The best theme parks and near London

Best for: A brilliant balance of kid and adult-friendly vibes

With more than 40 rides across the whole park, soft play areas for younger tots, a zoo and a Sea Life centre, you might find one day isn’t enough to explore every corner of this theme park. The Vampire rollercoaster is one of the most popular, flinging thrillseekers through the treetops with their legs dangling below them. Tiger Rock is a stomach-churning water plunge, and Kobra spins explorers through the air on a 90m track at a dizzying 43mph.

If you want to keep the fun going beyond one day, there are options to stay on-site, too. The theme park is home to hotels offering fun, themed rooms (think Gruffalo and monkey temple-inspired), while the Explorer Glamping site offers luxury tent stays next to the Wild Asia zone.   

Anything else I should know? You can't buy tickets at the gate, so make sure to book online. The good news is you can save up to 40 per cent if you book far enough in advance.

Price: Online from £29 – £66; children under 90cm: free

Get there: 36 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Chessington South; around 1 hour and 10 minutes by car from central London. 

Best for: A wholesome day out that’s suitable for all ages

There’s something so pure about a trip to Legoland. Is it any surprise this decidedly British theme park is found in Windsor, one of Britain’s most genteel and niche towns? No, not really. This lovely place gives you the chance to see little ones squeal with delight on child-friendly rides before joining in their total joy at seeing some amazing LEGO creations (including London made from colourful bricks).

In 2022, they opened the LEGO Mythica Magical Forest, where LEGO creatures come magically to life. It features an interactive water ride and a mysterious Lava Dragon’s lair. 

Anything else I should know? If you’re canny and book tickets in advance, you can save almost 50 per cent off the gate price. They also do some good Meal Deal offers.

Price: Online saver tickets from £29 – £68; children under 90cm: free.

Get there: Take the train from London Paddington to Slough (15 mins, approx.) and then a bus (30 mins). If you’re driving, it’s about an hour from central London.

Best for: Riding the UK’s fastest roller coaster

One of the leading theme parks in the world, Thorpe Park is a must-visit for adrenaline junkies. Derren Brown’s Ghost Train makes you face a terrifying Demon; the world’s first horror-movie-themed ride, ‘Saw’, throws you over a vertical drop of 100ft; ‘The Walking Dead’ makes you scramble to safety while the ‘Black Mirror’ experience has you challenged to escape a twisted, sensory-depriving maze. And then there’s Stealth, the fastest rollercoaster in the UK, which propels you from 0-80mph in under two seconds. 

Can’t bear to tear yourself away from these delights? We don't blame you. Make the most of the park by staying at the Thorpe Shark Hotel (around £230 for a family room plus day passes, £150 for a twin or double room), which comes with added bonuses like fast track (that means no queues for any rides) until 11am. Quick pre-work rollercoaster, anyone?

Anything else I should know? There’s a virtual queueing system for people who are unable to queue, and a full accessibility guide is available to download from the website.

Price: Online from £29; children under 90cm: free

Get there: 32 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Staines, then a bus; around an hour by car from central London.

Best for: Chilling on Peppa Pig’s hot air balloon

Paultons Park is probably best known for Peppa Pig World, where nine rides and interactive characters bring the cartoon to life. But don’t let Peppa hog the limelight, there’s a whole lot more to this resort.

The Velociraptor sweeps through tight bends at 40mph, The Flight of the Pterosaur soars through the sky, and there are wonderful views from the Balloon Ride. If you need a break from the rides, head to Little Africa, where you can see African crested porcupines, meerkats and even giant train millipedes. There’s also one of the biggest rodents in Africa, the brilliantly named Gambian pouched rat, and the smallest, the African pygmy mouse. These ones are much sweeter than the ones living under your kitchen cupboards, promise.

Anything else I should know? Wheelchair or mobility-scooter-dependent visitors can enter free of charge. There’s also a Queue Assist Scheme for people who need to use it, and most of the areas are accessible, check out their website for more details. All tickets can also only be purchased in advance online. 

Price: £43.50 online, children under 1 metre: free

Get there: one hour 30 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Totton, then bus; around two hours by car from central London. 

Best for: Sheer terror. If you want to take a spooky, silly trip through the darkest bits of London's history, this attraction is for you. 

When you get there take a trip down a cobbled, shadow-laden alleyway, where you’ll join the 90-minute immersive tour that guides you through London’s grim and terrifying past, from the ill-fated Gunpowder Plot to the heyday of Jack the Ripper and the Great Plague. 

Live actors in tattered Victorian garb and faces of pus-filled sores provide countless jumpscares as they recount tales of the capital’s history: some legendary, some true, all pretty awful. You’ll hear about tyrant kings, pestilential houses, murder, torture, terror and more murder. It makes for frightening but genuinely funny experience. 

Anything else I should know? 

While there’s no official age limit, this is recommended for ages 12 and over – anyone younger might find this a bit too much. Getting too creeped out? You can exit at certain points along the tour, and rejoin the rest of your party at the end (where you can probably expect a certain amount of teasing).

Price: Standard tickets to the London Dungeons start from £27 per adult. Anytime entry tickets start from £35 for adults, a ‘Screams and Spirits’ package, which includes a complimentary cocktail starts at £33 and the VIP package begins at £50 per adult. 

Tickets for children aged 5-15 start at £22. 

Get there: It's easy-peasy to get to London Dungeon, which is on Southbank, a short 10-minute walk from Waterloo Station. 

Best for: Sheer escapism. Ever wanted to journeyto Far, Far Away, where donkeys talk, dragons soar, and Puss in Boots has surprisingly impressive sword skills? Here's your chance. This 70-minute interactive tour through the world of Shrek is a Southbank attraction that's squarely aimed at family audiences. It's made by the team behind London Dungeons so expect a similar walk-and-gawk approach (but with a lot less creepy, gory stuff of course). Live actors will embody some of your faves from the films, while impressive cinematic effects will create 3D visuals that'll make you feel like you're meeting dragons for real.

Anything else I should know? The Magic Bus is a red double decker that'll take you on a 4D simulated journey through Far Far Away, with Donkey in the driving seat. In a fun London touch, you'll even drive through a deserted tube station past posters for Madame Tussauds (another Merlin attraction, of course).

Price: Standard adult tickets are £32, with children £26. Plus £2 extra for Shrek ears!

Get there: Getting to Shrek's Adventure is child's play: it's just a 10-minute walk from Waterloo station.

Best for: Potterheads will be enthralled by this deep dive into the world of the movies. Check out props, see the original costumes, and step into the films' most iconic locations: the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and, of course, Platform 9¾ with the gleaming Hogwarts Express steam train. General cinephiles will also appreciate learning more about behind-the-scenes trickery: the special effects, animatronics and methods by which more outlandish characters were brought to life. 

Anything else I should know?
There are plenty of add-ons you can enjoy during your tour (if you shell out extra), including the chance to sip a flagon of non-alcoholic Butterbeer, and to get fitted for your very own wand.

Price: With tickets priced from £56, this attraction is on the spennier side, but there's enough to see that you'll easily spend three or four hours inside.

Getting there: Get a direct train from London Euston to Watford Junction (around 20 minutes) followed by a free shuttle bus to the attraction.