You can find answers to our most frequently asked questions about The Festival of Light at Longleat at the below link. Further information will be added as we get closer to the event.
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Tickets and Booking
Planning a visit
On the Day
Additional Information
Yes! The Festival of Light is an extremely popular event and dates can and do sell out – particularly our Peak dates. As such, we’d really recommend booking online in advance as soon as you can. If we sell out of tickets online there will be no walk-up tickets available to purchase at the gate.
The same applies to our enchanting Santa Train; this often sells out very quickly (especially for weekends and dates within the school holidays). So please buy both your Santa Train Ticket and The Festival of Light Ticket at the same time and well in advance of your planned visit date.
Our VIP Experiences are for 2026 are now live- Click here for more details or to book
Once you have made your online booking, you will receive a booking reference number and unique barcode via email.
You do not need to print this email, but if you can produce the QR code (either printed or on a device) we can scan you into the Park. Alternatively, make a note of the reference number and when you arrive we will search for your booking on the system.
We no longer provide physical tickets on arrival, but do ask guests to keep their receipt in their possession throughout their visit.
We advise that all guests planning to visit Longleat pre-book using our website to guarantee entry.
Should you chose to travel to the park and we do have availability, then we will allow you to pay on the gate. Please note that Longleat is a cashless site so payment can only be made via credit/ debit card. Cash is not accepted.
Please note during Icons of the Sky, Festival of Light and other peak times pre-booking is essential.
A trip to Longleat is the perfect day out you'll long to repeat and now you can with a 2 Day ticket. Valid on 2 consecutive days.
Please note- 2 days tickets are valid for main season only and excludes events such as Icons of the Sky and Festival of Light
Click here for more information or to book Longleat 2 Day Ticket | Double the delight
Longleat offers a variety of themed experiences, seasons and special events throughout the year.
Find out more by clicking What's On | Longleat, which is updated regularly throughout the year.
Enjoy your very own self-catered Longleat Cottage, boasting views out over the Safari Park’s East African Reserve, the sprawling lawns of Longleat House or the picturesque woodland of the Longleat Estate.
Please visit https://www.longleat.co.uk/stay where you will be able to book your stay with us. If you have any queries regarding the accommodation that we have to offer then please visit of dedicated accommodation FAQ page https://www.longleat.co.uk/stay/faqs/before-your-stay
Our VIP tours and Experiences are once in a lifetime opportunity for those aged 8 years and above. They are designed to give you the best behind the scenes access and interaction with our residents.
For availability and booking see Longleat VIP Experiences
To book your VIP Experience Gift Voucher please call the team on 01985 844400. Please note we do not accept bookings via email and they cannot be booked online. You can check live availability-prior to calling here Longleat VIP Experiences
The Longleat Safari Drive-through, access to our on foot animal enclosures and our family attractions are all included in your entrance fee. The optional extras which you are welcome to purchase on the day, subject to availability, are our animal feeding experiences, our Safari Bus tours and our House tours. These tours are available to be added to a booking, or purchased on the day.
There may also be seasonal offerings such as pumpkin carving during October half term or the Santa Train over our winter season. Chargeable event activities are always optional and are payable via card only.
Your e-confirmation should arrive within a few hours of your booking being completed. Should you not see it in your inbox, please also check your junk and spam folder. If you do not receive it within this timescale, please contact our Guest Experience Team on 01985 844400 or via enquiries@longleat.co.uk for support.
To bring someone along with you, you can just purchase additional day tickets via our website and bring all e-confirmations with you on arrival. This includes child tickets, but they must be accompanied by an adult on another booking or alternatively, call the Guest Services team on 01985 844400.
You can purchase Membership online via https://www.longleat.co.uk/ticket/membership, or on site through our Arrivals or Guest Service Teams.
Visiting on peak dates
During busy periods we provide the option for Members to pre-book, so they can ensure entry and plan visits ahead of time.
A Membership reservation is a £1 per person charitable donation, with all money going directly to good causes such as TUSK and Koala Life.
During these peak dates, we are happy to allow members entry if space allows, but you may be turned away should we reach capacity.
