If you live around Gosport, Alverstoke or Lee-on-the-Solent, an alpaca walk probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind for a day out — this is naval country, after all, all dockyards, ferries and Solent views. But it's precisely because Gosport is so built around the water that a woodland walk with an alpaca on the other end of the lead makes such a good change of pace, and it's closer than most people realise: about 30–40 minutes by road to Itchen Valley Country Park in West End, Southampton.
What actually happens on the walk
You arrive, meet your alpaca (already halter-trained, already unbothered by you), and head out with an experienced handler and the rest of your small group for around two hours. You hold the lead; the alpaca decides the pace, which is invariably slower than yours. There's a fair bit of stopping to graze verges and eye up other walkers with mild suspicion. It's less a hike and more a very slow, very pleasant negotiation with a large fluffy animal who has opinions about hedgerows.
Who this suits
Pretty much anyone from Gosport looking for something different from the usual harbourside or seafront trip. Children between 3 and 12 walk paired with an adult on the same lead; 12–16s can lead their own alpaca with an adult nearby; over-16s go solo. We also run dedicated baby-alpaca walks and accessible sessions every Wednesday from April to October, with free tickets for carers — genuinely useful for Gosport families for whom a step-free, unhurried outdoor activity is hard to find nearby.
Getting there from Gosport
Take the A32 up to Fareham and pick up the M27 westbound, or cut through on the back roads via Fareham and Botley if you'd rather avoid the motorway. Either way you're looking at roughly half an hour to Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, West End, Southampton, SO30 3HQ — no ferry required for once. Plenty of Gosport visitors combine it with a wider Southampton trip, using the walk as the calm bit in the middle.
What to wear and bring
Sturdy, closed shoes that can cope with mud — the park tracks are natural surface, not tarmac — and a coat that suits the season, since walks go ahead in most weather short of genuine storms. Layers work better than one heavy coat, since two hours outdoors in Hampshire can swing from bright to blustery without much warning.
Prices and how to book
Walks start from £32 per person, with family packages from £92 and baby-alpaca walks from £54. Adding an extra walker costs £18, and £4.50 rescheduling insurance is sensible cover if your plans are weather-dependent. Gift vouchers are available for anyone booking on someone else's behalf. Full details and availability are on the Alpaca Walking near Gosport event page, or you can book directly online or by calling 0333 050 4012. As a family-run, BAS-registered herd with sixteen years of experience and over 40 alpacas, we run a small, well-organised operation — worth the drive out from Gosport.