Trade the screen for a slow, quiet two-hour stroll with a gentle alpaca at Itchen Valley Country Park. A calm, outdoorsy reset just outside Southampton.
Some days out are about doing more. This one is about doing less, and doing it well. Our wellbeing-minded alpaca walks give you two unhurried hours in the open air at Itchen Valley Country Park, with a soft-footed alpaca on the end of your lead rope and nothing on the agenda but putting one foot in front of the other.
Alpacas are quiet, watchful animals. They don't rush, they don't fuss, and they hum softly to one another as they go. Walk beside one and you naturally fall into the same easy rhythm. There is no signal to check in the middle of a meadow and no need to perform; you simply lead, listen and look around. Many of our guests tell us it is the first time in weeks they have spent two hours without reaching for their phone.
You meet your experienced handler and your alpaca at the park, learn how to hold the lead and how alpacas like to be approached, then set off along the paths and fields of the Itchen Valley. The route is gentle and the pace is set by the animals, so there are plenty of pauses to stand, breathe and watch the valley change with the weather and season. Our handler is always alongside, but the lead is yours.
Because we are a family-run farm with over 40 alpacas and sixteen years of experience, we match you with an animal whose temperament suits you. Nervous first-timers and seasoned animal lovers both leave with a smile.
It works beautifully for friends catching up properly rather than over a screen, for couples wanting a different kind of afternoon, for anyone treating themselves after a hectic few weeks, or as a thoughtful present for someone who needs a break. Children aged 3 to 12 share a lead with an adult, 12 to 16 lead with an adult present, and anyone 16 or over can walk independently. Our accessible walks run every Wednesday from April to October, with free carer tickets.
We are at Itchen Valley Country Park, Allington Lane, West End, Southampton, SO30 3HQ, around 15 minutes from Southampton, Winchester and Eastleigh. Wear sturdy shoes and layers, and bring a waterproof if the forecast looks changeable. Questions? Call us on 0333 050 4012.
Walks start from £32 per person, and gift vouchers are available if you would like to give someone else the pause they deserve.