Warwick Castle review for families

Still good fun for: Grown-ups and older children. There’s so much to explore and the live shows really do cater for all ages.

Avoid if: You have mobility issues or have a young baby. Pushchairs can’t be taken into the main house of the Castle due to stairs, and wheelchair accessibility is limited in certain parts.

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How easy is Warwick Castle to get to?

We found Warwick Castle so easy to get to. It’s situated on the outskirts of Warwick and is well signposted from all directions. It’s just 2 miles from junction 15 of the M40 and we had no problems following the brown attraction signs which took us straight to the entrance of the car park. Use the postcode CV34 6AH and your satnav should get you to the main Stratford Road car park, no problem. Once you arrive at the entrance, stewards will direct you to where to park.

Is Warwick Castle near a train station?

Yes, Warwick Castle is only 1 mile from Warwick Railway Station, with direct services from London Marylebone (1hour 45 minutes). It’s a 15-minute walk from the train station to the Castle, so no need to worry about taxis.

Where to park at Warwick Castle?

Parking is plentiful at Warwick Castle but be prepared for a bit of a walk to get to the Castle from the main car park. Because the Castle and grounds are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are Grade I listed, parking needs to be a certain distance away to preserve these spaces. We’ve attempted the walk from the car park to the Castle many times with our kids, and it varies in time between 10-20 minutes, depending on how tired they are and how much we need to carry them! Thankfully Warwick Castle run a shuttle bus from the car park to the main entrance, which takes just a few minutes. We walked straight onto the first bus of the day and only had to wait 10 minutes for our return. Absolute lifesaver (plus the kids thought it was very fun)! Parking costs £7 and you can pay via contactless payment at a kiosk as you leave the Castle.

Blue Badge Holder parking is much closer to the Castle and also costs £7.

How much do Warwick Castle tickets cost?

A day ticket for Warwick Castle can be bought in advance with prices starting at £26. The ticket includes all the live shows and attractions; the only think you need to pay extra for is entrance to the Castle dungeons (£6 in advance, £10 on the day) which is suitable for children age 10+. Under 2s and carers go free.

If you live nearby and can make the most of it, there’s a Warwick Castle Annual Pass available from £49 up to £79, which offers between 300 -345 days entry (depending on which level you go for) as well as discounts on short breaks and evening events. Or you can invest in a Merlin Annual Pass (with access to all kinds of attractions including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, SEA LIFE centres and more) which starts at £99.

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What were the opening and closing times for Warwick Castle like?

Warwick Castle opens at 10am during the main season and closing times vary depending on the time of year and light. Typically it’s between 4pm and 5pm, but always check the website for closing times on your chosen visit date.

We arrived at the car park at just a few minutes after 10am and were the third car there. We were lucky enough to walk straight onto the first shuttle bus from the car park to the Castle.

What is there to do at Warwick Castle?

There was a LOT more to do at Warwick Castle than we first thought. In fact, there was so much going on we didn’t have enough time to fit it in to our almost full day at the Castle.

What is there to do inside Warwick Castle?

The Castle itself is awe-inspiring, cue lots of “wows!’ and “oohs” from the kids when they got up close. Built by William the Conqueror in 1068, it packs well over 1,000 years of history into its walls and grounds. We loved exploring the Great Hall and State Rooms, with their incredible displays of armour and weaponry (the child-size suit of armour was a particular hit with our 2!). There are history talks running throughout the day, some specifically aimed at children, and we were disappointed not to make any of these. Definitely next time!

Inside the Castle there’s a walk-through experience called The Kingmaker, which tells the story of the night before The Earl of Warwick’s final battle in the War of the Roses. It features figures in staged settings, alongside audio to set the scene. While our fearless 5 year old loved it, our 8 year old wasn’t quite so keen, as it gets pretty dark and noisy in parts.

Another attraction inside the Castle is the Princess Tower; a sweet, interactive storytelling experience aimed at children aged 3-8. I won’t give too much away, but all the children – aka the princes and princesses – have to help solve a riddle to crown Princess Eve as Queen of Warwick Castle, with plenty of magic involved. There are steep stairs up the Tower, so you won’t be able to take a buggy up there, but if you’re visiting with a preschooler or primary school age child it’s worth a visit. Our 5 year old thought it was very exciting! While The Princess Tower is a free attraction, you do need to book a time slot beforehand as spaces are limited for each session. Just head to the princesses standing outside the Tower entrance and they’ll book you in.

Our 2 really loved exploring the Castle Ramparts, and the view from the top was well worth the steps to get there! We’ve visited Warwick Castle many times, but this was the first time we had taken both children along the Ramparts and they were blown away by it all. There’s a real sense of history as you make your way along the ancient Castle walls and it’s a must-do experience on your visit, as long as your children are old enough. We once made the mistake of attempting it with a 3 year old and the sheer terror of trying to grab her as she made a bid for freedom is not worth repeating!

