Swap the New Forest ponies for a halter-trained alpaca. Guided 2-hour walks at Itchen Valley Country Park, a short drive from Lyndhurst, from £32 per person.
Lyndhurst is the beating heart of the New Forest, and if you live here or are visiting for the weekend you will already know the joy of wandering among ponies and ancient oaks. So here is a different kind of forest-country outing: a guided walk where you lead your own alpaca across the meadows and woodland of Itchen Valley Country Park.
Our walks start at Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, West End, Southampton, SO30 3HQ. From Lyndhurst the drive is typically around half an hour, heading east through the Forest and joining the motorway network towards Southampton. Once you reach West End, follow the signs for the country park and there is parking close to our meeting point. It is an easy half-day trip, which means you can still be back in the village for a late pub lunch or a cream tea on the high street.
Each walk lasts about two hours. You are paired with one of our 40+ alpacas, all halter-trained and used to meeting new people, and an experienced handler shows you how to lead, how to read an alpaca's body language, and how to keep your new companion calm. Then it is off along the river valley paths, stopping for photographs, a few quiet moments and plenty of nose-to-nose introductions. No experience is needed; the alpacas set an unhurried pace that suits almost everyone.
Forest holidaymakers often tell us they want something gentle that works whatever the weather and suits every generation of the family. Alpacas fit the bill: calm, curious and endlessly photogenic. Children aged 3 to 12 share a lead with an adult, those aged 12 to 16 lead with an adult present, and anyone 16 or over can walk independently. We are a family-run business, 16 years in, and BAS-registered.
Walks start from £32 per person, with family packages from £92 and baby alpaca walks from £54. An extra walker is £18, rescheduling insurance is £4.50, and gift vouchers are available if you are planning a surprise. Accessible walks run every Wednesday from April to October, with free carer tickets. Book online or ring us on 0333 050 4012 and we will happily help you choose a date.