Where are the best ice rinks UK wide this winter? You know the ones? They resurface the ice regularly, hire skates don’t feel like bricks and the family atmosphere is great.
We’ve laced up and glided forth on some amazing ice rinks recently. Take a look at the ones we can personally recommend for kids, teens and anyone who loves hot chocolate and has cosy mittens.
Somerset House: one of the most festive ice rinks this winter
We’re putting Skate at Somerset House at the top of our London list again this year for its grand setting and the no holds barred approach to Christmas Trees which puts a giant 40 footer-in pride of place.
Curated sessions and the potential to win prizes
This year’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic Holidays means curated evenings inspired by the spirit of travel, as well as the chance to win all sorts of prizes.
If it’s time to stop hugging the edge of the rink, lessons are available from Skate School and Kids Skate Club (get your skates on for these, they sell out fast). Or when you want to take your first steps on the ice without help, Chilled Sessions on selected weekday mornings let you do just that. Plus, Skate is all about accessibility with dedicated wheelchair skate sessions this year, although wheelchair users are welcome to skate any time they like too.
Skate Lounge by Whispering Angel delivers festive cheer and rink-side views. As always Somerset has made space for exciting pop-up restaurants and bars throughout the season. And Skate Lates is back, courtesy of Rock Angel: good for cool teens who think they’re too grown up to skate these days.
Dates: now until 12 January 2025
Where: Somerset House London
See our recommended hotels near Somerset House
Skating on the UK’s largest outdoor rink Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland: the largest of outdoor ice rinks in the UK
Colour us not even slightly surprised that Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has the largest outdoor ice rink in the UK. Immense it may be, but we can confirm they take good care of the ice, so it’s a bump and rut free surface day and night. We’re not going to apologise for going on about how important this is. Having clomped round many rough rinks with kids we know from bitter experience, it’s the polar opposite of fun!
Despite its insane white-knuckle rides, Winter Wonderland really scores high on winter enchantment. The entire rink sits under a canopy of fairy lights and there’s even a Victorian bandstand in play. So if your dream rink is closely aligned to a good old fashioned Christmas card, you won’t be disappointed.
Go early with younger kids for crowd-free skating
No skating lessons here, although if you go in the morning the rink is practically deserted. Admittedly you’ll miss out on the full twinkly light and after dark funfair dazzle. But having the largest ice rink in the UK almost all to yourself is fair compensation.
The rink has Penguin Skate Aids for younger kids and bob skates – twin bladed skates that fit over outdoor shoes- for older kids. Skate hire is included in the ticket price and bob skates are free if you want them.
Another rink where wheelchair users can skate with ease, this one even has ramps, on and off the ice.
Dates: now until 5 January 2025
Where: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
See our recommended hotels near Hyde Park
Twilight, Royal Pavilion © Brighton Pictures
The Royal Pavilion, Brighton: greenest skating this winter
This could very well be the most beautiful of all ice rinks this year. As if loveliness wasn’t enough, The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink is also the only one in the UK powered entirely with renewable energy. So it’s green and gorgeous, how can you resist?
Go in the evening when the eccentric Royal Pavilion is floodlit, and skate to your heart’s content in spellbinding splendour, without a hint of guilt. That may not mean a whole heap to kids, but trust us the full-on magnificence of the setting won’t be lost on them.
Brighton has two ice rinks, one just for beginners
The main rink is fairly enormous and if you can stay upright on skates, that’s the place to be. Edge huggers and beginners have their own separate rink which even has a safe-area for the very youngest skaters to get confident. This is another rink with Penguin Skate Aids and bob-skates for kids.
The Royal Pavilion sits in North Laine, so you’re surrounded by colourful Christmassy bustle and plenty of great independent shops. However, if you need refuelling quick, the rink-side Bar & Kitchen serves up cosy drinks and snacks. It’s also a great spot to spectate for parents who don’t want to venture out on to the ice themselves. But you really should. Even a once round is close to magical and who doesn’t need more of that at this time of year?
Dates: now until 5 January 2025
Where: The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink, Brighton
See our recommended hotels near The Royal Pavilion
Glide, Battersea Power Station, London
Glide, Battersea Power Station: London’s ice rinks on the river
Glide at Battersea Power Station is back for its second year with its amazing skateable space, and not one but three interconnecting ice rinks, making a change from the round-and-round experience. It’s also happens to have one London’s most iconic buildings as a backdrop and, it’s the only ice rink with river views.
Full-festive pretty much sums up the atmosphere here this winter. Fairy lights are very much in evidence, so there’s a lot of twinkling going on, everywhere. The Glide Christmas tree isn’t quite as big as the Somerset House monster but, coming in at a not insubstantial 30ft, it’s plenty impressive.
See our skating skills at Glide this November
Catch a boat to Glide for full festive day out feels
This is definitely one teens will like. It can get a little busy for younger kids in the evening, but it opens just after 9am, so go early and you’ll have more room to slip and slide around. Local food vendors provide the snacking at Glide, although Battersea Power Station is awash with restaurants and shops too. Plus, there’s a vintage funfair on site as well, if you know anyone small who likes carousels or helter-skelters. And don’t forget, you can catch an Uber Boat to Thames Clippers Pier to go skating at Glide.
Dates: now until 05 January 2025
Where: Battersea Power Station
See our recommended hotels near Battersea Power Station
Canary Wharf: the longest running of London’s ice rinks
We’re starting this one with a caveat: if you want the full, glittery, festive extravaganza, this isn’t that. The Ice Rink Canary Wharf keeps it simple, clean and has a whole flock of Penguin Skate Aids, so it’s great for kids. What it lacks in magic it more than makes up for in space and the fact that it’s fully covered is another big plus.
Organised seems to be the watchword here, there’s even a reminder to ‘skate in one direction’. That might not chime with free spirited frost sprites, but it’s pretty helpful if you’re wrangling a toddler round the ice for the first time.
Canary Wharf makes skating with kids easy
Warm changing areas with good size lockers make life a lot easier especially if you’re dealing with more than one kid. And should all that make it sound a bit too utilitarian, cast your eyes upwards to the giant mirror ball, nothing utilitarian about that baby!
Canary Wharf is also the first of the London ice rinks to open every year and the last to close, so you can skate here into February. That might not have the Christmassy vibe you’re looking for now, but come the end of January it could be just the day out you need. And of course, slightly off season means fewer revelling crowds in early 2025.
Dates: now until 23 February 2024
Where and When: Ice Rink Canary Wharf, Canada Square Park
See our recommended hotels near Canary Wharf
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn commission when you click on them. This does not influence our editorial standards. We only recommend products and services we believe will enhance your family travel experience.