Jasmine Birtles
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We have been working hard to test and review the best advent calendars available this year, from classic chocolate ones, to make your own, to luxury advent calendars. Check out this list to find one to treat yourself or a loved one and enjoy the run-up to the festive season even more!
Click the calendar titles for further details and to buy.
| Chocolate Advent Calendars | Activity Advent Calendars |
| Food and Drink Advent Calendars | DIY Advent Calendars |
| Hobby Advent Calendars | Pet Advent Calendars |
A classic advent calendar is the chocolate one – here’s our pick of the best for every budget.

Available in milk and dark chocolate options, Divine chocolate lives up to its name. Not only is it deliciously smooth chocolate, it’salso ethical at every stage of production. These daily chocolate treats in the run-up to Christmas are affordable but feel like true luxury.

The iconic seashell truffles are now available in a delicious advent calendar this year, available from Sainsburys, Morrisons, Ocado, Amazon, and Hancocks. Three flavours are included – praline, salted caramel, and milk truffle.

A truly delicious way to spend your afternoon coffee, this advent calendar from Coco Chocolatier includes a whopping 480g total of chocolate. Mini bars, each a decent snack rather than a single morsel, come in six different flavours like Black Forest, Salted Caramel, Gingerbread, and Sea Salt, all with ethically sourced Colombian chocolate. The packaging is art in itself, too.

A truly delightful way to count the days to Christmas, this eco-friendly vegan advent calendar comes with a delicious chocolate each day AND a little toy with a fun facts card, too. The outer sleeve of the beautiful box can be opened out into a landscape, perfect for setting up and playing with each of the toys.
If chocolate isn’t your thing, or you want to try something different yet still gourmet this year, try one of these food and drink advent calendars.
Treat yourself to a delicious start to every day with a new tasty jam or spread with your breakfast. The Bonne Maman advent calendar comes with 23 mini jars of jams, preserves, and spreads (including three jars of hazelnut spread!) plus an extra-special surprise on Christmas Eve. Orders direct from the website also include a limited edition etched Christmas jar of hazelnut chocolate spread plus three exclusive money-off vouchers.

This fudge advent calendar by Roly’s is so popular, they have to release it in small batches at a time! Containing a massive half kilo of fudge in total, it has classic flavours such as vanilla as well as festive ones like Christmas pudding, all wrapped in a beautifully illustrated box.

Get nostalgic with classic Swizzles flavours every day in December! This affordable yet stylish advent calendar from Swizzels is filled to the brim with classics like Parma Violets, Love Hearts, and Refreshers to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.

Start your day right with an English Tea Shop Advent Calendar. There are loads to choose from on the site, including single sachet tea calendars in beautiful designs starting from just £6.99. Our pick is the Wellness Pyramid Teas Advent Calendar at £16.99, which feels like true quality when you open each window to discover a delicious flavour for your morning pick-me-up or afternoon calm-me-down tea.

For fans of chutneys, ketchups, mustards and the like, the vegetarian Tracklements 12 Days Advent Calendar is perfect. Small jars of enticing savoury flavours await behind the doors of this calendar, from chutneys to mayonnaise and fig relish and loads more. If you’re giving as a gift, consider adding in a packet or two of crackers and a strong cheese for a real treat.

Bird and Blend is a staple favourite at MoneyMagpie, thanks to its high-quality tastes and always-ingenious flavours of tea. What’s lovely about this tea advent calendar is behind each window there are two caffeine-free teabags instead of one, encouraging you to have a sit-down with a friend or family member every day of December to boost your mental wellbeing together. If you’re more of a matcha fan, there’s a matcha advent calendar, or the super-duper package includes a matcha advent calendar (with two matchas a day) and a magic whisk to make the perfect matcha latte every time.

