Santa near Kendal in 2026: Ambleside Santa cruise tickets are on sale now at £24.45; Lakeside steam Tinsel Trains, £125 a compartment, go on sale 4 November.
Of the two Father Christmas trips near Kendal that need booking ahead, one is on sale now. Ambleside’s Santa cruise on Windermere for Saturday 21 November costs £24.45 a ticket, and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway’s Tinsel Trains go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 4 November for six December weekend dates. In Kendal itself, Father Christmas comes to the lights switch-on on Friday 27 November.
The quick answer
- Tinsel Trains, Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December; £125 a compartment for up to four; on sale 10am, Wednesday 4 November, online only.
- Ambleside Christmas lights cruises: Saturday 21 November from Waterhead Pier: a Santa cruise at 11am and a Grinch cruise at 2pm; £24.45 a ticket plus a 61p fee, the same for adults and children; on sale now, online until 31 October.
Updated 3 October: Ambleside cruise prices confirmed now tickets are on sale, and the 2pm sailing is a Grinch cruise, not a second Santa cruise. - In Kendal: Father Christmas at the lights switch-on, Friday 27 November, and a Santa’s grotto at Kendal BID’s Christmas Celebration in early December.
Tinsel Trains, Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
A one-hour steam train ride in a decorated first-class compartment. Characters visit first, then Father Christmas comes to each compartment to give out presents. The railway’s details for 2026 (Tinsel Trains 2026):
| Dates | Saturdays and Sundays 5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20 December |
|---|---|
| Times | 10am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm each day |
| Price | £125 per compartment for up to 4 people; extra people £30 each, maximum 8 |
| On sale | 10am, Wednesday 4 November 2026, online only |
| Gifts | Children 0 to 10: personalised soft toy; 11 to 17: festive goody bag; every child also gets a gingerbread person and a soft drink |
| Adults | A seasonal cold drink, alcoholic or not, and a snack |
Everyone must be paid for, “from birth upwards”. There is no space for pushchairs or car seats on the train or in the station. There are no refunds or transfers once booked, and the e-ticket can take up to five working days to arrive. One compartment per departure has wheelchair access; the railway asks people who need it to call 015395 31594. It suggests the trip suits children aged 3 to 10 best.
The railway says “spaces fill up fast” and that buyers may be held in a waiting room on launch morning; have payment details ready.
Santa cruises for the Ambleside lights, 21 November
Ambleside’s Christmas lights switch-on on Saturday 21 November 2026 begins on the lake, with two sailings from Waterhead Pier. Boarding starts 30 minutes before each (Windermere Lake Cruises). The cruises are run by the Ambleside Christmas Lights volunteers, not by the boat company.
- Morning Santa cruise, 11am. The organisers say Santa will “talk to the children and give each one a present”.
- Afternoon Grinch cruise, 2pm. The Grinch is on board this time, and “every child will still get a goodie bag when they depart”.
- Both: Andy the Jester with balloons and a table magician. Prams go on the front deck, and dogs are welcome.
Tickets are on sale now at £24.45 each, plus a 61p ticket service fee. The price is the same for adults and for children in each of the three age bands, 1 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 to 13. The booking form asks for children’s ages so that Santa can pick a suitable gift. Online sales close at 10.05am on 31 October, and concession tickets are available for carers of children with special needs (Ambleside Christmas Lights, Santa cruises, and the morning and afternoon booking pages, checked 3 October).
Santa in Kendal
Christmas lights switch-on, Friday 27 November. Kendal Town Council’s civic events page says: “Join the festive celebrations as Kendal turns on the Christmas Lights alongside entertainment, Father Christmas and a special late-opening of Kendal Farmer’s Market.” Times are not yet published; see our switch-on page.
Kendal Christmas Celebration, early December. Kendal BID’s Christmas event in the Market Place promises “Santa’s grotto, Christmas music, and stalls selling Christmas fare”. Its two listings disagree on the date: Kendal BID’s calendar says Sunday 6 December and Visit Kendal says Saturday 5 December. The switch-on page has the detail.
Santa in Bowness
The Gingerbread Boy, Victoria Wood Theatre, 19 to 24 December. A 50-minute Christmas show at the World of Beatrix Potter, followed by a meet with Santa, and “every child receives a free gift from Santa”. Show tickets are £10 a child and £12 an adult (World of Beatrix Potter). Full times are on our Kendal Christmas shows page.
Letters to Father Christmas, World of Beatrix Potter, 28 and 29 November. A drop-in session from 10.30am to 4pm in The Burrow: children write a letter to Father Christmas and post it in the Peter Rabbit post box, and make a bag of reindeer food. £5 per child (World of Beatrix Potter).
Still to be confirmed
- Times for the Kendal switch-on and the date of the Kendal Christmas Celebration, both from Kendal BID: expected in October or November.
We will update this page in mid-October.
Have your say