The very best theme parks in the UK

The country's best thrills

Fancy a thrill-filled day out in the UK? Thankfully, you’re not short of options. Scattered far and wide across the country are white-knuckle rides at world-class theme parks, plus plenty of family-friendly attractions to suit young children. We’ve picked out 27 of the nation’s best amusement parks.

Click through to discover the UK's most thrilling theme parks...

Thorpe Park, Surrey, England

Thorpe Park is one of the greatest theme parks in Europe, let alone the UK. It’s packed with notorious rides like the floorless Nemesis Inferno, as well as the UK’s tallest, fastest and most weightless roller coaster: Hyperia, which reaches 236 feet (72m) into the air and travels at speeds of up to 81 miles per hour (130 kmh).

The park is also famed for its fright nights at Halloween, where visitors brave spine-tingling horror mazes. For less seasonal scares, look out for the Ghost Train, a terrifying multi-sensory experience featuring real live actors.

Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire, England

Spanning 375 acres of the North Yorkshire countryside, Flamingo Land ticks all the boxes for a family adventure, with an extensive theme park, a resort village and even a zoo. The ultimate ride here is Mumbo Jumbo, a roller coaster which plunges downwards at a terrifying 112°, with a stomach-flipping G-force of four.

Pictured is Velocity, the UK’s first and only motorbike launch coaster with a dizzying acceleration speed – 0-60 miles per hour (97km/h) in just 2.8 seconds.

Adventure Island, Essex, England

You're unlikely to get bored at Adventure Island, with its 40-plus rides and attractions. Situated next to Southend Pier, the Rage roller coaster, with its sheer vertical drop, is undoubtedly the headline attraction.

Adrenaline junkies should also look out for The Screature – an orbital ride that throws passengers up, down and sideways – and Vertigo, a 16-seater ride that rockets passengers 125 feet (38m) into the air. If you’re brave enough to keep your eyes open, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the park and beyond. 

Alton Towers, Staffordshire, England

Renowned for being one of the UK’s finest theme parks, Alton Towers is an adrenaline junkie’s paradise: your palms will be sweating and your heart pounding as you brave some of the scariest rides in the country. Oblivion lives up to its intimidating name with an 180-foot (55m) vertical drop while the Rita roller coaster shoots to 60 miles per hour (97km/h) in 2.5 seconds with 4.7 G-force.

Those with a penchant for spooky attractions should check out The Curse, a hair-raising dark ride that winds through the haunted halls of Alton Manor.

Drayton Manor Resort, Staffordshire, England

Believe it or not, there’s more to Staffordshire’s theme park scene than Alton Towers. Drayton Manor Resort is home to multiple rides that will keep thrill-seekers happy, including Stormforce 10, a hair-raising, three-drop water ride; and Maelstrom, a stomach-churning gyro-swing. 

Kids of all ages will love The Bounty Pirate Ship swing ride. Those with little ones in tow can make a beeline for Thomas Land, dedicated to the famous tank engine. 

Lightwater Valley, North Yorkshire, England

This one's squarely geared towards families, and you'll find more than 35 rides and attractions tailored to kids under 12 at this cheerful park. The Skyrider – or “chair swings,” as little ones refer to it – is a firm favourite, while the Caterpillar roller coaster offers age-appropriate thrills.

Youngsters can also brave the awesome Treetop Nets adventure course, suspended 39 feet (12m) above the ground and spanning more than 21,500 square feet (2,000sqm) of woodland.

Let’s Go Hydro, Carryduff, Northern Ireland

Branding itself Northern Ireland's "best-kept secret", Let's Go Hydro rewards visitors with a floating aqua park and an aqua pitch which brings a whole new dimension to football and rugby games. There are also opportunities to try your hand at  kneeboarding and wakeboarding, with lessons available for beginners.

If you want to make a weekend of it, you can stay overnight in cute glamping pods, safari tents or house boats. 

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire, England

What started out with a single ride more than 120 years ago has evolved into one of the UK's best-loved amusement parks. It's now spread across an exhilarating 42-acre site on the seafront and boasts no less than 10 roller-coasters – more than any other UK park – including The Big One, which rises to a whopping 213 feet (65m) and reaches blistering speeds of 74 miles per hour (119km/h).