YAWN offers two options for its coffee advent calendar this year, the Pro or the Ultimate. The Pro includes 24 18g sachets of coffees from around the world, which is enough for one strong double espresso or two smaller coffees if you want to share. The Ultimate includes the same but one of the flavours is the exclusive Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, which retails for £50 for 250g. Both the Pro and Ultimate are available in either bean or ground versions, to suit your coffee making process preference.
If you use a Nespresso or L’OR coffee machine instead of a filter or caffetiere option at home, try the delicious L’OR advent calendar. It’s a great opportunity to try out a wide variety of their coffee flavours, with 24 delicious capsules as a perfect way to pep up your December mornings.
It’s hard to beat a Walkers Shortbread biscuit with your morning cuppa, we’re not going to lie. Buttery and just the right amount of c
rumbly, be guaranteed a delicious treat every day of December before Christmas with this tasty shortbread advent calendar.
These exclusive limited edition calendars are perfect for that foodie you want to spoil. Only 2000 of these calendars will be made, and they sell out every year. From hot sauces and fiery condiments to delicious secret surprises, there’s something to make every day a spicy treat with this advent calendar. There are freshly made ingredients in this calendar, so make sure you time it right and order before 24th November to get yours in time for the start of December.
Spend a moment every day of December in the run-up to Christmas with a calming herbal boost from a Pukka Herbs tea. This compact advent calendar includes 24 sachets of Pukka Herbs teas, from a berry boost to a chamomile to a mint, there’s a wide range of flavours to discover and enjoy. It’s also a great letterbox size, so perfect for sending as a gift to a loved one. Available on Amazon and supermarkets.
Whether you (or your loved one) is a runner, beauty lover, or obsessed with candles, there’s a hobby advent calendar for everyone!
Filled with goodies for avid and starter runners alike, the Bimble and Bolt calendar comes in male and female options, with different sizes available too. Get energy snacks, hydration sachets, socks, sweatbands, and more – it’s perfect as it’s filled with useful items that will be used and encourage reluctant winter runners to get their trainers on, too!
Perfect for writers, readers, and those who love to journal, the Papier advent calendar reaches cult-like status every year amongst stationery lovers, and for great reason. The luxury price tag reflects the contents: every single day, there is a beautifully, individually designed box to open, all kept in a gorgeous three-tier box with fold-out trays. It’s a thing of beauty in itself, and the contents include high quality pens, notebooks, thank you cards, page markers, bookmarks, and so much more. It’s a joyful experience to open each luxury box every day, and the value of the contents is significantly more than the calendar. Shop via TopCashback for up to 10.5% cashback, too.
Ideal for avid gardeners and those whose New Year resolution is to spend more time learning about green fingers, this advent calendar comes with 25 packets of seeds. A QR code on the back of each packet links to the growing instructions for each one, so it’s easy to make a 2026 sowing plan. Every part of the packaging is recyclable, reusable, or compostable so it’s zero waste – including the eco-friendly cotton bag it comes in. Get 10% off when you sign up to the newsletter.
This beautiful calendar is only available at Hidden Treasures in York, not online! It contains a small crystal behind each window, perfect for someone who loves to carry different crystals with them wherever they go, or for someone new to crystals who wants to learn more about them. The shop is on George Hudson Street in York, and calendars are available while stocks last.
Enjoy the beautiful display of the 3D artwork of Emily Sutton with this year’s National Portrait Advent Calendar. The main calendar depicts Ross Place, the front court of the National Portrait Gallery, in a beautiful winter scene, and it stands up with its 3D construction so is perfect for any shelf or windowsill. Behind every door is a tiny illustration in Emily’s distinctive style, it’s a collector’s piece that will bring joy to any room.
Squishmallows have a serious following of children and adults alike, and this advent calendar is a joy for any collector. Every day includes a brand new miniature Christmas-themed Squish-a-Long toy, each just one inch high – perfect for swapping onto the provided ring for those who like to flaunt their toys wherever they go!
These themed beauty advent calendars from MAD Beauty are perfect for fans of a wide range of Disney and popular shows, such as Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, Micky Mouse, and Nightmare Before Christmas. Each one comes with themed beauty gifts for 12 days before Christmas, such as lip balms, bath fizzers, body washes and more.
There are three advent calendars available from Yankee Candle this year: a 12 Days of Christmas calendar (£54.99), a Fragrance Lover’s Book (£49.99) and our pick for you: the 24 Days of Fragrance Wreath (£28.99). The Wreath Calendar comes with a tealight holder, and a small tealight behind every window, perfect for a festive scent every day before Christmas. With scents such as Christmas Cookie, Pine Needles, and Cinnamon Stick, your home will feel cosy and Christmassy every day.
