A Detailed Guide to Visiting Alton Towers: Every Ride Reviewed, Plus Tips From 10+ Visits

If you’re planning a visit to Alton Towers, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together this detailed guide to help you plan your trip to one of the UK’s best theme parks, and it’s based entirely on our own experiences visiting the park.

We’ve visited Alton Towers many times over the years. I first went as a teenager, and most recently Jess and I visited in 2024 with friends who had a three-year-old and a six-year-old. My friends have also visited multiple times, so between us we can give you a pretty good picture of what to expect from the perspectives of young adults, a couple in their 30s and 40s, and a family with young kids.

In this guide we’ll cover every ride and what to expect from each one, tips on how to make the most of your time (and spend more of it riding than queuing), our thoughts on the accommodation and dining, and loads more. Let’s get into it.

Alton Towers Overview and History

Alton Towers (technically called Alton Towers Resort) is the most visited amusement park in the UK. It’s also more than a theme park, with a series of hotels, a water park, a spa, and a mini-golf course on site.

The theme park is found on a large estate which was once the home of the Earls of Shrewsbury and was owned by the Talbot family from 1412 until 1924. They also owned the nearby Alton Castle which dates back to the 11th century.

The mansion house on the Alton Estate, which largely dates to the 18th century, is still there, although it’s in a ruined condition. There’s also a large lake and landscaped gardens on site.

Alton Towers has been open to the public in some way since the 19th century, when visitors could pay to tour the gardens. Attractions were added throughout the 20th century including a boating lake, model railway, and chairlift. My mother remembers visiting Alton Towers during her childhood in the 1960s and having a lovely day out.

So when you visit you’re on the grounds of what was for centuries the large estate and home of the Earls of Shrewsbury. The magnificent ruins of the home and some of the outbuildings and follies, as well as the landscaped garden, are still there. You can still stroll through parts of the gardens.

In some places you would have no idea you are in the middle of an amusement park as it feels like you are in a park or forest. A very unique and British setting for a theme park!

The theme park as it is known today, with thrill rides and permanent attractions, really started in 1973. Today, Alton Towers is operated by Merlin Entertainments, who also operate locations including Thorpe Park, Madame Tussauds London, and the London Eye.

The park has had a number of impressive ride accomplishments, including the world’s first dive coaster, the world’s first “flying” rollercoaster, the roller coaster with the most inversions in the world, and Europe’s first inverted rollercoaster.

There’s a massive amount to see and do at Alton Towers, more than enough to fill two or three days. You can do a lot with just one day if you plan properly, but you’ll want to be strategic about it.

The 2026 season runs from 14th March to 8th November, with special events and limited openings outside this window.

 

How to Get to Alton Towers

Alton Towers is in the county of Staffordshire near the village of Alton in England. The address is Farley Ln, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 4DB.

It’s between Manchester (44 miles drive to the north) and Birmingham (47 miles drive south).

Here are the main options for getting to Alton Towers:

 

Driving to and Parking at Alton Towers

The easiest way to get to Alton Towers is definitely to drive. It’s fairly close to both the M1 and the M6 motorways, although the last stretch is on smaller roads.

When driving, after leaving the motorway we recommend following the brown “Alton Towers” signs rather than your sat-nav or GPS. The rural location of the park means that there are a lot of small country lanes around the park. The brown signs will keep you on the larger roads which will usually be quicker.

 

Parking at Alton Towers

There is a lot of on-site parking available, and stewards will usually direct you to the nearest car park as you arrive. This does depend on how busy the day is and what time you arrive.

There is a fee to park at Alton Towers, which is as follows:

• £13 for a day in standard parking if pre-booked online (£15 on the day), 15-25 minutes’ walk from the main entrance
• £25 for a day in express parking (must be pre-booked online), 1-3 minutes away from the main entrance. Gold, Platinum and Premium Merlin Passholders can pre-book express parking from £15.
• Blue Badge parking is available from £13, charged at the standard parking price. A current and valid Blue Badge must be shown with the badge holder present in the vehicle. Gold, Platinum and Premium Merlin Passholders and those staying in any resort accommodation are not charged for Blue Badge parking.

There are also ways to get free parking at Alton Towers:

• Hotel guests staying overnight in the resort can park in the designated hotel car park, and then either enter the park from the hotel guest entrance (near the Galactica and Nemesis Reborn rides, and the Rollercoaster Restaurant) or take the monorail to the park entrance.
• Guests staying at CBeebies Land Hotel get free express parking. Guests can show their booking confirmation or pick up their free parking pass from the CBeebies Land Hotel reception.
• Holders of Gold, Platinum or Premium Merlin passes can park for free in standard parking.

Parking can be booked online in advance here. This is mandatory for express parking. You can also normally add car parking to your purchase when buying your theme park entry tickets.

 

Public Transport to Alton Towers

Alton Towers is in a relatively rural location, so whilst it is possible to reach the resort by public transport it will involve some planning.

The nearest train station is in Uttoxeter, which is 10 miles from the park. From here you can take a bus to Alton Towers. The X41, operated by D&G Bus, runs from Uttoxeter to Alton Towers Resort. You can see the schedule here.

You can also take a taxi from Uttoxeter train station, which is about a 20-minute drive from Alton Towers.

Other relatively close train stations are Stoke on Trent (15 miles from Alton Towers) and Derby (25 miles from Alton Towers). However, you will need to take a taxi from both of these locations to reach the resort.

You can book taxis online in advance here.

If you are relying on public transport, you might want to consider coming up the night before and taking the D&G bus or a taxi from a nearby train or bus station to an Alton Towers Resort hotel.

Then you can walk from any of the resort’s hotels to the park in the morning (or take the monorail) without needing to rely on a taxi or public transport to get around.

 

Alton Towers Opening Dates and Times

Alton Towers is open seasonally as well as for certain holidays and school breaks. For 2026, the main season runs from 14th March through to 8th November. Outside of this time the resort has special themed opening times, normally for the Christmas period and also for school half terms.

In terms of opening hours, the park normally has the following:

• Park gates open at 9am or 9.30am (check the official calendar for your specific date). Most rides open at 10am, though some may not open until 11am on certain days.
• Theme park closes at 6pm during peak times and on weekends, and at 4pm on off-peak days. During special events like Alton After Dark and Scarefest, the park stays open much later.

The closing time is the time that the ride queues close. If you have joined a queue before theme park closing time, you will be able to finish queuing and complete your ride even after closing time.

You can check the latest opening dates and hours for Alton Towers online here.

For special events park hours do change so it is important to check what they are before visiting. Also during the holiday and special opening periods, some sections of the park may not be fully open so be sure to check which rides and attractions are open.

Note that the Alton Towers Waterpark and Extraordinary Golf mini golf are next to but separate from the park and operate with different hours.

The Alton Towers Waterpark (located in the Splash Landings hotel) is open the majority of the year.

The Extraordinary Golf course (next to the Splash Landings hotel) is also open the majority of the year, and is often open quite late into the evening. Hotel guests normally receive a complimentary round of mini-golf as part of their stay.

Note that both the above attractions can be visited separately from the theme park and you don’t need a theme park ticket for these, as they are charged separately.

 

How to Get Around Alton Towers

The main way most people get around at Alton Towers is on foot. The park is fairly spread out, but there are footpaths everywhere.

One thing to be aware of is that there are not a lot of signs or maps around the park, and they no longer offer paper park maps. Instead, you are expected to use the mobile app.

This is actually a pretty decent mobile app, and the map part of it has built in navigation. It even lets you avoid steps. However, it can be a battery drain, so we’d suggest bringing a USB battery pack like this to avoid running out of juice halfway through the day.

Note that those visiting in wheelchairs and those with mobility issues should check out the accessibility info for the park here.

There are two additional options for getting around Alton Towers. These are the Monorail and the Skyride.

 

Alton Towers Monorail

The Alton Towers Monorail runs from the main park entrance to the resort area. It’s also close to some of the car parks. This only has two stops, one near the hotels and more distant parking lots, and one at the main entrance to the theme park.

Use of the Monorail is free for all park guests. It can definitely be a quick way to get from the resort and some of the car parks to the main theme park entrance, however there are some things to be aware of.

On busy days, and especially in the mornings and evenings, the monorail gets very busy. Queuing times can exceed 40 minutes. Given that it’s about a 15 – 20 minute walk from the Monorail station to the main theme park entrance, if it is particularly busy it is normally quicker to just walk.

Alton Towers Resort hotel guests are eligible to enter the park from a park entrance near the hotels. This is just past the Monorail station, and brings you into the park next to Galactica and Nemesis Reborn. For 2026, Platinum Merlin Annual Passholders can also use this entrance.

We would definitely recommend hotel guests and eligible passholders who already have their park tickets use this entrance rather than take the Monorail if there is a long wait.

 

Alton Towers Skyride

The Alton Towers Skyride is a gondola style cable car ride which provides transport around the park.

There are three stations, one near the main park entrance on Towers Street, one in the Forbidden Valley, and one in the Dark Forest near Rita.

The Skyride is definitely useful for getting across the Gardens when travelling between the Forbidden Valley and the Dark Forest as otherwise there are quite a lot of steps up and down if you take the most direct route.

The Skyride is free to all park guests. However, in our experience it tends to be closed for maintenance fairly regularly, so we’d advise against relying on it entirely for your transport needs. Think of it as a ride with a view rather than a dependable way to get around.

 

Alton Towers Map

This is a photo of the map in Alton Towers. We’d recommend using the map in the Alton Towers app for the most up-to-date version.

One thing to be aware of: the map in the app is inverted compared to the physical maps on signs in the park. On the physical maps, the entrance is at the bottom; in the app it is at the top (as it is geographically).

So just keep this in mind if cross referencing between the maps in the park and the map in the app, as it’s easy to get confused (as we know from personal experience)!

 

Alton Towers Ticket Information

We’ll now go through the main ticket types available for Alton Towers as well as how much they cost and where to buy them.

Prices can vary by date due to dynamic pricing, so do check the latest prices online here.

 

How Much Are Alton Towers Tickets?

Currently, the price for Alton Towers tickets is as follows (correct as of early 2026):

• From £32 for a 1-day pass booked online in advance (£68 on the day)
• From £46 for a 2-day pass booked online in advance (£80 on the day)
• From £29 for a Parent and Toddler day pass (£68 on the day). This covers one adult and one child aged 5 or under. Additional children under 5 and over 90cm can be added for £5 each. This pass is only available on weekdays outside of holiday periods.
• Free for children under 90cm

Alton Towers ticket pricing varies depending on whether you purchase in advance or on the day. Pricing also varies depending on the date, with peak dates normally costing more. Peak dates are normally during holiday periods as well as at weekends.

There are also occasional promotional prices and sales on the website, which you can see here.

