The UK has some incredible theme parks to visit! There are heaps to choose from and all have their own charm, thrill-seeking rides and even some of the tallest roller coasters you can imagine! Honestly, you are spoiled for choice for all the best theme parks in the UK to visit that are dotted all across the country. Though with so much choice, it can be hard to whittle down a firm list of the ones you’d like most!
To help you get the most out of your theme park trip, I’ve jotted down the very best, and dare I say, iconic theme parks in the UK you need to experience. Best of all, most are quite close to major cities in the UK like London, Manchester and regions around the South of England. The only sticking point is Scotland, where there is significantly less choice in terms of theme parks.
Anyway, I’m rambling, take a look at some of our all-time favourite theme parks that you honestly need to visit. Have the best time exploring!
1.) Alton Towers
Alton Towers is arguably one of the UK’s most popular theme parks! It’s huge, has heaps of rides and even has its own hotels where you can stay to make a whole weekend of it. We love the Alton Towers Hotel, but there’s also Splash Landings Hotel, with its own waterpark that’s totally fun!
Over the years, we’ve visited Alton Towers many times. It’s a really fun theme park in the UK to visit and is easily up there as one of the best days out. I would say it’s always best to book these Alton Towers tickets in advance of your visit. This way, you’re not adding extra queuing time once you arrive and take the monorail from the car park.
Now, what Alton Towers does really well is theming. The rides all have backstories and are like ‘experiences’. This makes it so much more fun than just having a random roller coaster plonked in a park.
One of the classic rides is Nemesis Reborn, a looping, floorless coaster that is totally amazing. Talking of roller coasters, you’ve also got Thirteen, Rita and the Wicker Man, which are absolutely amazing. Oh, and don’t forget about Galactica, a lay-down roller coaster that feels like you’re flying!
Don’t fret if roller coasters aren’t your thing! You’ve also got immersive rides like Hex, which is situated within the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers. We love it!
Finally, two things to note if you’re visiting Alton Towers. The queue for rides can be long! Like, we have been to Alton Towers before and only managed 4 rides in a whole day of being there. Think 2 hours of queuing for each ride! It was intense and not something I can say was enjoyable. That being said, on our future visits, we’ve always opted for their Fast-track Pass. Yes, you pay extra, but honestly, at peak times, it’s so worth it.
Also, another thing to note at Alton Towers is that all the rides are below a certain height. You won’t find the tallest rides in the UK here. This is because local planning laws prohibit building structures over a certain height above the surrounding trees.
Read more: Best things to do in Manchester
2.) Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park houses some of the fastest and biggest rides in the whole of Europe! This makes Thorpe Park one of the best theme parks in the UK to visit if you’re something of a thrill seeker! Once here, you can try the super-fast Stealth, the petrifying Saw – The Ride or the terrifying Swarm. All of which are so much fun and totally intense. That being said, the big dog has to be Hyperia. It’s the tallest roller coaster in all of the UK and you can even see it from Heathrow Airport!
Talking of location, Thorpe Park is within the Greater London area. This makes it the perfect theme park to visit if you’re based in London or in the wider London area, in places like Windsor.
You can easily spend a whole day at Thorpe Park, but make sure to arrive early to have enough time to get around each of the areas. Oh, and be sure to get these Thorpe Park tickets before you set off. Tickets can sell out at peak times of the year.
Also, just like Alton Towers, you can actually stay on site at Thorpe Park. Though, in all honesty, it’s within the Greater London area and you have heaps of hotels to choose from. This means it’s not always necessary to stay at Thorpe Park if you fancy a different hotel experience.
Read more: Best things to do in London
3.) Paultons Park
Located in Hampshire’s New Forest National Park, just shy of Southampton, Paultons Park is a must-see park if you’re having a trip with your family. There are four themed areas in the park – Critter Creek, the main park, The Lost Kingdom and the world of Peppa Pig. The latter is the big draw for younger kids, and it’s the only theme park in the UK that has a Peppa Pig-themed space.