If you want something a bit different, such as an advent calendar that builds part of something every day, or simply have a beautiful moment in each day running up to Christmas, try these non-chocolate advent calendars.
A wonderfully interactive labyrinth calendar for kids and adults alike, get pieces of the puzzle every day until the labyrinth has been completed and you can play marble run through the maze! This is a great activity advent calendar that teaches patience along with puzzle skills as you build the game.
Read a chapter a day of this seasonal romance book – perfect for readers and book lovers! Each chapter is sealed, so you can’t skip ahead. This slow-burn enemies-to-lovers is all about April’s first Christmas at her father’s chalet in the Alps, hoping for a change. A heart operation two years ago means she’s been living life carefully, but it’s time to find adventure again – could it be found in her ski instructor, Augustin?
Santa Claus has a problem: there are too many children on the nice list this year, and he might not be able to deliver everything in time! So, he’s running a competition to find an apprentice to help him out. If you want to encourage your little ones to read, there’s nothing more enticing than a small chapter every day to build up this festive story together! Suitable for ages 5 and up, this book advent calendar has sealed pages – so no skipping ahead! – and is a great way to spend time with the kids to discover a story together and lean into the excitement of the build-up for Christmas.
Orchard Toys has two fun and engaging festive activity books for advent this year, both at the very reasonable price of £4 each. Spend each day doing a festive activity like word searches and colouring in, including fun Christmassy stickers, too!
If you want to make sure your loved ones really enjoy every day of their advent calendar, why not make your own?
This is a perfect eco-friendly advent calendar that will last a lifetime! Fill each pocket with a little toy, treat, or even a fun activity to do each day of December in the run-up to Christmas. It’s brilliant because, as your child grows, you can change what goes inside each pocket to make sure they’re getting little treats and gifts that suit their tastes and interests each year.
We’re huge fans of Flying Tiger here at MoneyMagpie, because not only are their products wonderfully kitsch and fun, they are perfect for those on a tight budget (without feeling cheap). They have loads of DIY Christmas gifts and projects this year, including make your own advent options.
Choose from a set of 24 small paper bags with stickers (£3.50, perfect for adding penny sweets or similar), to advent boxes in the style of gingerbread houses, to a festive box containing 24 numbered (reusable, if you’re careful!) boxes of different sizes. These kits are perfect for personalising advent for a loved one or your child, especially if you can’t find something that suits their needs. For example, we think the gift bags one would be ideal to slip in some vegan chocolate coins or gummy sweets each day, for a recipient with strict dietary needs so they don’t miss out on the advent fun!
Give the gift of a fun memory by making your own photo advent calendar! Perfect as a gift for friends and family, or even to market your small business in the festive season, it’s really easy to design your own advent calendar with their online platform. And the chocolate behind each window is certified delicious! You can also get 15% off between November 1st and December 15th with the code CHRISTMAS25 at checkout (plus up to 50% off other personalised photo gifts).
Make sure you include your furry friend in the excitement running up to Christmas with their own pet advent calendar!
Treat your pooch to a delicious biscuit every day before Christmas with the Pointer’s advent calendar. Packed with assorted flavours such as carob and cheese, they’re bound to be sat ready for their biscuit when they hear you opening the next window!
If your dog prefers something a bit meatier for their daily festive treat, try the Pooch and Mutt Advent Calendar. The Pigs in Blankets behind each door are perfect for dogs that try to beg some Christmas dinner from your plate! And even better, there are two of the grain-free, junk-free treats in every day’s window.
Animed has a wide range of pet-safe festive treats. Their advent calendars for dogs and cats start from £2.99, with a number of recognisable brands to pick your pet’s favourite from. The MoneyMagpie team particularly love the Cupid and Comet range, with the Cat Advent Calendar offering 24 gourmet, junk-free, delicious treat hides like duck, chicken, and chicken and cheese. There is a similar version for dogs – but if you want to include your pooch in the chocolate goodness of the season, try the Dog Chocolate Advent Calendar, which is safe for them to eat (your own chocolate isn’t!).
If you want to go the extra mile for your dog this December, try an alternative to an advent calendar with the incredible treats in the Ruffington’s hamper. Including treats like dog eclairs, marble snaps, and dog doughnuts, they look good enough for you to eat! (But… don’t.)