The pricing for in-person purchases is significantly more expensive compared to buying online, so we highly recommend buying online to save money.

 

Discount Alton Towers Tickets

There are a number of ways to get discounted tickets for Alton Towers. Here are the main options:

• Students who register with Student Beans can purchase discounted tickets
• Tesco Clubcard holders can convert points into vouchers which can be redeemed towards Alton Towers entry. You get double value on your Clubcard points when using them for Alton Towers tickets, so this is a great option for regular Tesco shoppers.
• Blue Light Card holders (NHS staff, emergency services) can get discounts through the Blue Light Card website. These must be booked online.
• Cadbury chocolate packs sometimes include 2-for-1 entry offers on selected Merlin attractions including Alton Towers. Look for promotional packs of Dairy Milk, Freddo, Curly Wurly and other Cadbury products.
• Kellogg’s cereal packs periodically offer 25% off up to two tickets to Merlin attractions. Check for promotional packs and their expiry dates.

If you don’t qualify for a discount, then the best way to save money on Alton Towers is to buy tickets in advance from the official website. You can also save by visiting on a weekday outside of holiday periods as these tend to offer the lowest prices.

 

Where to Buy Alton Towers Tickets

The two main options for purchasing Alton Towers tickets are either online on the official website here or in-person at the resort.

We would highly recommend buying online as the prices are significantly lower and then you also don’t need to wait in the ticket lines. All passholders also need to pre-book tickets in advance, even if entry is included with the pass.

 

Passes Which Include Alton Towers

There are two main passes which include access to Alton Towers. These are best if you plan on visiting multiple times a year, or if you plan on visiting other Merlin attractions. The passes are as follows:

• Alton Towers Resort Annual Pass. This offers yearlong access to Alton Towers (with some peak date exclusions) as well as discounts on food and drink and other benefits. Available from £64 for a year.
• Merlin Annual Pass. This pass offers access to all the main Merlin attractions in the UK, including Alton Towers, The London Eye, SEA LIFE centres, Chessington World of Adventures and more. Available from £139, with different tiers offering varying levels of access and benefits. You can see the full list of included attractions here.

The Alton Towers Annual Pass can definitely be worth it if you plan on visiting Alton Towers at least twice in a year, although you will want to check which dates are excluded before purchasing.

The Merlin Annual Pass makes sense if you live in the UK and plan on visiting multiple Merlin attractions throughout the year. Do check which days you can visit with your specific pass tier, as there are exclusion dates, particularly at peak times.

If you are only planning on visiting Alton Towers once in a year, then a regular ticket will likely offer the best value.

 

Beating the Queues at Alton Towers

Queue times at Alton Towers can range from a few minutes to well over two hours, depending on the day and the ride. On our visits we’ve experienced both extremes. On a quiet weekday in March, most rides had queues of just a few minutes. On a busy school trip day in July, the most popular rides were hitting two-hour waits.

There are several ways to reduce your queuing time, and the good news is that not all of them cost money. Here are your options.

 

Single Rider Queues (Free)

One of the best free ways to cut your queue time at Alton Towers is to use the Single Rider Queue. These are separate queue lines where you fill empty seats on ride carriages that aren’t fully occupied.

The trade-off is that you won’t ride with your friends or family, but the time savings can be significant. On a busy day where the main queue is 90 minutes, the single rider queue might be 15-20 minutes.

As of 2026, single rider queues are available on the following rides:

• The Smiler
• TH13TEEN
• Spinball Whizzer
• Oblivion
• Galactica
• Toxicator

The single rider queues are clearly signposted at each ride. Just look for the separate entrance and join the queue. Availability can change on the day based on operational requirements, so check signage when you arrive at each ride.

In our experience, single rider queues work particularly well on Spinball Whizzer, where the four-person carriages often have empty seats. The Smiler is also a good one to use single rider on, as the wide carriages often have spare spots.

 

Parent Q-Share (Free)

If you’re visiting with children under 12 who can’t or don’t want to ride the bigger rides, the Parent Q-Share is a brilliant free option that many visitors don’t know about.

Here’s how it works: you pick up a free Parent Q-Share pass from Guest Services, the Resort Box Office, or the Forbidden Valley Guest Services Hub on the day of your visit. The pass comes with two wristbands for two adults.

The first adult queues normally and rides. Their pass is stamped by staff during the queue. The second adult can then use the pass to access the ride via the Fastrack or Single Rider entrance (depending on the ride), so they don’t have to queue from scratch. This means both parents get to ride without leaving the other stuck with the kids for an extended period.

Parent Q-Share is available on selected rides including Nemesis Reborn, Wicker Man, Rita, Hex, The Curse at Alton Manor, Runaway Mine Train, Battle Galleons, Congo River Rapids, Marauders Mayhem, and Gangsta Granny. For rides that have Single Rider Queues (Galactica, Oblivion, Spinball Whizzer, TH13TEEN, The Smiler and Toxicator), parents will be directed to use the single rider queue instead.

Passes are limited and issued on a first come, first served basis. They cannot be pre-booked. Pick yours up early in the day to avoid disappointment.

 

Alton Towers Fastrack Passes

If you want to guarantee shorter queues and you’re willing to pay for it, a Fastrack pass can make a big difference to your day.

A Fastrack pass gives you access to a special Fastrack queue for participating rides, which typically has much shorter wait times. In our experience, on a very busy day where standard ride queue times were 1 – 2 hours, the Fastrack queue was between 3 and 30 minutes.

 

Fastrack Pass Options at Alton Towers

There are several versions of the Fastrack pass available. Here’s what each one offers:

• Fastrack Bronze (from £45): A 5-use package. You choose any 5 rides from a pool of 15 available rides. This does not include The Smiler or Wicker Man, but does include Nemesis Reborn, Oblivion, Rita, TH13TEEN, Galactica, Toxicator, Nemesis Sub-Terra, Spinball Whizzer, Runaway Mine Train, Hex, The Curse at Alton Manor, Battle Galleons, Marauders Mayhem, Congo River Rapids, and Gangsta Granny.
• Fastrack Silver (from £65): One use on each of 17 rides. Includes everything in Bronze plus Wicker Man and The Smiler.
• Fastrack Gold (from £95): Unlimited Fastrack access to all 17 rides, all day. Valid for one person only.
• CBeebies Land Fastrack (new for 2026): £7 for a Duo (2 rides) or £10 for a Trio (3 rides). Includes Bluey the Ride, Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure, Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride, In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, and Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure. Note that CBeebies Fastrack must be used within two hours of the time stated on the ticket, so plan accordingly.
• Fastrack Solo: Individual per-ride Fastrack tickets available on the day through the Alton Towers app or at Fastrack kiosks around the park. Prices start from around £12 per ride and vary depending on the ride and how busy the park is. A good budget option if you just want to skip the queue on one or two specific rides.

Fastrack passes can sell out, so if you know you want one for your visit, we recommend buying online in advance on the official site here. This is especially worth doing if visiting at a busier time of year, such as during school holidays and during special events like Scarefest. Fastrack Solo tickets can only be purchased on the day.

Note that Fastrack is valid for a specific day, so if you are visiting across multiple days and want Fastrack on all of them, you will need to buy a pass for each day.

 

Which Fastrack Should You Buy?

The Bronze pass is a really solid choice for most visitors in our opinion. At £45, the pick-any-5 format means you can use the app to check queue times throughout the day and then use your Fastrack on whichever rides have the longest queues at that moment. It covers 15 rides including all the major thrill rides except Smiler and Wicker Man.

It’s also a good option for parents visiting as a pair. If one of you wants to pop off and do a thrill ride, you can be back in 10-15 minutes with Fastrack rather than disappearing for an hour or more. That makes it much easier to share childminding duties.

The Silver pass makes sense if The Smiler and Wicker Man are must-dos for you. These are two of the most popular rides with some of the longest queues, and having Fastrack on them can save you a lot of time.

The Gold pass is for those who want to ride as many rides as possible, multiple times. With unlimited access all day, you can re-ride your favourites without queuing again. On our busy July visit, the Gold (then called Platinum) was what let us ride every single operating ride in the park in one day.

 

How Fastrack Works at Alton Towers

The process is simple. When you have a Fastrack pass, instead of joining the regular queue, join the Fastrack queue. This will be clearly signposted at each ride.

Note it is not the same as the Ride Access queue (this is for holders of Ride Access Passes only).

Depending on the ride, someone will check your Fastrack ticket when you enter the queue or when you get to the boarding area, so have it ready. They will normally scan the barcode on the pass to validate it. Gold Fastrack holders also need to collect a wristband from the Resort Box Office before riding.

For Fastrack Solo tickets purchased through the app, you’ll select a time slot and then have up to one hour from your selected time to use it.

If you’re wondering if Fastrack is worth it for your visit, see the frequently asked questions section at the end of this guide where we go into more detail.

 

Platinum VIP Experience

For those looking for the ultimate Alton Towers experience with no queues at all, there’s the Platinum VIP package.

This premium package includes front-of-line access on all rides (including Toxicator and everything outside CBeebies Land), preferred ride seating, your own VIP host, express parking, a Coca-Cola Freestyle cup, an unlimited digital photo pass, exclusive VIP merchandise, and a meal voucher.

The Platinum VIP starts from £315 per person as an add-on package, or from £350 per person including park entry. It’s not cheap, but if you’re visiting for a special occasion and want to experience everything the park has to offer without a single long queue, it’s worth knowing about.

You can find out more and book on the official site here.

 

Rides at Alton Towers

We’ll now go through all the rides at Alton Towers and what you can expect from each ride. There are a lot of different types of ride at Alton Towers.

Everyone likes different types of ride. For example, I prefer rides with a drop and am less keen on being spun around. Jess loves being spun around but doesn’t like being dropped! On our most recent visit, one of the kids hated scary rides, whilst the other was fine with them.

In this section we’ll outline the main features of each ride. I’ll also include an idea of how scary the ride is and how thrilling the ride is.

For the scare factor, this refers to whether the ride has elements that might make you jump or which might be less suitable for younger riders. Of course, this will vary by individual.

For the thrill factor, this refers to how thrilling the ride is. So if the ride spins you around, drops you, or inverts you, I’m going to give that a higher thrill factor than a more sedate ride experience. Again, these scores are very subjective as everyone finds different things thrilling.

This should help you decide which rides to head for and which rides you might want to avoid, depending on the type of ride you like. We’ll also provide our thoughts on the ride experience.

Note that this section may contain ride spoilers so if you want to be surprised on the rides you might want to skip it.

For this section the rides are grouped together by which area of the park they are in. See more about the areas of the park in the section of this guide on park areas, which goes into more detail on theming.

