Colchester Zoo is open daily from 9.30am except Christmas Day, closing at 4pm on winter weekdays. Christmas-day tickets from £21.15, Trail of Light from £15.50.
Colchester Zoo at Stanway stays open every day through the winter except Christmas Day, from 9.30am. From 2 November it closes at 4pm on term-time weekdays and 4.30pm at weekends and in school holidays, and last admission is an hour before closing. On its Magic of Christmas days tickets are cheaper than in autumn, and on selected evenings the Enchanted Trail of Light takes over the park.
The quick answer
Open daily from 9.30am, closed on Friday 25 December 2026. From 2 November to 24 December it closes at 4pm on term-time weekdays and 4.30pm at weekends and in school holidays. The evening Enchanted Trail of Light costs £15.50 or £18 a head and does not include the animals.
Opening times, autumn to Christmas
All from the zoo’s opening times page, checked on 25 September 2026. The zoo opens at 9.30am on every date, and says it may close up to 30 minutes early depending on trade.
| Dates | Term-time weekdays | Weekends and school holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep to 2 Oct | 5pm | 5.30pm |
| 3 Oct to 1 Nov | 4.30pm | 5pm |
| 2 Nov to 24 Dec | 4pm | 4.30pm |
| 25 Dec | Closed | |
On Magic of Christmas days the zoo opens early, from 8.30am. Times after Christmas Day are not yet on the page.
Ticket prices
Prices from the zoo’s admission ticket prices page. The zoo shows two sets: “with donation”, which adds a voluntary donation eligible for Gift Aid, and “without donation”. The figures below are without donation. E-tickets must be booked online at least 24 hours ahead, with a 50p booking fee per transaction. Under-3s and assistants go free.
| Visit dates | Adult (16 to 59) | Child (3 to 15) | Senior (60+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct to 1 Nov, gate | £28.75 | £21.25 | £27.25 |
| 1 Oct to 1 Nov, e-ticket | £23.00 | £17.00 | £21.80 |
| Magic of Christmas days, gate | £23.50 | £19.00 | £22.00 |
| Magic of Christmas days, e-ticket | £21.15 | £17.10 | £19.80 |
With the donation, a Magic of Christmas adult e-ticket is £23.27 and a child £18.81. Prices for ordinary November and December days that are not Magic of Christmas days were not on the page when we checked.
Magic of Christmas days
Magic of Christmas runs on 21, 22, 28 and 29 November and 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December 2026, with festive activities through the day. The zoo says more details are coming. These are also the only days of the Santa Experience grotto, £17 a child on top of admission; our Colchester Santa’s grottos page compares it with the Castle’s and the Mercury’s.
The Enchanted Trail of Light
The Enchanted Trail of Light is an evening illuminations trail through the park, with dancing fountains, a festive road train and food stops. It runs on 27, 28 and 29 November and 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 23, 27 and 28 December.
- £15.50 per person on off-peak slots: after 6.30pm on 27 to 29 November and 4, 6 and 11 December.
- £18 per person on every other slot.
- Tickets must be pre-booked for a timed arrival, with slots every 15 minutes. Under-3s go free without booking; under-16s need an adult over 18.
- It does not include the animals, the daytime events or the Santa Experience. The zoo closes to day visitors at 4pm on weekdays and 4.30pm at weekends before the trail opens.
- Food outlets on the trail are card only, and member discounts do not apply. There are hills and uneven ground, and wheelchairs and mobility scooters are not available to hire on trail nights.
The event page lists the dates without a year. It was last updated on 3 September 2026 and the dates fall on the weekday pattern of this year’s calendar.
Still to be confirmed
- Opening times from 26 December into January, not yet on the zoo’s site.
- Prices for ordinary November and December days that are not Magic of Christmas days.
- Magic of Christmas activity details, which the zoo says are coming soon.
We will check again at the start of November. For the October half term, when the zoo runs Shriek Week from 24 October to 1 November, see Colchester October half term.
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