The Royal Mint Christmas Experience
Saturday 28th November to Wednesday 23rd December 2026
Meet Santa and his elves as you venture through an enchanting workshop and discover timeless tales of Christmas traditions that begin with a single coin.
Please note: The Royal Mint Christmas Experience does not include a factory tour and is, instead, a festive experience. To explore the history and engineering processes of The Royal Mint, please join us for our Guided Tours, which will resume in 2027.
What's on
The Experience: Magical Memories to Last a Lifetime
On this charming journey through Santa’s workshop, meet the Chief Helpers as they bring stories to life about our most loved Christmas traditions. Explore the factory that makes toys for children around the world! Step into Santa’s Grotto and enjoy exclusive family time with the big man himself.
Festive Performances
Belly-laugh together at this hilarious and heart-warming live show. Adults can merrily laugh too, as this is included in the price of your ticket! Please allow time before or after your tour to join us for this festive treat!
Show times are at 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:30, and 19:30.
On days where the first tour starts at 3pm, show times will be 17:30 and 19:30.
Strike Your Own Coin
Celebrate your visit by striking your very own coin! Keep an eye out for this year’s design by checking our Strike Your Own Coin page. If you’d like to strike a coin during your experience, simply let our team know on arrival.
*available at an additional cost of £8.50 or included in the Ultimate Bundle packages.
Café and Gift Shop
Settle down in our decorated café and enjoy special time together over a delicious meal from our festive menu.
Find the perfect gift for your loved ones in our shop; whether that’s a luxury decoration for your Christmas tree or a precious coin to create a Christmas tradition of your own.
Don’t forget, a meal is included in an Ultimate Bundle Package!
Post your Christmas Wishes
Did you know, Santa gets millions of letters sent to his Sorting Office every year, packed full of wishes and dreams? Why not post your own through our magic post box? All you need is an envelope and a wish in your heart. Need a hand? Here’s a template:
Picture Perfect
Smile for the Elf-Cam to capture your special moment with Santa and time in his workshop.
*Professional photos will be available to purchase from £10 or included in an Ultimate Bundle Package.
Ultimate Bundle Package
Make the most of your festive visit and save with our Ultimate Bundle Package! It includes your experience, the festive performance, one Strike Your Own Coin, and a delicious meal in the café, all in one great-value package.
PLUS one photo print per booking (you can upgrade to a photo magnet or photo snow globe on the day).
Autism Friendly Experiences
The first tour every day is exclusively an Autism Friendly Christmas Experience. Arrive when the visitor centre is at its quietest, enjoy your tour in a smaller group, feel at-ease with toned-down sensory triggers, and a minimal wait to meet Santa.
Please note, this experience sells out very quickly, please book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Spread the Cost with Klarna
Planning your visit to The Royal Mint Christmas Experience is even easier with flexible payment options available at checkout. With Klarna, you can book your tickets today and spread the cost over time, helping you secure your festive day out without needing to pay the full amount upfront. It’s a simple, stress-free way to guarantee your preferred date and look forward to a magical Christmas experience at The Royal Mint.
*please note: Klarna is only available for online bookings.
Christmas Opening Hours
| Date | Building / Gift Shop | Experience | Café |
| Off Peak (Monday to Thursday) |
2:30pm to 9:30pm | First Tour: 3pm Last Tour: 8pm |
2:30pm to 7:30pm Hot Food Served: 3pm to 7pm |
| Peak (Friday to Sunday, and School Holidays) |
8:30am to 9:30pm | First Tour: 9am Last Tour: 8pm |
8:30am to 7:30pm Hot Food Served: 11:30m to 7pm |
| Reduced Service Days Mon 30th Nov Tue 1st Dec Mon 7th Dec Tue 8th Dec Mon 14th Dec |
12pm to 3pm | Closed | Closed |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The time on your ticket is the time your experience starts, please check in with our team at least 15 minutes before this time. If you arrive late, we cannot guarantee to move you on to a later experience and cannot refund your ticket under these circumstances.
If you have booked an Ultimate Bundle Package, please allow enough time to enjoy your food during the Hot Food Service Hours, which can be found below.
Tickets are limited and sell quickly, please book in advance. We cannot guarantee to accommodate walk-in bookings.
Tickets are non-refundable but can be amended. Please create an account on check-out to manage your tickets.
You can read our full booking Ts and Cs here: The Royal Mint Experience Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
The experience is approx. 50 minutes long. Please plan additional time to enjoy our exhibition, festive show and a bite to eat in our café!
Yes, a special gift is included in Child and Under 2s tickets. They will receive a limited-edition, luxury teddy bear exclusive to The Royal Mint Christmas Experience tour.
If an adult would like one of the cuddly gifts from Santa, they will be able to purchase this as an add-on when checking in. These will be charged at £10 each. These will not be sold separately
We will always try to catch you up with your tour. This will mean missing the first few minutes of the experience.
If you are more than 10 minutes late, we cannot guarantee to accommodate you and will not offer refunds under these circumstances.
Due to our circulating coin factory operating on an 'on demand' basis, we cannot guarantee there will be coin production during your visit.
As The Royal Mint is a secure site, we ask that you do not take any photos during your experience. However, you are very welcome to take photos in the following areas:
- The exterior of The Royal Mint Experience (where there are plenty of photo opportunities)
- The visitor centre, gift shop, and Café.
- In the grotto when meeting Santa.
- In our exhibition.
If in doubt, please ask a member of our team before taking photos. If you take photos in prohibited areas, you will be asked to delete them. Refusal to do so will result in being escorted off site and a ban from The Royal Mint Experience.
Yes, the gift shop, markets and cafe are open to everyone. Please check our opening hours before travelling.
Festive show
Festive shows will be performed in our cafe and are included in the price of your ticket. Shows last for 30 minutes and will be performed at:
- Monday to Thursday (during days when the experience is open): 17:30 and 19:30
- Friday to Sunday and School Holidays: 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:30 and 19:30
You can watch the show at any time listed above. Please plan this around your tour.
Performances are subject to time changes or cancellation.
Loud sound effects and flashign lights will be used during the show.
The Festive Show will be performed by Imagination Alive Ltd
Cafe
Enjoy a delicious meal in our cafe, with menu choices to suit a range of tastes and budgets.
Urban Markets
We are pleased to host Urban Markets on Saturday 28th November and Sunday 13th December 2026 for a line up of locally produced food and crafts.
The markets are free to enter, and you do not need a ticket to visit them. Please note, the markets are subject to change and cancellation.
The experience is hosted by Santa's Elves. During the tour you will meet Santa himself! Chatacters are portrayed by actors provided by Imagination Alive Ltd. All actors have valid DBS checks.
The experience is mostly indoors with a short walk to Santa's Workshop. You might like to bring an umbrella or raincoat if the weather is bad!
For the safety of our guests and team, we will not open the experience if a red weather warning is active in Rhondda Cynon Taf. We will reopen the experience once the red weather warning has been lifted, under the guidance of the Met Office.
Guests effected by cancellations will be contacted directly to reschedule or refund their experience.
The Royal Mint Christmas Experience will run in all other weather conditions.
If you have anymore questions, click below to read our full FAQs