 

Forbidden Valley Rides

A post-apocalyptic themed area with a mix of family friendly and high-end thrill rides. Rides are as follows:

 

Nemesis Reborn

The original Nemesis opened in 1994 and became one of the most iconic rides in the UK. It closed for the 2023 season for major upgrades, and reopened in March 2024 as Nemesis Reborn.

The ride runs for 80 seconds, inverts you four times and pushes you to 3.5G. So it’s definitely a thrill ride!

We rode this just a few days after it opened in 2024, and it was an excellent experience. The ride was very smooth and a lot of fun, although it felt like it was over too quickly for sure. The theming as you go through the queue is great, with the Phalanx military storyline and alien egg pods creating a really immersive atmosphere. The area where you board the ride is also nicely themed.

This is one of the most popular rides in the park and queue times can be long. If you want to ride it without paying for a Fastrack pass, we recommend coming here early in the day or using the Single Rider Queue.

When we rode it, we made a beeline for this ride and joined the queue at around 9.30am. The ride opened at 10am and we were riding by 10.10am. After that, queue times were up around 2 hours consistently all day. If you’re staying at the resort hotels, the hotel guest entrance brings you in right next to Nemesis Reborn, which is a big advantage for getting here before the crowds.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 5/5
Ride type: Inverted Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 20 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.4m

 

Galactica

Galactica is a flying rollercoaster which debuted at Alton Towers in 2002, although back then it was called Air. It was rebranded to Galactica in 2016, although the ride experience remains the same.

Galactica is definitely a fun thrill roller coaster. After you board, the seats actually rotate 90 degrees so you are dangling under the coaster rail, looking down at the floor. This lets you do your best flying impression, hence the name flying rollercoaster.

The ride itself is quite high-octane as you whizz around the track, experiencing up to 3.5G. It also inverts you twice, and can be fairly disorienting, although nothing to compare to Smiler.

I do enjoy Galactica although I’m not a huge fan of being inverted and spun around so it’s not my favourite ride at Alton Towers. It’s definitely thrilling though, and recommended for those of you who like high-speed coasters.

One tip: if you are staying in the hotels on-site, the hotel guest entrance brings you in right next to Galactica. So if this ride is a priority, you can get here before the majority of other riders arrive and get on quickly, even without a Fastrack pass.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 5/5
Ride type: Flying Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 40 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.4m

 

Nemesis Sub-Terra

Not to be confused with the Nemesis Reborn ride, Nemesis Sub-Terra is a dark drop ride themed around the mysterious Phalanx and Nemesis Creature. It originally opened in 2012, closed in 2015, and reopened in 2023.

The ride has you entering a darkened area with a small group where you are given some backstory and instructions from a Phalanx operative.

After a short video, you enter an elevator and are transported down to a room where everyone is strapped into chairs around a central podium containing a mysterious alien egg.

Once everyone is secured, the experience continues. There’s fun lighting and effects, as inevitably the alien breaks free and “attacks” the audience. There’s a great drop (yes, I screamed), and fun effects throughout including water, prodding, and leg tickling.

After the drop, you have to “escape” the ride through a scary lift and a small maze before bursting back out into the real world.

Overall, it’s a fun ride experience with a few different components which is a bit different to most of the other rides. If you don’t like the thought of a scary ride, being trapped in a lift, or are claustrophobic, it might be one to skip.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 5/5
Thrill factor: 3/5
Ride type: Dark ride / walk-through / drop
Ride length: 8-10 minutes
Ride height restriction: 1.4m
Other Notes: Due to the drop chairs, this ride has quite restrictive size requirements.

 

Toxicator

Toxicator opened in 2025 in the Forbidden Valley area next to Nemesis Reborn. This topspin ride is the highest of its kind in the UK, with a maximum height of 78ft, spinning riders high above the ground and offering views of the surrounding park (when you’re not pinned to your seat by centrifugal force that is).

The ride has riders sitting in a long row of chairs which is elevated and spun. Green water fountains complete the toxic theming.

We haven’t ridden this ride yet but will update when we have experienced it!

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 4/5
Ride type: Topspin
Ride length: 1 minute 30 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.4m (age 10+)

 

X-Sector Rides

Home to some of the most extreme rides in the park, all with a 1.4m height restriction. Themed like a secret government test facility.

 

The Smiler

Opened in 2013, The Smiler holds the world record for the most inversions on a roller coaster at fourteen.

The Smiler is definitely one of the most thrilling rides at Alton Towers, and also one of the more popular rides. Whenever we visit, it always seems to have some of the longest queue times. The good news is that it has a Single Rider Queue, which can help cut your wait time significantly.

The ride itself is quite a marvel of construction. It takes up a relatively tiny footprint, with every stretch of track seemingly involving a twist, a turn, or a drop.

In terms of the experience, this ride definitely delivers. It is fast, thrilling, and it spins you around a lot. I’m not a massive fan of rides that invert me, but I did get a thrill from this ride, even if my head was spinning for a while afterwards!

I also liked all the theming throughout, with a repetitive sound track that gets in your head and lots of flashing lights and colours. It’s all designed to disorient, and it definitely succeeds.

The only downside of the rollercoaster is that due to its seriously complex design, it does seem to shut down quite regularly. This can be very frustrating, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time queuing only for it to close with no warning.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Silver and Gold only (not Bronze)
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 1/5
Thrill factor: 5/5
Ride type: Roller coaster
Ride length: ~ 3 minutes
Ride height restriction: 1.4m
Other Notes: Ride early or late in the day to skip the long queues, or use Single Rider or Fastrack.

 

Oblivion

Oblivion was the world’s first dive rollercoaster when it opened in 1998. This design of rollercoaster offers a 90-degree drop from a significant height, giving a sensation of free fall.

The ride experience is quite simple. The cars are quite wide but only two rows deep. You get taken to the top of the track and pause for a thrilling moment over the drop.

You then freefall down 55 metres (180 ft), with the thrill heightened as the car plunges into a dark tunnel under the ground. It then swoops around and is over.

I’m a big fan of drops so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is one of my favourite rides in Alton Towers, despite the relatively short ride time. Jess, who doesn’t like drops, is definitely less convinced by Oblivion and skipped it!

This is a great rollercoaster if you don’t like being inverted or thrown around too much. It’s not a great option if you’re particularly afraid of heights or hate the sensation of free fall.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 5/5
Ride type: Dive Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 15 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.4m

 

Dark Forest Rides

Themed as a haunted woodland, this area of the park is home to two thrill rides:

 

Rita

If you love speed and g-force, then Rita is likely the roller coaster for you. Launched in 2005, this roller coaster is the fastest ride in the park, topping out at 61.1 miles per hour.

It’s also the one with the highest G-forces, which go up to 4.7G.

The main thrill of Rita is the launch. The ride is themed like a drag racer, with slightly panicked voice over providing an air of anticipation as you get ready to go.

Then, like a drag racer, you accelerate very quickly in a straight line. How quickly? You get to the maximum speed of 61.1 mph in around 2.5 seconds, which feels very quick indeed!

After the initial thrill of the launch, the ride banks around some fairly sharp corners and also gives you a feeling of weightlessness as you crest a couple of hills.

This ride is good for those of you who don’t like being completely inverted as there are no inversions.

The speed of the ride means that the g-forces are quite high at 4.7G, so you will want to keep your head firmly braced back against the headrest as otherwise it can feel like quite a rough ride!

The other downside to this ride is that it’s one of the shortest rides in the park, lasting around 25 seconds. So if there is a very long queue and you don’t have a Fastrack pass then you might want to return when it isn’t so busy. Rita can also be prone to downtime, so check the app for its status before heading over.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 1/5
Thrill factor: 4/5
Ride type: Accelerator Rollercoaster
Ride length: 25 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.4m

 

TH13TEEN

TH13TEEN (or Thirteen, for easier spelling and reading) was another world-first rollercoaster when it debuted at Alton Towers in 2010.

If you’ve not done this ride before and don’t know anything about it, the twist is quite interesting and worth keeping as a surprise. If you don’t like surprises and want to know what lies in store, read on.

Thirteen is found in the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers, and is themed to be a bit of a spooky ride. The ride itself is what is known as a drop rollercoaster.

The ride starts with you getting into standard roller coaster carts similar to the Runaway Mine Train. Passengers sit two by two.

The train sets off and drops a little around a curve before climbing the main lift hill. From here there are quite a few fun airtime hills and banked turns, which make for a really enjoyable ride. It’s particularly fun if you don’t like too much spinning around like me, but do like the sensation of airtime.

About half way through the ride the train enters a dark tunnel and the doors close behind you. This is where the surprise takes place. Ghosts light up and air blows at you, and the train and track literally drop out from underneath you.

Then the train takes off backwards and you complete the majority of the rest of the track in reverse.

This is one of my favourite rides at Alton Towers, especially the first time I rode it when I had no idea what was going to happen.

The ride itself is not hugely scary in terms of dark elements, although when it enters the “crypt” and the drop happens there are some spooky elements to be aware of. This is over pretty quickly though, so it’s not a full haunted house experience! But if your kids do not like haunted houses, this part might be scary.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 3/5
Thrill factor: 4/5
Ride type: Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 40 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.2m

 

The Towers Rides

This part of the park covers all the rides found in the area of the original house at Alton Towers. It’s a bit spread out with no real theme. Rides are as follows:

 

Spinball Whizzer

Spinball Whizzer is a rollercoaster designed to give you the experience of being a pinball inside a pinball machine.

It’s a rollercoaster with the twist that the four-person carriage spins freely around as it races around the track, so every ride is different.

It’s a fairly thrilling ride with vertical sections of track and lots of dips and dives, but there are no inversions. Despite not really enjoying spinning rides I did actually quite enjoy Spinball Whizzer.

It’s a relatively smooth ride (except at the end where there can be a bit of a janky moment when the cart is aligned to face forward again for loading and unloading).

Spinball Whizzer was a real hit with the six-year-old we visited Alton Towers with, as well as with the adults in the group. The relatively low ride height requirement makes for a nice family-friendly rollercoaster for kids looking to branch out into the bigger thrill rides.

It’s technically part of “The Towers” area, but is actually located very close to CBeebies Land.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: Yes
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 3/5
Ride type: Spinning Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 15 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.2m

 

Hex

Hex is a dark theme ride based on an actual local legend involving a chained up Oak tree, which is a location not too far from the park itself.

Given that it is based on the owner of the original Alton Towers property, it’s appropriate that the ride is found within the ruins of Alton Towers.

Like the other dark rides, Hex is definitely a ride that is best experienced as a surprise. So if you want to experience it with no spoilers, now is the time to skip to the next ride.

The main thing to be aware of is that the ride can be disorienting, so if you are prone to motion sickness it’s one to be careful of.

There’s no drop, inversions or real spinning. The first part of the ride has you progressing on foot between rooms, watching an immersive story with various lighting, sounds and effects.

