Somerset House: Ice Rink Tickets, Free Entry, Opening Hours and How to Beat the Winter Crowds
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Updated 10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Quick answer
Somerset House is free to enter and open every day from 8 am to 11 pm: the courtyard, the riverside terrace and the public spaces cost nothing. You pay for some exhibitions, the Courtauld Gallery inside the Strand entrance, and in winter the Skate ice rink, which runs 11 November to 10 January. Skate tickets start from £13 for adults and £11 for children (plus a £1.50 booking fee), sessions last 45 minutes, skate hire is included, and the cheapest weekday daytime slots go first. Book early, aim for a weekday session before 3 pm, and arrive 30 minutes before your start time.
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Adults from £13, children (12 and under) from £11, + £1.50 fee
Skate session
45 minutes, hourly 11 am-9 pm; skate hire included
Spectators
Free
Paid inside
Courtauld Gallery, Embankment Galleries, some exhibitions
Best time
Weekday daytime; Skate Lates for atmosphere, not space
Time to allow
1 hour to wander; 1.5 hours with skating
How busy is Somerset House?
For most of the year, Somerset House is one of central London's calmest big spaces: a vast neoclassical courtyard between the Strand and the Thames where office workers eat lunch and visitors wander through to the river. It gets busy at three times: during Skate in winter, on summer afternoons when the courtyard fountains are running and children play in them, and on the opening days of a big exhibition or event.
When
What to expect
Verdict
Weekday mornings
Quiet courtyard, few visitors
Best
Weekday lunchtimes
Office crowd in the courtyard and cafés
Moderate
Skate weekday daytime sessions
The calmest ice of the season
Best for skating
Skate evenings and weekends
Busiest sessions, highest prices
Worst
Christmas week (26-31 Dec)
Sessions from 9 am, very busy
Book early
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for Somerset House, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Quietest time
Monday, 7-11 pm
Busiest time
Saturday, 12-9 pm
When
What to expect
Verdict
Weekdays, 8-11 am
Light crowds, easy to move around and take photos. Most visitors haven't arrived yet.
Best
Weekdays, 11 am-3 pm
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Peak sightseeing hours, when most visitors are on site.
Worst
Weekdays, 3-6 pm
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Stays busy into the afternoon.
Worst
Weekdays, 6-11 pm
Skate at Somerset House: tickets and how to get a good session
The courtyard ice rink is the most famous winter pop-up in London, and the reason most people search for Somerset House tickets. It runs from 11 November to 10 January, every day except Christmas Day.
Details
Adult tickets
From £13 (up to £28.50 at the busiest times)
Children (12 and under)
From £11 (up to £15)
Booking fee
£1.50 per ticket
Session length
45 minutes
Session times
On the hour, 11 am-9 pm; extra 9 am, 10 am and 10 pm sessions on selected dates
Skate hire
Included
Families and concessions
Family tickets save 10%; 20% concession on certain sessions
Exchanges
Up to 48 hours before, £4.50 per ticket; no refunds
What's free and what's paid
Space
Cost
Courtyard, terrace, public spaces
Free
Many displays and some exhibitions
Free
Embankment Galleries exhibitions
Usually ticketed
Courtauld Gallery
Paid (adults £14-£16; 18 and under free)
Skate (winter)
Ticketed
Somerset House also hosts Somerset House Studios, artists' workspaces with regular free shows, and changing events across the year. The fountains in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court are switched off in winter.
A route through Somerset House
1. Enter from the Strand
The Strand entrance is open 8 am to 11 pm. The Courtauld Gallery is right here, off the entrance archway; if you're visiting, do it first while it's quiet.
2. The Fountain Court
The great courtyard, home of the ice rink in winter and the fountains in summer. The rink-side viewing areas are free.
3. Galleries and exhibitions
Check what's on in the wings around the courtyard and in the riverside Embankment Galleries.
4. The river terrace
Walk through to the terrace above the Embankment for a view along the Thames to the City and the South Bank. One of the quietest viewpoints in central London.
Getting there
Somerset House is on the Strand, WC2R, by Waterloo Bridge. Temple (District and Circle lines) is the closest Tube, with Covent Garden, Embankment and Charing Cross all within about 10 minutes' walk. Waterloo is over the bridge. Somerset House is cashless.
Mistakes to avoid
Leaving Skate tickets for a December weekend until the week before.
Arriving at your session's start time instead of 30 minutes early.
Bringing shopping bags or a rucksack to skate: everything goes in the cloakroom, and only the first item is free.
Yes. The courtyard, terrace and public spaces are free, daily from 8 am to 11 pm. The Courtauld Gallery, some exhibitions and the winter ice rink are paid.
When is the Somerset House ice rink open?
+
Skate runs from 11 November to 10 January, every day except Christmas Day.
How much does it cost to skate at Somerset House?
+
Adult tickets start from £13 and children's (12 and under) from £11, plus a £1.50 booking fee per ticket. Prices rise for busier sessions.
How long is a skating session at Somerset House?
+
45 minutes. Some extended 90-minute sessions run on selected days.
Is skate hire included at Somerset House?
+
Yes, skate boot hire is included in the ticket price.
Heading to Somerset House?
See how busy it is right now and the quietest hours for your date, then walk in when the line is short.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 10 November 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
A steady flow of visitors, short waits at the main spots. Calmer as the day winds down.
OK
Saturday
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Busier than weekdays, as locals join the visitors.
Worst
Sunday
A steady flow of visitors, short waits at the main spots. Similar to weekdays.
OK
📍 Live crowd check
See how busy Somerset House is right now, plus today’s hourly forecast.
Book as early as you can. Prices vary through the run, and the cheapest tickets go first.
Pick a weekday daytime session in November or early December, before the school holidays.
Arrive 30 minutes before your session. If you're late, you can still skate, but only for what's left of your 45 minutes.
Leave bags at home. All bags and bulky items must go in the cloakroom before skating: the first item is free, then £2 each.
Use the extended sessions: 90-minute sessions from noon on 11, 17 and 23 November give you twice the ice time.
Skate Lates, Skate School and accessible sessions
Skate Lates run from 8 pm on selected evenings with DJs and music. Great atmosphere; not the session for beginners wanting space.
Skate School runs on weekend mornings for adults and teens, with a Kids' Club for ages 6 to 12.
Relaxed Sessions have reduced capacity and lower music levels.
Wheelchair users are welcome at every session, and there are dedicated wheelchair user sessions; book by phone on 0343 208 1497.
Children 12 and under must have an adult on the ice with them (one adult per five children). Skate aids are available for children 8 and under, first come, first served.
Christmas and New Year
On 24 and 31 December, sessions run from 9 am with the last starting at 5 pm. On 26 December and 1 January they start at noon, and from 27 to 30 December at 9 am, with the last session at 10 pm. Closed on 25 December.
Spectators are free: you can watch from the viewing platform or the rink-side clubhouse without a ticket.
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