York's Santa Experience

The Ultimate Santa Experience in York – A Magical Christmas River Cruise!

Looking for the best Santa experience in York this Christmas? Step aboard City Cruises’ Santa Experience for a festive family adventure along the beautiful River Ouse.

Join Santa, his cheerful elves, and a boat full of sparkling decorations on York’s most magical Christmas river cruise. Kids will visit Santa’s enchanting North Pole Grotto, meet Santa himself, and receive a special gift — while grown-ups enjoy the twinkling lights and joyful Christmas atmosphere.

This family-friendly Santa Cruise in York is one of the city’s most popular Christmas events – a must-do for families looking to meet Santa in York and make magical memories together.

Pre-booking is essential! Santa’s presents are wrapped in advance, so walk-ups aren’t available. Book online early to guarantee your seats and get the best prices for York’s ultimate Christmas boat trip.

About this Experience

• Duration 1 hour
• Explore the Christmas Grotto under Lendal Bridge
• Prepare for Santa's arrival
• Cruise with scenic York & River Ouse views
• Meet & greet & photo opportunity with santa
• Full-bar available
• Wide range of beverages & snacks
• Background music entertainment

More For Kids!

• Fruit drink & chocolate bar
• Write a letter to Santa
• Gift bag with lots of Christmas goodies
• Personalised present

More For Our Grown-Up Guests!

• Free tea/coffee
• Mince Pie

Additional Info

• On booking, please enter the Name, Age and Gender of all children in your party.
• If you would like to make a booking in-person, please call 020 77 400 400.
• To combine multiple bookings on the same sailing, visit ‘Manage Booking’ or call 020 77 400 400.
• This experience is aimed at children, adults without kids are encouraged to book onto the Festive Sightseeing Cruise.
• Under 2s will receive a gift, but refreshments/extras are not included.
• To ensure the comfort and well-being of all passengers, smoking and vaping are not permitted on public cruises.
• We encourage passengers to read our Access Statement, Code of Conduct and Terms & Conditions of Carriage before alighting a City Cruises vessel.

Transferring Bookings: If you would like to transfer your booking to another date/time, please contact infoyork@citycruises.com - if you don't there is a chance Santa will not be completely ready for your visit. This product has dynamic pricing, so the price when transferring date/time may be higher.

Accessibility: There are steps leading up to the boat so unfortunately there is no wheelchair access.

City Cruises is committed to adjusting our products to ensure that they can be enjoyed by all – as a result we will be hosting an autism-friendly Santa Experience on the 11:00 slot on 23rd November. For more details, please contact infoyork@citycruises.com.

High River Levels or Strong Winds: Our Santa Experience is held on one of our largest boats, and in the event of high river levels, there is a chance the boat will not be able to sail. If this happens, the Santa Experience will still take place and it'll still be a memorable and enjoyable time. If your cruise does not sail, you will receive a complimentary voucher for a sightseeing cruise to use in the future.

Schedule

Several Dates & Times Throughout November & December!

Please select ‘Check Availability’ on the Booking Widget for up-to-date Dates/Times.

Where to Meet

The Boatyard, Lendal Bridge, York, YO1 7DP

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