Christmas at Bedgebury runs 33 nights from 20 November. Twelve are off peak at £19 an adult, not £27.50, and buying on the day costs £2 more. Parking is £10.
Christmas at Bedgebury, the illuminated trail at Bedgebury National Pinetum near Goudhurst, runs on 33 evenings from Friday 20 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. Entry is timed, tickets and parking must be bought in advance, and the price depends on the night: twelve evenings are off peak, at £19 an adult instead of £27.50. Forestry England’s own timetable shows which are which (Forestry England).
The quick answer
- Dates: 20 to 22 November, 27 to 29 November, 2 to 6 December, 9 to 24 December and 26 to 31 December 2026.
- Times: entry slots every 15 minutes, from 4pm. The last slot is 7.30pm on most nights, 8pm on Saturday 5 December and from 11 to 13 December, 8.15pm from 18 to 23 December, and 7pm on Christmas Eve and from 26 to 31 December.
- Prices in advance: adult £19 off peak, £27.50 standard; child aged 3 to 16 £13 or £19; family of two adults and two children £62 or £91. Under-3s and personal assistants go free but must be booked.
- On the day every ticket costs more: £21 or £29.50 an adult.
- Parking: £10 a car, bought in advance with the tickets.
- Where: Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst, TN17 2SJ.
What the trail is
Forestry England says the 2026 trail is “reimagined” with new installations. The Christmas Cathedral returns, and the new piece this year is a Laser Garden, alongside the pinetum’s tall trees lit up after dark. There are food and drink stalls, including hot chocolate and marshmallows toasted over open flames, all charged separately. Dogs are allowed on a short lead.
Every night, and whether it is off peak
Forestry England publishes a one-page time grid for the whole run (Christmas at Bedgebury 2026 time grid, PDF). It colours each night by price band. Read from that grid on 3 October:
| Night | Price band | Entry slots |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 20 Nov | Off peak | 4.30pm to 7.30pm |
| Sat 21 Nov | Standard | 4.30pm to 7.30pm (4pm relaxed session) |
| Sun 22 Nov | Standard | 4.30pm to 7.30pm |
| Fri 27 Nov | Off peak | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov | Standard | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Wed 2 Dec | Off peak | 4.30pm to 7.30pm (4pm relaxed session) |
| Thu 3 Dec | Off peak | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Fri 4 and Sun 6 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Sat 5 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 8pm |
| Wed 9 and Thu 10 Dec | Off peak | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Fri 11 to Sun 13 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 8pm |
| Mon 14 Dec | Off peak | 4.30pm to 7.30pm (4pm relaxed session) |
| Tue 15 to Thu 17 Dec | Off peak | 4pm to 7.30pm |
| Fri 18 to Wed 23 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 8.15pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 7pm |
| Sat 26 to Mon 28 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 7pm |
| Tue 29 and Wed 30 Dec | Off peak | 4pm to 7pm |
| Thu 31 Dec | Standard | 4pm to 7pm |
The trail is shut on 23 to 26 November, 30 November and 1 December, 7 and 8 December, and Christmas Day.
The cheap nights are midweek and early. Ten of the twelve off-peak evenings fall before 18 December. Every Saturday is standard price. A family of four saves £29 by going on an off-peak night, £62 against £91 in advance.
Prices
All prices include booking fees, according to Forestry England.
| Ticket | Off peak, in advance | Standard, in advance | Off peak, on the day | Standard, on the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | £19.00 | £27.50 | £21.00 | £29.50 |
| Child, 3 to 16 | £13.00 | £19.00 | £15.00 | £21.00 |
| Family, 2 adults and 2 children | £62.00 | £91.00 | £70.00 | £99.00 |
| Infant, 0 to 2 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Personal assistant | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Anytime tickets let you in at any slot on the date you choose, once: £33 an adult or £23 a child off peak, £46.50 or £31 standard. The on-the-day prices come from the time grid; the event page itself says “Advanced booking is essential”, so do not count on tickets being left on the night.
Infant and personal assistant places are free but have to be booked with a full-price ticket.
Parking
Parking is £10 a car and has to be bought in advance, in the same order as the trail tickets. It is the charge people most often miss. Blue Badge spaces are in the Visitor Centre car park, and the £10 charge still applies.
Forestry England members get one free space, but only by booking the “car parking (members)” ticket and entering a membership number; no other parking ticket carries the offer, and it only works through Forestry England’s own booking site.
If you are driving out from Tunbridge Wells, check roadworks and travel before you set off. For parking in the town itself, see our parking page.
Relaxed sessions
Three quieter sessions are set aside for adults and young people with additional needs: Saturday 21 November, Wednesday 2 December and Monday 14 December, each in the 4pm slot. The 21 November session is at standard prices and the other two at off-peak prices. They are booked through a separate link on the event page.
More Christmas dates nearby
The lights switch-on in Tunbridge Wells is on Saturday 14 November, and The Pantiles Christmas market opens the day before: both are on our Christmas lights and festive dates page. The Polar Express at the Spa Valley Railway has its own dates and times page, and Scotney Castle’s trail is on our Scotney in winter page.
Sources
- Forestry England: Christmas at Bedgebury, read 3 October 2026
- Forestry England: Christmas at Bedgebury 2026 time grid (PDF), read 3 October 2026
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