The latter part of the ride is seated with lapbars. You will move and tilt, with the effect greatly heightened by the clever design of the room and what is a giant optical illusion. So it feels like you are moving and tilting a lot more than you actually are.

Hex is a fun experience but it is a bit divisive in that people either seem to love it or hate it. We think it’s different enough from the other rides to make it worth visiting, and if you don’t feel great you can always close your eyes.

Hex was closed for the first part of 2024 but reopened in time for Scarefest 2024 in mid-October, with a full refurbishment and update.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 5/5
Thrill factor: 2/5
Ride type: Walkthrough dark ride
Ride length: 5 minutes 25 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.2m must ride with an adult)

 

Cuckoo Cars Driving School

Found next to the David Walliams area of the park, Cuckoo Cars Driving School gives kids the opportunity to learn to drive their very own Cuckoo Car.

A fun track is set up with a range of traffic features, including pedestrian crossings, traffic signals and even a bubble car wash. The cars are electric, and the kids can steer them and make them stop or go with a pedal.

The cars are not on any kind of track, so the kids can choose where to drive them, just like in a real car. They are quite small and only go 4km/h, and there are also marshals all around the track to keep everyone safe and get the kids back on track should they veer off course at any point (there’s no reverse on the cars).

Cuckoo Cars was a massive hit with the kids we visited Alton Towers with. They’d literally finish and run back round to join the ride queue again! So this is definitely a kid friendly ride, as long as they meet the ride requirements.

The ride requirements for Cuckoo Cars are fairly specific: the kids must be at least 1 metre tall, 4 years or older, and under 1.4 metres. Adults can’t join in on this one as it’s for younger kids only. But there is plenty of viewing space so you can keep a close eye on your family members as they learn to drive.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Kids Driving Ride
Ride length: 4 minutes
Ride height restriction: 1m minimum, maximum of 1.4m and minimum of 4 years old.

 

Mutiny Bay Rides

A pirate themed part of the park with primarily family friendly rides, as follows:

 

Wicker Man

Opened in 2018, Wicker Man was notable as being the first new wooden rollercoaster to be opened in the UK for 22 years.

As the name suggests, the Wicker Man is themed around the Wicker Man movie, a horror movie from the 1970s which involves a large woven effigy of a man made from wood which is set fire to.

The rollercoaster is also made from wood, and there’s a large effigy of a man that the ride passes through. There are also flame lighting and smoke effects throughout the ride which add to the themed experience. It’s particularly good at dusk when the fire effects really stand out.

The ride starts with a preshow that includes some video, light, and smoke effects. This does have a bit of a scare factor so is something to keep in mind if riding with younger children. You then board the train, and from this point it’s a wooden rollercoaster ride.

The ride experience is quite similar to the Runaway Mine Train or Thirteen, with dips, hills, and twists. There are no inversions or loops, and the ride height restriction of 1.2m makes it a family option for many kids as well.

Wicker Man is found right next to Mutiny Bay, although it doesn’t follow the pirate theming.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Silver and Gold only (not Bronze)
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 2/5
Thrill factor: 4/5
Ride type: Wooden Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 50 seconds
Ride height restriction: 1.2m

 

Marauders Mayhem

Found in the middle of Mutiny Bay is the Marauders Mayhem ride, which is basically a classic spinning tea cups ride with a pirate theme.

This ride originally launched in 1987 as a tea cup ride, and was relaunched in 2008 with a pirate theme. So instead of sitting in teacups you sit in barrels.

Other than the theme, the ride experience is the same as a typical teacups ride. Up to 6 people can sit in each barrel, with four sets of three barrels arranged around the ride. Each set rotates, the whole ride rotates, and each barrel can also be made to rotate.

It’s fair to say that Marauders Mayhem is not ideal if you don’t like spinning rides. But if you do like spinning rides, this is definitely one to go for. It’s a fun family ride with a fairly low height restriction.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 3/5
Ride type: Spinning teacups
Ride length: 2 minutes
Ride height restriction: 1.1m (under 1.3m must ride with an adult)

 

Battle Galleons

If you like rides where there’s a very solid chance of getting soaking wet, you’ll definitely want to head to the Battle Galleons ride at Alton Towers.

This ride has you boarding a pirate ship which “sails” around a part of the Alton Towers lake. The fun part is that there are water cannons on board, which you can fire at other vessels, as well as at anyone standing on the shore where your boats pass.

These water cannons are hand operated – you spin a wheel to make the water flow.

You don’t need to feel too sorry for the folks on the shore though, because they have access to their own water cannons. There are two versions on the shore – free ones where you can spin a wheel, and paid cannons.

This ride was popular with both adults and kids in our group but probably not a good one for anyone not wanting to get wet.

Assuming there are other people participating in the ride, there’s a very high chance you are going to get quite wet. There are some drying rooms nearby where you can pay around £5 to have some air blown at you, but this isn’t hugely effective in our experience so probably not worth the money.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Splash Battle
Ride length: 3 minutes
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Heave Ho

If you or your kids like the idea of a pirate ship ride but want something less intense, Heave Ho is a great option.

This pirate ship themed ride is found in the Mutiny Bay part of Alton Towers.

The ride concept is basically a pirate ship which rocks backwards and forwards on rails, but which also spins as it goes. The spinning is not super-fast but it can be a bit disorienting, so if you aren’t a fan of rides which spin you might want to watch it first before boarding.

This was a really popular ride with our family group on a recent visit. The kids really loved it, and it’s also a good ride for viewers to watch from the sidelines and get nice photos.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 2/5
Ride type: Rocking Tug
Ride length: 3 minutes
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Katanga Canyon Rides

Themed as an African village, this area of the park is home to the following two rides:

 

Congo River Rapids

The Alton Towers theme park doesn’t have a lot of water rides, but there are a couple of options, one of which is Congo River Rapids.

This has been getting park visitors wet since 1986, and remains a popular and relatively family friendly attraction.

The ride consists of large circular rafts which seat around seven people. You start the ride going up a shallow lift, and then you float around the river rapids, parts of which have sections of choppy water.

There’s a reasonable chance you’ll get wet on this ride, although it’s normally just splashes of water rather than a full-on dunking.

One really nice thing about this ride is that it’s relatively long by theme park standards, at 6 minutes. With a minimum height of 1.1m it’s also a good family friendly option.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Single Rider Queue: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 2/5
Ride type: River Rapids
Ride length: 6 minutes
Ride height restriction: 1.1m (under 1.3m must ride with an adult)
Other Notes: Be aware that you might get wet

 

Runaway Mine Train

Runaway Mine Train is one of my favourite family-friendly rollercoasters at Alton Towers. Jess isn’t a huge fan of big rollercoasters, but she really likes Runaway Mine Train and it’s her favourite ride in the park.

As the name suggests, the theme is a mine train which has, well, run away. Riders board carriages seated in pairs, and the train has some pretty good drops and twists as it goes, even pulling a fair bit of g-force. It also does the track twice, which makes for a nice long feeling ride.

There are no inversions or anything like that, but it’s definitely a pretty thrilling ride, and one of the most thrilling rides at the park with a low height requirement.

We went on it with a three year old and a six year old and they loved it. Just be prepared to join the queue again when you finish if your family likes it as much as ours did! We rode this one several times over two days.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 3/5
Ride type: Rollercoaster
Ride length: 1 minute 50 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Gloomy Wood Rides

Gloomy Wood is themed, as the name suggests, around a dark, likely haunted, forest. It has one ride:

 

The Curse at Alton Manor

The Curse at Alton Manor opened in 2023, making it one of the newer rides in Alton Towers. It builds on a long tradition of haunted house rides, with the original incarnation of this ride opened in the same location all the way back in 1992.

The ride tells the story of the long-deceased Emily Alton, who Alton Towers fans will recognise from previous rides in this location. The story goes that Emily was never invited to the parties her parents held, and this annoyed her so much that evil possessed her, cursing the house and all its occupants.

I guess the moral of the story here is to invite your kids to your parties from time to time.

Anyway, the ride itself has a few components. The queue is where the story starts, winding through the woodland, with various graves and spooky sculptures.

You then enter the house, and walk past various set pieces with lights and sound effects. Finally, there’s a six-minute ride which takes you through the somewhat dark and twisted world of Emily.

The ride is definitely dark, and if you like dark rides and haunted house style rides you will likely enjoy it. If you prefer rollercoaster thrills and spins, this probably won’t be the ride for you as there aren’t any drops, inversions, or twists.

In terms of being kid friendly, the ride is pretty scary with quite a lot of dark themes of death and revenge. So whilst the ride height restriction is fairly low, some kids might find the content rather terrifying. The kids we were with (age 3 and 6) hated this ride and found it too scary. The 3-year-old would not get on the ride at all.

Overall, one to check out if you like dark, haunted house type rides. Jess and I didn’t really like it as we never really got the full story for the ride and it isn’t a thrill ride.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Scare factor: 4/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Dark ride / haunted house
Ride length: 6 minutes 15 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

The World of David Walliams Rides

This part of the park focuses on the world created by the author David Walliams. It’s a very family-friendly part of the park, and most of the rides have low height requirements. Rides are as follows:

 

Gangsta Granny the Ride

Opened in 2021, Gangsta Granny the Ride is one of the main rides in the area devoted to the world created by writer David Walliams.

The ride is basically a carriage-based dark ride with a lot of special effects that has you helping the main characters attempt to steal the Crown Jewels from Buckingham Palace.

Everyone in our group on a recent trip to Alton Towers enjoyed this ride. The story is interesting and engaging for kids especially, and the experience is fun for adults as well. There’s also quite a bit of humour throughout the ride which should bring a smile to your face.

It’s neither a thrilling roller coaster nor a scary ride, but we think it’s well worth doing, even if you aren’t at all familiar with the characters in the books. We all enjoyed it.

One thing to note is that the theme of the ride does have characters stealing and committing a crime which might not sit right with all parents with younger children.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, Bronze, Silver and Gold
Scare factor: 1/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Dark ride
Ride length: 4 minutes
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.2m must ride with an adult)
Other Notes: This ride has a fairly low maximum rider per hour limit, so queue times can be longer than you might expect

 

Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp

Found in the David Walliams area of Alton Towers, Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp is a bouncing drop ride designed for young kids. It’s similar to the CBeebies Peter Rabbit Ride but the drops are a bit more pronounced, making it a bit more exciting.

The drops are also accompanied by a fart based soundtrack, and what kid doesn’t find toilet humour hilarious? So this ride is definitely popular amongst kids visiting the park.

The drop is not so terrifying (it’s more of a bounce really), and Jess who doesn’t really like drop rides didn’t mind this. Although accompanying a 3-year-old in hysterics at the sound effects probably helped!

