Swap the Fareham commute for a herd of friendly alpacas. Guided two-hour walks at Itchen Valley Country Park, a short hop up the M27.
If you live in Fareham and fancy a morning that feels a world away from the M27 and the shops on West Street, an alpaca walk with Hensting Alpacas is one of the easiest little escapes you can make. We're based at Itchen Valley Country Park in West End, roughly twenty to twenty-five minutes from Fareham depending on the traffic through the tunnel — close enough to be there before the kettle at home has properly cooled, far enough to feel like a proper day out.
Getting here from Fareham couldn't be much simpler. Join the M27 westbound at Junction 11, follow it round past Southampton to Junction 5, and you're only a few minutes from our gate at Allington Lane, SO30 3HQ. There's free parking on site and the whole visit takes around two hours, so you can walk with the alpacas in the morning and still be back in Fareham for lunch on the quay. Families from Portchester, Titchfield, Warsash and Whiteley all make the same short journey — we see a lot of familiar Fareham faces.
This isn't a petting-pen where you stand and look. Once you arrive you'll be introduced to your own halter-trained alpaca, shown how to hold the lead and read his mood, and then set off along the shady woodland and riverside trails of the country park with one of our experienced handlers alongside you. Our forty-plus alpacas each have their own character — some stride ahead like they own the path, others dawdle to nibble every interesting leaf — and half the fun is learning your alpaca's little habits as you go. We're a family-run, BAS-registered herd and we've been doing this for sixteen years, so you're in calm, knowledgeable hands throughout.
Everyone is welcome. Children aged three to twelve share a lead with an adult, twelve to sixteens can lead with an adult present, and anyone sixteen and over can take a lead of their own. Walks start from £32 per person, with family packages from £92 and gentle baby-alpaca walks from £54; an extra walker is £18 and rescheduling insurance is £4.50 if you'd like the flexibility. Gift vouchers are available too, which go down very well for a Fareham birthday or anniversary. We also run accessible walks every Wednesday from April to October, with free tickets for carers.
Bring sturdy shoes and a coat that suits the day, leave the buggy in the car, and come ready to slow right down for a couple of hours. To book your Fareham alpaca walk, reserve online or call us on 0333 050 4012 — and have a read of our full guide below before you come.