The stages of your Christmas journey to Santa's Grotto in Ornavasso

Santa Claus's Grotto is in Ornavasso (Verbania). The opening dates are: November 22, 23, 29, and 30, December 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, and 26, 2025. It is not possible to drive up to the Grotto. Please use the free parking spaces in Ornavasso, Via Dottor Lavarini, and stop by the ticket office in Piazza XXIV Maggio in Ornavasso BEFORE climbing up to the Park and Grotto on foot or by tourist train.

Ticket prices range from €17.90 to €21.50 €1.50 online booking fee. Prices are the same for adults and children. Children born in 2025, 2024, and 2023 are free. The earlier you book (tickets are flexible), the more you save. To book online, click here. Pricing is dynamic, meaning it varies based on available seats and dates. The earlier you book, the more you save; less popular dates and time slots have the lowest prices. When you book, if you select a time slot at the bottom of the page, you'll see a price preview: if you see "BOOK NOW" as the time slot with the best price, it means you've selected the time slot with the lowest price available.

The ticket INCLUDES - Entrance and meeting with Santa Claus in the Ornavasso Grotto at the booked time (arrive in Ornavasso in Piazza XXIV Maggio at least 1 hour before the time chosen in the booking) - Route with installations in the Village and in the Twergi Forest, Santa's helper gnomes and Christmas animations along the route - Visit to the new 2025 "6 x 2 m nativity scene with day-night effects and movements, at the Chiesa della Guardia and new artistic exhibition - Christmas tea - 1 printed family photo in the Grotto with Santa Claus (no single portraits) - Gift for children given by Santa Claus - Good Child Diploma NOT INCLUDED Use of the tourist trains from Piazza XXIV Maggio to the Santuario della Guardia (about 30 minutes on foot, 10 minutes for those who go up with the train, then from the arrival of the train you continue on foot towards the Grotto through the Twergi Forest for about 600 meters) - can be purchased on site without the need for booking ( €5.00 Adults - €3.00 Children up to 10 years old (free for babies in parent's arms) - Santa Claus' Flying Sleigh Attraction - Shuttle from Santa's Grotto to the Boden Sanctuary with a visit to the Thousand Nativity Scenes from Around the World exhibition (Return ticket €3 for adults, €2 for children) - the route can also be covered on foot in about 20 minutes. For further information: info@grottadibabbonatale.it - office Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm at 39 0323 497349 WhatsApp 39 3480120346

The time booked online refers to the entrance to the Grotto to meet Santa Claus. To allow time to climb up from the center of Ornavasso to the Grotto, you must arrive in Ornavasso in Piazza XXIV Maggio, where the ticket office is located, at least 45 minutes—1 hour—before your booked time if you're taking the trains. If you're walking up, you'll need to allow an additional 45 minutes. To visit the various areas of the Village Grotto, allow at least 3 hours for the tour ( time for lunch). If you'd also like to visit the Thousand Nativity Scenes exhibition, we recommend allowing at least an extra hour. Upon returning from the Grotto, you can add the wonderful Island of Light experience, with motorboats to Isola Pescatori, complete with a fisherman's platter (for adults) and a snack for children. The motorboats depart from Baveno (15 minutes from Ornavasso—heading for Milan, Baveno exit) starting at 5:30 PM; return is at your own pace. For information and reservations on Christmas motorboats, click here.

