For more than 40 years, the Alton Towers theme park has captivated young and old for its adrenaline-boosting rides and magical lands.
The 910 acre park is divided up into 10 themed areas including CBeebies land, which will delight children under fiive with rides featuring characters from TV shows like Peter Rabbit and Hey Duggee.
Thrill-seekers should head to Mutiny Bay for Wicker Man, which is the first rollercoaster built of wood in 20 years. Another terrifying experience is The Smiler, the only 14 loop rollercoaster. The Smiler boosts a speed of 85 km/hr so it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Whether you’re thinking of a day trip or want to spread out the fun over a couple of days and stay over, here’s everything you need to know to about visiting Alton Towers.
Alton Towers Tickets
The best way to save on tickets is to book in advance.
Prices increase on weekends and in school holidays, so you’ll get better deals if you visit outside these times.
Tiqets.com has an online calendar so you can see how prices change depending on the season and purchase the best value ones. Prices for adult tickets start at £38.
Buying an annual pass will save a huge amount of money if you plan to visit more than once. A Merlin pass will give you entrance to Alton Towers as well as other Merlin attractions such as Chessington, LEGOLAND, Thope Park and Madame Tussauds. A Merlin Discovery pass starts at £69 for the entire year and can be purchased on the Merlin Annual Pass website.
Alton Towers Hotels
There are three different hotels at Alton Towers, each with a unique and magical theme, and woodland lodges that each sleep a family of five.
The Alton Towers Hotel is centred around the theme of an Adventurer’s Paradise. For a memorable stay, choose a unique themed room, designed to wow your senses. Choose to sleep in a bed like a bathtub, a hot air balloon or a princess carriage. Prices start at £154 for a family of four on booking.com and that includes breakfast.
The CBeebies Land hotel is aimed at preschoolers. Not only are there rooms themed like their favorite TV shows, but their favourite characters drop in throughout the day so you mind find that you check-in next to a Teletubby. Nightly entertainment means that you could see Bing in a live show, dance the night away in the tots disco and even gaze up to the skies with some special stargazing.
Splash Landings hotel is close to the Alton Towers waterpark and has a tropical theme. This Caribbean-themed hotel is bursting with full-on family entertainment and fun and is great for older kids, teens and adults - especially Ma Granita’s bar.
The Woodland lodges have more space than a hotel room and more flexibility for you to make noise and run riot if you haven’t used up all your energy in the park. Parents will love the separate kids’ sleeping zone, while children will adore the bunk beds and truckle bed. Add an interactive flat screen TV and free WiFi and these log cabins provide a woodland escape where you can enjoy the great outdoors alongside the cosy best of indoors.
Or you can find several hotels and self-catering options near Alton Towers on booking.com
Alton Towers opening times
Opening and closing times vary depending on peak and off-peak season.
Gates open at 10am all year-round.
From March to late July, gates close at 4pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends.
The last week of July, August and the first week of September, gates close at 6pm every day.
From September to November, gates close at 4pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends.
For special events like Halloween’s Scarefest and Fireworks, the park stays open until 9pm.
Alton Towers rides
There’s something for all ages at Alton Towers. Grown-ups and those measuring above 1.4 metres and above can experience:
- Oblivion - the world’s first vertical drop rollercoaster
- The Smiler - the world’s first 14 loop rollercoaster. Its twisting track combines the world beating 14 loops with a speed of 85 km/hr.
- Nemesis - A hanging rollercoaster that loops and spins so you experience a 3.5G G-Force
- Rita - This crazy coaster powers you straight to 100kph in just 2.5 seconds, putting your body through 4.7G
Children’s favourites include:
- In The Night Garden magical boat ride - journey through a real Night Garden and spot all your favourite characters
- Octonatuts mini rollercoaster - join Captain Barnacles and crew on a mini ocean adventure
- Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop - ride high up into the sky to see if you can spot Peter Rabbit in Mr Macgregor’s garden
- Hey Duggee’s Big Adventure Badge - climb, slide and bounce your way through interactive sensory play areas, meet Hey Duggee and collect your Big Adventure Badge!
- Gangsta Granny: Take a spin through virtual sewers on a 360° special effects laden wild ride to break into the crown jewels vault and steal the gems.