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Bouncy drop
Ride length: 1 minute 45 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Royal Carousel

Have you even been to a theme park if you haven’t ridden the carousel? Jess would argue no. It’s always a ride that we love to ride at least once at any theme park, fair, or carnival as it’s such a classic.

The Royal Carousel in Alton Towers is found in the David Walliams part of the park, and features a number of horses and carriages. Some of the horses go up and down (those with poles to the roof) and some are static.

It has a royal theme, with a crown on top and a voiceover soundtrack to match. Sure, it’s not the most thrilling ride in the park, but it’s fun for kids and adults who love a bit of theme park nostalgia.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Carousel
Ride length: 2 minutes
Ride height restriction: no height restriction but those under 1.3m must ride with an adult

 

CBeebies Land Rides

CBeebies Land is a really family friendly part of Alton Towers with rides, shows and activities designed to entertain younger visitors to the park. It has a huge amount of rides and activities. The main rides are as follows:

 

Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies (New for 2026)

The biggest new addition for 2026 is Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies, the world’s first Bluey junior coaster. This is in CBeebies Land and has riders joining Bluey and Bingo (dressed as Grannies Janet and Rita) on a ride through Bluey’s backyard with gentle dips, turns, and colourful theming.

Given the massive popularity of Bluey (as of writing the show has been streamed over 770 million times on BBC iPlayer), this ride is expected to be very popular, especially during school holidays. Queue times during the opening weeks were reported at 60-90 minutes at peak times.

We haven’t ridden this one yet but will update when we have! The ride does have a CBeebies Land Fastrack option if you want to skip the queue.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, CBeebies Land Fastrack (from 30th March 2026)
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Junior Rollercoaster
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop

Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop is a gentle drop style ride designed for younger riders. The ride is themed around Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit character, with fun sound effects and music.

This ride is definitely not a crazy drop ride, it’s more of a gentle drop and bounce. So even adults who don’t like drop rides will enjoy riding this one with their kids.

It’s probably not a ride that thrill seekers are going to be heading for, but if you are in Alton Towers with younger family members you will definitely want to check this one out.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Drop
Ride length: ~ 90 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride

The Go Jetters Vroomster ride is another fun family ride themed around the Go Jetters, with ride participants boarding their very own Vroomster.

A Vroomster, for those of you not familiar, is basically a jet powered flying car. And the Alton Towers replica is pretty accurate!

The ride consists of a number of Vroomster cars, which can seat up to four people, which rotate around a central pod. The riders can control the height of the car with a lever inside the car. This gives the riders the impression of controlling their very own flying car, which is pretty cool.

The ride is not particularly fast, so whilst it does go round in circles, it’s about the same speed as a carousel so it shouldn’t make you dizzy. The up and down motion is also pretty gentle, so all in all it’s a pretty relaxed ride.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, CBeebies Land Fastrack
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Aerial Roundabout
Ride length: 2 minutes
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.25m must ride with adult)

 

Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure

Octonauts is a family focused rollercoaster which is likely to be one of the first rollercoasters younger visitors to Alton Towers are going to experience.

The rollercoaster, themed after The Octonauts show, offers probably the gentlest rollercoaster experience at Alton Towers. It is a good starting point for kids who meet the height restrictions and want to try a rollercoaster.

If they love it, the Runaway Mine Train has similar ride requirements and is a bit more thrilling, with a faster ride and much greater drops and speed.

Octonauts is a good starter coaster, with no inversions or particularly steep drops or curves.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, CBeebies Land Fastrack
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Rollercoaster
Ride length: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Ride height restriction: 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)

 

Get Set Go Treetop Adventure

This ride in CBeebies Land takes you high above the trees (ok, 12 ft) in your very own bug shaped car. It’s a fun ride for younger kids and gives nice views of CBeebies Land.

It’s also nice and relaxing for adults if you’re looking for a ride with no crazy thrills or scares.

One thing to be aware of is that this ride is quite popular and as it’s fairly slow moving the queue can get quite long. In fact, of all the rides at the park, this was the one where we had the longest wait on a recent visit! So try to time your visit for first thing in the morning or later on in the day. There are activities in the queue to keep kids busy, but they’ll only go so far.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, CBeebies Land Fastrack
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 1/5
Ride type: Flat track
Ride length: 4 minutes
Ride height restriction: No minimum but under 1.1m must ride with an adult.

 

In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride

This is a popular water ride in CBeebies Land which has you boarding a boat for a magical tour around the Night Garden. The boat floats peacefully around a river, and whilst it’s a water ride you are very unlikely to get wet.

The ride has you passing by many of the characters and scenes from the “In the Night Garden” TV series, including the Tombliboos, Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle.

It’s a nice relaxing ride which should amuse younger visitors and be nice and relaxing for adults. It’s also a relatively long ride at 6 minutes.

Included on Fastrack: Yes, CBeebies Land Fastrack
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 0/5
Ride type: Boat ride
Ride length: 6 minutes
Ride height restriction: No height restriction but those under 1m must ride with an adult

 

Postman Pat Parcel Post

Postman Pat has been a stalwart figure on children’s television since the 1980s. I remember watching him delivering mail around the Yorkshire Dales with his trusty helper Jess the cat as a child, and kids today still get to watch Pat on CBeebies.

Now, you too can experience the life of Pat on the Alton Towers Postman Pat Parcel Post ride in CBeebies Land. This is a flat ride on rails which has you boarding Pat’s signature red post van and go trundling around a course.

The van has various buttons on the dashboard, which you can press to ensure you deliver the right parcel to the right person, giving it a good element of interactivity. There are also lights and a horn that you can control.

Overall this is a fun family experience for younger visitors and especially fans of Postman Pat. It is by no means a thrill ride, but not everything has to be!

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare factor: 0/5
Thrill factor: 0/5
Ride type: Track Ride
Ride length: 2 minutes 45 seconds
Ride height restriction: No height restriction but those under 1.1m must ride with an adult

 

CBeebies Shows

As well as the rides, CBeebies Land has a number of live shows and entertainment options that younger visitors are bound to enjoy.

Show times vary and are available in the app, but you can usually expect to see a range of shows throughout the day at the main stages in CBeebies Land, featuring characters from shows like Bluey, Hey Duggee, Bing, the Teletubbies, and the Furchester Hotel.

These shows often include the opportunity to take a photo with the characters, so have your camera ready.

 

Recently Closed Rides

A few rides and attractions have closed at Alton Towers in recent years and are not planned to return. If you’re searching for any of these, here’s the update:

• The Blade (Forbidden Valley): This pirate ship ride closed in 2024. It was the oldest ride in the park, dating from 1980, and a family favourite for its brilliant airtime. It was replaced in the area by Toxicator.
• Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango (World of David Walliams): This twister ride closed in 2024.
• Alton Towers Dungeon (The Towers): This walk-through experience with costumed actors closed in 2024 and is not planned to reopen.

 

Thrill Rides at Alton Towers

Now that we’ve covered all the rides by area, we’ll list the rides divided into various categories. Starting with thrill rides.

If you’re looking for a list of the thrill rides at Alton Towers, I’d suggest the following all classify:

• Nemesis Reborn
• The Smiler
• Oblivion
• Galactica
• Rita
• TH13TEEN
• Wicker Man
• Toxicator
• Spinball Whizzer
• Runaway Mine Train
• Marauders Mayhem

Of course, how thrilling you find a ride will be personal preference, but we think most people would find the above rides fairly thrilling!

 

Rides for Toddlers and Kids at Alton Towers

If you’re visiting Alton Towers with younger family members, you might be wondering what the best rides for them are going to be.

For the vast majority of rides, the main thing is not going to be the age of your child, but rather their height. This is definitely something to be aware of if you have children of differing heights, as some of them may be able to experience rides that the others may not. This can lead to challenging situations, as no one likes to be left out!

It is therefore a good idea to have an idea of which rides at the park are going to be suitable for which members of your group and which aren’t. That way you can make a plan for which rides to take who to. The Alton Towers app and website has a filter system so you can show only those rides which are going to be suitable.

A useful tip: you can get your children’s height verified at Guest Services on Towers Street at the start of the day. They’ll get a height wristband which saves having to be measured at every ride.

The last time we visited Alton Towers we had four adults, a 3-year old who was 1.1m and a 6-year old who was 1.25m. So this meant they couldn’t ride every ride together.

We handled this by sharing duties between the adults, and splitting the rides we rode together. This was made a lot easier with the Fastrack passes we had as it meant we were not away for very long. The Parent Q-Share pass (which we’ve covered earlier in this guide) is also a great option for managing this.

The good news is that there are lots of great rides that are suitable for all ages and heights. We’d specifically recommend the following:

• Gangsta Granny the Ride
• Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure
• Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop
• Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure
• Postman Pat Parcel Post
• Battle Galleons
• Cuckoo Cars Driving School
• Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies (new for 2026)

For slightly taller and more adventurous kids, the following are bound to get their pulses going a bit more:

• Wicker Man (1.2m)
• Spinball Whizzer (1.2m)
• TH13TEEN (1.2m)
• Marauders Mayhem (1.1m)
• Congo River Rapids (1.1m)
• Heave Ho (0.9m)
• Runaway Mine Train (0.9m)

The two more scary rides (haunted house style) might also be suitable for kids but this is going to be a personal decision as a parent depending on the kid. These are:

• Hex (0.9m)
• The Curse at Alton Manor (0.9m)

When we visited with a 3-year old and a 6-year old their ride highlights were Runaway Mine Train, Octonauts, Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure, Cuckoo Cars Driving School, and Heave Ho. The 6-year-old also really liked Spinball Whizzer, Marauders Mayhem, and Wicker Man.

They also really loved the interactive shows and experiences in CBeebies Land, as well as playing the games where you can win a toy like Hook-a-Duck.

Just be aware that the Hook-a-Duck and similar games are not free. The temptation of a giant toy is hard to resist though.

 

Ride Height Requirements at Alton Towers

Here’s a quick list of all the rides at Alton Towers with their minimum ride heights, ordered from high to low.

Some rides also have a different minimum height if riding without an adult, which is indicated in brackets if applicable.

The majority of rides with height restrictions have a measurement stick next to the ride entrance so you can verify riders’ heights. When you get to the ride, staff will usually check heights if they are unsure, so you’ll want to be sure everyone is the right height to avoid disappointment.

You can also get a height wristband from Guest Services on Towers Street which saves having to be measured at every ride.

Here’s a list of all the rides which have a restriction, ordered from highest to lowest.