The Castle Dungeon is an immersive live show set in the real dungeons and tickets can be bought separately for between £6-10. Prior warning: this is a self-proclaimed “gruesome” and “hauntingly thrilling attraction that is not for the faint-hearted”. With an age recommendation of 10+ (with all under 18s accompanied by an adult) we gave it a miss, but we’ve heard great reviews from friends with teens, so if you’re visiting with older kids it may be worth booking.

What is there to do outside at Warwick Castle?

The grounds at Warwick Castle are vast and really beautiful. We were lucky with the weather so were able to have a proper explore. The Peacock Garden, in front of the Conservatory Tea House is well worth a potter around, purely for the fact you’ll get up close with numerous peacocks. Never mind the kids, I thought it was amazing to see these stunning birds casually strutting past (one even came to join us when we were eating lunch, which as you can imagine, caused mild hysteria amongst the kids!).

Close to the entrance of the Castle there’s the Zog Playground, an excellent Zog-themed adventure playground for children up to age 10. If you’re visiting with little kids it’s a dream come true, with a huge choice of swings, slides and climbing frames to burn off all that energy. I liked how each piece of equipment had an age recommendation and how much space there is for different age children to play alongside each other. As well as the Playland there’s the Zog and the Quest for the Golden Star activity trail; a Zog-themed challenge spread out across the grounds, where you can complete each task (like squirting water to put the fire on Zog’s wing out) to graduate from dragon school. There’s also regular Zog meet and greets if your children want to meet the big guy himself.

Next to the Zog Playland is the Horrible Histories maze, which was a big hit with our whole family. Pick up your card at the entrance then work your way through the maze to collect all the stamps from different eras. Heads up, this is a PROPER maze, and I’d recommend keeping close to your kids at all times in case you lose them. It’s not that easy to retrace your steps to find them again! It’s such great fun though, and there’s plenty of interactive activities dotted around the maze to keep kids engaged.

If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s archery sessions available to book for an additional cost, and these are suitable for children age 6 and up.

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What shows do they have at Warwick Castle?

Warwick Castle run a packed schedule of shows typically between April and September or November, and I honestly can’t recommend these enough.

First, we watched The Legend of the Trebuchet show, where we got to see the Castle’s enormous trebuchet in action. This was properly mind-blowing for the kids (although I think it was my husband who got the most excited by it all!).

In the afternoon we caught The Falconers Quest, which is a dazzling bird of prey display, featuring over 60 birds. We were lucky enough to sit in front of one of the perch’s where some of the birds landed and it really was a very special experience. Having these giant birds swoop overhead was utterly unforgettable.

This show is very popular, so I’d advise getting there at least 10 minutes before it starts – earlier on busy days or if you want to bag one of the wooden benches rather than sit on the grassy hill. We got there early and found a great spot towards the bottom of the hill (top tip: bring a picnic blanket with you), but just as the show started a family with a pushchair sat right in front of us, completely blocking our view. I’d definitely suggest families with pushchairs park at the top of the hill, which is what we did when our youngest was still in her buggy, as numerous groups had to move to find alternative spots once the view was blocked at the bottom of the hill. If it was a very busy day, we would have struggled to find a space to move to, but thankfully it was relatively quiet when we visited.

Finally we visited the Zog Live Show, which brings Julia Donaldson’s story to life on stage. My daughter is a big Zog fan and thought it was very funny. If you’ve got young children, it’s worth arriving early so they can bag a spot on the coveted beanbags at the front of the stage.

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What type of events do they have at Warwick Castle?

Every year from the end of November to early January, Warwick Castle host Christmas at the Castle. Here the State Rooms are decked out with beautiful Christmas trees and festive lights, and a traditional Christmas food market selling everything from hog roast rolls to mulled wine is set up in the grounds.

If you’re struggling to get into the festive spirit, a trip to Warwick Castle will definitely do the trick. You can book your time slot for all the activities, which means there’s no waiting around. I've been a few times now and it's become a much-loved family Christmas tradition.

Ice skating right next to the castle walls and huge turrets feels really special (it costs from £21 per person). You need to be 3 or over to go on the rink, and there’s a choice of clip-on, double-bladed skates for young children, as well as the traditional skates for older kids and adults. Thankfully skate aids are available – it’s fair to say my husband relied on them as much as the kids! – but be aware these are at an additional cost to the skating and can’t be pre-booked. We thought with such young kids we’d only be out on the ice for 10 minutes or so, but the full 45-minute slot went by really quickly and we all loved every second of it. If you’re not a fan of the ice, there’s a large spectators’ area where you can still get into the festive mood thanks to the cool light show and Christmas music.

