Christmas · Santa · Family Galgorm Resort, Ballymena
Christmas at Galgorm
Meet Santa, ride the Galgorm Express to his grotto, and sit down to a festive lunch in 450 acres of twinkling parkland — a December day out near Ballymena.
Every December, Galgorm Resort near Ballymena turns its riverside grounds into a proper family Christmas — a festive lunch, a ride on the Galgorm Express to Santa's grotto, and a gift for every child, all wrapped in twinkling lights and open fires.
What it is — a festive family day out at Galgorm Resort. Families sit down to a seasonal lunch, then the little ones head off to meet Santa, hand over their wish list and collect a present. It runs on Saturdays and Sundays through December.
The Santa bit — this is the heart of it: children ride the Galgorm Express to Santa's grotto, share their Christmas wishes, and each get a special gift. There's hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, freshly baked cookies and children's entertainment too.
Day visit, not a hotel stay — you do not need to book an overnight room. The Weekends with Santa and Santa Sundays experiences are day visits you can book on their own, so it works as a straightforward family trip out.
The setting — Galgorm sits in 450 acres of parkland along the River Maine, dressed for the season with fire bowls, chandelier gardens and twinkling lights. It's a warm, cosy backdrop for a winter afternoon.
These dates fill up. There are only a handful of December weekend sittings and they book up early, so reserve your table and Santa slot ahead rather than hoping for a walk-in.
Good to know on price — the festive lunch experiences are ticketed per person (recent seasons ran around £48.95 per adult and £31.50 per child, with the child's gift included). Check galgorm.com for this year's dates and prices.
What's on
From a festive lunch to Santa's grotto
Galgorm's family Christmas is a relaxed afternoon with a few lovely set-pieces. Here's the shape of a day-visit sitting.
🍽️Festive family lunchA seasonal three or four-course lunch to start, served in a cosy, decorated dining room — the grown-up treat of the day.
🚂The Galgorm ExpressChildren board the little festive train that carries them off to meet Santa — a highlight before they've even reached the grotto.
🎅Meet SantaIn his grotto, each child hands over their wish list, has a chat, and collects a special wrapped gift to take home.
☕Hot chocolate & cookiesWarm drinks, freshly baked cookies and toasted marshmallows by the fire — the cosy heart of a cold December afternoon.
🎈Children's entertainmentGames and festive fun to keep the little ones busy and buzzing between the lunch and the grotto.
✨The twinkling grounds450 acres of riverside parkland dressed for the season — fire bowls, chandelier gardens and lights to wander past.
Plan your visit
How to do the day with kids
The trick is simple: book early and treat it as the afternoon's main event. The festive lunch sittings run on December weekends (recent seasons had dates on the first three weekends of the month), so pick your Saturday or Sunday and reserve as soon as this year's dates land on galgorm.com. Arrive in good time — the fun starts with the lunch, so you'll want to settle in before the little ones get their turn to ride the Galgorm Express and meet Santa. Wrap the children up warm if you plan to wander the grounds, since the best of the twinkling lights and fire bowls are outdoors along the River Maine. It's an easy run for most of mid and north Antrim, about half an hour from Belfast, so you can make a full afternoon of it without a long drive home in the dark.
Dates and prices change each year.
Galgorm publishes the new festive line-up in autumn. The exact December weekend dates, sittings and prices for this year are on galgorm.com — book the Santa lunches early, because the weekend slots sell out well before Christmas.
Good to know
Everything before you go
When
Selected Saturdays and Sundays through December. Recent seasons ran the festive Santa lunches over the first three weekends of the month — check galgorm.com for this year's dates.
Where
Galgorm Resort, 136 Fenaghy Road, Ballymena, County Antrim BT42 1EA. Set in 450 acres of parkland along the River Maine.
What's included
A seasonal festive lunch, the Galgorm Express to Santa's grotto, a meet-and-greet with Santa, a gift for each child, plus hot chocolate, cookies and children's entertainment.
Cost
Ticketed per person. Recent seasons ran around £48.95 per adult and £31.50 per child (child's gift included). Confirm this year's price when you book.
Do you need to stay over?
No. The Weekends with Santa and Santa Sundays experiences are day visits — you can book a table without an overnight room. (Galgorm also runs separate overnight Christmas stays if you'd rather.)
Best for families
Younger children who'll love the train ride, the grotto and the gift. It's a sit-down lunch, so it's a gentle, cosy day rather than a run-around one.
Booking
Book ahead through galgorm.com — the weekend Santa sittings are limited and go early.
Getting there
Just outside Ballymena, roughly a 30-minute drive from Belfast, with parking on site.
Questions
Christmas at Galgorm, answered
Can we visit for the day without staying overnight?
Yes. The Weekends with Santa and Santa Sundays festive lunches are day-visit experiences — you book a table for the afternoon, no hotel room needed. Galgorm also runs separate overnight Christmas stays if you'd prefer to make a weekend of it.
What do the children get to do?
After the festive lunch, little ones ride the Galgorm Express to Santa's grotto, hand over their wish list, meet Santa and collect a special gift. There's hot chocolate, cookies, toasted marshmallows and children's entertainment too.
When does it run?
On selected Saturdays and Sundays through December — recent seasons used the first three weekends of the month. The exact dates and sittings for this year are on galgorm.com.
How much does it cost?
It's ticketed per person. Recent seasons ran around £48.95 per adult and £31.50 per child, with the child's gift included. Check the current price when you book, as it changes each year.
Do I need to book?
Yes — book ahead through galgorm.com. There are only a handful of weekend sittings and they sell out well before Christmas, so reserve early rather than turning up on the day.
Where is Galgorm and how far is it?
Galgorm Resort is just outside Ballymena at 136 Fenaghy Road, BT42 1EA — about a 30-minute drive from Belfast, with parking on site.
Getting there
Galgorm Resort sits just outside Ballymena at 136 Fenaghy Road, BT42 1EA, in 450 acres of parkland along the River Maine. It's roughly a 30-minute drive from Belfast up the M2, and easy to reach from across mid and north Antrim, with parking on site.
Galgorm grew from a country house on the banks of the River Maine into one of Northern Ireland's best-loved resorts — 450 acres of parkland, a thermal spa village, and dining rooms that fill with the smell of pine and mulled wine every December. When Christmas comes, the grounds light up: fire bowls glow along the river, the chandelier garden fills with the smell of toasted marshmallows, and lights thread through the trees. It's the kind of place that leans into the season rather than nodding at it.
For a family, the Santa weekends are the easiest way in. You don't need to book a room or plan a whole weekend — just a sit-down lunch, a train ride to the grotto, and the moment a child hands their wish list to Santa and walks away holding a gift. Pick a December weekend, book early before the sittings fill, wrap the little ones up warm, and go and make a Christmas memory together.