Gardaland Italy

It will take you at least two days to see everything but in July and August, with the long queues, you might even need another day. Try to avoid these months if possible. The queues are long and the heat and humidity can be oppressive.

If you do visit during these months make sure you get to the park well before opening time. In July and August gates open at 9am or 9.30am although it does vary a little. Visit their site for precise times .

Where to Stay

Gardaland has its own hotel, the Gardaland Resort Hotel, which allows a total immersion theme park holiday. The rates are fairly high though so if you would like a cheaper alternative then my suggestion would be the Parc Hotel (click here for more) , a family style resort hotel that is very near to Gardaland. The Parc Hotel offers swimming pools, a nearby golf course, tennis and endless activities for the children.

The Rides

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the rides yet I must say I LOVED most of them but hated a few. The ones I liked most were the more tranquil ones like the ride through the pirates cave (Corsari) and the one through ancient Egypt (Valle dei Rei), my best ride though is Time Voyagers which absolutely amazed me.

For thrill seekers there are plenty of heart stopping rides. I quite enjoyed the water ones like Jungle Rapids and Colorado Boat and I enjoyed the kiddies roller coaster Ortobruco (generally only thrilling for those under eight).

If you are of sound body and mind and a lot braver than me then try the Blu Tornado; I was arm-twisted into trying it and I have never been quite the same since. If you enjoy the sensation of your body being torn apart and if severe whiplash is your thing then you will love it.

William, my son, makes the 120cm cut-off for most of the rides but being under the age of nine his best rides are in the younger children’s Fantasy Kingdom.

He particularly loves the AltoPiano aeroplane and the tractor (see photo of him shouting at the cows at top of page). Don’t tell anyone but I liked them too – very peaceful and relaxing – and a lot better than the Blu Tornado.

The live shows, which change regularly, are in the main excellent though the dolphin show was not as good as I had hoped. I heard that most of the seals and dolphins have been transferred to the nearby Aqua Park but I don’t know how true this is.

The big tree which you'll see in the wonderful video below was amazing, the little rabbits room, also in the video, is one of the many rooms in this Magic Faraway Tree.

Gardaland video

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