• Nemesis Reborn – 1.4m
• Nemesis Sub-Terra – 1.4m
• The Smiler – 1.4m
• Oblivion – 1.4m
• Galactica – 1.4m
• Rita – 1.4m
• Toxicator – 1.4m (age 10+)
• Spinball Whizzer – 1.2m
• TH13TEEN – 1.2m (maximum 1.96m)
• Wicker Man – 1.2m
• Marauders Mayhem – 1.1m (under 1.3m must ride with an adult)
• Congo River Rapids – 1.1m (under 1.3m must ride with an adult)
• Hex – 0.9m (under 1.2m must ride with an adult)
• The Curse at Alton Manor – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Gangsta Granny The Ride – 0.9m (under 1.2m must ride with an adult)
• Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Bluey the Ride – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Battle Galleons – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride – 0.9m (under 1.25m must ride with an adult)
• Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Heave Ho – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Runaway Mine Train – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp – 0.9m (under 1.1m must ride with an adult)
• Royal Carousel – no height restriction but those under 1.3m must ride with an adult
• Postman Pat Parcel Post – no height restriction but those under 1.1m must ride with an adult
• In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride – no height restriction but those under 1m must ride with an adult
• Cuckoo Cars – 1m minimum, maximum of 1.4m and minimum of 4 years old

 

Areas at Alton Towers

Alton Towers is divided into 11 areas. Each area is themed differently, with some areas more focused on high-octane thrill rides (like X-Sector) whilst others are more aimed at younger families (such as CBeebies Land).

Here’s a list of all the areas at Alton Towers and the rides they contain. When planning your day, it’s a good idea to try and do all the rides you are interested in in each area, to avoid spending a lot of time walking between locations.

 

X-Sector

This section of the park contains some of the more extreme rides, all of which have a minimum height restriction of 1.4m. The main rides are Oblivion and The Smiler. There are also a couple of temporary carnival style rides. X-Sector is themed like a secret government testing facility, so expect lots of metal fencing and concrete.

 

Dark Forest

Home to two rides offering fast-paced thrills: Rita and TH13TEEN. The area is themed as a haunted woodland. The idea is you can only escape by riding the abandoned drag racer Rita. I’m not quite sure how you get out if you’re under the 1.4m height restriction for Rita.

 

Forbidden Valley

This area has a number of rides suitable for a range of visitors. This is the area you enter if you come in the hotel guest entrance. The rides in Forbidden Valley are Nemesis Reborn, Galactica, Nemesis Sub-Terra, and Toxicator, plus temporary carnival rides. Forbidden Valley has a post-apocalyptic theme, with hints of alien infestation linked to the Nemesis creature.

 

Gloomy Wood

Found between Katanga Canyon and Forbidden Valley, Gloomy Wood contains one ride, The Curse at Alton Manor. It also has a walkthrough themed footpath called Haunted Hollow which is home to various statues, gravestones and other installations, some of which make noises and tell jokes. As you would guess from the name, the theme is a haunted woodland.

 

Katanga Canyon

Katanga Canyon is where you’ll find the park’s oldest rollercoaster and a water ride: Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids. It’s themed as an African village. The Runaway Mine Train has one of the lowest height requirements of any rollercoaster in the park and is very popular with families.

 

CBeebies Land

CBeebies Land is one of the most family friendly areas in Alton Towers, with rides, shows and activities focused around entertaining younger visitors. If you are visiting with toddlers and young visitors there’s pretty much enough to do here to fill a day. It’s a really fun area and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into creating an immersive world.

The rides include In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, Postman Pat’s Parcel Post, Get Set Go Treetop Adventure, Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure, Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride, Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies (new for 2026), Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop, and various other shows and activities.

If we had to criticise CBeebies Land for anything, it’s that queue times for some of the rides can be a bit long on busy days. In fact, the longest queue we had on a recent visit was for Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure. The new CBeebies Land Fastrack (from £7) can help with this.

 

The Towers

The Towers are the ruins of the original house at Alton Towers, and is where the park gets its name from. It is home to Hex, Cuckoo Cars Driving School, and Spinball Whizzer. There’s no particular theming around the rides, they just happen to be in the area of the original house.

 

The World of David Walliams

Found just beyond The Towers, the World of David Walliams offers rides primarily aimed at primary school aged kids, though younger kids enjoy them too. The rides here are Gangsta Granny: The Ride, Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp, and the Royal Carousel.

 

Mutiny Bay

Found near the main park entrance, Mutiny Bay is home to Battle Galleons, Heave-Ho, Marauders Mayhem, and Wicker Man. With the exception of Wicker Man, all the rides here have a nautical / pirate theme.

This is also where you’ll find Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life Aquarium, an aquarium you can visit which is included as part of your ticket. This is an entirely indoor attraction so is a good option if it is raining.

 

Towers Street

When you enter the park through the main entrance you will arrive onto Towers Street. This area is themed like a town high street and is home to various services and facilities, including food and drinks outlets, customer service, and lockers. There’s a Skyride station here, but no actual rides. From this area you can see across the lake to the Towers. To your left as you face away from the entrance is Mutiny Bay, and on your right is CBeebies Land.

 

The Gardens

One of the oldest areas at Alton Towers, and one that has been drawing visitors for years, are the gardens. These take up a large area of the park between Mutiny Bay and the Dark Forest.

Many visitors only experience the gardens from above, as the Skyride passes over them, but it is worth taking some time to explore them as they are quite lovely and make for a nice spot for a break.

You’ll find all sorts of features, from neatly trimmed topiary hedges, fountains, old trees, greenhouses, and follies.

Just be aware that the gardens are set across a valley, and there can be quite a few steps to deal with. So this is worth bearing in mind if you have limited mobility or are pushing a children’s buggy.

 

Accessibility at Alton Towers

Alton Towers provides a lot of information and options for people with various disability and mobility needs, and this information is covered in detail on the page dedicated to accessibility on the Alton Towers site.

In general, the park and the resort accommodation options cater well for accessibility requirements. All the toilets have accessible wheelchair features as well as accessible changing rooms.

Wheelchairs are available for free, and mobility scooters can be hired for the day. The latter can be booked online in advance here.

Alton Towers also offers a Ride Access Pass, which is designed for visitors who find it difficult to stand for prolonged periods of time. This gives access to a separate queue and a virtual queuing system.

Ride Access Pass holders don’t get to skip the queue per se, but they don’t have to stand in a queue for a prolonged period. For Ride Access pass access this needs to be booked at least a week in advance of your visit as applications are approved by a third-party who assesses visitors’ needs on an individual basis. The step by step for applying for and getting a ride access pass is detailed here.

 

Photos at Alton Towers

Photography is generally allowed at Alton Towers, but for the most part photography is not allowed on the rides (with some exceptions).

So if you want to get photos of yourself and your family enjoying the rides, you’ll want to look at the digital photo pass.

On a recent trip to Alton Towers we bought the digital photo pass for both of the days we were there. This costs £30, and we thought it was pretty good value.

The way it works is as follows. As you finish a ride, all the ride photos are displayed on a screen with a number. Using the Alton Towers app, you can type in that number, and the photo will appear in the app on your device.

You can also pick up a QR code that links to your account and have the photo attendant scan it for automatic delivery to your app.

If you haven’t bought the digital photo pass, the photo appears in the app with a big watermark and you can’t download it. When you pay for the photo pass (either in the app or in person), the photos all become available without watermark, and you can download them to your phone for sharing.

The nice thing about this system is that even with six of us, we still only needed to buy one photo pass. I just had all the photos delivered to my phone and then shared them. Over the two days we were there we had around 80 photos, many of which you can see in this guide.

It’s also worth noting that there are more photo opportunities than just ride photos. One good example is the CBeebies Land photo stop, where a green screen is used to add you and your group to many CBeebies Land scenes.

You can buy the digital photo pass online in advance of your visit here. You can also buy it on site or through the app.

One tip: you might want to wait until the end of the day so you can review the pictures in the app and then decide if you want to buy them. I believe the pictures are available for purchase for up to 90 days in the app, and once purchased they can be downloaded from the app for up to a year from when they were taken.

Using your phone or camera on rides can get you ejected from the park and may shut down the ride temporarily. Keep yourself, your phone, and other passengers safe by stowing your phone and cameras before each ride.

Photography and videography is heavily restricted at Splash Landings, for obvious reasons. If you are inside Splash Landings when it is open you can generally take limited photos of your own friends and family, but that’s about it. You are not allowed to take photos of other guests. Best to leave your phone or camera in the locker unless you really need it.

 

Restaurants at Alton Towers

Alton Towers has quite a wide choice of dining options across the park. There are restaurants in the theme park area itself, as well as restaurants at the hotel resorts which serve breakfast and dinner.

There are also picnic areas and a number of places selling snacks and drinks which can be found all around the park. Just note that many of these accept contactless payment only rather than cash.

Be aware that most of the restaurants have an ordering system which requires you to scan a QR code and then order and pay through your phone. We have had issues with this in the past, and have learnt that you can still pay at a till if you have difficulties. If you don’t want to order via a smartphone app, you can ask to order with a staff member from a physical menu.

 

Restaurants in the Theme Park

• Woodcutter’s Bar and Grill (near Dark Forest / Towers) – focuses on grilled foods, generally our favourite restaurant in the park for food
• Rollercoaster Restaurant (Forbidden Valley) – has a variety of options, with the twist that all the food is delivered via a mini rollercoaster
• Explorers Pizza Pasta (Katanga Canyon) – buffet restaurant with a range of pizza, pasta and a salad bar
• The Burger Kitchen (near David Walliams area, also Mutiny Bay) – primarily burgers, although you have to buy a combo meal which can push the price up
• Just Chicken (X-Sector) – primarily fried chicken
• Corner Coffee (Towers Street) – as well as coffee it also has sandwiches, pastries, and cakes
• Oak in Chains (near Mutiny Bay) – a restaurant with a conventional menu including burgers and other mains

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurants in the Resort Area

Note these generally only serve breakfast and dinner. The Rollercoaster Restaurant is also open after the theme park closes, although reservations are required.

• Secret Garden Restaurant in Alton Towers Hotel
• The Crooked Spoon in the Enchanted Village
• The Windmill Restaurant in CBeebies (can only be booked if you are staying at CBeebies Land Hotel)
• Flambo’s Jambo in Splash Landings Resort

 

Accommodation at Alton Towers

For an extended Alton Towers experience, you can stay on site at one of the resort accommodation options. There are six different options across a range of price points.

We think staying on site can make sense, especially if you are visiting with kids as the on-site accommodation is really set up to make the experience special for kids, with additional activities and themed rooms. Hotel guests also get free parking and access to the hotel guest entrance near Forbidden Valley.

All the accommodation is found to the east of the main park. Depending on which option you choose, the accommodation is about a 5-10 minute walk from the monorail, which will take you to the main park entrance. You can also walk to the main park entrance in 20-30 minutes, or to the hotel guest entrance which is about 5-10 minutes’ walk from most of the hotels.

 

Alton Towers Hotel

Alton Towers Hotel was the first hotel at the park, opening in 1996. It’s a 4* hotel with a large restaurant, bar and almost 200 rooms.

