Skip the haunted maze this half-term for a calm, outdoor alternative: lead your own halter-trained alpaca through Itchen Valley Country Park's autumn colour.
When the nights start drawing in and half of Hampshire seems to be booking tickets for haunted houses and pumpkin mazes, an alpaca walk at Itchen Valley Country Park offers a gentler kind of half-term outing. There are no jump-scares here — just crisp October air, kicked-up leaves underfoot, and forty-plus curious, softly humming alpacas waiting to be led round the park on their own halter for a couple of unhurried hours.
Halloween week is brilliant fun, but not every child (or grown-up) wants the adrenaline of a scare attraction. Our Halloween Alpaca Walks give families an easy middle ground: an outdoor, animal-led activity that still feels like an autumn occasion without any actual frights. Book any date across the half-term window and you'll walk your own halter-trained alpaca, alongside one of our experienced handlers, through the woodland and open meadow paths of Itchen Valley Country Park, West End — one of Southampton's prettiest patches of autumn colour.
Each walk runs for roughly two hours, starting with a short introduction to your alpaca's personality — they're all different, some bold, some shy, all gentle — before you take the lead rope yourself under supervision. October ground can be muddy after rain, so wellies or sturdy boots are the order of the day, along with a warm coat, as Hampshire mornings this time of year can carry a proper chill. Anyone sixteen and over walks independently; between twelve and sixteen, an adult stays alongside; younger children share a lead with a grown-up, so the whole family can take part safely.
With October half-term falling across this same window, a Halloween alpaca walk slots neatly between the pumpkin patch and the fireworks — something memorable that doesn't need a costume or a ticket to a scare maze. It's just as popular with grandparents bringing grandchildren for the week as it is with couples or groups of friends after a lower-key, fresh-air alternative to the usual October crowds.
We're a family-run, BAS-registered herd with sixteen years of experience, so however new you are to alpacas, our handlers will make sure you and your animal are well matched. Walks start from £32 per person, with family packages from £92 and baby-alpaca walks from £54 for anyone bringing a very young child. Accessible walks run every Wednesday from April to October with free carer tickets, so this Halloween window is covered too. Gift vouchers are available if you'd rather surprise someone with an autumn walk than a bag of sweets. Call us on 0333 050 4012 or book online to secure your slot — October dates go quickly once half-term arrives.