Winter Village
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Welcome to Winter Village!

Jingle all the way to Edinburgh Zoo this festive season with the arrival of our new Winter Village! We have a brrr-illiant line-up of events happening this winter, from festive wreath making to breakfast with the Clauses.

Winter Village will be open throughout the day during zoo opening hours and on selective evenings from Friday 1 December 2023 – Sunday 7 January 2024. Our Christmas market is free to enter, however skating tickets and grotto slots must be purchased additionally to your zoo entry tickets.

P-p-p-pick up your skates and hop onto Rockhopper Rink for a family-friendly skate session followed by delicious drinks at the après-skate bar. Warm up your frosty fingers with toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate and pick your loved ones a wild gift they’ll love at the Christmas market. We'll also be welcoming Mr and Mrs Claus back to our grotto and hosting them at our festive breakfasts – only for those on the nice list!

ROCKHOPPER RINK

Hop over Rockhopper Rink for environmentally-friendly skating this winter! Edinburgh's only environmentally friendly rink is perfect for novice skaters (and experts alike!) and little chicks aged 3+. Children must be supervised and those under eight years old must be accompanied on the rink.  

Skating boots are provided and each skating slot is 30 minutes long. Please note, your skating ticket does not include your entry into Edinburgh Zoo. This must be purchased separately or is free if you’re a Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) member. Skating can be purchased on a walk-up basis, but to save disappointment we advise booking this online in advance. 

Book daytime skating using the calendar below!

Rockhopper Rink will be open on selective evenings throughout the festive period – animals will not be on show so zoo admission tickets are not required for evening skating. Those who have not booked for skating yet would like to come and wander our Winter Village at night are required to purchase a £2 spectator ticket. 

PRICES

  • Adults/children for daytime skating – £9
  • Patrons/members for daytime skating – £6.50
  • Adults/children for evening skating – £11
  • Patrons/members for evening skating – £8.50

Book evening skating

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR FAQS 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

CHRISTMAS MARKET

Support local this Christmas and pick up some fabulous gifts at our Winter Village Christmas Market! Open from 10am – 3:30pm each day from 1 Dec 2023 – 7 Jan 2024. The market will also be open on select evenings giving you the opportunity to shop while enjoying a festive night-out at our Winter Village. Interested in having a stall? We may still have some space and would love to hear from you! Please email events@rzss.org.uk for more information. 

FOOD AND DRINK AT WINTER VILLAGE

Get into the festive spirit with our Christmas menu at The Gannet Restaurant. From pigs in blankets to Rockhopper churros, treat yourself whilst you skate and shop.

CRAFTY CHRISTMAS

Add a touch of homemade charm to your Christmas by taking a wreath making workshop with our expert gardens team. We'll show you how to create a beautiful 14-inch sustainable wreath decoration, with materials naturally sourced from Edinburgh Zoo. Along with the frames, we’ll provide an array of foliage, seed heads, dried fruit and decorations to make your festive wreaths one of a kind!  

Make your own wreath

FESTIVE GROTTO

Make your little one's day at Edinburgh Zoo extra special this festive season. Meet Santa Claus and Mrs Claus at our Festive Grotto and receive an exclusive early festive surprise! From 1 December – 24 December, the grotto will be available to book in 10-minute time slots each day.

Mr and Mrs Claus will also be joining us in the evening to see as many children as possible on dates that our Winter Village is open late! These 10-minute slots will be available to book from 4:40pm – 8:20pm.

Daytime Festive Grotto Evening Festive Grotto

BREAKFAST WITH THE CLAUSES

On selective dates from 9 December – 24 December, bring the family and enjoy breakfast with Santa and Mrs Claus! Dining in our restaurant, you’ll tuck into festive snowman pancakes, participate in craft activities and listen to a story from Mrs Claus.  

As an early Christmas treat, children will get involved with making arts and crafts, take home a gift and have the rest of the day to explore the zoo.  

Christmas breakfasts

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