You can also ride on the world’s very first ghost train or try out the more recent Viking-themed Valhalla, seven times winner of the World’s Best Water Ride.

Sandcastle Waterpark, Lancashire, England

If you thought the famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach was the only thrill-seeking attraction in town, you thought wrong. Step inside the UK's largest indoor waterpark and you'll be teleported to a land with a tropical 28°C (84°F) climate and awesome white-knuckle waterslides, including Master Blaster, the UK’s largest indoor roller coaster waterslide.

Little ones can enjoy the Caribbean Storm Treehouse, an interactive adventure play area with a giant tipping coconut that spontaneously spills gallons of water over unsuspecting victims.

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Fantasy Island, Lincolnshire, England

You’ll get incredible views out to sea from one of the UK’s tallest roller coasters, but you'll have to brave a whirlwind of inversions at high speed. The Odyssey is Fantasy Island’s flagship ride and reaches a hefty G-force of 4.8. There's a good mix of extreme thrills and more child-friendly attractions, while Europe's largest seven-day market operates here too. 

Landmark Forest, Carrbridge, Scotland

Landmark Forest proudly touts itself as "Scotland's Favourite Theme Park" and it's not all about roller coasters here. As its name suggests, you'll find the site enveloped in woodland in the Scottish Highlands village of Carrbridge.

Between the trees, there are three water coasters, a high ropes course, a climbing wall and a maze. The popular NetworX, is the first aerial net challenge in Scotland.

Pleasurewood Hills, Suffolk, England

The swirling loops and dizzying heights of Wipeout are the standout attraction at this Suffolk stalwart, taking riders some 121 feet (37m) into the sky before rocketing around the track at 50 miles per hour (80km/h) – and then doing it all again. Backwards. Aside from the boomerang-style roller coaster there are more than 35 other rides, including The Water Fun Factory log flume and Jolly Roger drop tower.

Visitors can also enjoy a number of shows at the park, which is set within 50 acres of enclosed coastal parkland.

Waterworld, Staffordshire, England

You'll find yourself on a tropical adventure at Waterworld, a sprawling indoor aqua park. Start with the Thunderbolt, which plunges riders down the UK's first ever trap-door water flume at 25 miles per hour (40km/h). If you still need an adrenaline fix, make a splash with Cyclone, which bundles riders into a rubber ring before shooting them into turbulent waters.

The park is open all year round.

Barry Island Pleasure Park, South Glamorgan, Wales

Sometimes you just can't beat a good old-fashioned fairground. And nowhere does a fairground better than Barry Island Pleasure Park. Scratch that nostalgia itch by riding on the Ferris wheel, waltzer and cup and saucers or hopping on the dodgems.

But the park also boasts what it claims is the tallest and fastest thrill ride in the UK, Aerospace, which sends visitors hurtling 215 feet (65m) into the air.

Gulliver’s World, Cheshire, England

If you’ve got both toddlers and older children to keep entertained, then Gulliver’s World has got you covered. The theme park is aimed at children aged two to 13, with rides, attractions and shows, plus a soaring wooden roller coaster, Antelope.

There are sister parks in Bath, Rotherham and Milton Keynes too. 

M&D’s, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

There's a real variety of attractions on offer at this Scottish park. You've got rides from kid-friendly carousels to runaway trails, and family activities from an arcade and ten-pin bowling alley to theatre shows.

Amazonia is popular too: the temperature-controlled tropical house is based on the Amazon rainforest and is home to monkeys, parrots, frogs and tarantulas. In the nocturnal area you’ll find bats, snakes and scorpions.

LEGOLAND, Berkshire, England

LEGOLAND is an all-time classic that's an absolute must for families with young children. It's got more than 55 rides and attractions and the 12 themed lands are sure to set kids' imaginations racing: whether they're flying through the treetops to escape dragons (on The Dragon roller coaster) or joining LEGO divers on a magical underwater journey (Deep Sea Adventure).

The LEGO Ferrari Build & Race Experience allows kids to build their own Ferrari racers and then drive them on tracks, both real and virtual.

