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Is Christmas A Good Time To Visit The Isle of Wight?
The tourism brochures give a dreamy image of Christmas and New Year holidays on the Isle of Wight. There are crisp winter strolls on beaches, cosy pub lunches with roaring fires and attractive couples clinking champagne flutes.
The brochures tend to focus less on the howling winds and closed seafront attractions.
So, what is there actually to do on the Isle of Wight at Christmas? How does the weather compare to summer holidays on the Isle of Wight? And how much will an Isle of Wight holiday at Christmas or New Year cost you?
The brochures tend to focus less on the howling winds and closed seafront attractions.
So, what is there actually to do on the Isle of Wight at Christmas? How does the weather compare to summer holidays on the Isle of Wight? And how much will an Isle of Wight holiday at Christmas or New Year cost you?
Winter sunshine at Freshwater Bay (and two brave paddlers)
What's the weather like on the Isle of Wight at Christmas?
Let's be realistic here.
The Isle of Wight gets slightly better weather than most of England, but it is not the sort of place that will offer you guaranteed winter sunshine. In December, the Isle of Wight averages 64 hours of sunshine, whilst London manages 50 hours. The Lake District get about 50 hours of sunshine in December.
That means that you'll get an average of two hours sunshine per day on the Isle of Wight at Christmas and New Year. More likely, you'll get one or two nice days over a week and several grey days.
During summer, the Isle of Wight averages 270 hours per month or about nine hours per day. I know it may not feel like that, but that's what the Met Office says.
Over the whole year, the Isle of Wight gets about 400 - 500 hours a year more sunshine than London. This is my favourite stat to whip out of my top pocket when someone queries my (admittedly dubious) slogan that 'the sun always shines on the Isle of Wight'.
You can expect temperatures on the Isle of Wight at Christmas to be about 5-9 Celsius. An environmental health inspector would tell you that was slightly too warm for a fridge, but not far off.
The Isle of Wight gets slightly better weather than most of England, but it is not the sort of place that will offer you guaranteed winter sunshine. In December, the Isle of Wight averages 64 hours of sunshine, whilst London manages 50 hours. The Lake District get about 50 hours of sunshine in December.
That means that you'll get an average of two hours sunshine per day on the Isle of Wight at Christmas and New Year. More likely, you'll get one or two nice days over a week and several grey days.
During summer, the Isle of Wight averages 270 hours per month or about nine hours per day. I know it may not feel like that, but that's what the Met Office says.
Over the whole year, the Isle of Wight gets about 400 - 500 hours a year more sunshine than London. This is my favourite stat to whip out of my top pocket when someone queries my (admittedly dubious) slogan that 'the sun always shines on the Isle of Wight'.
You can expect temperatures on the Isle of Wight at Christmas to be about 5-9 Celsius. An environmental health inspector would tell you that was slightly too warm for a fridge, but not far off.
The Isle of Wight gets plenty of sunshine in summer...but only a couple of hours a day at Christmas and New Year
And what about rain?
Rain on the Isle of Wight peaks in November and December, with about twice as much rain as you get in summer. The Isle of Wight gets quite a lot more rain than London over Christmas, but about half as much as they get in the Lake District.
What is there to do on the Isle of Wight at Christmas and New Year?
The first thing to point out is that quite a lot of the Isle of Wight's attractions go into hibernation in November and don't wake up until Easter.
That's certainly not the case with all of them, but don't turn up and expect every single attraction to be open every day of the week. For example, Blackgang Chine is closed completely at Christmas, whilst Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle are only open on certain days.
Typically, you will find that pubs stay open all year round but that many seafront cafes and restaurants will be closed at Christmas.
The choice of attractions is limited, but there's enough to do for a week's holiday, regardless of whether you are travelling with young children, older children, as a couple or a single traveller.
Our guide to 20 days out in winter covers the options in more detail, but some of our favourites include:
There are also some Christmas events that we have enjoyed in recent years including:
I would caution that lots of these events take place in the run up to Christmas. If you arrive for New Year, you will find some of them have finished.
My advice for a Christmas holiday on the Isle of Wight is to plan around the weather. When the sun cracks through the clouds you can rush out the door for a lovely walk along a quiet beach. When the wind and rain arrives, head for the cinema or Tapnell Farm Park.
Of course, what happens with children is that by the time you've actually left the house the sun has gone away again...
Walking is a good option, of course, but I would focus on tarmacked seafront routes rather than the more rural walks. Some of them will be very muddy and you may end up getting glares from publicans. Many pubs proudly display a sign saying 'muddy boots welcome' but you may not want to test that out too enthusiastically.
One other piece of advice I would offer is that some beaches look better in winter than others. A walk along Sandown seafront on a grey and windy day in December can be pretty bleak. However, a trip to Freshwater Bay can be quite entertaining on a stormy day as you can watch the waves crashing against the rocks (from a safe distance).
That's certainly not the case with all of them, but don't turn up and expect every single attraction to be open every day of the week. For example, Blackgang Chine is closed completely at Christmas, whilst Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle are only open on certain days.
Typically, you will find that pubs stay open all year round but that many seafront cafes and restaurants will be closed at Christmas.
The choice of attractions is limited, but there's enough to do for a week's holiday, regardless of whether you are travelling with young children, older children, as a couple or a single traveller.
Our guide to 20 days out in winter covers the options in more detail, but some of our favourites include:
- indoor larking around at Tapnell Farm Park
- animal attractions such as Monkey Haven or Wildheart Animal Sanctuary
- trips to the cinema in Ryde or Newport
- bowling in Ryde, or amusements in Sandown and Shanklin
There are also some Christmas events that we have enjoyed in recent years including:
- Southern Vectis' tour of the Isle of Wight's best Christmas light displays. You can either do this on an official tour on an open top bus (bring a warm hat and a can-do spirit) or find the map and drive round a few in your car.