The hotel is themed after the fictional character Sir Algenon Alton, a famed explorer and inventor. Different areas of the hotel are themed to match his different exploits, including a hot-air balloon pirate ship in the bar area which doubles as a stage.

Various room types are available. On our recent visit we stayed in an Arctic Explorer room which was very comfortable and quite large, especially for two of us. It had an en-suite bathroom with bathtub, air-conditioning, a small fridge and tea/coffee making facilities.

Most of the rooms can sleep up to four people – two adults and two kids. They are fairly large rooms and even though we visited when it was busy the rooms were quiet.

We really liked the theming in the rooms, which has a lot of thoughtful details throughout, from the carpet to the massive stuffed polar bear on the bed. Different rooms have different themes, as well as different amenities.

Air conditioning is not available in all rooms, so do check if that’s important to you.

You can see all the room types and their amenities here.

 

Splash Landings Resort

Opened in 2003, Splash Landings Hotel is a 4* hotel and the closest hotel to the Monorail station and hotel guest theme park entrance. It’s also where you’ll find the Alton Towers Waterpark.

Splash Landings is themed, as you might imagine, around water, with a sunny Caribbean theme running throughout. There are water features and themed installations, and the rooms are also themed along various nautical styles.

On site there’s an all you can eat restaurant, Flambo’s Jambo, which has a Caribbean theme. There’s also a bar and regular entertainment.

Splash Landings is a good option, especially with kids. The only thing to be aware of is that it can get quite warm in the hotel as the waterpark is on site, and the rooms don’t have air conditioning. So the rooms can be quite warm, even in the cooler months.

You can see all the room types and their amenities at Splash Landings Resort here.

 

CBeebies Land Hotel

CBeebies Land Hotel is the newest hotel at Alton Towers Resort, opening in 2017. On a recent visit to Alton Towers with friends they stayed here with their two kids ages 3 and 6 years old.

CBeebies Land Hotel is firmly aimed at younger visitors and is themed around the characters found in CBeebies shows. This theming extends throughout, from the rooms to the restaurant and reception. There are also many CBeebies shows and entertainment experiences which take place here for guests.

There’s a range of rooms available. Our friends stayed in the Swashbuckle themed pirate room which slept up to five and had two TVs as well as pirate theming throughout.

The description for CBeebies Land Hotel suggests that it is best for visitors with kids aged up to around three. We’d say that this very much depends on your kids and what they are into, and kids up to 9 or 10 will probably love it.

Our friends’ kids thought the hotel was amazing. They loved pretty much everything about it. Their parents particularly appreciated the room layout which had the kids in their own alcove in bunk beds, meaning they felt almost like they had their own room whilst still being in the same room.

One important thing: CBeebies Land Hotel facilities are only open to guests staying in the hotel itself. So if you are visiting as a group and some of you are staying here and some in other accommodation, keep that in mind if you plan on dining together.

CBeebies Land Hotel guests also get free express parking.

If you are visiting Alton Towers with a younger family, CBeebies Land Hotel would be my number one pick if it’s available. You can see all the room types here.

 

Stargazing Pods

The Stargazing Pods, which opened in 2019, are in the Enchanted Village area of the park. If you’ve ever been glamping, these pods will be quite familiar.

They’re small wooden structures that offer an experience similar to camping but with the benefit of real beds, lighting and heating. Each pod can sleep up to four, with one double bed and two single beds. Linen is provided.

There are no toilets, showers or other washing facilities in the pods themselves. These are all centrally located at a separate block. There are also no cooking or refrigeration facilities.

Stargazing pods are the most basic accommodation option and normally the lowest cost, making them a budget-friendly camping-like experience at Alton Towers. They also tend to have the best availability for last minute bookings.

 

Woodland Lodges

The Woodland Lodges in the Enchanted Village are styled as log cabins, each of which can sleep up to five people. There’s a main room for adults, and a separate kids sleeping area with bunk beds and a truckle bed.

All the rooms have en-suite bathrooms, flat screen TVs and free WiFi. For dining, breakfast is available at the Crooked Spoon restaurant, and guests can have their evening meal there or at one of the other restaurants.

We haven’t personally stayed at the Woodland Lodges but we have friends who stayed here with their kids and they enjoyed it. These tend to be amongst the more popular options and can sell out quickly.

 

Luxury Treehouses

The most exclusive accommodation option in the Enchanted Village are the Luxury Treehouses, found in a secluded part of the village.

There are five luxury treehouses, and they can all sleep up to eight people in four bedrooms. They all come with a kitchenette (fridge, kettle, toaster, microwave and dishwasher), making these currently the only accommodation option at Alton Towers where you could prepare your own meals.

Other luxuries include a 50″ TV with games console, private hot tub and deck, and an exclusive takeaway service for meal delivery.

All this does mean that the treehouses are the most expensive option. But if you are visiting with a group or want something extra special, they are definitely worth looking at.

 

Accommodation Near Alton Towers

Whilst there are plenty of accommodation options at Alton Towers, it’s not the only option for your visit.

We do like the on-site accommodation but if you are not visiting with kids or would just like a bit of variety in terms of dining options, then there are lots of nearby alternatives across a wide range of budgets.

Here are some to consider, ordered by driving distance from Alton Towers.

• The White Hart – a popular inn in the village of Alton, offering a range of en-suite rooms. 7 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• The Laurel’s B&B – a well-rated B&B which serves breakfast. Rooms are en-suite with tea/coffee making facilities. 8 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• The Bay Tree – a very well-reviewed B&B with en-suite accommodation and breakfast available. 8 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• Peakstones Inn – a 3* hotel with a range of en-suite rooms and an on-site restaurant and bar. Breakfast is available. 10 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• Heywood Hall – self-contained apartments, each with a small kitchen and en-suite bathroom. There’s also a hot tub and garden for guests. 12 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• Whiston Hall – a former 19th century hall converted into a modern mid-range hotel with its own golf course. We enjoyed our stay here and the food was very good. 13 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• The Duncombe Arms – a pub/hotel in Ellastone with air-conditioned rooms, coffee machines and en-suite facilities. Breakfast available plus restaurant and bar. 13 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• The Royal Oak – an inn with comfortable rooms in the town of Ashbourne. Restaurant and bar on site. 19 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• YHA Ilam Hall – a youth hostel in a gothic hall set in 84 acres of parkland. On-site breakfast, kitchen for self-catering, and a choice of shared or private accommodation. 22 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.

There are lots more options to consider. You can see a full range of accommodation options near Alton Towers on Booking.com here, which includes a number of holiday rentals as well. You can also find nearby holiday rentals on sites like Sykes Holiday Cottages and Snaptrip.

 

Other Activities at Alton Towers

As well as the theme park, there are a number of other activities at the Alton Towers resort.

 

Waterpark

Found inside the Splash Landings Hotel, the Alton Towers Waterpark is open the majority of the year.

There are a number of pools, both inside and outside, as well as various water slides. It’s a lot of fun and well worth including as part of your visit. Tickets start from £18 online (£25 walk-up). You can book tickets online here.

At busier times of year you need to pick a timeslot for your visit, so book in advance to be sure you can visit at a time that suits you. Waterpark lockers need a 20p coin (re-usable).

 

Extraordinary Golf

Right next to the Splash Landings hotel is an 18-hole miniature golf course themed around the main rides at Alton Towers.

This is actually a really fun mini-golf course which we had a lot of fun playing. The holes are very unique, and it’s a nice way to spend an hour or two.

A complimentary round of 9 holes is normally included for resort guests, and we highly recommend taking advantage of this. We did it on the day we left, before visiting the waterpark. It’s also open relatively late, so if you have the stamina you could do it after a day at the theme park!

Find out more and book tickets online here.

 

Spa

Adults will want to consider a trip to the Alton Towers Spa as part of their visit. The Spa is found in Alton Towers Hotel, and is open year-round to everyone, including non-residents of the hotel and those without theme park tickets.

A range of treatments are available and booking is advised. Find out more on the website here.

 

VIP Experiences and Track Walks

Alton Towers offers a range of bookable VIP experiences for those who want something beyond the standard visit. These have included guided track walks to the top of the lift hill on rides like Oblivion and Wicker Man, behind-the-scenes tours of Nemesis Reborn, and a lights-on look at the Hex ride.

We haven’t done any of these experiences ourselves, but they look like a fun addition for enthusiasts. Track walks typically take place outside of park opening hours on selected days and include a solo Fastrack ticket for the ride and express parking. They don’t include park entry.

The specific experiences available can vary by season, so check the VIP experiences page for what’s currently on offer and pricing.

 

Special Events at Alton Towers

Throughout the year, Alton Towers holds a number of special events. These normally have special themes and line up with events like Halloween, Christmas and Easter, as well as school holidays.

At these times you can expect themed rides, costumed guides, live music, and special experiences like riding some rides in the dark.

Events vary year to year, and you can see them all here, but the main events are:

 

Alton After Dark

New in recent years, Alton After Dark events see the park stay open later than normal, allowing you to ride in the dark. There’s also the Symphony of the Towers light and music show projected onto the Towers ruins, which is a new addition for 2026 and by all accounts a real highlight.

Alton After Dark events typically run on selected dates throughout the season.

 

Scarefest

Held each year in the weeks leading up to Halloween, Scarefest is perfect for lovers of spooky thrills. The park opens much later than normal, meaning you can ride your favourite rides in the dark.

There’s also a lot of spooky theming, costumed actors and special events. For 2026, Scarefest runs on selected dates from late September through to early November. This is one of the more popular events that Alton Towers runs and is well worth visiting if you get the opportunity.

Note that these events can be very busy, so you might consider investing in a Fastrack pass if visiting at these times.

 

Alton Towers Fireworks

Set up to coincide with Bonfire Night, the Fireworks event at Alton Towers normally runs for a few days around the 5th November. It’s also normally the end of the main season at the park.

The Fireworks event sees the park open late, so you can ride in the dark. As you’d expect, there’s also a fireworks display on each night of the event.

 

Oktoberfest

The Alton Towers Oktoberfest generally runs from early September to the start of October. Expect German themed events and food, a family-friendly atmosphere and late opening for riding in the dark.

 

Tips for Visiting Alton Towers

We’ve visited Alton Towers a number of times, and based on our experiences we wanted to share some tips to help you get the most from your day.

We also have a dedicated post of tips for visiting Alton Towers which goes into more detail on some of these points.

 

Make a Plan

If you want to make the most out of your day at Alton Towers, we highly recommend putting a plan together. This should at least cover which rides you and your group are most interested in riding.

Once you know which rides you want to do, you can then plan a route around the park. We’d suggest heading for the rides which are likely to have the longest queues first (usually the more extreme thrill rides), and tackling all the rides in the same area together to reduce walking times.

