasers to book tickets.
• It helps manage the number of purchasers on the site at one time so that you have a seamless buying experience.
• It prevents ticket touts and opportunistic buyers from flooding the ticketing system and buying up all the best tickets before real purchasers have the opportunity.
• Randomly assigning places is designed to relieve the pressure users feel to log in at a specific time or constantly refresh the page. Instead, users can participate calmly, knowing their place in line isn’t determined by speed but by chance.

Q: No tickets are loading on my screen, why is this?

A: If you are using Internet Explorer this might be the cause due to Microsoft not supporting it and security issues, so you will need to use another browser such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Exchanges, Transfers & Refunds

Tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be resold or transferred to another date or time once purchased, unless the event is cancelled or a refund is approved under the terms of any Refund Protection purchased at the time of booking. Please note that Refund Protection does not allow date or time changes, it only covers specific circumstances for a refund, please read the terms and conditions carefully before purchasing, these are available here.

Any refunds due to event cancellation will be less any booking fees, donations or refund protection charges incurred. Terms and conditions apply.

Please be sure that you choose the correct date and time slot time when making your booking. Tickets are non-transferable. This is highlighted during the booking process.

Refund Protection – Refund Cover

Refund Protection (via our partner Refund Cover) is available when purchasing tickets for Christmas at Hever Castle. This option is only available at the time of booking, you cannot add it to your order after you have paid. The cost is automatically calculated based on the total amount of your order. This will cover the cost of your tickets should you not be able to attend for a variety of reasons but please read the terms and conditions carefully before purchasing, these are available to read here. Hever Castle cannot advise on the suitability of these enhanced refund terms.

If you have purchased Refund Protection during the booking process (via our partner Refund Cover), then you may cancel your booking subject to the terms and conditions. Any questions about Refund Protection should be directed to Refund Cover.

Click here if you have purchased Refund Protection and wish to make a refund request (refunds will be issued by Refund Cover via a bank transfer regardless of the original payment method).

Adverse Weather Plan & Cancellation Policy

Cancellations will not be offered in the event of poor weather. If you have purchased Refund Protection during the booking process (via our partner Refund Cover), then you may be entitled to a refund subject to the terms and conditions. Any questions about Refund Protection should be directed to Refund Cover).

If Hever Castle determines that the weather on site presents a hazard and a risk to safety and a decision is made to cancel the event, you will be notified by email and you will be informed of the re-booking process if this is feasible. If an alternative date cannot be offered or attended, then a refund will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any refunds will be less any booking fees, donations or refund protection charges incurred. Any refunds due to cancellation of your tickets will be processed by Hever Castle not Refund Cover.

Ticket Information – Managing Your Booking

Q: My tickets haven’t arrived by email, what should I do?

A: The usual culprit is a mistyped email address but remember to check your junk mail folder too. If you provide the details you used when purchasing your tickets we’ll search for them here.

Q: Can I cancel my booking and get a refund?

A: Tickets cannot be resold, exchanged, transferred to another date or refunded once tickets have been purchased unless the event is cancelled or covered by refund protection purchased. Terms and conditions apply.

Any refunds due to event cancellation will be less any booking fees, donations or refund protection charges incurred.

Please be sure that you choose the correct date and time slot time when making your booking. Tickets are non-transferable. This is highlighted during the booking process.

Q: Can I change my booking?

A: Tickets cannot be resold, exchanged, transferred to another date or refunded once tickets have been purchased unless the event is cancelled or covered by refund protection purchased.

Any refunds due to event cancellation will be less any booking fees, donations or refund protection charges incurred.

Please be sure that you choose the correct date and time slot time when making your booking. Tickets are non-transferable. This is highlighted during the booking process.

Q: Can I buy extra tickets for a date/time that is sold out?

A: It is not possible to buy extra tickets for dates or times that are sold out. Ticket numbers are limited.

Q: I have lost my ticket, what can I do?

A: Enter your email address here and we will re-send all of your tickets for upcoming events.

Q: Can I upgrade my ticket to annual membership?

A: This upgrade offer is not available during the Christmas event.

The Experience and Theme

Q: How long is the experience?

