Lanterns & Light review - a magical night at Chester Zoo
(updated for 2025)

Last weekend we were really lucky to be invited to Chester Zoo’s Lanterns & Light event which is taking place right up until the 3rd of January 2026. Last year was the first time we’d been, so we didn’t really know what to expect. But it was so amazing that we came back this year and it’s definitely going to be an annual tradition from now on, because we had the absolute best time again. It was just so beautiful and magical and bright and festive and cosy. Let me start from the beginning…

We had been to the zoo in the daytime, but wanted to wait until it was properly dark to walk the Lanterns & Lights trail, so we booked the 6pm slot. We should have left the zoo before it started getting dark as we briefly saw some of the light installations on the way out, but given that it was just dusky rather than dark, the full affect thankfully wasn’t spoiled. As it got darker, the car park started to fill up, but the helpful attendants were really organised and showed everyone which spaces to fill, meaning there were no long queues or people going the wrong way down a one way lane!

Just before the entrance to the light trail, there was a cute little fairground with rides. We didn’t stop for these because Els was too excited to start walking the actual trail! Once we’d had our tickets scanned and we were in, the magic began. There was just so much to take in, and the light installations were breathtaking. The trail was really easy to follow, and there were signposts where it maybe wasn’t quite so obvious where to go. It seemed to be buggy and wheelchair friendly (there is one bit that is a raised wooden walkway, so maybe a bit bumpy), but there were plenty of staff dotted around the trail so that if you needed help, you could easily find someone to ask. This is one of the things that really stood out for me - the staff were actively keeping people safe and were really friendly.

Half way round the trail there was a food village which had some gorgeous little huts serving everything from burgers to pizza. All the little huts served separate things - which worked well for us because Els wanted churros and Dave just wanted a hot chocolate, so we queued separately - but it’s something to bare in mind if you are the only adult in your group and your children all want different things! You can also bring your own food and snacks, but the smells and sights of the food village will definitely tempt you once you’re there.

We carried on around the trail, with more beautiful light displays, including a gingerbread cottage which had the Big Man himself outside! He chatted away to the children who stopped to see him and was very friendly and interactive with them. You’d think that with it being a few weeks before Christmas, this would be the highlight of the trail, but, according to my daughter, the real stars of the shows were the puppets. I don’t want to explain too much about what they are, because sometimes it’s nice to have a surprise, plus I don’t really think I can do them justice. They are absolutely stunning. Their handlers (is that what you’d call them?! I feel like calling them ‘puppet masters’ gives Godfather vibes?!) are so talented and amazing at making the puppets interact with the children. If I had to pick my favourite part of the whole experience, the puppets would be it. I can’t really put into words how beautiful and magical they are.

It took us around 2 hours to walk the whole trail, but this included stopping in the food village and spending quite a bit of time with the puppets. You could probably do it in 90 minutes, but it’s so beautiful that I’d definitely recommend giving yourselves plenty of time just to soak it all in. As I mentioned, we were very kindly gifted tickets for this year and last, but I can honestly say that I would be more than happy to pay because it is absolutely worth the money. There are different pricing options depending on which dates and time you choose, so it’s definitely worth checking the availability calendar to price it up for your own family.

One thing that I absolutely loved about the Lanterns & Light event is that although the high quality of the event was the same, every single light installation was different to last year. So even though this was our second time visiting, we were still blown away by the beauty and magic of it all because it was all brand new to us. Dare I say that it was even better this year than last? The images in this blog are a mix of the 2024 and 2025 event, to give you an idea of what it’s like, so please note that not all the light installations shown here will be there when you visit this year.

I would love to know if you’ve been to the Lanterns & Light event too - let me know in the comments what your favourite parts of the trail were!

Clare x