- The Isle of Wight Steam Railway's Christmas event. This involves riding on a steam train and picking up a mince pie and gift from Father Christmas (or something similar)
- Boxing Day swims, where hardy sorts run into the sea in fancy dress and try to pretend it isn't horrible in winter. Ventnor's Boxing Day swim tends to be a popular one.
- Pantomimes at Shanklin Theatre (other theatres are also available, but this is the one we've been to recently).
- New Year's Day fireworks in Sandown. We've generally found the Isle of Wight to be quiet on New Year's Eve, but there is sometimes a display on the following day. If you want a New Year's Eve party you'll be able to find a pub with a party but don't expect a massive parade or anything.
I would caution that lots of these events take place in the run up to Christmas. If you arrive for New Year, you will find some of them have finished.
My advice for a Christmas holiday on the Isle of Wight is to plan around the weather. When the sun cracks through the clouds you can rush out the door for a lovely walk along a quiet beach. When the wind and rain arrives, head for the cinema or Tapnell Farm Park.
Of course, what happens with children is that by the time you've actually left the house the sun has gone away again...
Walking is a good option, of course, but I would focus on tarmacked seafront routes rather than the more rural walks. Some of them will be very muddy and you may end up getting glares from publicans. Many pubs proudly display a sign saying 'muddy boots welcome' but you may not want to test that out too enthusiastically.
One other piece of advice I would offer is that some beaches look better in winter than others. A walk along Sandown seafront on a grey and windy day in December can be pretty bleak. However, a trip to Freshwater Bay can be quite entertaining on a stormy day as you can watch the waves crashing against the rocks (from a safe distance).
A tour of Christmas decorations on the Isle of Wight is an easy activity
Is Christmas a cheap time to stay on the Isle of Wight?
The good news is that you can get some cheap deals on the ferry and on accommodation on the Isle of Wight over Christmas, New Year and Twixmas (that's what awful marketing people call the bit in between Christmas and New Year).
It is far cheaper than summer (as you'd expect) but it's not as cheap as January or November as the schools are off.
The Island is far from capacity, so with a bit of digging you can find some cheap places to stay. Some holiday parks and most camping/touring sites close over Christmas including the four Parkdean Resorts on the Isle of Wight. However, several others stay open over Christmas including three Away Resorts sites called The Bay Colwell, The Lakes Rookley and Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park (these three also do cheap ferry deals).
Let's look at a couple of examples for dates over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
We looked for a week's holiday for four people at The Lakes Rookley and found that the cheapest caravan over Christmas 2024 is £349. The ferry is only £64 return if you booked from Southampton with Away Resorts' discount. That's about £15 per person, per night including the ferry.
The same caravan in August 2025 is £844. Ferry crossings weren't available for booking that far in advance, but I would expect it to about twice the December price with the Away Resorts discount.
You might prefer the idea of a self catering cottage to a holiday resort in winter. Caravans and lodges on holiday parks can be cosy in winter, but you need to get one with double glazing and central heating rather than relying on a buzzing single bar heater in the lounge.
Self catering cottages don't tend to be quite as cheap as holiday parks in winter. This is because owners have to pay a big chunk to the letting agent and another big chunk to the cleaners (whereas holiday parks do everything in house and on a larger scale).
For the same dates over Christmas, we found that a two bedroom cottage on the Isle of Wight at HolidayCottages.co.uk starts at about £650, which is roughly twice the price of The Lakes Rookley. In August, prices for a two bedroom cottage on the Isle of Wight start at about £1100.
You can also get a discount on the Isle of Wight ferry with HolidayCottages.co.uk but it's not quite as generous as the Away Resorts discount.
It is far cheaper than summer (as you'd expect) but it's not as cheap as January or November as the schools are off.
The Island is far from capacity, so with a bit of digging you can find some cheap places to stay. Some holiday parks and most camping/touring sites close over Christmas including the four Parkdean Resorts on the Isle of Wight. However, several others stay open over Christmas including three Away Resorts sites called The Bay Colwell, The Lakes Rookley and Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park (these three also do cheap ferry deals).
Let's look at a couple of examples for dates over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
We looked for a week's holiday for four people at The Lakes Rookley and found that the cheapest caravan over Christmas 2024 is £349. The ferry is only £64 return if you booked from Southampton with Away Resorts' discount. That's about £15 per person, per night including the ferry.
The same caravan in August 2025 is £844. Ferry crossings weren't available for booking that far in advance, but I would expect it to about twice the December price with the Away Resorts discount.
You might prefer the idea of a self catering cottage to a holiday resort in winter. Caravans and lodges on holiday parks can be cosy in winter, but you need to get one with double glazing and central heating rather than relying on a buzzing single bar heater in the lounge.
Self catering cottages don't tend to be quite as cheap as holiday parks in winter. This is because owners have to pay a big chunk to the letting agent and another big chunk to the cleaners (whereas holiday parks do everything in house and on a larger scale).
For the same dates over Christmas, we found that a two bedroom cottage on the Isle of Wight at HolidayCottages.co.uk starts at about £650, which is roughly twice the price of The Lakes Rookley. In August, prices for a two bedroom cottage on the Isle of Wight start at about £1100.
You can also get a discount on the Isle of Wight ferry with HolidayCottages.co.uk but it's not quite as generous as the Away Resorts discount.
The Lakes Rookley had some cheap accommodation at Christmas when we checked