Sundown Adventureland, Nottinghamshire, England

Sundown Adventureland prides itself on being a top theme park for kids aged under 10, and it's got a huge array of child-friendly activities – from the Jolly Pirate Boat Ride and the Angry Birds Activity Park to Storybook Village, where kids can immerse themselves in the world of their favourite fairy tales. 

Center Parcs Whinfell Forest, Cumbria, England

Surrounded by picturesque Lake District landscapes, the Whinfell Forest Center Parcs has everything from hair-raising aerial rides and nature-themed escape rooms to soothing natural beauty, with a wildlife sanctuary home to endangered red squirrels. 

Relax in Scandinavian-style lodges tucked away among the tall pine trees or venture out for some watery thrills. The Tropical Cyclone ride sees you raft down 328 feet (100m) of turns and gravity-defying drops at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise waterpark. 

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, Norfolk, England

Travel back in time and ride a thundering wooden roller coaster that’s been running since it was built in 1932. Simply named Roller Coaster, it’s one of only two wooden roller coasters still standing in the UK, and an operator controls the brakes as there are none on the track.

There are also 30 other large rides at the park – including upside-down 16-seater swing ride Pendulum – as well as children's entertainment and arcades.

Paultons Park, Hampshire, England

Little Peppa Pig fans and young-at-heart adults will be in their element at this enormous theme park spanning 140 acres. With a whole mini-world themed entirely around the TV series, the site includes some 70 attractions, including mellow rides, an indoor play zone and a water splash park. 

It's rated one of the UK's top family theme parks on Google too.

New Forest Water Park, Hampshire, England

This countryside aqua park has some seriously thrilling inflatable obstacles. You'll need to bounce on trampolines, swing along monkey bars and clamber over walls without falling in – unless you want to, of course.

When you’re done with the inflatables, you can enjoy wakeboarding, kayaking, paddle boarding and open water swimming, before huddling around a fire at the campsite in the woods.

Crealy Theme Park & Resort, Devon, England

Spread across 100 acres of glorious countryside, the biggest theme park in the southwest of England has more than 60 rides and attractions. It's often been voted 'the best day out in Devon' and there's plenty of family fun to be had – from live shows featuring the iconic hand puppets Sooty and Sweep to pirate-themed attractions and water rides.

The Lake Kilrea, Kilrea, Northern Ireland

Whether you spend the day leaping around the giant inflatables course, or ziplining over the 11-acre freshwater lake, this large aqua park guarantees thrills. If nothing else, guests are dared to try and tame ‘The Beast’, a mammoth standalone floating water slide.

You can also get involved with canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and pedalo riding, or – back on dry land – taking on the high ropes and climbing wall. 

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, London, England

What makes this so special? Well, you’ve only got about six weeks to enjoy it over the festive period. Swirl around an ice rink, gaze at London’s epic skyline from the 230-foot (70m) wheel, or explore the Ice Kingdom, where everything is made of, well… ice.

And for the thrill-seekers among you, there are 10 high-adrenaline rides, including the swirling Munich Looping roller coaster. Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland opens every November.

Brighton Palace Pier, East Sussex, England

It wouldn’t truly be a list of the UK’s best amusement parks if Brighton’s famous pier didn’t make the cut. The Grade II-listed pier has been welcoming visitors since 1899 and remains extremely popular. It’s home to classic fairground rides and roller coasters, an arcade, bars, restaurants and deckchairs to enjoy the sea view in summer.

Millions flock here every year and it’s a staple of British culture, having featured in the gangster thriller Brighton Rock and The Who's movie, Quadrophenia. 

Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey, England

A juggernaut of the theme park world, Chessington runs with the fitting strapline "Britain’s wildest adventure" and has more than 40 rides and attractions. A highlight is The World of Jumanji themed area, where families attempt to lift a curse and save Jumanji by braving exciting rides including the Mandrill Mayhem roller coaster and exploring a jungle maze. 

Other squeal-inducing rides include the Croc Drop, which plunges 82 feet (25m) into the jaws of a giant crocodile. Those of a gentler disposition may prefer The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure. 

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Now check out stunning historic images of theme parks in full swing