Things to Do in Blackpool
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Blackpool, England, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Blackpool doesn't do subtle. It's the classic British seaside, turned up to full volume, a tower built to outdo Paris, a beach lined with rides, and enough lights in autumn to be visible from space, probably. This is the proper guide to things to do in Blackpool, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth the money. Six main stops below, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
The Blackpool Tower
Opened in 1894 and directly inspired by the Eiffel Tower, which I mentioned in the quiz already, this is still the first thing most people picture when Blackpool comes up. The lift takes you 380 feet up to the Tower Eye viewing platform, complete with a glass floor if you fancy testing your nerve, and on a clear day you can see the Lake District and the Welsh mountains from the top.
Inside the base is the Tower Ballroom, an ornate Victorian dance floor still in regular use, famous these days for being a filming location for Strictly Come Dancing, exactly the ballroom I asked about in the quiz. You don't need a ticket for the whole Tower complex just to see it, ballroom-only entry and afternoon tea packages are both available separately.
Hours Varies by attraction, generally 9.30am-10pm in peak season, shorter in winter
Address Bank Hey Street, Blackpool FY1 4BJ
Official site theblackpooltower.com
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Over 145 rides packed onto the seafront, including some genuinely serious rollercoasters, the Big One's 235-foot drop and ICON's launch are the two most talked about. Entry to the park itself runs around £6, with rides bought either individually, in bundles, or as an all-day unlimited wristband depending on how much of a thrill-seeker you're travelling with.
It's open daily from April to early November, then weekends only either side of that, plus a run over the Illuminations period in autumn. Check the calendar before you plan a winter visit, since it does close entirely for stretches of the off-season.
Hours Daily April-early November, weekends only outside that window, check current calendar
Address Ocean Boulevard, Blackpool FY4 1EZ
Official site blackpoolpleasurebeach.com
The Blackpool Illuminations
Six miles of lights strung along the seafront promenade, switched on every year around the start of September and running through to early January, exactly the display I asked about in the quiz. It's free to walk, though most people ride it instead, via car, an illuminated tram, or a guided tour bus, taking in the tableaux, laser projections and light displays synced to music along the way.
The Switch-On night itself, usually the last Friday of the summer bank holiday week, draws a genuine crowd with live music and fireworks, but the lights themselves run for months afterwards, so there's no need to fight the opening-night traffic if you'd rather see them quietly.
Dates Early September to early January (check exact dates each year)
Best time Evenings, once it's properly dark
Blackpool's Piers
North Pier, Central Pier and South Pier, each with its own character, North Pier leans traditional with deckchairs and a theatre, Central Pier has the big wheel and arcade rides, South Pier is the thrill-seeker's option with an adrenaline zone. All three have carnival-style rides charging per ticket, usually topping out around £5 a go, or an all-day wristband if you're planning to make a proper session of it.
Walking all three in a day, with the tram or a decent pair of shoes linking them along the promenade, gives you a genuinely good sense of the whole seafront in one go.
Getting there All three sit directly on the promenade, connected by the seafront tram
Sandcastle Waterpark
The UK's largest indoor waterpark, right by South Pier, with flumes, wave pools and a Nickelodeon-themed area for younger visitors. Genuinely useful for a Blackpool trip that's coincided with bad weather, since it's fully indoor and heated year-round, no reliance on a dry day at all.
Combined tickets with Pleasure Beach are available if you're doing both on the same trip, worth checking before buying separately.
Getting there Tram or bus stops directly outside; nearest station Blackpool South
Official site sandcastle-waterpark.co.uk
The Promenade & the trams
Blackpool's tram network is the oldest surviving of its kind in Britain, running since 1885, and riding the full length of the seafront on one, especially an illuminated tram during the autumn light show, is close to compulsory for a first visit. Fares are modest, and a day ticket generally works out cheaper than paying per journey if you're stopping at more than one pier.
The Comedy Carpet outside the Tower, a giant pavement artwork made from the catchphrases and jokes of British comedians, is a free, easy-to-miss stop worth a couple of minutes if you're walking past.
Best time Any time, but especially dusk during Illuminations season
Best time to visit Blackpool
Late summer through early autumn gives you the best of both worlds, decent weather for the beach and piers, plus the Illuminations switching on in early September. If lights are the main draw, September through November is the sweet spot, cooler, quieter than peak summer, and the display runs regardless. Deep winter sees several attractions close entirely, so check opening calendars carefully if you're planning a visit outside spring through autumn.
Getting around Blackpool
The seafront is Blackpool's spine, everything above sits along or just off the promenade, walkable end to end in under an hour, or considerably less effort by tram. Blackpool North station is the main rail arrival point, a short walk or tram ride from the Tower and the central piers.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Blackpool worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly if you want the classic, unpretentious British seaside experience. Between the Tower, Pleasure Beach and the Illuminations, it offers a genuinely different kind of trip to anywhere else on this list.
- How many days do you need in Blackpool?
- A weekend covers the Tower, one pier, and either Pleasure Beach or the Illuminations comfortably. Add a day to properly do all of it without rushing.
- Is Blackpool expensive?
- The big-ticket attractions, Pleasure Beach, the Tower's full complex, aren't cheap, but the Illuminations, the piers themselves, and the promenade are all free or low-cost.
- What is Blackpool famous for?
- The Blackpool Tower, inspired by the Eiffel Tower; Pleasure Beach, one of the UK's biggest and oldest theme parks; and the Illuminations, widely billed as the world's greatest free light show.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
