Christmas FAQs

A Christmas at Chatsworth ticket includes access to the decorated house*, garden light trail and the farmyard. It also includes car parking for one car or motorbike. 

If you require more than one car parking space, you can add additional spaces during the checkout process.

All tickets will be scanned at the car park entrance. You must bring your booking confirmation with you and be ready to show it on entry.  Please note that we cannot retrieve bookings for you at the car park entrance. 

Only one booking confirmation is issued. If you have booked tickets for people travelling in a separate car, you will need to book more than one car parking space. Each car included in your order must have a copy of the booking confirmation to show on entry.

The QR code on your booking confirmation will validate entry for the number of cars on your booking, after which it will become inactive, e.g. one scan for one car car parking space, two scans for two car parking spaces etc.

*Select rooms on the upper floor of the house, including the State Bedrooms, will be closed for annual conservation during Christmas at Chatsworth.

The Christmas market will be running from 8 November to 14 December. If your Christmas at Chatsworth ticket is for a visit over this period it includes entry to the Christmas market. 

If your ticket is for a visit from 15 December to 4 January, the Christmas market is not included. (The Christmas market runs from 8 November to 14 December, inclusive.)

Please note that, during the Christmas market, car parking arrangements will be different to what you have previously experienced at Chatsworth. Please read the 'Important Information' section of the event page carefully. 

Children aged 3 – 16 years inclusive require a child ticket for entry to Christmas at Chatsworth. Children aged 2 years and under do not require a ticket.

Children aged 15 or under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

You can amend the date or timeslot of your booking up to 24 hours before your visit via the manage your booking link provided in the booking confirmation email or on the website. There is a modification fee of £5 to do this. 

We are unable to refund tickets for any reason.

One car or motorbike parking space is included with each booking. 

If you require more than one car parking space, please add it to your order when you book online.

All tickets will be scanned at the car park entrance. You must bring your booking confirmation with you and be ready to show it on entry.  Please note that we cannot retrieve bookings for you at the car park entrance. 

One booking confirmation is issued per transaction. If you have booked tickets for people travelling in a separate car, you will need to book more than one car parking space.

Each car included in your order must have a copy of the booking confirmation to show on entry. The QR code on your booking confirmation will validate entry for the number of cars on your booking, after which it will become inactive.

We may release Christmas in the Garden tickets later in the year however, this will depend on ground conditions and our ability to park visitors safely.

We are therefore unable to confirm if/when these tickets will be available at this time. 

If you are concerned about not securing your preferred date and time for a Christmas visit, we recommend booking a Chatsworth at Christmas ticket, which includes the garden light trail.

Car park tickets for Chatsworth Christmas Market (8 Nov - 14 Dec) will be released for sale later in the year.

If you would like to guarantee your preferred date for visiting the market, we recommend booking a Chatsworth at Christmas ticket, which includes parking and access to the market. 

Important: the market runs from 8 November to 14 December only. 

All visitors, including Chatsworth Friends and pass holders, must book tickets online in advance.

Information on how to book tickets is available in the Friends hub.

Ticketholders may park in the main Chatsworth car park on site or in an allocated area of the parkland. One car parking space is included in each transaction. If you require additional car parking spaces, please remember to add them to your ticket order as general 'car park only' tickets are not available during the Christmas period*.

If you are visiting Chatsworth in a larger group, you may wish to consider making separate transactions for those travelling in separate cars to take advantage of the free parking offer. You can still visit all together, just remember to choose the same date and house entry time for each booking.

Over the Christmas period, parking arrangements will be different to those you may be used to. As well as in the main car park, cars will be parked on a trackway across the parkland, and we will be operating a tractor and trailer shuttle service between shuttle stops and the house car park. The tractor and trailer service ends 15 minutes after the closure of the garden (view garden opening times). 

During periods of wet weather, the trackway and immediate areas may become slippery and muddy. We recommend you wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking on uneven ground and in muddy and wet conditions. You may also wish to have access to a torch.

We will not take responsibility for any damage to footwear or other personal possessions, including prams and pushchairs. 

The tractor and trailer shuttle service is wheelchair accessible. Visit our accessibility web pages for more information. 

Please note that we do not have dedicated parent and child parking, and we cannot guarantee a parking space close to the house or the toilets/ baby changing facilities. 

View a map of parking arrangements during the Christmas market here.

* Parking only tickets will be available for the Christmas market for visits between 8 Nov and 4 Dec.

Yes, please visit our ‘How to find us’ pages for details on travelling to Chatsworth by public transport, bus or bike. 

Taxis can drop passengers off by the security lodge in front of the car park booth (known as 'the apron'). 

If you plan to leave Chatsworth by taxi, please ensure you have pre-booked your return trip with the taxi firm and have agreed on a time for collection. 

There are no taxi ranks on site, and taxis cannot wait at the apron for passengers to arrive. 

