This year, the UK government announced the first of its kind, a Great British Summer Saving scheme to help families save up to 15% off days out across England. The scheme, which runs between 25 June and 1 September, cuts VAT on tickets from 20% to 5% on children's top attractions such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures to help make summer more affordable.
Children aged 5-15 years old across England can also benefit from free bus travel on 1-31 August.
Digital Spy has hand-picked our top deals to get you and your family ready for a jam-packed summer of fun to keep everyone entertained during those long summer days. Be sure to bookmark and return to this page as we'll keep it updated with deals as they go live.
Alton Towers, Stoke-on-Trent
Alton Towers has revealed the newest, cutest edition to the Towers' family: a baby Minecraft mob. This summer sees the launch of Alton Towers' Minecraft 'Meet the Mobs' event, which is included in a standard entry ticket. The limited-time event features six Minecraft-inspired scenes around the park, where guests can meet all-new mob puppets including yellow axolotls, baby pandas, pigs, goats, chicks, wolf pups and more, alongside official mob costumed characters including Iron Golem, Chicken Jockey and Creeper. Guests who complete the Baby Mobs Trail can unlock exclusive Minecraft in-game downloadable content.
The special event arrives at the resort on 18 July and runs for six weeks until 28 August.
Buy day tickets to Alton Towers
Day tickets to Alton Towers start at £29.75 per person (which includes the VAT summer savings). Each ticket purchased also unlocks two days for the price of one – and is redeemable at a second Merlin theme park of your choice.
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Book an Alton Towers short break
Museum of Illusions, London and Manchester
Get ready to be boggle and baffle your mind (and everyone elses) at the Museum of Illusions which has recently opened a site in London. The newly opened site in London boasts over 10k square feet of 'pure sensory disruption'.
Visitors can explore over 70 interactive exhibits designed to thrill, confuse and captivate your senses. There's everything from scaling the famous 10 Downing Street façade and dangling from its iconic black door, to braving the Vortex Tunnel as it twists your sense of balance. The London exclusive Reversed Room flips a familiar city street into chaos, featuring a gravity defying red telephone box, park benches and street signs. Making its comeback to the Museum of Illusions are the walk-in Kaleidoscope, Infinity Room, holograms and the 'Following Eyes – each are guaranteed to push your perception to its limits.
The Museum of Illusions, London is open Sunday – Thursday 10am – 8pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 9pm. Tickets start at £24, while kids tickets are currently on offer at just £10.50 on Saturdays and Sundays from 5pm.
Book tickets to The Museum of Illusions London
The Museum of Illusions, Manchester is open Sunday – Thursday 10am – 6:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 8pm. Tickets start at £17.85.
Book tickets to The Museum of Illusions, Manchester
Mini Genius Lab, London
This hands-on experience gives little geniuses the opportunity to master their scientific experiments – without the big bang! Designed for children aged 6 and up, the 60-minute experience invites kids and parents to step into a real-life laboratory adventure led by a lively "mad scientist." There's everything from giant bubbles, to dry ice demonstrations, and every parents' favourite, slime making. Younger children are welcome to come but may need a helping hand from a parent or carer.
The Mini Genius Lab opens on 30 July and runs on selected dates until 30 August. The lab is located just off London's Tottenham Court Road (children under 11 also travel free on the tube). Tickets cost £25 per child and £19 per adult. Baby geniuses aged 0-2 get in free.
Book tickets to Mini Genius Lab
Paddington Bear Experience, London
Step into the world of Paddington in this immersive experience at London's County Hall. Fans can go on an adventure just like Paddington Bear, embarking on an exciting journey to Marmalade Day festival. Join the beloved bear on his journey – travelling by train through London, exploring the Browns' home at 32 Windsor Gardens, and venturing into Peru, all before racing to the festival for the big finale.
Tickets to the Paddington Bear Experience start at £34 per adult and £24 per child (including fees), while children under 2 go free but still need a ticket. For those wanting to max out their Paddington experience, you can purchase a Child Summer Special ticket from £49 per child, which includes a Paddington-themed picnic tin with a signature marmalade sandwich, a drink, a set of Paddington ears, and postcards.
A family of four (two adults and two children) can bundle their ticket through Buyagift when buying an off-peak entry ticket for just £119.99. It is valid for redemption within 12 months, making it the perfect gift for this summer.