Off-peak visits
During off-peak periods, members are not required to pre-book online. Simply arrive with your Membership card and enjoy your visit.
To find out which dates are peak and off-peak, please check our Members page.
We do offer Member Friends & Family tickets at a discounted rate. These tickets can be pre-booked on our Members page.
Please note that Members are required to accompany these ticket holders when they visit. This offer is not available with the Season Pass.
Lost cards can be replaced on site only for a charge of £10 per Member, payable when you arrive. If your card has been stolen rather than lost, please contact Guest Services via enquiries@longleat.co.uk and we will be happy to offer further support.
Those with a Santa Train Ticket will jump aboard the Longleat Express to meet Father Christmas in his woodland grotto.
The Santa Train is an optional extra to make your visit even more magical. You will be offered the chance to book Santa Train tickets as part of your ticket booking process.
Santa Train tickets guarantee you a seat on the Santa Express. Anyone with a child ticket will receive a special gift from Father Christmas himself, whilst adults can indulge with a complimentary hot chocolate and mince pie.
Everyone riding the Santa Train must have a valid entry ticket or member ticket for the corresponding date in your basket to book the Santa Train, and everyone riding the Santa Train requires a Santa Train ticket, including essential companions (with the exception of children under 3 who are not receiving a gift from Father Christmas). If you wish to book a child onto the train but don't want them to receive a gift, please book them and Adult Ticket
Children (under 16) riding the Santa Train must be accompanied by a responsible adult (aged 18 or over).
Please be aware Tesco vouchers may only be used towards entry tickets and not against other items such as the Santa Train.
Each train can carry two wheelchairs. To reserve a place please contact Guest Services on 01985 844400 before you book online.
This is an extremely popular experience and certain dates can sell out very quickly so we’d really recommend booking your date and time as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Prices
| 2026 | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Train | £7.50 | £23.50 |
Longleat Day Tickets are non refundable. We may be able to help you by offering to amend or change the date of your booking- subject to availability and admin fees. You would need to call the team on 01985 844400 as we cannot make changes to your booking via email.
Longleat Day Tickets are not amendable, however we are happy to offer Longleat Flexible Guarantee.
When you’re looking forward to your day out, it can be disappointing to have to reschedule because something has happened.
We wish to give you some peace of mind, knowing your day out is protected should the unexpected happen.
Should you wish to change the date of your visit then you would be subject to Longleat terms and conditions and cancellation fees apply.
Flexible guarantee can only be added at the time of purchase and not added at a later date.
Please note - Flexible guarantee is only available with day tickets and Essential Companion tickets and is not applicable for any other ticket types, accommodation or experiences.
Flexible guarantee is non-refundable and is not transferable to another booking.
Flexible guarantee can only be added at the time of purchase and not added at a later date.
Bookings can be moved up until 1pm the day before your visit. Once this time has passed, the booking cannot be moved.
Bookings moved into a higher priced period will be subject to a surcharge of the difference in ticket price.
There will be no refunds if the booking is moved into a lower value period.
Bookings can only be moved to a day or timeslot for which there is available capacity. Bookings cannot be moved to sold out timeslots or days.
There is no limit on the number of times a booking can be moved until the tickets are redeemed.
Flexible guarantee cannot be added to a booking retrospectively and is only available prior to checkout.
Dates changes can only be made within the same season.
Please call us on 01985 844400 to discuss further.
We offer both an Armed Forces and an Emergency Services discounted version our Day Tickets.
For more information on this offer, or to book these tickets for our 2026 Main Season, please click one of the following links:
For 2026 Festival of Light dates, please use the links below
Festival of Light 2026 - Emergency Services
Festival of Light 2026 - Armed Forces
Our Armed Forces discount is available to members of the Army, Navy and RAF, as well as veterans and dependents.
Our Emergency Services discount is available for individuals whose role is directly involved in the public sector emergency response and care, including members of the Police Service, Fire Service and the NHS.
If you’re planning on purchasing tickets using either of these discounts please remember that you you must book these tickets online in advance (at least a day before you plan to visit), and must bring a valid employee ID card, veteran’s card or Defense Discount card to Longleat on the day of your visit.
