Alnwick Castle 2024 Review

This post was published in April 2024. Please check with venue direct for the most up-to-date info, especially regarding opening hours and admission costs. Our most recent visit was in April 2024 however some of the photos/info in this post is from previous visits. We love visiting Alnwick Castle and have visited a few times over the years, especially back in the day when you could buy a combo annual pass for both the castle and gardens (no longer available). We haven't visited so much in recent years though and I think this is due to a number of factors:  Cost - for all five of us to visit, it costs £76.15. Now we LOVE visiting castles and although you can validate this ticket and turn it into an annual pass, it's still the most expensive castle to visit in Northumberland (and we aren't exactly in short supply) and objectively, an expensive day out for us   It's not dog friendly and most castles allow dogs to visit so for us, visiting a castle is something we usually like to do with Fozzy  It can feel over-commercialised with the Harry Potter vibes  As stated above, we've already visited quite a lot, especially when the kids were little and castles don't really change that much  As you may have read on some of my previous posts, we are visiting every Castle in Northumberland and documenting our experience. It worked out better for us to sign up to Historic Houses membership for a year rather than pay admission to several castles and it just so happens that Alnwick Castle is covered by this membership so when visiting Alnwick Garden to see their cherry blossom , we decided to pop into the castle as well.  Pin Me  You don't need to pre-book if you're a Historic Houses member, just flash your card on arrival and they'll take a quick photo of your card and let you in.  As a little segway, we have visited / plan to visit the following attractions with our Historic Houses membership this year:  Ushaw Historic House Alnwick Castle  Auckland Castle  Chillingham Castle  Bamburgh Castle  Raby Castle  Floors Castle  Lowther Castle is also included and has a fantastic adventure playground.  Historic Houses Membership is £103 for double membership and you can add any adult/child (from the same household) onto this for £30 per person.  Back to our day at Alnwick Castle though - we LOVED it! I'm so pleased I took the time to re-visit. It's definitely one of the best castles I've visited.  I would recommend setting aside 3-4 hours ish to visit. You can easily combine with Alnwick Garden / Lilidorei or there is an exit directly into Alnwick town and there is plenty to do in Alnwick itself too.    Here are some of the areas you can explore:  Artisan's Courtyard This area is one of my favourite areas to visit with kids as there are plenty of fun, hands-on activities to enjoy.  There's a big dressing up area where you can get dressed up in Medieval costumes and pose in the mirror as well as traditional courtyard games like quoits to play.  Time your visit with the 'talk of the day' and learn about one particular aspect of Medieval life - this could be medicine, writing or armour. On our last visit it was all about armour and you could get a close look at some of the armour and helmets on display.  You can also join in with a daily medieval craft here. On our last visit you could make your own Medieval soap which looked fun.  All of the above is included with admission.  Dragon Quest  I wouldn't recommend Dragon Quest to anyone who is sensitive or easily scared - it's easy to skip. You can go through as many times as you wish.  It's recommended for families with children aged 5-12 and if you're unsure, speak to staff in the courtyard who can provide more guidance.  It's an indoor part of the castle where you have to enter the Dragon's lair - journey through a mirror maze, cross a rickety bridge, hold on tight in the whirlpool and most importantly, avoid the Dragon at the end!  I would say it takes around 3-5 minutes to complete the quest and it's included with admission.  Have-a-go-Archery     Archery is available to ages 11+ (weather permitting) and costs £5 for 8 arrows. Expert archers will be on hand to provide tips for hitting the bullseye. No need to book in advance - just check the what's on board on arrival for timings and location.  Broomstick Training  Broomstick training is a real highlight at Alnwick Castle and not to be missed! Lots of fun for young and old.  Lessons take place in the exact spot where Harry Potter himself had his first lesson in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  Broomstick training takes place at set intervals across the day, it's included with admission but you do usually need to book a free ticket/timeslot on arrival.  Professors will take you through your paces and teach you how to fly a broomstick with lots of various tricks and photo opportunities available across the session. It really works too! You'll be flying (or crash landing) by the end of it as these photos prove.  The State Rooms  Credit : Alnwick Castle  No photos are permitted to be taken inside the state rooms which in my opinion, is a real shame. I've shared a press image above instead.  I did visit the state rooms with the kids when they were little but I don't really have much memory of them. I guess trying to keep my eyes on three little ones had me a little pre-occupied.  Visiting with teenagers who do not require constant supervision was a game changer for me and I absolutely loved the State Rooms on our most recent visit.  WOW they are so oppulent! The ceilings are adorned with gold, there are grand fireplaces, ornate furniture and more.  One aspect I really enjoyed was seeing the actual invite to the King's coronation and all of the dos and don'ts listed. Fascinating!  There are staff on hand to answer any questions - do ask to hear more about anything you're curious about.  The State Rooms are just beautiful. My eldest really appreciates a good castle and thoroughly enjoyed exploring these rooms. He said it was good to see actual Medieval artefacts rather than just learning about Victorian's partying (he's still bitter about our trip to Lindisfarne Castle