31 May 2026
Known as the UK’s No.1 rated theme park, home of Peppa Pig World, and boasting over 70 exciting rides and attractions in Hampshire, we can only be talking about Paultons Park. Opened back in 1982, this family-run theme park covers 140 acres and has even been named Tripadvisor’s eighth best-rated amusement park in the world and fourth best in Europe. They have won numerous awards over the years and are currently undergoing a huge expansion to prove they are well worth visiting.
Paultons Park is open throughout the year with minimal closures. During the main season, which runs from March to October, they are mostly open 7 days a week, with some midweek closures on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. As the main season comes to a close, they remain open during holiday periods and weekends, though with some ride closures.
Tickets to Paultons Park depend on how tall you are; guests over 1 metre tall require a ticket, whilst children under this height get in for free. Advance tickets online start from £46.75 per person, compared to £60 on the day. While you can sometimes find offers, the park now offers annual passes which are new for 2026, allowing you to return all year round. The Essential Pass, which is for off-peak dates only, starts from £172, while the Premium Pass for any-time access is £290. These do include extra perks such as food and retail discounts, so it is well worth looking into them if you want to visit a few times each year.
VALGARD: REALM OF THE VIKINGS – NEW FOR 2026
Our visit for 2026 was due to the opening of the brand-new, £12 million area called Valgard: Realm of the Vikings. This area is the park’s largest investment to date and includes a brand-new rollercoaster, a retheme of Cobra (an existing attraction), and a family flat ride, along with a new restaurant and toilet block.
Starting with the main attraction, Drakon represents a big milestone for Paultons Park. This is the park’s first inverting rollercoaster, bridging the gap between the younger audience and older children or teenagers. It features a vertical lift, a beyond-vertical drop, and two inversions amongst the drops, twists, and turns to keep you thrilled. We loved this addition, and it is a great fit for both the new area and the park as a whole.
Raven is the retheme of Cobra, which sees some new theming pieces added to the queue and the ride itself. Whilst the ride experience has not changed, the retheme makes it fit seamlessly into the new land and brings new life to the attraction.
The last ride addition you will find in Valgard is Vild Swing, a UK-first ride that swings riders 12 metres into the air. These rides have become popular all across Europe, with more and more being added, so it is fantastic to see Paultons Park add this to their already impressive lineup.
New restaurant, the area and the future
Outside of the rides, they have invested in a highly themed feasting hall restaurant to complete the area. Allowing you to step back in time, this impressive hall features a menu that leans heavily towards chicken, but with some vegetarian options available too. Food is ordered via touchscreen machines, and you collect your food when your order number appears on the screen. Our meals cost just over £20 each but did come with a drink and an extra side, such as rice or garlic bread. The presentation fit perfectly with the theme, arriving in branded boxes that made it easy to take away if needed, and everything was warm and tasty.
The venue features plenty of indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather and vibe you are after, and the indoor area boasts a large Viking boat that seemed very popular with guests.
The area itself is executed extremely well, with great landscaping, wide pathways, a dedicated toilet block, and various theming pieces scattered all around. Some featured clever puns while others simply matched the Viking aesthetic, but all were appreciated. The land is only set to expand further, as 2027 will see a new water coaster join the lineup, with construction already well underway and visible to guests.
The rest of Paultons Park
The rest of Paultons Park is doing amazingly well. You have to remember that over the last few years, the park has been going from strength to strength. 2025 saw the launch of Ghostly Manor, an interactive dark shooting ride, which still looks and rides fantastically. Before that, in 2021, they launched Tornado Springs, a highly detailed Route 66 themed town which introduced Storm Chaser and Cyclonator to their thrilling lineup. The Lost Kingdom area is still thriving with all of its interactive elements and dinosaur encounters, proving to be a highly popular themed land for the park. Peppa Pig World remains a firm favourite for the younger audience and families, while Critter Creek and Wild Lands are still lovely themed areas that we hope to see developed even more over the next few years.
Our day at Paultons Park was fantastic, and the time just flew by. We attended the day after the official opening of Valgard, meaning whilst it was a little busy in the new land during the morning, within a few hours everyone had spread out. The area became just as manageable as the rest of the park, which wasn’t busy at all. Valgard is a brilliant addition to love and enjoy, giving thrillseekers another great reason to visit more often. All of the recent additions have really helped put Paultons Park on the map as it continues to grow into one of the best theme parks in Europe, let alone the UK. The quality of theming, the passionate team, and the great ride availability all come together perfectly here.
There is so much to Paultons Park, from the animals and nature walks to the gardens, rides, attractions, and food options. The park truly has it all, and it is hard not to find something for the entire family to enjoy.
A huge thank you to the Paultons Park team and the Liz Lean PR team for inviting us down the day after the opening to check everything out. They provided us with two complimentary tickets in return for our honest content on the new area.
We are huge fans and are already looking forward to our next visit. Make sure to check out all of our TikToks from the land and across the rest of our socials if you want to see a more visual representation of what is new for 2026 and coming in 2027!
@thrillnation How amazing does the realm of the vikings look at @Paultons Park... could it be the best themed area in the UK!? #paultonspark #valgard #vikings #themepark #rollercoaster ♬ Oath of the North – Epic Viking Anthem - Akuri
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