Alton Towers Guide 2026: Rides, Tips and Planning

Last updated: August 2026

Alton Towers is the largest theme park in the UK, and in our view the best. This guide covers everything you need to plan a visit: what to ride, how long to stay, where to sleep, when to go, and the things we wish we had known the first time.

We have deliberately kept prices out of it. They change every season and a guide full of out-of-date figures is worse than no guide at all. Everything below is the stuff that stays true.

Alton Towers at a glance

Where	Farley Lane, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST10 4DB
County	Staffordshire
Opened	4 April 1980
Operator	Merlin Entertainments
Season	Roughly mid-March to early November
Rollercoasters	11
Rides and attractions	40+
Time needed	One full day minimum, two if it is your first visit
On-site hotels	Three, plus lodges and stargazing pods

What Alton Towers actually is

Alton Towers sits in 500 acres of Staffordshire countryside, on what was for centuries the private estate of the Earls of Shrewsbury. The ruined Towers still stand at the centre of the park and the historic gardens below them are open to walk around, which is why the place feels unlike any other British theme park. You are wandering through a stately home’s grounds that happen to have world-class rollercoasters bolted into the valleys.

It opened as a theme park on 4 April 1980 and is now run by Merlin Entertainments, who also operate Thorpe Park, Chessington, Legoland Windsor and the London Eye.

The setting is the single biggest thing separating it from the competition. A day here feels like going somewhere, not just to a car park with rides attached.

The rollercoasters

Eleven in total, though the two in CBeebies Land are aimed squarely at very small children.

Coaster	Type	Worth knowing
Nemesis Reborn	B&M inverted	The park’s signature ride. Completely retracked and reopened in March 2024
The Smiler	Gerstlauer Infinity	World’s first 14-inversion coaster, and still the record holder
Wicker Man	GCI wooden	Added in 2018. Runs through a burning effigy three times
Oblivion	B&M dive	The world’s first vertical drop coaster, opened in 1998
TH13TEEN	Intamin	World’s first vertical freefall drop track element
Rita	Intamin launched	0 to 60mph in a couple of seconds
Galactica	B&M flying	Opened as Air in 2002, the world’s first B&M flying coaster
Spinball Whizzer	Maurer spinning	Free-spinning cars, so no two rides are the same
Runaway Mine Train	Family mine train	A park classic and most people’s first proper coaster
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure	Zamperla family	In CBeebies Land, for small children
Bluey The Ride: Here Come the Grannies!	Family	New for 2026 and the world’s first Bluey rollercoaster

If you want our honest verdict on each one rather than a list, we have ranked all 17 major Alton Towers rides from worst to best.

The rides that aren’t rollercoasters

This is where Alton Towers has improved most in recent years.

The Curse at Alton Manor replaced the old Duel dark ride in 2023 and is a genuine step up: a properly designed haunted house with detailed theming and a story that holds together. Hex: The Legend of the Towers is built inside the ruins of the actual house and tells the local legend of the Chained Oak. It is over twenty-five years old and still one of the best-themed attractions in Britain.

Toxicator, added in 2025, is a heavily themed Huss Top Spin in Forbidden Valley and the first Top Spin built in the UK since Ripsaw in 1997. Nemesis Sub-Terra is a short underground drop experience, and Gangsta Granny: The Ride is a family dark ride.

For water rides, there is Congo River Rapids and Battle Galleons, an interactive boat ride with water cannons.

Do not skip the Skyride cable car. It saves a serious amount of walking between Towers Street and the far side of the park, and the views are amazing.

The lands

Forbidden Valley — Nemesis Reborn, Galactica, Toxicator, Nemesis Sub-Terra.
X-Sector — Oblivion and The Smiler
Dark Forest — TH13TEEN and Rita
Mutiny Bay — Battle Galleons and Wicker Man
Katanga Canyon — Congo River Rapids and the Runaway Mine Train
Gloomy Wood — The Curse at Alton Manor
CBeebies Land — a dozen attractions for under-sevens
The World of David Walliams — Gangsta Granny: The Ride
The Gardens — the historic estate grounds, and quieter than anywhere else in the park

How long do you need?

One full day is the minimum, and it will be a busy one. The park is large, the walking is significant and the hills are real.

If it is your first visit, or you are travelling any distance, two days is much better. Staying on site gives you two half-days rather than one rushed one, and the park is at its calmest in the first hour and the last.

When to go

The season runs roughly mid-March to early November, with the park closed on some midweek dates at the quiet ends of it. Always check before travelling.

Quietest: midweek in term time, particularly May, June and September. September is the sweet spot — warm enough, and the schools are back.

Busiest: weekends, all UK school holidays, and the Saturdays of Scarefest and the Fireworks weekend.

Weather matters more here than at most parks. Alton Towers is exposed and rural, and a wet Tuesday in October is a very different day out from a warm Wednesday in June — though a drizzly day does mean short queues.

Events worth planning around

Scarefest runs on selected dates through late September and October and is the park at its best. Longer hours mean night rides on the major coasters, which are genuinely worth the trip on their own. The scare mazes are ticketed separately and sell out, so book them when you book your entry.

