Visiting Alnwick Castle

When Alnwick Castle Is Open

The single most important thing to know before you book anything: Alnwick Castle is not open all year.

The 2026 season runs from 27 March to 22 October. Outside that window the castle is closed for winter — the Percy family, who still live here, are actually in residence between October and March, and the public season runs during exactly the months they open the doors to visitors instead. Within the season, the Castle Grounds open daily from 10am, with last admission at 3:45pm and closing at 5pm. In July and August, hours stretch a little later, to 5:30pm, to make the most of the long summer evenings.

Ticket Prices — And the Trick Worth Knowing

Buy online and adult admission is £22, with concessions (60+ and students) at £17.90 and children aged 5–16 at £11.60. A family ticket comes to £64.20, and under-5s go free. Prices at the gate run slightly higher than online, so booking ahead saves a little even before any other discount applies.

Here's the part most first-time visitors miss entirely: every ticket bought online automatically becomes a 12-month season pass. Visit once in April, come back for free as many times as you like until the following April, whenever the castle is open. If you buy at the gate instead, you can upgrade to the same annual pass on the day at no extra cost — so there's genuinely no reason not to have it.

• Northumberland residents — 25% off with proof of residency and photo ID
• Arrive by bus or train — 20% off, shown at the gate with a valid ticket (in-person only, not bookable online)
• English Heritage members — 15% off
• HHA (Historic Houses Association) members — free entry
• 25 June – 1 September — a "Summer Savings" window with reduced admission reflecting a government VAT change

One thing your ticket does not cover: The Alnwick Garden next door, with its Grand Cascade fountain and the notorious Poison Garden. That's a separate charitable trust with its own admission, sold separately.

Getting There

Alnwick sits just under a mile off the A1, about 35 miles north of Newcastle and roughly 30 miles south of the Scottish border — 80 miles from Edinburgh if you're coming from Scotland. Three postcodes are worth having ready depending on how you're arriving: NE66 1NG for the admission office, NE66 1HB for the visitor entrance, and NE66 1YU if you're driving straight to the car park.

Accessibility

Alnwick Castle offers accessible facilities, free admission for carers, and pre-bookable mobility vehicles for getting around the grounds. Being a 900-year-old fortified building, though, honesty matters here: some areas genuinely do include uneven surfaces, steps, and steep gradients that no amount of accommodation fully smooths out. If you have specific access requirements, it's worth contacting the castle's team directly ahead of your visit so they can help plan the day around what's actually feasible for you.

Guide, hearing, and assistance dogs — including dogs still in training — are welcome throughout the castle on a short lead. Emotional support animals and other pets aren't permitted inside, due to conservation concerns, though there are dog-friendly walks in the pastures across the river from the castle if you're traveling with a dog that can't come in.

What to Bring, and a Few Things Worth Knowing

• Comfortable, flat shoes — you'll be on stone floors and uneven ground for hours if you do the castle properly.
• A card for parking — £3.50, card only, no cash machine on site for this.
• Layers and something waterproof. Much of the visit is outdoors, and Northumberland weather doesn't ask permission before it changes its mind.
• Patience for Broomstick Training. It's free with admission, held in the Outer Bailey where Harry Potter had his first flying lesson on screen, but tickets are timed-slot and first-come, first-served — head there early if it's the reason you came.
• A little extra budget if archery interests you. It runs most days, weather permitting, but costs extra on top of admission.

There's no official rainy-day refund policy, but because online tickets are automatically 12-month passes, a washed-out visit isn't really a lost one — you can simply come back on a better day within the year at no extra cost.

A Suggested One-Day Plan

If you're driving yourself and have the whole day rather than the 2–3 hours a coach tour typically allows, here's roughly how the castle's own opening rhythm suggests spending it:

• 10:00Arrive at opening. Head straight to the Outer Bailey admissions area to collect a free Broomstick Training time slot before they run out for the morning.
• 10:30State Rooms. See the Percy family's art collection — Canaletto, Titian, Van Dyck — before the rooms get busy with later arrivals.
• 12:00Broomstick Training at your booked slot, followed by lunch at one of the on-site food options.
• 13:30Artisans Courtyard for medieval crafts and history talks, plus a look at the Constable's Tower exhibitions.
• 15:00Grounds and battlements at a slower pace — this is when the morning crowds thin out.
• 15:45Last admission cutoff. If you haven't already, this is your final window to get in for the day.

On a guided day trip from Edinburgh, you'll typically get a tighter 2–3 hour window inside — plenty for the State Rooms and grounds, but worth deciding in advance whether Broomstick Training fits your schedule, since it isn't guaranteed on a fixed coach timetable.