Christmas at Stowe runs 21 November to 3 January, 10am to 4pm, closed 24 and 25 December. Claydon House opens for House of Bells from 14 November.
Christmas at Stowe runs from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, 10am to 4pm, according to the Stowe Gardens events listing. The gardens are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and open again on Boxing Day. Nearby, Claydon House reopens for its Christmas event, House of Bells, from Saturday 14 November.
With Waddesdon Manor pausing its Christmas this year, these two National Trust places near Buckingham are the closest big-house Christmas days out to Aylesbury in 2026.
The quick answer
- Stowe: Christmas trail and elves’ workshop, 21 November to 3 January, 10am to 4pm, shut 24 and 25 December. Adults £18, children £9, family £45; under-5s and National Trust members free.
- Claydon House: House of Bells from 14 November. The house opens on 14 and 15 November, then Friday to Sunday from 20 November to 20 December, 10.30am to 3.30pm. Adults £12, children £6, family £30; members free.
- Parking is free at both.
Christmas at Stowe: 21 November to 3 January
The National Trust’s Christmas at Stowe page describes a Christmas journey through the gardens built around how Christmas is celebrated in other countries:
- Start at New Inn, the visitor centre, which becomes Stowe’s “Christmas headquarters”. You can look into the elves’ workshop and add your own family tradition to a community wall.
- Then walk the Christmas trail through the landscape with a festive passport, collecting stamps and festive facts from different countries, with photo stops on the way.
- Food and shopping: seasonal hot chocolate and Christmas treats in the café, gifts and decorations in the shop, and the second-hand bookshop in the Old Dairy and Visitor Centre.
The events listing gives the trail’s dates and times but no separate ticket price, so plan on normal garden admission. The Trust’s Christmas page itself carries no year; the dates on this page come from the events listing.
Opening times over Christmas
From the National Trust’s own opening calendar for Stowe:
| Dates | Garden, café and New Inn | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| 21 November to 23 December | 10am to 4pm | 10.30am to 4pm |
| 24 and 25 December | Closed | Closed |
| 26 December onwards | 10am to 4pm | 10.30am to 4pm |
The parkland around the garden stays open every day, Christmas Day included, 10am to 4pm. The Potting Shed kiosk keeps winter hours of 10am to 3pm until 12 February 2027.
Stowe prices
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (18+) | £18 |
| Child (5 to 17) | £9 |
| Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) | £45 |
| 1 adult, up to 4 children | £27 |
| Under 5s | Free |
The Trust lists slightly higher Gift Aid prices beside these (£19.80 for an adult). National Trust members and RHS members get in free, and parking is free (National Trust admission prices).
Other dates at Stowe
Also on the Stowe events listing in the run-up to Christmas:
- Santa Paws Community Dog Walk, Saturday 5 December, 10.30am to noon, with Tails on the Trails and Inspiring Tails.
- 5K Santa Run, Sunday 6 December, 9am to 11am.
- Diwali at Stowe, 6 to 10 November, 10am to 4pm, with diya painting and a mehndi session on 7 November and a Diwali story puppet show on 8 November.
Stowe Gardens is at Buckingham MK18 5EQ, north-west of Buckingham town centre. Stowe House, at the heart of the gardens, is run separately from the National Trust.
Claydon House: House of Bells from 14 November
Claydon House at Middle Claydon, MK18 2EY, is closed at the moment. The National Trust’s notice for the house says: “We look forward to welcoming you back for House of Bells from 14 November.”
The Trust’s opening calendar has the house open on these days, 10.30am to 3.30pm, with last recommended entry an hour before closing:
- Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November
- Friday to Sunday every week from 20 November to 20 December: 20 to 22 November, 27 to 29 November, 4 to 6 December, 11 to 13 December and 18 to 20 December
Nothing is listed after 20 December. The garden is closed for the winter and reopens in March 2027. The Phoenix Kitchen café, run by the Claydon Estate rather than the Trust, stays open Thursday to Monday, 10am to 4pm.
Prices: adults £12, children (5 to 17) £6, family £30, one adult with up to four children £18; under-5s and members free. The Trust says there is no need to prebook: tickets are sold at reception on arrival, and parking is free (National Trust admission prices).
What House of Bells involves is set out on the Trust’s event page, which blocks automated readers, so we have not been able to check its description. We will add it when we can read it.
Getting there
Both places are near Buckingham and are easiest by car; parking is free at both. If you are coming through Aylesbury on the A413, our roadworks and travel page has what is live on the roads, and our Aylesbury parking page covers the town centre if you are combining the trip with a day in town.
More Christmas near Aylesbury: the Christmas lights switch-on, Santa’s grottos, the ice rink and the Christmas markets.
Sources
- National Trust, Stowe Gardens events (dates of Christmas at Stowe, the Santa run, the dog walk and Diwali) and Christmas at Stowe Gardens
- National Trust places data: Stowe Gardens place record, opening times and admission prices; Claydon House place record and notice, opening times and admission prices
All checked on 22 October 2026.
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