A: We recommend that you allow at least 2.5 hours for your experience. The length of the experience will be dependent upon on how many activities you take part in, the number and age of people in your party and the number of tickets sold for that day. Please note that attractions will start to close before last exit, see individual ‘Things to Do’ for timings.

Q: If I have booked for the Daytime experience, can I stay for the Twilight experience?

A: Daytime ticket holders are welcome to stay for the first two hours of the Twilight experience but last exit for Daytime visitors is 18:00 (except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve when last exit is 16:30 and 25 & 26 Nov, 30 Nov – 3 Dec, 27  – 30 Dec, 1 & 2 Jan when last exit is 18:30). Visitors must arrive at your allotted arrival time to the grounds. Visitors cannot leave the grounds to return later unless they have a valid Twilight ticket.

Q: What is this year’s theme?

A: The theme for Christmas 2026 is The Nutcracker.

The Castle will be dressed traditionally including a Tudor Christmas in the Boleyn Apartment and hints of our ‘A Nutcracker’s Christmas’ theme in other rooms.

Dogs

We welcome dogs in the grounds, both during the day and for the twilight experience, as long as they’re kept on a lead at all times.

Dogs are not allowed inside the Grotto, cafés, restaurants, shops, Castle, mazes or play areas (with the exception of assistance dogs).

There is a stand where dogs can be tied and left in the Castle Courtyard if you wish to visit the castle, but this is not supervised, and they are left at your own risk.

Please clear up after your dog.

Getting Here, Car Parking & Entry Gates

Directions can be found here.

Please note that there is more than one car park and two gates for entry (Top Gate and Lake View).

On arrival you will be met by staff to guide you to the car park that is open for use.

If you have accessible needs, please notify a member of staff on arrival.

If you are meeting friends and family unfortunately we cannot guarantee that you will be located in the same car park. Please make sure that all members of your party have a copy of your booking reference. Should you arrive at different car parks you can then access through different entrances and meet at an agreed location.

Charity Donations

Hever Castle is delighted to be supporting Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) as our charity of the year for 2026. You will able to donate to this charity at the time of booking if you wish to.

Before booking, you must read the Important Information about this event and confirm that you have read it before you can proceed with your online booking. Tickets are sold subject to these terms and conditions:

• Before making a purchase, please read the Important Information for this event and carefully review your individual selection and the date you have purchased for.
• Tickets cannot be resold, exchanged, transferred to another date or time or refunded. Refund protection is available for consideration.
• Tickets will be sent via email. If you do not receive an email confirmation see here .
• Parties of 15 or more persons constitute a group. Additional products and special rates are available for group bookings. Please call 01732 861701 or email groups@hevercastle.co.uk.
• Lost or damaged tickets can only be replaced with proof of purchase.
• Hever Castle reserves the right to close all or part of the Castle, grounds, catering outlets and activities, and to change or cancel events.
• All prices are correct at the time of publishing. However, they are subject to change without prior notice.
• All guests entering Hever Castle & Gardens must have a valid entrance ticket.
• Photography is allowed for non-commercial private use.
• Children 15 years and under must be supervised by an adult at all times whilst visiting Hever Castle & Gardens.
• We welcome dogs in the grounds, both during the day and for the twilight experience, as long as they’re kept on a lead at all times. With the exception of assistance dogs, dogs are not allowed inside the Grotto, cafés, restaurants, shops, Castle or play areas. There is a stand where dogs can be tied and left in the Castle Courtyard if you wish to visit the castle, but this is not supervised, and they are left at your own risk.
• Hever Castle reserves the right to introduce security checks, and items such as bags and rucksacks may be subject to search.
• Car parking is free. Hever Castle cannot be held responsible for any damage caused to vehicles by other visitors whilst using our car parks.
• Hever Castle may hold you liable for any damage caused by you to the property or any of its contents or for any injury caused to any of our representatives or other visitors during your visit.
• Hever Castle Ltd excludes all liability for any loss, damage to personal property or injury to visitors, howsoever caused, but does not exclude liability where any death or injury is caused by the negligence of Hever Castle Ltd or its staff.
• Hever Castle Ltd reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to refuse entry or admission or to remove from any visitor from Hever Castle & Gardens without financial compensation, if you commit any breach of these Terms.