Santa's Grotto is a nature hike that starts from Piazza XXIV Maggio (200 meters above sea level) in Ornavasso and reaches the entrance to Santa's Grotto (400 meters above sea level). CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE 2025 MAP. Appropriate clothing for the natural outdoor environment is recommended during the winter. From the free parking areas indicated on site in Ornavasso, you can reach Piazza XXIV Maggio in the center of Ornavasso, where you can pick up your online-booked passes. From here, if you wish, you can take the tourist trains to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia, where the path to the Grotto begins. It is essential to arrive in Piazza XXIV Maggio at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before the time booked online for entry to the Grotto, because from the square you must climb towards the Elf Village and then towards the Grotto. The trail is not suitable for strollers; a backpack or baby carrier is recommended for infants. There's also an alternative paved route of about 600 meters for strollers, but this route bypasses the Twergi, Santa's gnomes. At the arrival of the trains at the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia, you'll also find the area with the large nativity scene and the art exhibition. From the arrival of the trains, a climb of about 300 meters leads to the Twergi Forest (our elves). At the entrance to the forest, you'll find the Locanda Alpina (covered and heated bar and restaurant, also featuring a packed lunch area and a Burger & Chips area for quick refreshments), the Twergi underground tunnel, the Castle of Lights with a concert of Disney hit songs, and our elves' station, with the Christmas Family Show and Santa's Flying Sleigh (optional attraction not included in the ticket). Behind the flying sleigh, you'll find the Belvedere dei Twergi lookout point with wooden reindeer and talking trees. In the nearby covered area, you'll find the Artisan Elves Factory (wood, cheese, apples and jams, patchwork, crochet), the toy factory, the Good Boy and Good Girl diploma collection point, and electric reindeer rides (this attraction is optional). The heated indoor entertainment and refreshment areas have been connected, providing a vast covered area of approximately 1,000 square meters, heated for all weather conditions. From the Village, the second section of the forest trail (about 400 meters uphill) with Twergi-themed installations leads to the entrance to Santa's Grotto, an underground cave with a tunnel access approximately 200 meters long (the tunnel is approximately 2 meters wide and 2.5 meters high). The Grotto is accessible at your reserved time (just arrive a few minutes early to avoid unnecessary waiting). The visit inside the Grotto, including the meeting with Santa Claus, lasts about 15 minutes. It is mandatory to wear the protective helmet provided at the entrance. Upon exiting, you can collect a printed family photo (not individual portraits) free with the ticket. The total duration of the trip is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, including any breaks for refreshments or a packed lunch. You can stay in the Village areas as long as you like, or even return multiple times. For example, you can enjoy some activities, then climb up to the Grotto, and then stay in the Village areas again as often as you like. From Santa's Grotto, you can continue to the Boden Sanctuary, where you can visit the Crypt with a Thousand Nativity Scenes from Around the World (an optional shuttle service is also available, not included in the ticket). On the way back (or on the weekend if you're staying in the area), you can stop in Baveno (a 20-minute drive from Ornavasso) for the Christmas Motorboats to Isola Pescatori, which can be booked on our website.

The event is designed for families and is therefore accessible with strollers. If ascending by train, strollers must be folded. The "Bosco dei Twergi" section (approximately 400 meters) is not accessible with strollers. You can leave them at the beginning of the trail in the designated stroller parking area, use a child's backpack, or skip this area and take the alternative route on asphalt, exiting the village area and ascending along the asphalt road. People with disabilities: Unfortunately, the event is not accessible to people with disabilities or certified disabilities, including non-motor disabilities. If you have a disability or other disabilities, please note that Santa's Grotto is a nature hike; even using the trains, you will still need to walk some sections through the woods. Participants are responsible for ensuring that they and their family members are fit to undertake a hike during the winter.

Dogs are welcome (even on the trains), provided they are well-behaved and properly supervised by their humans, as the areas are crowded, especially with children. Larger dogs in the more crowded areas must follow the instructions of staff.

The stretch from Piazza XXIV Maggio to the entrance to Santa's Grotto (about 1.3 km) can be explored on tourist trains, which run from 9:30 a.m. until the end of the event. A return ticket costs €5.00 for adults and €3.00 for children (the ticket is valid for one day and can be purchased directly at the train departure point in Piazza XXIV Maggio). Reservations are not required, as trains run continuously. Even using the trains, you still have to walk about 600 meters from the arrival station, so wear suitable footwear.

Along the Twergi Trail, about 200 meters from the cave entrance, you'll find the Alpine Tavern, offering local dishes (polenta and dishes from the Ossola valleys) and packed lunches. Reservations are not possible. Starting in 2025, the Inn will also offer a self-service restaurant and a Burger & Chips area for quick meals. Reservations are recommended for lunch at restaurants in Ornavasso.

Accommodation in Ornavasso is very limited; you can find hotel and non-hotel accommodation in nearby towns, particularly Verbania, Baveno, Stresa, and Omegna.

Santa's Grotto is a nature excursion; even with the trains, you still need to walk about 600 meters there and another 600 meters back. Therefore, clothing appropriate for a winter outdoor excursion is required—we're at a low altitude, between 200 and 500 meters above sea level. However, hiking boots, a windbreaker for rain or snow, a hat, and gloves are still required. Several interconnected, covered, heated areas are available (indicated in the program) for both activities and lunch. Restrooms are in containers (the Locanda Alpina has a heated nursery for diaper changes; please use that). The internal temperature of the underground grotto (a 200-meter-long tunnel) is constant (8 degrees Celsius). The event normally takes place in all weather conditions; in exceptional circumstances, the organizers may cancel the event with 48 hours' notice, sent via email or text message to the address provided during booking. You can reschedule your cancelled date based on availability, or request a voucher of the same value valid for 12 months for all events organized by Santa's Grotto throughout the year.