Event type
Experience
Event status
Passed
Dates
25 November - 24 December
Price
Additional charges apply

Meet Santa at London Zoo 2023 has now passed

Little ones got a sprinkling of Christmas magic as they learned what it takes to become one of Santa’s helpers in our elf school, before meeting Santa in his magical grotto at the heart of the Zoo. Every child received a very special early Christmas gift to take home.

To register your interest and be one of the first to hear about Meet Santa tickets for 2024, please sign up below.

 

Important Information

  • Members, Fellows and Patrons were granted Zoo entry on arrival simply by showing their membership card. Child members wanting to see Santa needed a Meet Santa ticket. Membership alone only provided access to the Zoo.
  • All other visitors, including Under 3s and any non-members accompanying members, needed a valid Zoo ticket in addition to any Meet Santa ticket in order to enter the Zoo.
  • A Meet Santa ticket alone did not include Zoo admission.
  • For Meet Santa a maximum of 3 children could be added per booking onto a single time slot. If you required more than 3 Meet Santa tickets, you needed to book more than one slot to allow everyone to have enough time with Santa. If two slots were booked within the same session time, you could all still enter the grotto together.
  • Babes in arms were welcome with their parent/guardian/carer – no ticket was required. However, if you wished for them receive a gift or participate in the experience in any way, you needed to book them an Under 3s Meet Santa ticket.
  • Zoo admission T&Cs apply.
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Meet Santa 2023 Frequently Asked Questions

Please note this event has now passed.

What dates are available for Meet Santa this year?

Meet Santa runs on weekends and school holiday dates between 25 Nov and 24 Dec at London Zoo. Upgraded sessions, VIP breakfast and relaxed sessions are available on a limited number of dates. Please see page above for full details and to check availability. 

Will there be any Gold member, Fellows and Patrons exclusive or preview dates for London Zoo’s Meet Santa event?

Gold member, Fellow and Patron exclusive sessions were available and the links to book these were sent out via email. From Thursday 16th November, all remaining unbooked Gold member, Fellow and Patron exclusive session bookings were closed and moved to Meet Santa sessions. 

What Meet Santa session types are available at London Zoo?

Please see descriptions and latest availability higher up this page.

What is a relaxed/quiet Meet Santa session?

We appreciate that the Zoo and our events can be quite loud or overwhelming for some visitors. Our Meet Santa Relaxed Sessions offer visitors with additional needs a more comfortable experience. This may mean less lighting, reduced noise, and off-peak times to limit the number of visitors on site.

Is there a maximum number of children I can book onto the Meet Santa event?

There’s a maximum of three children per booking, but if you wanted to book for more children, you’d just need to make two online bookings. If booked into the same time slot, we’ll do our best to allow the children to enter together; the limit per booking just allows us to manage the time slots and capacities of the event.

How many adults can accompany the children taking part?

At London Zoo there’s no limit on accompanying adults in the grotto. You can include up to two free adult tickets when you make your Meet Santa booking. If you’d like to have more than two adults attend the grotto session, please just mention this to the team on the day.

For upgraded sessions and VIP Breakfast, to ensure the maximum number of children can enjoy these special Christmas experiences, the maximum number of adults per booking is two.

I’ll be bringing an under 3 along but I don’t want them to meet Santa or receive a gift. Do they need a ticket?

If you don’t wish for them to meet Santa or receive a gift (e.g. babes in arms), they do not need a ticket. If you wish for them to participate in the experience in any way, you must book them an Under 3s Meet Santa ticket.

Do I need a Zoo entry ticket alongside my Meet Santa ticket in order to access the experience?

The Meet Santa ticket alone does not include Zoo admission.
Members, Fellows and Patrons will be granted Zoo entry on arrival simply by showing their membership card. Child members wanting to see Santa will need a Meet Santa ticket. Membership alone only provides access to the Zoo.
All other visitors, including Under 3s and any non-members accompanying members, will need a valid Zoo ticket in addition to any Meet Santa ticket in order to enter the Zoo. 

Will this experience take place outside or inside?

The Meet Santa experience will be inside, however there may be a short wait outside while waiting for your grotto timeslot. Those who have upgraded Meet Santa tickets will also be outside for the special tour of the Zoo.

How long will the Meet Santa experience last?

Meet Santa and Meet Santa relaxed sessions will last 30 minutes in total, during which time each booked group will have their own exclusive meeting with Santa. Upgraded Meet Santa will last approximately 1.5-2hrs. Meet Santa VIP Breakfast at London Zoo Sessions will last up to 2 hours (8am-10am).

Is the Meet Santa event wheelchair accessible at London Zoo?

Meet Santa is fully accessible and there will be also be accessible benches available for the crafts.

Why do you ask for additional information about my child(ren) during booking?

We want to make the Christmas experience as magical as possible, and just one or two bits of information can help the conversation with Santa be more tailored to your child.

I can't see the date/time I wanted. Will you be releasing any more tickets?

Once a session time has sold out, unfortunately we won't be able to release any more tickets for that session. On rare occasions we may be able to add extra dates and if we do so, these will be available on the same booking links – please check this website for any updates.
Santa will be making pop-up appearances around London Zoo during our Christmas event so there’s a chance little ones may still see Santa from a distance. However, this does not include any of the grotto experience, in-person meet and greet, crafts or present, and is at unscheduled times throughout the day so cannot be guaranteed.

There's a carer in my group who has received free zoo access. Do they need a separate ticket for the Christmas experience?

If that person is accompanying purely to assist in a carer capacity they do not need a separate ticket. However, if they intend to actively take part in the experience in their own right, alongside the person they care for, then they will need to buy an experience ticket.  

Please see general admission terms and conditions for more information on zoo entry with a free carer ticket.

I’ve booked Meet Santa tickets for the wrong Zoo. Can I just show up to the other Zoo or can you exchange the tickets for me? 

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Tickets are only valid at the Zoo the booking was made for.

I’ve made my booking but haven’t received a confirmation email or my tickets yet.

Confirmation emails can take a little while to come through so please be patient and check Junk or Spam folders. If there’s still nothing, you can access your booking details and download your tickets using your booking number and email address through the SEE Tickets customer support centre:
https://zsllondonzoo.seetickets.com/customerservice
 

Can I purchase a professional photo of my child with Santa?

Yes, inside Santa's grotto you will be asked if you would like to purchase a professional photo with Santa. You must purchase your photo within your 30 minute grotto time slot, as visitors are not able to re-enter the grotto after their time slot. 

I have a question or problem regarding my tickets. Who should I contact?

If you have already made a booking and have a query about your booking, please quote your booking reference in the SEE Tickets Customer Service portal: 
https://zsllondonzoo.seetickets.com/customerservice
 
If you do not already have a booking and your question is not answered in the FAQs, contact ZSL’s Supporter Contact team on 0344 225 1826 or [email protected].