A good general strategy is to start at the back of the park (Forbidden Valley or Dark Forest) and work your way forward. Most visitors head for the nearest rides to the entrance first, so going the other way means shorter queues early in the day.

If you are visiting with kids who don’t meet the ride height requirements for all the rides, you’ll also want to plan for how to handle splitting your group up. The Parent Q-Share pass (covered earlier in this guide) can be a real help here. You could also avoid the drama of kids discovering they aren’t the right height by measuring them in advance and planning your route so they don’t feel they are missing out.

 

Bring a Smartphone Charger

You are going to be using your phone a lot at Alton Towers. From taking photos to using the app to check ride times and find your way around, it’s going to be a long day for your battery.

Having your phone go flat partway through the day, especially if you’re relying on it to display a Fastrack pass, isn’t going to be ideal. We recommend bringing a USB charger like this which worked well to charge our phone and our friends’ phones on our last visit.

 

Download the Alton Towers App

The Alton Towers app is pretty much a must-have when visiting the park. It lets you find your way around the park with walking times, check live ride queue times and statuses, find rides based on height restrictions, buy and manage Fastrack passes, save and display your tickets, find toilets and water refill stations, and preview your ride photos.

There’s free WiFi across the park, and the app is free to download. We’d recommend downloading it before your visit and having a browse so you’re familiar with it.

 

Book Your Meals if Staying Overnight

If you are staying overnight at one of the on-site accommodation options, it’s really important that you book your meals in advance. You need to book a timeslot for your breakfast and evening meals.

Normally, your breakfast meal will be at the hotel where you are staying. Even if it’s included, you need to make a reservation for a timeslot. These do fill up, so the further in advance you book the better.

For your evening meal you can choose any of the restaurants (except the Windmill in CBeebies, which is restricted to CBeebies Hotel guests).

The Rollercoaster Restaurant is usually the most popular and has the least seating, so can book out weeks in advance for dinner. If you can’t get a dinner reservation, try going for lunch during park hours when reservations aren’t required. We did this recently on a very busy day and had no problem getting a table at around 11.20am.

Booking links for all the restaurants are:

• Secret Garden Restaurant in Alton Towers Hotel
• Rollercoaster Restaurant in the theme park
• The Crooked Spoon in the Enchanted Village
• The Windmill Restaurant in CBeebies (CBeebies Hotel guests only)
• Flambo’s Jambo in Splash Landings Resort

 

Stay Hydrated

You are going to be doing a lot of walking at Alton Towers, and it’s going to be a long day. We’d recommend bringing your own refillable water bottle and using the water refill stations which are dotted throughout the park. They’re marked on the map in the app.

If you want soft drinks, you can buy a Coca-Cola Freestyle refill cup for £18, which lets you drink as much as you like throughout the day from the Freestyle stations around the park. You can use the same cup on future visits for a lower per-day cost.

 

Visit Splash Landings if Staying Multiple Days

If you are staying overnight at Alton Towers, consider using some of your time to visit Splash Landings, the on-site waterpark.

We recently spent two nights at Alton Towers. We visited the park on the first two days, and on the day we departed we spent the morning at Splash Landings. It was a lovely way to end our trip and meant even on the day we were leaving we still had a lot of fun.

 

Arrive Early and Leave Late

There is a huge amount to do at Alton Towers, and your ticket gives you access for the whole day. We highly recommend taking full advantage of that.

Normally, the park opens around an hour before the rides start operating. We recommend getting here at opening time so you can head to a popular ride and join the queue before they get too long.

It’s also worth staying as close to closing time as possible. As the day progresses people start to leave, and queue times get shorter towards the end of the day. If you have the stamina for it, those last couple of hours can be the best time to fit in a few more rides.

If you need to leave the park during the day (to go to your car or let the kids have a nap), just make sure you get a hand stamp from an admission staff member before you exit so you can re-enter later.

 

Alternatives to Alton Towers

You might be wondering if there are any alternatives to Alton Towers in the UK. There are other theme parks, but Alton Towers generally has the widest choice of rides across the largest area. Some alternatives to consider:

• Thorpe Park
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach
• Chessington World of Adventures
• LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
• Drayton Manor Park

 

Alton Towers Frequently Asked Questions

We’re now going to go through some commonly asked questions about Alton Towers.

 

Are Alton Towers Fastrack Passes Worth It?

We have visited Alton Towers both with and without a Fastrack Pass, and had a good experience both ways.

If you are visiting at a quieter time of year, you might find that a Fastrack Pass is not necessary. We have visited off peak during a fairly wet day in March and most ride wait times were just a few minutes, with even the more popular rides well under an hour.

If you are visiting at a busy time of year (school holidays, during Scarefest, at weekends, or during school trip season in July), a Fastrack pass can be a very good investment. We have visited during a busy time when queues for the most popular rides were over 2 hours. With Fastrack, our wait times were between 5 and 25 minutes.

The Bronze pass (from £45) is particularly good value with its pick-any-5 format. It covers 15 rides and you can use the app to check queue times and use your Fastrack on whichever rides are busiest at that moment.

You can buy Fastrack passes in advance of your visit here, on site at customer services, or through the app. Passes do sell out at busier times.

 

How Long Do You Need at Alton Towers?

I would recommend spending the whole day at Alton Towers, from the time the gates open to the time it closes. It is a relatively expensive day out, so you might as well get your money’s worth.

For a more comprehensive experience, you can also plan to stay overnight and visit for a second day. You can often get a second day entry ticket at a lower price when purchasing your original ticket. There is definitely more than enough to do to fill two full days.

 

Are the Alton Towers Hotels Any Good?

We were actually very impressed with the Alton Towers hotels. On our recent visit we stayed at the Alton Towers Hotel, whilst our friends with their younger kids stayed at CBeebies Land Hotel.

We thought everything was well done: the theming throughout, the check-in process, the staff, the evening entertainment and the food were all excellent.

It really added to the overall experience and felt like an extension of the theme park. The kids in particular loved CBeebies Land Hotel, which we can recommend for families with kids up to around 9 or 10.

We also appreciated that staying at the hotel meant our parking was included, and that there was a hotel guests only entrance just a few minutes’ walk from the hotels. This got us close to Nemesis Reborn and Galactica at entry time, meaning we were amongst the first riders on board.

The only downside was that we had to book timeslots for all our meals in advance. We were staying for two nights so had to book breakfast and dinner slots. As we booked last minute there wasn’t a lot of availability, and it meant we couldn’t be flexible with our plans. It all worked out and the food was very good, but just be aware you do need to plan ahead.

 

When is Alton Towers Busiest?

Alton Towers is usually busiest at the weekends and during school holidays. There are also often school trips in the last couple of weeks of the school term in July, although school trips can visit at any time.

Tuesday to Thursday during term time are typically the quietest days, and can offer the best experience if you’re able to be flexible with your dates.

 

Is Alton Towers Good for Families?

Yes, Alton Towers is a fantastic day out for families. There is such a wide choice of rides, attractions and activities that everyone in the family will be able to have a great day out.

 

Can I Take My Own Food and Drink to Alton Towers?

Yes, you can take your own food and drink to Alton Towers, and there are picnic benches around the park where you can eat your own food.

The only real restriction is that you can’t bring alcohol into the park (although it is served on site), and you can’t take your own food into the restaurants where tables are for paying customers only.

There are picnic areas located around the park including on the main grassy area by the lake in front of Towers Street, and next to Hex.

 

How Long Are the Queues at Alton Towers?

Queue times vary hugely, from a few minutes to over two hours. It depends on how busy the park is, the time of day, whether the ride has a single rider queue, and so on.

If you visit during the week outside of school holidays, queue times will be shorter. In the mornings before around 11am and in the afternoons after 3pm, most queue times also tend to reduce.

See our sections on Single Rider Queues, Parent Q-Share, and Fastrack passes earlier in this guide for ways to cut your wait times.

 

Is There Wi-Fi at Alton Towers?

Yes, there is free Wi-Fi throughout the resort including at the theme park and in all the accommodation options. You just have to sign up to access it. We recommend doing so because the Alton Towers app works better on Wi-Fi, and using Wi-Fi drains your phone battery slower than mobile data.

 

Does Alton Towers Have Tall Rollercoasters?

One thing you will notice is that Alton Towers doesn’t have very tall rollercoasters like you might find at other theme parks around the world.

The reason for this is that Alton Towers is not allowed to build any ride that goes above tree height. This is why many rides are cleverly constructed in sunken areas or to even go below ground. So there are still several thrilling rollercoasters here!

 

Does the Weather Affect Rides at Alton Towers?

Most rides will normally run in the rain, unless it is very heavy. Thunder, lightning and high wind can lead to ride closures.

Visiting on a wet day can actually be beneficial as there will often be fewer visitors and shorter queues.

Alton Towers offers a rainy-day guarantee. This means that if the weather results in ride closures to the point that Alton Towers deems it a “Rainy Day”, then you will be able to return on a different day for free. You can read more about the Rainy Day guarantee here.

If the weather does cause closures during your visit, consider heading to the Waterpark instead. There’s a fee, but as you’re already on site it might save the day.

 

How Do I Eat at the Rollercoaster Restaurant?

The Rollercoaster Restaurant is one of the most fun dining experiences at Alton Towers, and kids in particular love watching the food fly around the tracks before arriving at your table.

For hotel guests, evening dining at the Rollercoaster Restaurant requires a reservation, and these can sell out months in advance.

The good news is that during park opening hours, reservations are not possible and dining is first come first served. If you turn up close to opening time (around 11am) and don’t mind an early lunch, you shouldn’t have any problem getting a table. We did this on a very busy day and had no problem getting seated at around 11.20am.

 

Further Reading

That’s it for our guide to visiting Alton Towers! We hope you found it useful.

Before you go, we wanted to share a few of our other guides that you might find useful.

• For more tips, see our Tips for Visiting Alton Towers post
• For wider UK trip planning, we have suggested one week and two week UK itineraries
• We have guides to many other cities in England. See our guide to things to do in Manchester, things to do in Stratford upon Avon, things to do in Bristol, things to do in Portsmouth, tips on a weekend in York, tips on Visiting Oxford on a Day Trip, and things to do in Cambridge
• If you’re heading to Scotland, check out our 2 day Edinburgh itinerary, our Glasgow and Loch Lomond itinerary, our guide to the best day trips from Glasgow, our guide to things to do in Edinburgh, our itinerary for Skye and the Highlands, our guide to the best day trips from Aberdeen, and our guide to the best day trips from Edinburgh to get you started. We also have a guide to getting from London to Edinburgh.
• We have a guide to 10 of the best Stately Homes in England, some of which are not that far from Alton Towers

And that’s it! Have you ever visited Alton Towers? Do you have anything you’d add to the above, or a question about an upcoming visit? Just let us know in the comments below!