Buy tickets to Paddington Bear Experience
Legoland Windsor Resort, Windsor
Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the ride of your life at Legoland Windsor Resort for the ultimate Formula 1-themed festival. The LEGO F1 experience will bring the buzz of an F1 race day to life with a full-throttle line-up of high-energy moments, hands-on racing builds, family pit crew challenges, and even surprise costumed character appearances. Families can race against the clock as pit crew, putting their F1 pit stop skills (we're looking at you mums and dads) to the challenge in the ultimate, aptly named Brick Stop Challenge around a larger-than-life LEGO F1 car.
Buy day tickets to Legoland
Challengers can shift gears and experience the Pit Lane Hype Show – a live beat-driven drum and percussion experience using only tools and snapping bricks to capture the thrill of a race weekend, creating an unmissable family dance-along moment. Kids and grown-ups alike can also design, build and race their very own LEGO-themed race car on the mini-track before taking on the thrills of the theme park.
Day tickets to Legoland Windsor Resort start at £29.75 per person (which includes the VAT summer savings). Each ticket purchased also unlocks two days for the price of one – and is redeemable at a second Merlin theme park of your choice.
Bubble Planet, London
Experience bubbles like never before in this immersive experience. Enter a surreal world featuring 10 rooms of bubble-themed fun. Inside the spherical world, bubble lovers will get experience bubbles through all five senses. With oversized bubbles, that Insta-famous rubber duck wall, balloons, soap, and a giant ball pit, this sensory universe will give you enough bubbles to leave you feeling lighter and filled with airy joy.
Tickets start at £19.90 for those aged 13-64 years, £13.90 for children aged 3-12 years, and there are discounted tickets at £18.90 for students, those with disabilities and people aged 65+. Children aged 2 and under can go free with no ticket required.
Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey
If you've not had a chance to visit Chessington World of Adventure's latest attraction World of Paw Patrol, now is your chance. Patrollers big and small can zoom around the park on their very own rescue missions alongside favourites Chase, Zuma, Skye, and Marshall, taking on exciting thrills as they go. Each ride in World of Paw Patrol has a minimum height requirement of 90cm, and children under 1.1-1.2m (depending on the ride) must be accompanied by someone aged 16 or over.
Buy tickets to Chessington
Buy tickets to Chessington
Day tickets to Chessington start at £29.75 per person (which includes the VAT summer savings) when booked online in advance. Each ticket purchased also unlocks two days for the price of one – and is redeemable at a second Merlin theme park of your choice.
Book a Chessington short break
Southend Adventure Island, Essex
Beachgoers can save £20 on an annual pass when purchasing a day pass with Adventure Island, via its Summer Super Saver offer. An annual pass gives you access to all rides and attractions (subject to height restrictions), as well as 20% off food, sweet treats and more in participating stores on site. To claim the offer, purchase a day band, then you'll be sent a special code to activate your annual pass. Once activated, pass-goers will get year-round access to Adventure Island from the date of activation. Annual passes must be activated before 1 September 2026.
Day passes to Southend's Adventure Island cost just £30 and unlock a free annual pass once bought.
Buy an Adventure Island day pass
Thorpe Park, Chertsey
Celebrate the end to exam season with Thorpe Park's discounted student offer. School leavers wanting to relieve (not relive) that exam stress can scream it out on thrilling rides such as Hyperia, Saw: The Ride, Stealth and more this summer. Discounted tickets are available to students at just £22.75 via Student Beans – a saving of up to 61% off a full-price ticket.
Buy tickets to Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is also passing back the discounted VAT savings to theme park lovers with a reduction on day tickets at just £29.75 when booked online in advance. Each ticket purchased also unlocks two days for the price of one – and is redeemable at a second Merlin theme park of your choice.
Book a Thorpe Park overnight stay
The London Dungeon, London
If theme parks aren't enough to get your scare on, The London Dungeon has also announced discounted student tickets. Students who dare to enter the dungeons can come face-to-face with London's darkest history from just £15 via Student Beans.
Day tickets to The London Dungeon have been sliced from £27 per adult to £23.63 per adult with the VAT reductions. Those with a Merlin annual Essential, Gold or Platinum pass can access the dungeon, plus other Merlin attractions with their pass.
