VR sleigh rides, festive scenes, and reindeer: family Xmas experience lands in Liverpool

Santa's Secret Forest comes to Orrell Hill Woods in Liverpool, with experiences running from Saturday 21st November to December 2026, including SEND-friendly dates with a trained Elf Squad, reduced lighting, softer soundscapes, and a calmer atmosphere.

The beloved festive experience returns, bringing plenty of festive cheer, adventure, and fun to those on the Nice List. Forget a simple, traditional grotto setting - they’ve created a whole other universe to step into and explore with immersive characters and scenes. 

Among the many scenes, there’s the Tinsel Town Express steam train - as snowy landscapes rush past the windows and festive music plays, you’ll hear from Conductor Merryweather that Santa’s sleigh is having serious problems. You and your family have got to help save Christmas! 

Then there’s the North Pole Command, where weather conditions are monitored for the big night and the Nice List is updated by the elves. In the Mail Room, you'll see thousands of letters arriving for Santa - and of course there'll be stations for you to pen your own letter to him too. Travelling through magical tubes and glowing delivery chutes, they're all headed to the North Pole.

Wander through the charming streets of The Elf Village before reaching The Toy Workshop, where you'll see the elves rushing between workstations to get the toys built, wrapped, and prepared for delivery.

At the end of the adventure, you'll arrive at Santa's House, a cosy woodland cabin. As the fire crackles and the smell of gingerbread flows through the air, you'll sit down with Santa to share Christmas wishes and snap a family photo.

And this is just a bit of what Santa’s Secret Forest offers: there’s still the enchanted woodland light trail, the Merrywood Market, the Time Tunnel, the Magic Elevator, Santa’s (real) reindeer to meet, a soft toy for every littlun, and more. 

Multiple ticket options are available, including SEND-friendly sessions, non-VIP tickets, and light trail-only sessions. 

VIP tickets go the extra mile: a printed photo of your visit to Santa, a hot winter meal, toasted marshmallows, a ride on Santa's VR sleigh, heated lounge access, faster queues, and, for the adults, a glass of fizz or beer and unlimited soft drinks. 

For VIP tickets, select your tickets as normal, choose the date and time slot, and then upgrade to VIP as an add-on. 

Tickets for Santa's Secret Forest are on sale now. You can find all ticket types by clicking or tapping right here. 

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Header image credit: Santa's Secret Forest