Thorpe Park Visitor Guide

Everything you need to plan your visit and make the most of the day.

About Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park Resort is one of the UK's most popular theme parks, located in Chertsey, Surrey - about 20 miles south-west of central London. The park is home to 22+ rides and attractions, ranging from record-breaking roller coasters to family-friendly water rides and thrill experiences.

Operated by Merlin Entertainments, Thorpe Park is open seasonally from late March through to early November, with extended dates for Fright Nights (Halloween) and select Christmas events. It consistently attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year.

The Rides

Coasters

• Hyperia - Thorpe Park's newest and tallest ride. A 72m hyper coaster with a 90-degree drop. Minimum height 1.3m.
• Stealth - The UK's fastest-accelerating roller coaster, launching from 0 to 80mph in 1.8 seconds. Minimum height 1.4m.
• Colossus - The world's first 10-loop roller coaster. Still delivers after 20+ years. Minimum height 1.4m.
• The Swarm - A winged coaster with near-miss special effects. Smooth and fast. Minimum height 1.4m.
• SAW – The Ride - Features a beyond-vertical drop and SAW-themed horror elements. Minimum height 1.4m.
• Nemesis Inferno - An inverted coaster. Consistently rated one of the park's best. Minimum height 1.4m.
• The Walking Dead: The Ride - An indoor coaster through a post-apocalyptic setting. Minimum height 1.4m.

Thrill Rides

• Detonator - A 30m drop tower with a sudden, weightless freefall.
• Rush - A giant swing ride reaching 75 feet in the air.
• Tidal Wave - A boat ride with a 25m drop and a guaranteed soaking.
• Storm Surge - A spinning rapids ride. Expect to get wet.
• Quantum - A pendulum ride that takes you 360 degrees over the water.
• Vortex - A suspended swinging ride with a great view of the park.
• Samurai - Spins and tilts in multiple directions simultaneously.
• Zodiac - A classic spinning flat ride.
• Ghost Train - An immersive horror dark ride with live scare actors.

Family & Junior Rides

• Flying Fish - A gentler family coaster, great for younger thrill seekers.
• Depth Charge - An open-top water slide boat ride.
• Dobble Tea Party - Spinning cup rides, suitable for all ages.
• Big Easy Bumpers - Classic dodgems in a themed setting.
• Mr Monkey's Banana Ride - A gentle ride for young children.

How to Beat the Queues

• Arrive early. The first 90 minutes after opening have the shortest queues - ride the big coasters (Stealth, Hyperia, Colossus) before 11:30am.
• Visit on a weekday. Tuesday and Wednesday are consistently the quietest days. School holidays and weekends see waits double or triple.
• Use the live queue page. Check live wait times before you walk to a ride - a 5-minute detour to a walk-on ride beats standing in a 45-minute queue. Not sure how busy today will be? See the crowd guide.
• Ride in the afternoon. Many guests leave after lunch. Queues for popular rides often drop between 2pm and 4pm.
• Fast Track. Thorpe Park sells Fast Track passes for the major rides. Worth it on busy days if your time is limited.
• Check the weather. Wet days reduce visitor numbers dramatically. Water rides are quieter when it's cold - and the coasters are no less thrilling in the rain.
• Avoid peak school holidays. The summer half-term weeks and the six-week summer holidays are the busiest periods. Early September, after schools return, is often the sweet spot - the park is still open but crowds drop sharply.

Want the full playbook? Our complete guide to beating the queues covers 12 data-backed tactics - including the rope-drop order, Fastrack maths, and the queue-to-wait traps. Visiting in October? See the Fright Nights survival guide for how the event changes everything.

More detailed guides

Four questions come up more than any others, and each has its own guide:

• Is Fastrack worth it? - 2026 prices for every tier, the cost-per-minute-saved maths, and the very common days when buying it is a waste of money.
• Visiting with children - what a child can ride at each height, whether you should be at Chessington instead, and how to run a day with a mixed-age group.
• Thorpe Park in the rain - what actually closes rides (wind, not water), which rides go first, and why a wet forecast is the best queue day of the year.
• Height restrictions - the minimum height for every ride, and exactly what unlocks at 1.2m, 1.3m and 1.4m.

Getting There

By car: Thorpe Park is directly off Junction 11 of the M25. Parking is available on site (charged). Arrive early as car parks fill quickly on busy days.

By train: The nearest station is Staines (served by South Western Railway from London Waterloo). From Staines, a shuttle bus runs to the park on operating days - check thorpepark.com for timetables.

By bus: The 950 Thorpe Park Express service runs from various London stops during the season. Check National Rail for current train times to Staines.

Height restrictions and opening dates are subject to change. Always verify on the official Thorpe Park website before visiting.

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