There are nice and gentle rides, too, like Magma and the Sky Swinger, which is so much fun. Magma is a volcanic-themed tower where you spin down, while the Sky Swinger brings you up in the area and spins you.
Whilst here, you can also find go-karts and water rides in Paultons Park. One global phenomenon is Peppa Pig, which is loved by, of course, almost every child! This alone makes Paultons Park one of the best theme parks in the UK to visit. Visits will take around 6-8 hours, and it is honestly the perfect place to visit with younger children.
Also, don’t forget, you can easily hop over to the Isle of Wight (from Southampton) if you fancy a longer road trip around the south of England. It’s a gorgeous island to visit, and you can take the car on the ferry that departs multiple times a day. We love it there.
Read more: Best things to do in Southampton
4.) Legoland
Perched on the outskirts of the historic city of Windsor, Legoland is the UK’s home of all things Lego. Best of all, it’s one of the theme parks to visit that’s great fun for all the family. You see, you’ve got the mixture of model-building workshops and LEGO-themed rides and some pretty epic rollercoasters, which are great for younger members of the family.
Best of all, you can spend the whole day wandering around Legoland. It’s filled with cute LEGO towns, parades, and so much more. Just be sure you get these tickets before arriving at Legoland. Ticket prices at the gate are typically higher, and there’s no need to spend more than you need to.
Over the years, we’ve visited Legoland many times, and the only thing that really is a gripe for me is the food options. There are lots of places to eat and grab snacks, but the main cafeteria eatery is always so full and never has anything other than fried food or burgers. Not that I’m judging, it’s delicious, but it would be nice to have had some other options, too.
Read more: Best things to do in Windsor
5.) Chessington World of Adventures
Another family-friendly theme park in the UK, Chessington World of Adventures, is a totally fantastic day out for the whole family. Plus, just like Thorpe Park, it’s within the wider Greater London area and easy to visit from Central London.
Now, before you go, make sure to book these advance tickets. This way, you will avoid the premium ‘at-the-gate’ charge, which is always higher than actually making the plans in advance. These tickets give you total access to the theme park and zoo elements of Chessington World of Adventures, which is so much fun for children.
Once here, you will get to explore the different worlds, which, just like Alton Towers, are themed and totally fun. Be sure to check out The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, Kobra, Dragon’s Fury, Tomb Blaster and Vampire. Oh, and don’t forget about the World of Jumanji, too!
You will encounter some queues for some of the more popular rides at peak times. If you don’t want to wait, you can pay a little extra and go for the tickets that include the ‘Reserve and Ride’ option. This way, you can minimise the downtime and ride as much as humanly possible.
Visits will be a whole-day event, and it’s so much fun.
Read more: Best things to do in Central London
6.) Drayton Manor Resort
Located in Staffordshire, not too far from Birmingham, Drayton Manor Resort is one of the best theme parks in the UK to visit for all the family. You see, it has a range of rides for all ages, from rollercoasters to Thomas the Tank themed lands.
Some of our favourite thrilling rides have to be: Apocalypse, Shockwave, Accelerator, Maelstrom and Stormforce 10. These are all so much fun, but if you want something a little more tame, for younger children, head to the only Thomas Land in Europe. It’s like its own little theme park within Drayton Manor Resort and has heaps of rides for younger kids. Here, you can ride along with Thomas on Thomas, Rosie & Percy’s Engine Tours, which is so lovely.
Also, don’t forget about the Dino Trail, which has heaps of huge dinosaurs which younger kids will love!
Again, like most theme parks in the UK, it’s best to book these Drayton Manor Resort tickets in advance of your visit. Prices are always higher at the gate.
Read more: Best things to do in Birmingham
6.) Flamingo Land Resort
North-east of the historic city of York is the Flamingo Land Resort. It’s one of Yorkshire’s most popular theme parks for children, and with good reason – it’s great fun!