Please note- if you make a booking without using the correct link as shown above- bookings cannot be amended afterwards and no discounts can be offered retroactively. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or promotions, and is not available with our House & Garden or Festival of Light Twilight tickets. This discount is applicable on day tickets only. It is not applicable on purchases throughout the park, VIP Experiences, Accommodation stays or any optional extras.
Your Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be used to book Longleat Day tickets by following the below instructions.
1. Visit www.tesco.com/clubcard and select how many Clubcard vouchers you want to redeem. You will be issued with a unique voucher code.
2. Visit www.longleat.co.uk and select book tickets- Day Tickets Book now- Select the ticket required and then head to the basket.
3. On the right hand side you will find the voucher options- select Clubcard reward partner and add your codes
4. Proceed to check out and complete your order
Your vouchers only can be used to pre-book Longleat tickets online, we do not accept them for tickets purchased on the gate and a voucher can only be used to book for a single date. Please note that this offer cannot be used in combination with any other offers or promotions, and must be booked at least a day in advance.
While they can be added during the booking process and paid for via card, please note that your Clubcard vouchers cannot be used towards additional extras such as the House, guide books, Safari Bus, VIP experiences, Afternoon Teas, pre-booked Memberships or the Santa Train experience.
Longleat operates a policy of no refunds on pre-booked tickets. However, if you have used Tesco vouchers to book a visit for a date that no longer suits, please contact our Guest Services team to move your booking to another date. There is a £5 fee per paid ticket for this service. Please note that bookings may only be moved up once in total, only within the same season, and are subject to ticket availability on the new date of visit.
Outreach visits to your school can only take place on a park closed day during term time, to postcodes within 50 minutes of ours, BA12 7NW, during 9am rush hour (using google maps)
A minimum of 4 weeks notice is required for these bookings and also required is free reserved parking on the school premises by the classroom for the keepers.
Please do see our education website for lots more useful information on our outreach visits - www.longleat.co.uk/education/workshops/animal-discovery-in-your-classroom
Please do check our opening times on our website for any up coming closed days
www.longleat.co.uk/visitor-info/opening-times
Once made, bookings will be confirmed to you, then pre payment is required at least 14 working days in advance of the visit date.
We are now pleased to confirm our home education focus day dates for 2025
6th and 7th May- Bats are Brilliant
If you wish to do the house tour, you do need to pre book this in advance, when making the booking, as spaces are limited.
3rd and 4th September- Rainforests
To make a booking, please call 01985 844400, option 6. Payment is required upon booking
UK School Trips | School Workshops | Learning with Longleat
If you do have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks for your interest in Longleat education in 2025!
Please take a look at our educational website which holds lots of useful information, as well as prices and the relevant booking form you would need in order to make an educational pre booking with us.
For entry into the park and for a school booking, on an open Wiltshire term time date- the cost is £8.60 per child and 1 teacher goes free in every 6 paying children. Any additional adults are charged at £31.95 per person.
If you are an international student or wish to come on a weekend or during Wilts holiday periods, the rate is £23.95 per student.
We also do talk sessions Monday to Friday in term time at 10am and 11am and these are charged at £60 per session, subject to availability, and can hold a max of 32 students per session only.
We can offer a Safari guide to go onto a coach, Monday to Friday in term time for the safari drive thru and this is charged at £100, subject to availability.
When you are ready to book, please visit - www.longleat.co.uk/education/school-booking and for standard schools bookings, hit the Book Now button, noting in the comment section that date is for 2025!!
We are unable to assist with booking queries where tickets are purchased via Picniq, so please contact them directly
Their contact details are: 01202 830838 or hello@picniq.co.uk.
Children under 3 years of age will require an infant ticket when booking, but their entry is free of charge. Children aged between three and fifteen years old will require a Child ticket.
Longleat doesn't currently offer undated entry tickets or vouchers to use towards Day tickets. However, we are happy to offer vouchers for our many various VIP experiences, which make for an excellent gift. Please check out our dedicated VIP Experiences page for more info.