The highlight of our visit was, of course, meeting Santa himself. Stories with Santa (from £29 including the standard day ticket) starts with a cute game with the elves, which all the kids got involved with, before we were led through to the most picture-perfect setting inside the castle to meet Santa and Mrs Claus. They were as warm, friendly and wonderful as you’d hope and, while our youngest was a little nervous, our son was very excited to say hello and pose for photos! Each child gets a castle-themed gift, and we all went away with huge smiles on our faces – even our pre-schooler.

As well as this, you can book onto the amazing light trail around the grounds (from £23) and indulge in the offerings from the Christmas food market – toasting our own marshmallows was a big hit but be warned the food and drink prices are high, as seems to be standard at markets like this. As a full day and evening out, the cost does add up, but it’s truly the most perfect Christmas treat all ages will love.

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Is Warwick Castle dog-friendly?

While you can’t take pet dogs to Warwick Castle, they do of course welcome Assistance dogs. These can go everywhere apart from the Towers and Ramparts and the Castle Dungeon, although Warwick Castle states on its website they are “currently working with Guide Dogs for the Blind, to enable us to introduce reasonable adjustments in these 2 areas.”

Would you recommend visiting Warwick Castle in bad weather?

While there is lots of explore inside the Castle itself, the things which our kids loved the most were the outdoor shows and attractions. While these can be enjoyed in light showers, if it’s really rainy I’d say not so much – plus they run the risk of being cancelled if the weather is particularly bad.

Warwick Castle offers a Rainy Day Promise which means if it rains solidly for more than one hour during your visit – and you’ve booked in advance – you can return for free within the next 60 days. Just make sure your original visit day is eligible for the Rainy Day Promise and check out the terms and conditions before you attempt to claim. This is such a great touch that takes the pressure off navigating the unpredictable Great British weather.

What are food and drink options like at Warwick Castle?

I was expecting typical theme park fast food, but we were all hugely impressed with the food and drink options during our trip to Warwick Castle. There are a few food and drink kiosks dotted around the site, as well as two indoor restaurants; the Conservatory Tea House (a very fancy looking building that looks out across the peacock garden) where you can grab a light lunch or cream tea, and the Undercroft Café (which is tucked away in the lower level of the Castle), which sells hot and cold snacks and offers a takeaway service as well.

My husband and I opted for slices of sourdough pizza from the Pizzeria truck, which came in at £6.80 each for very generously sized square slices. The verdict? Genuinely delicious and far better than we expected. The kids went for fish and chips, which were freshly cooked in front of us at the small kiosk near the trebuchet. The quality was amazing and the portions huge – our 2 couldn’t finish them – and cost us £11.50 each. While this is quite pricey, we couldn’t fault the quality and taste and we felt it was worth every penny.

There are plenty of picnic areas around the grounds, with lots of picnic benches available to use if you prefer to bring your own food. this While this is a great way to save money, we were so impressed with the food quality that I think we’ll be treating ourselves again on our next visit.

What are the other facilities like at Warwick Castle?

Due to the nature of the historical site, toilets are slightly limited, although we never had a problem finding one close enough. Toilets are situated near the Undercroft Café and Conservatory Tea House, as well as in the entrance of the Castle in the Stables Courtyard. I love that there is a toilet block right next to the car park too, very handy after a long drive with kids! You’ll also find accessible toilets here, and baby changing facilities. There’s a private area for mums to breastfeed in the Undercroft and both the Conservatory and Undercroft restaurants have microwaves available for heating baby food or bottles.

Pushchairs can’t be taken into the main house of the Castle, but there are marked pushchair parks outside for you to leave your buggy. Parents of young babies may find a baby carrier easier to get the most of their day.

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Can you stay over at Warwick Castle and what is the accommodation like?

Warwick Castle has a choice of on-site accommodation for guests to book. There’s the main Warwick Castle Hotel, which offers medieval-themed rooms and themed evening entertainment.

There’s also a choice of 24 Woodland Lodges in the Knight’s Village, which sleep up to 5, and 4 Knight’s Lodges which sleep up to 7.

Throughout the summer months there’s Medieval Glamping in luxury tents that sleep up to 4 or, for a wow-factor stay you can book a sleepover in the Caesar’s Tower Suites inside the Castle. The Rose Suite can accommodate children on the 2 pull-out beds, while the Peacock Suite is for couples only.

I haven’t stayed at any of the accommodation options, although my children beg us every time to book, so I’ll report back if we get the chance to in future!

Browse accommodation options at Warwick Castle

Overall verdict of Warwick Castle: is it worth it for families?

Definitely! Warwick Castle has so much to offer families with children of all ages, from the historic Castle itself to the amazing live shows and the gorgeous grounds complete with fancy peacocks. Whether they have an interest in history of not, its impossible for kids not to get swept up in the magic of visiting a real Castle in such fantastic condition. I think it offers so much for the entrance price and the fact that we are regular visitors goes to show how much we genuinely live this as a family day out.

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