Santa’s Secret Forest in Orrell Woods, Liverpool, is now open and it really is a magical Christmas experience for the whole family. We were very kindly invited down to check it out and below you can read our review along with our top tips to get the most out of your visit should you choose to book.

What to expect at Santa’s Secret Forest

Santa’s Secret Forest is a fully immersive experience set in 40 acres of woodland. It combines a light trail, Christmas markets, interactive activities, a visit to Santa and real reindeer to give your family a magical Christmas activity that they wont forget in a hurry.

From the moment you arrive you are greeted by elves and handed some magical glasses, so as you wait for your time slot the excitement is already building. Once ready you are then invited to start your journey into Santa’s Secret Forest by following the twinkling lights and heading enchanted through the tunnel. Now to the naked eye these twinkling lights may look just like fairy lights but be sure to wear to your magical glasses for a festive surprise.

The light trail then brings you out at Merrywood Market and the Christmas Hub entrance where you can listen to music, enjoy some food and drink, browse the Christmas markets and toast marshmallows before entering the main attraction. Don’t worry if you don’t have time for all this at the start as you can always return later and soak up the atmosphere before heading home.

Once inside the Christmas Hub you will journey through 10 immersive rooms

• Ticket office
• Train ride
• Sleigh mechanics
• IT department
• Post office
• Toy museum
• wrapping department
• I believe test room
• Magical lift
• Santa’s grotto

Our review

In all honesty, we were completely blown away by Santa’s Secret Forest. It not only exceeded my expectations but felt truly magical from start to finish.

The elves were a genuine highlight as each one had their own charm and personality that shone through in every interaction. They were wonderfully attentive to the children, instinctively knowing who wanted to dive into the fun and who preferred a gentler, more private moment. Even the adults were swept up in the festive spirit being encouraged to sing solos and get wrapped up in Christmas paper, making it a truly enchanting experience for everyone involved.

One of the things we noticed throughout was that the attention to detail was extraordinary. Every corner felt thoughtfully crafted with no expense spared, especially in the Grand Lobby which had massive Gringotts vibes going on.

We loved printing our personalised tickets off. Seeing the children’s names on them was such a lovely touch and helped build the excitement as we waited for the train.

I admit I was a little doubtful about how a static train would work in practice, but it was surprisingly impressive. The views from the windows sparked everyone’s imagination, and that blast of cold, frosty air when we “arrived” in the North Pole was incredible, so simple yet so effective.

Overall, Santa’s Secret Forest is a truly magical experience, one I hope returns year after year because it’s the kind of thing core memories are made of. It’s fantastic value for money too; we spent a full two hours immersed in the adventure and loved every minute. It’s far more than just a visit to see Santa, it’s a wonderfully immersive experience that the whole family will love.

Top Tips

• Don’t book just the light trail as a stand alone experience, as pretty as it is it’s not an activity by itself, it’s simply the walk way to the main attraction.
• Arrive early parking can be difficult although there are staff on hand to help keep cars parking in a way to maximise the space.
• Wear wellies or warm and comfy shoes as it can be muddy on the light trail paths
• Wrap up warm as although inside it is still a bit cold