A day out at Warwick Castle (July 2026)

A day out at Warwick Castle (July 2026)

The last time I visited Warwick Castle I was at primary school so we could be talking almost 40 years ago (scary!). As this attraction is included on the Merlin pass its been on the list for a while as its just over an hour’s drive from Nottingham but as usual we hadn’t got around to it as we always choose a theme park if we have a spare day. As my daughter is temporarily staying in Coventry we decided now was the time.

We picked a Sunday in July (not school holidays) and pulled into the Stratford Road Car park a little before gates opened at 10am. The car park works on ANPR so we could just type the number plate into one of the machines neat the main entrance at £7.50 per car. I would advise doing this on the way in as there were queues on the way out. This was a pleasant surprise, coming in at half of the current price being charged by Alton Towers!

There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the car park to the main entrance however we opted to walk which takes around 10-15 minutes depending on where you are parked. The route is signposted and easy to follow, along the way you can see the hotel and the tee pee and chalet accommodation which looks great quality (its a little on the pricy side!).

At the main entrance a quick metal detector, bag check and ticket scan and we were in. We were handed a map and a programme which was really useful to see what was scheduled throughout the day. The opening hours on our visit were 10am -4pm so we knew we probably wouldn’t see as much as we wanted to in one visit. 

First stop for us was The Castle Dungeon,  which was an additional £6 on top of the general admission price. We did this first thing mainly because I am a bit of a scaredy cat and would have been worried about it all day. After showing our tickets each group was held in an area where photographs were taken of us in stock and various poses, to be viewed and purchase after the event. There were about 16-20 in our group and all the guides were in full character (you are warned at the start that they aren’t allowed to touch you). The whole experience is very dark and there are slopes and steps included which make it a little disorientating in places however this adds to the overall experience. 

You are led through various rooms where the actors take turns to explain the scene which is usually macabre. There is much innuendo and several jump scares! Expect to be participating as pretty much everyone in our group played their part in some way, be in courtroom accused or plague patient. All in good fun though and the actors were excellent throughout. Well worth the small additional charge. If you have done the London Dungeon or the Alton Towers one this is a similar format. 

Next up we had a wander up the mound which is the only surviving original part of the castle. On the way up you can read about the various families that have had ownership of the castle over the years. From the top you can look out over rural Warwickshire. 

We walked the castle walls and towers –  narrow and steep and a lot of steps if you are not used to it. We are but my husband is not so he was feeling it a bit towards the end! Some more beautiful views over Warwick and some of its important buildings and the river Avon.

At 12.30pm we headed over towards the water on the far side of the castle for the bird of prey show, Falconer’s Quest. It was absolutely packed when we arrived a few minutes before the start with almost every bit of grass taken so if you want a prime spot or space to put a picnic blanket down, get there early! This show runs three times a day such is its popularity. 

The show lasts around 45 minutes and features over 60 birds of prey that you can see really close up as they swoop low over the audience. We saw owls, eagles and falcons. The show was in the form of a story of the falconer of Warwick seeking out birds of prey to bring to the area. The birds also land with the handlers at various positions within the audience so everyone gets a chance to have a closer look. Lovely show, not too long or too short. 

After this we went for some lunch. As we need gluten free options I had already checked out the food stands in the time we had before doing the dungeon. Pleasantly surprised  to see a jacket potato stand and gluten free pizza bases available. We had potatoes with 2 filling each which costa £10.50. Not cheap but no different than similar attractions and I would say the portion size size and quality made it worth the money. We were also able to get chippy ice cream in a tub with a proper cadburys flake. Can Merlin please send these suppliers to Alton Towers?

Next up was The Legend of the Trebuchet – the giant battlefield catapult used in medieval battle. We sat on one side of the grass bank while the action took place on the opposite side. We were given a re-enactment of how the people would have set up and launched the trebuchet along with stats about how it was built and how it works. Very informative and entertaining. 

After a quick break to eat the aforementioned Whippy ice cream we headed back to the main bustling for the Ultimate Castle History Tour. There are several tours that run at various times throughout the day, covering different areas of the castle’s 1000 year history. 

Our tour guide was Mark who talked to us for 30 minutes about the various owners and custodians of the castle and their fates, all the way up to the present day ownership by Merlin and their waxworks. An interesting and humorous potted history of the castles characters. 

As the tour did not take us inside any of the staterooms we walked around the house ourselves afterwards to see the mini Madame Tussauds depicting a 1960’s aristocratic weekend party. The house was used up until very recently for entertaining and hospitality. 

By the time we had walked around the two floors of rooms it was almost 4pm and the castle was closing. We would have liked to have done the Kingsman exhibition, the Princess tower and the Horrible Histories Maze, so we will focus on those next time as well we choosing a different guided tour. There was also another re-enactment telling the story of Aethelflaed, Saxon Princess and beloved to be the founder of the original settlement that would go on to become Warwick Castle. I believe this show has recently been replaced with The War of the Roses re-enactment. 

There was also archery to try your hand at for £7 per person which looked great fun and I will definitely doing when we have more time. 

Overall, a great day out for all the family. This is a year round attraction so there are some great Winter shows as well as ghost walks and Christmas shows to enjoy.