Ice Skating in London – The Best Ice Skating Rinks in the City this Winter

Want to go Ice Skating in London this winter? well Get your ice skates, thick socks and scarves ready because you’re going skating! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several ice rinks in London were closed in Winter 2021. However, they’re now open for the 2022 Winter season.

Here are the best ice skating rinks in London…

1. Hampton Court Palace

Location: Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU

Opening Times: 10am – 8.45pm

Ticket Price: Adult/Teen – £16, Older Children – £11.50, Younger Children – £11.50

Want to create magical memories that you will cherish for years? Head to the Hampton Court Palace. Located in the gardens of Henry VIII residential home, the Hampton Court Palace is a beautiful open-air ice rink.

It offers a chance for you and your family to glide under the stars while surrounded by spectacular views. Situated on the banks of the River Thames, the Hampton Court Palace is also the perfect place to wind up with your friends or have a romantic date. After an ice skating session, kick your feet back and refresh at the Ice Rink Café and Bar. As the perfect post skate spot, it’s situated alongside the ice rink.

They serve hearty food platters, mince pies and Christmassy treats. For those with a sweet tooth, the café offers a selection of brownies and cakes. However, the treat is not complete without mulled wine.

The site has skate-aid helpers available to offer support to your children to find their feet on the ice. They measure 78 cm high and are exclusively for children aged 10 and under. Allocation of the skate-aid helpers is on a first-come, first-serve basis. To secure the helpers for your little one, pre-booking is essential.

Hampton Court Palace is also the perfect spot to host an event such as corporate events, brand activation, office parties and more. The ice rink is open daily from 19th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022 excluding Christmas Day. Skating sessions last 45 minutes, and the ticket price includes skate hire. We recommend arriving 15 to 30 minutes before your skating session.

Get your Hampton Court Palace Ice Skating Tickets!

2. Queens

Location: 17 Queensway, London, W2 4QP

Opening Times: 10am to 11pm

Ticket Price: £11.95 for over 12s, £10.50 for under 12s

Queens is one of London’s all-year-round ice rinks. As your one-stop for skating fun, it’s a beautiful ice skating location. Located within a UNESCO World Heritage site, Queens is a magical place to skate. You can enjoy spectacular views of Greenwich Royal Park and the River Thames as you skate.

Opened in the 1930s, it’s the perfect entertainment venue as you can do more than skating. You can curl, bowl and play a host of arcades. The venue has 12 bowling lanes, and you can bowl for just £7 every Monday to Tuesday. To bowl, you need to book in advance.

At the ice rink, you can find coaches for one-on-one tuition. You can always book the brigade of passionate coaches during any Open Skate session. Alternatively, reserve them for private tuition.

The skating lessons are for children aged 5 and up. The course price includes 1 lesson per week, level badge, skate hire and certificate. It usually runs during each school term, and the length of each course varies – 4 to 7 weeks. Make sure that you book your ice skating ticket before arriving at Queens.

After your skating or bowling session, you can refuel at the MEATLiquor café. Queens and METALiquor joined forces in 2017 to offer a full menu service. Skating sessions at Queens last 1 hour, and pre-booking for over 12 starts from £11.95 and £10.50 for under 12s on weekdays.

Book your Queens Ice Skating Tickets!

3. Tower of London Ice Rink

Location: Tower of London London, England EC3N 4AB

Opening Times: 11am – 9pm (Weekdays), 10am – 9pm (Weekends)

Ticket Price: Adult/Teen – £16, Children – £11.50, Family Ticket – £46

Another location where you can create unforgettable memories is the Tower of London Ice Rink. This 1,000-year-old fortress protects the Crown Jewels. Formerly a royal palace and an infamous prison, the Tower of London has fascinating stories about medieval kings and queens. You can discover graffiti left behind by famous prisoners over 500 years ago or spot the famous ravens that watch over the Tower.