That being said, don’t just think Flamingo Land Resort is just for younger kids! It has some thrilling rollercoasters like Kumali, which will have you screaming at the top of your lungs! Also, don’t forget about SIK and Velocity, too! They are so good and SIK, in my opinion, is one of the best rollercoasters in all of Yorkshire.
For younger kids, there are heaps of rides, and also the safari area with all its flamingos, hippos and tigers which you’ll be able to spot whilst visiting Flamingo Land Resort.
Read more: Best things to do in Yorkshire
7.) Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Nestled right on the seafront in Blackpool, around 1 hour from Manchester, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Once upon a time, Blackpool was the favourite haunt of Victorians to take time by the seaside. Nowadays, it’s lost some of its charm, but it still has an avid following for both adults and children.
You see, beyond the bars and clubs, there is Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which is one of the best theme parks in the UK to visit if you’re exploring the East of England.
Here, you’ll find well over 100+ rides and attractions that are as thrilling as they come! For instance, you can find the famous steel mega-coaster, Big One, the Wallace & Gromit Thrill-O-Matic and Nickelodeon Land. It’s got heaps going on and the rides vary for all age ranges. This means that there’s something for all the family. Recently, the roller coaster, ICON, was added to the park to have visitors cut through the Big One coaster, and it’s so much fun.
To make things easier, book these Blackpool Pleasure Beach tickets, which get you on every single ride in the park. It’s the easiest way to save money whilst you’re in Blackpool.
Read more: Best things to do in Manchester
8.) Pleasurewood Hills
Around a 50-minute drive from the historic city of Norwich, Pleasurewood Hills is a family theme park that’s so lovely for younger children. Now, it might not be the biggest theme park in the UK (it’s actually quite small), but what it lacks in size it makes up for with some pretty epic rides for all the family.
Once here, make sure to ride the Wipeout rollercoaster! It’s so much fun and literally will have you upside down and twisting in every direction possible. For younger kids, you have the Water Fun Factory and Kite Flyer. Both of which are great fun.
One of the main things we love about Pleasurewood Hills is that there are hardly any queues for rides. Honestly, I have such a gripe about long queues in theme parks, and this place has literal 10-minute queues (or less) for most rides.
Just be sure to book these Pleasurewood Hills pre-discount tickets on their website before visiting. You’ll save heaps if you’re visiting with all the family.
Read more: Best things to do in Norwich
9.) Margate Dreamland
Margate, just like Blackpool, was once the go-to place for sun seekers and beach lovers back in Victorian times. Over the years, its charm faded, but in the last few decades, Margate has once again become pretty darn popular, and with good reason!
Not only is the old town of Margate lovely, with all its vintage stores, art galleries (like the Turner Contemporary) and stunning beaches, it also has Dreamland! Dreamland is one of the best theme parks in the UK, which might be pretty small, but it is great fun. Plus, there’s no entry fee, and you can just pay for the rides you want to go on.
In the summer months, heaps of bands, events and shows take place within Dreamland. It becomes a whole event, and they have some really cool things going on. Make sure to check their schedule before arriving in Margate and book tickets if any of them take your fancy!
Read more: Best beaches near London to visit
10.) Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (The Making of Harry Potter)
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then you need to visit Warner Bros. Studio Tour, The Making of Harry Potter. It might not fit the typical mould of one of the best theme parks in the UK to visit, but it’s a great day out, and the studios are so much fun.
First things first, book these Warner Bros. tickets for entry in advance. They are always cheaper than the tickets at the door, and it makes sense to book your slot so you don’t miss out at peak times. They have limited capacities and spaces fill up fast, especially on weekends. Not only that, these tickets include Harry Potter branded transportation directly from the centre of London, and it make a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.
Once here, you’ll get to wander around Privet Drive, test your skills at flying and walk through the sets and props from the movies! It’s so much fun.
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