Ashridge House Illuminated

Ashridge House Illuminated is open daily, Monday – Sunday, 27 November - 1 January. The first entry varies between 4pm & 4.30pm and the last entry varies between 7.30pm & 8pm, depending on your chosen visit date. Please check our website and See Tickets for availability.  

Onsite parking is free and within an easy walk to the entrance of the light trail. 

Please listen and watch out for our stewards who will guide you on arrival. Disabled parking spaces are allocated on a first come first serve basis and you will need to show your blue badge on arrival to the steward and leave this on display.  

To help reduce traffic, we encourage visitors to car share where they can.

Absolutely! Ashridge House Illuminated is a family-friendly event, perfect for children and adults. From the enchanting light trail to delight and engage children, to festive food and drink options, there's plenty of installations to delight visitors of all ages. Bring the whole family and create magical festive memories together! 

Our festive Food Village offers a fantastic array of delicious hot and cold, savoury and sweet food and drink options. As you explore the light trail, warm up with a variety of hot beverages and toasted marshmallows available along the way.

You can arrive up to 30 - 45 minutes before your scheduled ticket time to allow plenty of time to explore the food village. We kindly ask that all ticket holders arrive no earlier than this, as it helps us with the flow of visitors throughout the evening, ensuring everyone has an enjoyable visit. The time on your ticket indicates when you'll begin the Illuminated Light Trail.

Please note if you have purchased the first ticketed time slot, parking opens at 3.30pm.

Once on site please feel free to stay and enjoy the light trail and festive food village for as long as you like.  

We’ll do our best to accommodate you in the next available time slot, however this is subject to availability. Please bear in mind the last entry to Ashridge House Illuminated by checking our website, you will not be admitted after this time. On arrival, head to our ticket booth and speak to a member of staff who will assist you further.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer refunds if you miss the event due to circumstances beyond our control.

Sometimes, in cases of severe weather—especially high winds—we may need to close for the safety of our visitors. If this happens, you’ll receive an SMS and an email with instructions on how to either reschedule your tickets for another date or receive a refund.

Please be patient with us during these times, as your safety is our top priority.

As a general guide:

We remain open rain or shine, with our team keeping a close eye on the weather to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort.

If winds exceed the advised safe limit, we will close the site.

Any decision to cancel due to weather will be made by 2pm on the day.

Ashridge House Illuminated is an outdoor event. With the unpredictable nature of the British weather, please be prepared for all weather conditions. Please note, there is minimal shelter, so don’t forget your umbrella. If you wish to change your ticket dates due to the weather, please click the button below, where you will have the option to change your visit. Your date change is subject to availability. All tickets are non-refundable.  

Visitors who require a carer to accompany them to Ashridge House Illuminated, can bring a carer/essential companion into the event for free. Essential Companion tickets must be bought with an Adult, Child (4-16) or Family ticket. On arrival you will be asked to provide documentation to validate your essential companion ticket. Accepted documentation includes: Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance for children under 16 or Personal Independent Payments (or equivalent) for those ages 16-64.  

This outdoor event features light installations placed at various points around our Grade II* listed gardens. We have taken every step to make as many areas as possible accessible to visitors. However, due to the scale and nature of the gardens and grounds, we cannot always guarantee full accessibility.  

Please be aware the trail includes bright flashing lights, busy crowds, music & pyrotechnics.

Ashridge House is in the Hertfordshire countryside, just 30 minutes from London Euston and 34 miles from Central London.  

Berkhamsted train station, is the closest station to Ashridge House and is a 5-minute journey by taxi.  

By Car - Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1NS  

For those coming by taxi there will be a Taxi drop off point near the entrance of Ashridge House Illuminated.

By rail –  Berkhamsted Station – 5 minutes by taxi to the House | From Ashridge House to London Euston - 32 minutes | Trains from Birmingham to New Street - 90 minutes. 

At Ashridge House, we love our four-legged friends, so every Wednesday and Thursday you're welcome to bring them. Our furry friends deserve a fun-packed evening out too, so we welcome all well-behaved dogs and responsible dog owners into the gardens. We do remind all visitors with dogs to be mindful of others when enjoying the light trail, your dog must be kept on a lead at all times and please remember to pick up after them. There will be bins onsite.

We can’t wait to see photos of your adorable pups in the light trail!  

You can explore the trail at your own pace, enjoying the installations as quickly or slowly as you like. On average, the trail will take approximately 60-75 minutes. 

There is limited seating around the light trail, but seating will be available in our food village.  

Please tag Ashridge House (@ashridgehouse) and our food vendors, on any photos and videos you post online for us all to enjoy. We will be taking photographs and filming throughout the event. By entering the event you consent to your image being used in any Ashridge House promotion. If you do not wish your image to be used, please make a member of staff, or the photographer aware.  

Your ticket allows you into the light trail and the food village around the garden. Please note there may be certain parts of the gardens and grounds which may be inaccessible for limited time periods. We ask all visitors to be respectful and avoid any closed off or roped off areas.

If you can no longer attend your booked date and wish to visit another day, please visit manage your booking via the button below where you will have the option to change your visit. You can swap or upgrade your tickets to a different date or different entry ticket, your date change is subject to availability. Tickets are non-refundable.

If you experience any issues with the ticket exchange process, exchanges are managed by our ticketing partner, See Tickets. Please contact See Tickets directly, as we’re unable to make changes on your behalf. You can fill out the form below, and See Tickets will do their best to assist you.

Please note: This exchange/upgrade can only be used if you are booking the same number of tickets at the same, or a greater price. If you are unable to make the desired changes to your order, please click the button below to email See tickets directly.

Ashridge House Illuminated is open daily, Monday – Sunday, 20 November - 2 January. The first entry varies between 4pm & 4.30pm and the last entry varies between 7.30pm & 8pm, depending on your chosen visit date. Please check our website and See Tickets for availability.  

To ensure everyone can experience this unique event and avoid disappointment, tickets are only available to buy online. Please pre-book as tickets are not available to be purchased on the door.

We would love for you to bring a large group to Ashridge House Illuminated. For groups of up to 15 people you can book these online.

For groups larger than 15 please email groups@seetickets.com

If you wish to arrive with your group by coach, you must let us know in advance. Coaches can drop off and pick up by the Illuminated entrance. Please note there is no coach parking on site. Coaches will need to find alternative places to park, away from Ashridge Hose Illuminated for the duration of your visit.

For this event, entry to the house is not included. We understand the excitement at the possibility of seeing inside the House at Christmas, however we hope that both our Grade II* listed gardens and the light show will captivate you and provide a memorable festive day out. We do offer house tours and art viewing at other times throughout the year, please check our What's On page for upcoming events and dates.