Ho Ho Ho: Here are the best Santa experiences in Dublin this year

It's beginning to look a lot like – eh, November.

And as any parent knows, that just means that from here on out, until December 25th rolls around, your calendar is about to fill up to the brim with activities and school plays and carol services and bake sales and everything else that comes with this time a year. To many young families, a visit to Santa's Grotto also feature high on the list of December must-do's. And if you have yet to book yours and fancy a trip to the capital this holiday season, one of our absolute favourite bloggers, Dublin City Mum, just revealed what are the absolute best Santa experiences to bring your little ones to in Dublin this year. "The Santa experiences are in no particular order. I'm not a magic fairy elf who's been to them all but the experiences below are the top ranked, come highly recommended and I would happily bring my family to any of them." So; without further ado – ho-ho-ho – these are the best places to go: Christmas at Luggwoods Enchanted Forest Child: €19.00 | Adult: €14.00 The magical journey begins when you enter the beautiful enchanted Luggwoods forest. Before your journey to meet Santa Claus, you’ll be greeted by fairy tale characters.  Jump on Board Santa’s tractor drawn carriage which takes you through the Twinkling lights of the The Enchanted Forest and down to The Luggwoods Big Red Barn. The Luggwoods fairy tale characters and of course Santa’s Elves will be your guides. They will sing and interact with everyone as they tell you the story of Luggwoods Santa’s Enchanted Forest. You even get to meet the grumpy old Grinch along the way! You’ll meet Mrs Claus, Rudolph and the reindeer’s, hear stories from the Luggwoods characters and do a Christmas dance in Santa’s wonderful rustic decorated barns. You and your family will meet the real Santa Claus with a personal visit for just your family together. He’ll even have a present for all the boys and girls. There are professional photos available with Santa himself and you can have your photo taken on his giant wooden Luggwoods sleigh. After all that, you can spend time in the barn and enjoy lots of entertainment and the kids get to enjoy their free hot chocolate. The Christmas Experience at Airfield Estate Child: €22.50 | Adult: €12.50 (discount available for Airfield Estate Members) The Christmas Experience at Airfield Estate is a wonderful, old-fashioned, traditional Christmas event for all the family. Begin your Christmas experience by meeting Santa’s friendly elves for festive face painting before penning your festive wishes to Santa and posting to The North Pole. You’ll then join Santa in the beautiful setting of Airfield House for magical story-time and handcrafted gifts which are presented in a reusable cloth sack. The Elves will be waiting for you in their kitchen to decorate homemade, Estate cookies and serve up steaming cups of hot chocolate with festive toppings (or spiced winter warmer for the grown up’s!) In the Christmas Craft Workshop, kids will roll up their sleeves and create their own unique, take-home holiday art piece. Then it’s all aboard The North Pole Express for a blast of fresh-air and a special trip around Airfield Estate, keeping an eye out for our resident animals along the way.This year Airfield are proudly supporting Team Hope. All families who attend The Christmas Experience who donate a new toy will receive a free family picture on Santa’s sleigh. Adults attending The Christmas Experience will also receive a festive recipe card from Culinary Lead, Luke Matthews as well as a FREE return pass to visit Airfield Estate in the New Year. On Saturday 8th December, there’ll be special ASD and hearing impaired sessions with sensory friendly alternatives and sign interpreters. Santa’s Grotto at EPIC Child: €20.00 | Under 12 months: FREE, Age 1-3: €8.50, Age 4-12: €12.50, Adult: €15 Join EPIC for an unforgettable Christmas experience with Santa’s Grotto at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum! Begin your magical journey in the atmospheric vaults of The CHQ Building in Dublin’s City Centre. Your family will be welcomed by Mrs. Claus and Santa’s elves before meeting Santa in his magical grotto. Visit Santa in his magical grotto and receive a special gift. Help Mrs. Claus create her world famous recipe of reindeer food and take home your very own pouch to feed the reindeers on Christmas Eve. Write and post your letter to Santa. Visit EPIC's award winning interactive museum. Take part in our Discovery Trail map to find out intriguing Christmas facts from around the world. Visit Santa for Free @ National Botanic Gardens Child: FREE |Sunday 9 December only Santa is coming to the Botanic Gardens. Come and experience the magic of Christmas with a free visit to Santa and his helpers. Savour the festive atmosphere as you listen to a live Choir and view the giant Christmas tree and handmade wreaths. Fill your bags with locally handcrafted goodies from our Christmas Craft Market. This year the market will boast nearly 50 gorgeous stalls brimming with food and gift ideas. Free tickets to visit Santa are available only on Sunday 9th December at the Education & Visitor Centre. The Christmas Market is open all day. Visits to Santa run from 1.30pm. Santa Claus at Killruddery at Killruddery House Child: €22.00 A fire will be blazing in Santa’s grotto this Christmas with lights strung to illuminate Mrs. Claus’s ancient book as she reads a story and the elves serve warm Christmas drinks. Don’t miss this magical family experience with themed arts, craft, games and sing songs, before handing Santa Claus the all-important Christmas lists and receiving a gift to take away! Your visit to Santa Claus will begin at Elf Holly's registration desk. Santa Claus' elves will bring you in for some fireside story time and singing with Mrs Claus. Once settled the elves will have some milk and home-made cookies* for the children while the adults offered a little mulled wine, tea or coffee. Me & The Moon have collaborated with Santa Claus and his elves to create a special workshop where children will participate in making a festive craft. The children will helped by the elves and when they are finished their crafts, it's time to visit Santa Claus' Sleigh. Santa Claus' sleigh creates perfect photo moments while you wait for your family's individual visit to Santa Claus himself. Here is your chance to tell Santa Claus all about your year and leave your Christmas list. Santa Claus wants to give each child a small but special gift to remember this moment by. Visit Santa at Avoca Powerscourt Child: €15.00 The Big Guy is back! Yes, that’s right, it’s that time of year again. Santa Claus himself will be making his way to Avoca Powerscourt very soon! From Saturday 17th November Santa and Mrs Claus will be joining us at Avoca Powerscourt, where there will be a Winter wonderland set to surprise and delight all visitors. Christmas animals at the Powerscourt Garden Pavilion, tasty festive treats, Winter walks, gifting workshops at Cool Planet and more, this year’s Christmas Festivities at Avoca Powerscourt have it all! For more great Santa experiences in Dublin, check out Dublin City Mum.