As you glide across the ice, you can take in the ambience of the fortress, the spectacular view of the Thames and the surroundings. In the evenings, the ice rink gets an extra helping of spectacle with the lights against the fortress wall which adds jaw-dropping views. As the perfect spot for a romantic date or family day out, Tower of London Ice Rink skating sessions last up to 45 minutes.

Enjoy delicious refreshments at the Ice Rink Café and Bar. The café offers golden Cornish pasties, hot pies and drinks loaded with chocolate. The spectator area is also a great spot to soak up the festive atmosphere and relax. If you would like to book the café for Christmas, email the Tower of London Ice Rink.

The ice rink is seasonal and will open on the following dates in 2021:

• 20 November – 18 December
• 19 December – 1 January
• 2 January – 3 January

This excludes Christmas.

Book your Tower of London Ice Rink Tickets!

4. Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

Location: Hyde Park London W2 2UH

Opening Times: 10am – 9pm

Ticket Price: Adult – £14.50, Child – £9.50, Family – £38

Winter Wonderland Hyde Park is one of the UK’s largest outdoor ice rinks. Situated at the heart of London’s Hyde Park, it’s set around the iconic Victorian bandstand. Open to all ages, you can skate from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm every day. Ice skating sessions run every hour and last 50 minutes. Arrive 20 minutes before your booked session. This gives you enough time to get your skates on.

You can bring your own skates but they’re included in the ticket price. Available children sizes – 9 and adult sizes – 13. The rink has a limited supply of penguin skate aids. As such, they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis for £5. Unfortunately, you cannot book the skate aids in advance.

The ice rink has trained ice skaters who can escort you or your little ones on the ice, and they’re capable of looking after 15 skaters. Per hour, the ice guides cost £35 and you can book them online with your ticket.

If travelling by train, the nearest station to the ice rink is Green Park, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. This is a seasonal ice rink and will open between 19th November 2021 and 3rd January 2022.

Get your Winter Wonderland Hyde Park Tickets!

5. Natural History Museum Ice Rink

Location: Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD

Opening Times: 10am and 9pm

Ticket Price: Adults – £12.65, Child – £8.80, Family – £36.90

The dazzling Natural History Museum Ice Rink pitches up for the 2021 winter season. As London’s most iconic ice rink, they took a break for the 2020 Winter season. In the interest of public safety and health, the museum confirmed taking a break in 2020 citing ongoing health concerns.

Nestled in front of the National History Museum, the open-air ice rink is usually surrounded by over 76,000 fairy lights. It also features a glittering Christmas tree at the centre where skates gleefully whizz around it.

Over 450,000 people visit this popular seasonal ice rink every year. The rink is seasonal and operates for 12 weeks during November, December and early January. In 2021, they will be welcoming families back on the ice.

People can once again skate under the beautiful Victorian frontage of the National History Museum. There is no minimum age, but children under 12 must always come with an adult. Each skating session lasts 50 minutes.

Get your Natural History Museum Ice Rink Tickets!

6. Somerset House

Location: Strand, London WC2R 1LA

Opening Times: 12pm to 11pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 12.00 to 23.30 on Thursdays and Fridays

Ticket Price: Adult from £11, Child from £8.50

Somerset House ice rink is gorgeous, and you can glide straight into the festive season with your family. With its beautiful ice and snow creations, plus festive music, the ice rink offers a thrilling ice skating session every winter.

Open all year round, the ice rink has one of the most impressive backgrounds that will give you the adrenaline rush. You and your family can indulge in skating sessions amidst live music from some of the UK’s top DJs.

The 900-meter courtyard was recently reimagined by Yinka Ilori. They transformed it into a joyful spectacle of sound, colour and energy. As such, you and your family can ride dodgems like never before. There is a ride height restriction of 1.1 metres for riding the dodgems. Children between 1.1 m and 1.3 m must always be in the company of an adult.