There are no parent and child parking bays at Chatsworth.

There are no electric vehicle charge points at Chatsworth, for the nearest points please consult an online guide, such as Zap-Map 

The festival will take place whatever the weather, so please come prepared for all weather conditions.

In extreme weather conditions, such as severe gales or heavy snow, we reserve the right to close off sections of the garden and estate, or cancel/change planned entertainment for the safety of visitors and staff.

Please be aware that for technical, operational or safety reasons, some facilities may be removed or closed, or entertainment and event timetables cancelled and/or altered at any time, including at short notice.  

Chatsworth reserves the right to change the programme of attractions and entertainment if, at any time, it is deemed necessary or appropriate to do so; this may also include closing attractions or areas of the estate. We apologise in advance for any disappointment caused should this need arise.

Over the Christmas market period (8 Nov - 14 Dec) some cars may be parked on grass, or temporary tracking across the parkland with a tractor and trailer shuttle service transporting visitors between numbered car park shuttle stops and the main car park.

Due to the time of year and the wet weather often experienced throughout Derbyshire, the walk from your car is likely to be very muddy. Please take care on trackways as they may become slippery. You may find it helpful to have access to a torch.

We strongly recommend that you wear sturdy footwear suitable for walking on uneven ground, and in wet and muddy conditions. We will not accept any responsibility for damage to footwear, or any personal possessions, including prams and pushchairs.

You can view a map of car parking during the Christmas market here: view map.

From 15 December, cars may be parked on grass or trackway in addition to the main car park. As above, these surfaces can become slippery and muddy in wet weather, so we advise all visitors to wear sturdy footwear suited to uneven ground and muddy conditions. We recommend you have access to a torch. 

If you have booked a Christmas at Chatsworth ticket, with access to the house, garden and farmyard, you can arrive at Chatsworth at any time after 9am on the day of your visit. The house, garden, farmyard, playground and most of our shops and restaurants open at 10am. View opening times here. 

Your house entry time is the time you selected when purchasing your tickets and is shown on your booking confirmation. Please arrive promptly as if you are more than 15 minutes late we may not be able to allow entry and no refunds will be given. 

You can enter the farmyard or garden at any time during the day. Last entry is one hour before closing.

Please note that the garden lights are best viewed at dusk or later and that some of the projections may finish slightly before closing so we recommend allowing plenty of time to complete the trail. If your house entry time is 4.30pm or later, we recommend viewing the garden before you enter the house so you have time to enjoy the full experience.

Our gift shops and restaurants will be open throughout the Christmas period. View opening times.

Only assistance dogs can be admitted to the house or farmyard and adventure playground.

As the Christmas at Chatsworth ticket includes entry to the house, garden, farmyard and adventure playground, we recommend dogs are left at home.

Please do not leave your dog in the car.

We do not allow gazebos, tents, awnings or temporary structures of any kind in the Garden, Farmyard or Playground. 

Barbecues, fire pits, camping rings, or any other form of open flame or gas-powered device are not allowed on the Chatsworth Estate at any time. 

Chinese Lanterns are not permitted on the Chatsworth Estate.

Food and drink are not allowed in the house, with the exception of bottled water.

In the interests of public safety and privacy, the flying of drones is not permitted anywhere on the Chatsworth Estate.

We have a designated Blue Badge parking area for registered Blue Badge holders. To use this service, you must select a Blue Badge parking space when booking your tickets online. 

Please display your blue badge clearly when arriving at Chatsworth so our team can direct you to the Blue Badge parking area. Additionally, remember to keep your Blue Badge visible on your dashboard while parked at Chatsworth.

A Blue Badge does not guarantee access to this area. If the Blue Badge parking area is full, our parking team will do their best to park you in the next available space closest to the house and garden entrances.

If you are visiting during the Christmas Market (8 Nov - 14 Dec), should this area become full, they will direct you to a space on the overflow parking that is closest to the tractor and trailer shuttle service. The shuttle service is wheelchair accessible.

Disabled badge holders pay the normal parking charge. 

If you would like any further information, please visit the accessibility section of our website.

Manual wheelchairs and electric scooters (garden only) are available for use in the house, garden and farmyard and can be added to your order when you book online for a charge of £5.

These can be collected from the main house gates.

Visitors with disabilities may bring an accompanying carer free of charge when paying for a full-price ticket. Carer tickets must be pre-booked online. Supporting documents are required at the entrances. Learn more.

Please view our site map for the location of our accessible toilets.

We also have an accessibility map, which is available online and at the garden entrance.

Handheld filming or photography for personal use is permitted in the house.  We do not allow tripods or flash photography.

Commercial photography and filming are not permitted. 

Please ensure you consider other visitors when taking photographs/video, and do not block thoroughfares. Anyone causing an obstruction will be asked to proceed along the visitor route. 

In the interests of public safety and privacy, the flying of drones is not permitted anywhere on the Chatsworth Estate.