The Fireworks Spectacular closes the season across the weekend nearest Bonfire Night. It is one of the best displays in the country and it sells out every year. The park will be very busy during this event.

The festive season brings a smaller selection of family rides and seasonal entertainment. The big coasters are not open.

The park also runs half-term and summer events that change from year to year, so check the official site for the current season rather than trusting any guide, including this one.

Where to stay

There are three themed hotels on site. The Alton Towers Hotel is the original and the most characterful. Splash Landings is attached to the waterpark. The CBeebies Land Hotel is the only one of its kind in the UK and, if you have a four-year-old, it is the entire holiday rather than somewhere to sleep.

Beyond the hotels there is the Enchanted Village, a set of woodland lodges suited to families and groups, and Stargazing Pods for something smaller and cheaper.

Staying on site usually includes early ride time before general opening, which on a busy day is worth more than any other perk. There are also bed and breakfasts in Alton village, most within five minutes’ drive.

Getting there

Realistically, you drive. Alton Towers is genuinely rural and public transport is awkward.

By car it is signposted from the A50 and M6, and roughly an hour from both Manchester and Birmingham. Pay for parking when you arrive rather than at the end of the day, when everyone else is queueing to do the same thing.

By train, the nearest stations are Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter, and you will need a bus or taxi from either. Check current bus services before relying on one, as they vary by season.

Food

The usual theme park fast food is everywhere: burgers, chicken, chips, pizza. For something better, there are a few sit-down options.

The Rollercoaster Restaurant is the one to book. Food arrives at your table down a spiral of rollercoaster track, which sounds like a gimmick and is, but it is a well-executed one and the food is decent. It is open to the general public in the evening without a park ticket, so it works as a dinner stop even on a non-park day. Book ahead, and avoid peak lunch and dinner slots if you are walking up.

You can also bring your own food. There are picnic areas near the entrance and by the car parks, and for a family this is the single easiest way to cut the cost of a day out.

Skipping the queues

Alton Towers sells a paid queue-skip called Fastrack, in tiers ranging from one ride on one coaster to unlimited use across the major attractions. It sells out on busy days, so buy online in advance if you are visiting at a weekend or in the holidays.

Whether it is worth it depends entirely on the day. On a quiet midweek visit in term time you will not need it. On an August Saturday it is the difference between six rides and sixteen.

What else is on the resort

Alton Towers Waterpark is indoors, next to Splash Landings Hotel, and open almost year round rather than just in the theme park season. It needs a separate ticket and about half a day.

There is also crazy golf.

Five minutes’ drive from the entrance is the Chained Oak, the real tree behind the legend told on Hex. It is free, it takes twenty minutes, and it is the best bit of theme park pilgrimage in the country.

Recent changes worth knowing

Bluey The Ride arrived in CBeebies Land for 2026
Toxicator opened in Forbidden Valley in 2025
The Blade, the park’s oldest ride, gave its last rides at the end of 2024 and was removed in 2025
Nemesis reopened as Nemesis Reborn in March 2024 after a full retrack
Duel closed and became The Curse at Alton Manor in 2023

Our tips

Book tickets online in advance. Gate prices are poor value and you may not get in on a sold-out day
Arrive before opening. The first hour is worth three in the afternoon
Ride the far side of the park first. Most people turn left into X-Sector, so start at Forbidden Valley or the Dark Forest and work back
Use the Skyride rather than walking the hills twice
Download the official app for live queue times before you arrive, not in the car park
Queues close when the park closes, not before. If closing is 5pm you can join at 4:59pm however long the wait
Take a waterproof. This is England.

Frequently asked questions

How many rides are there at Alton Towers?

Over forty rides and attractions, of which eleven are rollercoasters. That total includes CBeebies Land, where around a dozen attractions are aimed at under-sevens, so the number of major thrill rides an adult would queue for is closer to a dozen.

How many rollercoasters does Alton Towers have?

Eleven, including the two family coasters in CBeebies Land. Nine are outside CBeebies Land, and six of those are major thrill coasters.

How long do you need at Alton Towers?

A full day at minimum. Two days if it is your first visit or you want to ride everything without rushing.

What is the best ride at Alton Towers?

Nemesis Reborn, for us. It is the ride the park is known for and the retrack has extended its life without losing what made it special. The Smiler is the more extreme choice.

When is the quietest time to visit Alton Towers?

Midweek during term time, especially May, June and September. Avoid weekends and UK school holidays if you have any choice.

Is Alton Towers good for young children?

Very. CBeebies Land is the best pre-school area at any UK theme park, and with the CBeebies Land Hotel next door it works as a holiday in its own right for under-sevens.

Can you bring your own food into Alton Towers?

Yes. There are picnic areas near the entrance and the car parks.

How far is Alton Towers from Manchester or Birmingham?

Roughly an hour by car from either. From London it is closer to three hours, which is why most people from the south make it an overnight trip.

Is Alton Towers or Thorpe Park better?

We say Alton Towers, on the strength of its coaster line-up and setting, though Thorpe Park now has the UK’s tallest and fastest coaster in Hyperia. We compare them properly in Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.