To ride the dodgems, book your tickets in advance. Walk-up rides for dodgems are currently available at £5 per person. The Somerset House Dodge is home to Jimmy Garcia’s food and drinks. It’s housed in a vibrant outdoor setting with seating booths for two to six people.

Get your Somerset House Tickets!

7. Alexandra Palace Ice Rink

Location: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY

Opening Times: 11:00am to 5:30pm

Ticket Price: Adult – £9, Junior (15 and under) – £8, Under 5s – £6

The Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports centre situated between Muswell Hill and Wood Green. Built on the site of Tottenham Wood, it opened in 1873. Intended as “The People’s Palace”, its purpose was to serve as a public recreation centre.

The ice rink got refurbished in 2010 and now spectators can make themselves comfortable in the 740 seat stadium.

The Alexandra Palace Ice Rink is the biggest and permanent ice rink in London. It has a capacity of 1,250 and is open all year round. The ice rink is the ideal place for festive skating. This is because you don’t have to rely on the weather.

There is a wide range of activities that include figure skating classes, ice hockey and much more. Ideal for parents and children, there is a soft play area open daily. You can enjoy skating daily at the iconic landmark. For those looking to ice skate for fun, this is a stunning location for you and your family.

Skate hire is always included in your ticket, but you can bring your own skates to use. Remember to wear warm clothing and bring gloves and thick socks.

Get your Alexandra Palace Ice Rink Tickets!

8. Streatham Ice And Leisure Centre

Location: 390 Streatham High Road Streatham, Lambeth London SW16 6HX

Opening Times: Mon – Fri: 6am – 10pm, Sat-Sun: 7am – 7pm.

Ticket Price: Adult – £8, Child – £7.50

At the heart of Streatham sits the Streatham Ice And Leisure Centre. Boasting of an Olympic size ice skating rink, it’s a multi-facility Leisure Center with a fully equipped gym and fitness studios. Open all year round, the centre has two swimming pools, a 13 m teaching pool, a 25 m 6 lane pool and a multi-sports hall.

The ice rink can sit 1,000 spectators and has a full size 60 by 30 m ice pad. As the home of ice skating in London, this great venue is usually jam-packed with programmes for all ages and abilities. Public ice skating sessions are suitable for all ages whether you’re a beginner or in training.

Skate hire is available for children size 7 to adult size 15. For little ones in need of extra support, Streatham Ice And Leisure Centre has penguin skating aids. Skating sessions last 1 hour, and you must pre-book before your visit. You can do so online or by using the Better UK app.

In line with government requirements, wear face masks at all times apart from when you’re on the ice. Warm clothing and gloves are essential to keep you warm on the ice.

Get your Streatham Ice And Leisure Centre Tickets!

9. Canary Wharf Ice Rink

Location: Canada Square Park, London E14 5AB

Opening Times: 10:45am –10:45pm

Ticket Price: Adult – £16.95, Child – £10.95, Family – £46.50

The Canary Wharf Ice Rink is one of London’s largest outdoor ice rinks. Set to the backdrop of Canary Wharf towers, the ice rink opens seven days a week from 10am until 10pm. You can start your day with a serene morning skating on ice or spectate from the rink-side bar.

Ice rink Canary Wharf is proudly sponsored by:

• Savills
• Pravha
• CitiGold Wealth Management
• London City Airport
• Citi
• Canary Wharf Group PLC

At the Canary Wharf Rink, you can find ice skates available in the UK sizes 8 to 15. There is no minimum height required to skate, but the minimum age is 4 years. To help your little one find their feet on the ice, we recommend booking a skate aid early.

You can bring your own skates. However, this will not alter the price of your ticket. The ice rink is a two-minute walk away from the Canary Wharf tube station. Make sure that you arrive at the ice rink 20 minutes before your skating session.

Book your Canary Wharf Ice Rink Tickets!

Overview…

We hope this guide has helped you pick the perfect spot to go Ice Skating in London this Winter!

Further Reading…

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