‘Enchanting festive Neverland’ in York among best places to visit at Christmas

Castle Howard in York has been praised by Time Out for its Peter Pan-themed Main House last year, which was decorated with fascinating projections and installations.

Introducing the festive list, Time Out said: “When it comes to Christmassy destinations, the UK is packed fuller than a stocking on Christmas morning with lovely places to visit during the festive season.

“From ridiculously pretty palaces and royal parks to joy-filled cities and quaint little towns, there’s a plethora of places whether you’re spending the day Christmas shopping or nipping away for a cheeky city break.”

Take a look at all the UK’s top 11 places to visit at Christmas here.

Why Castle Howard is among UK’s best places at Christmas

The travel experts wrote about the Peter Pan-themed event which took place last year: “Tinkerbell has sprinkled her fairy dust at Castle Howard this Christmas and brought an enchanting festive Neverland to York!

“There’s plenty on offer here, including the Peter Pan-themed Main House where projections, installations and a few surprises await, and for afters be sure to sample toasted marshmallows in the twinkly Courtyard.

“The kids will also love meeting Father Christmas himself.”

For Christmas 2024, Castle Howard will be transformed into “Alice’s Christmas Wonderland” – you can find out more here.

@castlehoward Creating Tinker Bell’s Boudoir at Castle Howard ✨ 🧵Adrian Lillie of CLW Event Design talks us through how the team transformed the Turquoise Drawing Room into Tinker Bell’s Boudoir. 🍄Incredible floral displays, matchbox dressing tables and a miniature wardrobe have been created to make a truly magical bedroom fit for a fairy. 🧚🏻‍♀️Tinker Bell can also be spotted flying around her room, thanks to the team at @imitatingthedog 🐊Christmas in Neverland is open now. Tickets are available to book via link in bio. #christmas #neverland#castlehoward #york #christmasinyork #peterpan #tinkerbell #yorkshire ♬ original sound – Castle Howard

On Tripadvisor, Castle Howard has been given a 4.5/5 rating from 4,025 reviews, with many highlighting their 2023 Christmas-time visits.

Someone who went last year posted: “We went after Christmas to Peter Pan’s Neverland. The staff have done a fantastic job of making the house look magical, even for adults. The attention to detail was fantastic. Obviously we couldn’t see the house as normal but we had a great day.”

Another shared: “As a big fan of Peter Pan and knowing how fantastic a display Castle Howard put on at Christmas i was very excited for this event.

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“This year really exceeded expectations. The rooms looked beautiful and the work that must have gone into the design, planning and production is breath taking.

“We also ate at the marquee restaurant and had no trouble finding a table and all enjoyed our meals.

“We all had such an enchanting visit and can’t recommend this enough.”