Want to experience the best rollercoasters that the UK has to offer? Thousands of riders have given their opinion on the Log Ride app, which gices you the ability to rate your experience out of ten. We've ranked all the UK's rollercoasters by their average score, and here are the top ten best rollercoasters in the UK as of January 2026.
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10. GOLD RUSH
DRAYTON MANOR
INTAMIN | 2024 | 8.2/10
Since the Looping Group purchased Drayton Manor they’ve been busy ensuring it has a great range of family friendly attractions. To date the largest and most interesting investment under their ownership has been the Intamin family coaster Gold Rush, which opened in the summer of 2024.
The rather quirky feature of this coaster is that it features two different layout sequences, allowing riders to get a largely different ride experience at different times of the day. To enable this it combines both a traditional lift hill with a launch section and transfer track, leaning into some of the popular features on the more modern Intamin coasters seen around the world. Whilst entertaining and nippy (it hits 60 KM per hour), Gold Rush is deliberately light on high adrenaline thrills, ensuring it appeals to the widest audience possible.
Already sitting at a credible number ten on our list shows it has been received by the intended family market. The entire Frontier Falls area is a fine addition to Drayton Manor, and according to ratings is already the best coaster at the park.
9. STORM CHASER
PAULTONS PARK
MACK RIDES | 2021 | 8.4/10
After the huge success of their Peppa Pig area which opened in 2011, Paultons Park could have focused on just expanding that smash-hit area, but instead they sensibly decided to keep investing and improving their wider offering. This ensured that whilst many families might make their first visit for the popular pre-school character, there would be plenty to return for in future years as their children grew up.
That brings us to Tornado Springs, the new original IP area initially due to open in 2020 but delayed a year for obvious reasons, which features Storm Chaser. It’s the 9th best coaster in the UK currently, and the highest ranking spinning coaster on the list, with each of the trains featuring four 4-person cars. It’s definitely a family friendly attraction, but at 65-feet tall it’s on the larger end of the scale. Like tenth ranked Gold Rush it does a great job of offering enough thrills for older children, but stays accessible for a wide audience with a 1-metre height restriction.
Whilst to the untrained eye it might look the same type of ride as Dragon’s Fury (Chessington) or Spinball Whizzer (Alton Towers) as it features spinning cars, it is instead a superior Mack Rides product. Mack have become known for their reliable and smooth coasters in recent years, and Storm Chaser is no exception. The maintenance team at Paultons Park also do a fantastic job of keeping everything in the Tornado Springs area looking fresh, making a real difference to the overall experience.
8. STEALTH
THORPE PARK
INTAMIN | 2006 | 8.5/10
Despite now being twenty years old, Stealth’s 80MPH hydraulic launch is still an incredible experience. There’s nothing that quite matches it in the UK, and actually it’s becoming increasingly rare worldwide too. The Stealth experience is short. The breathtaking launch, an intimidating 205-foot top hat element, and before you know it you’re slamming into the magnetic brakes on the not particularly effective airtime hill. You should leave feeling a little ripped off, but much like another UK classic Oblivion, it just works.
Stealth was built during Thorpe Park’s relentless thrill expansion in the early 00s, where four major rollercoasters were added in just eight years completely transforming the attraction. Stealth was pitched as the park’s new icon, towering at twice the height of their other new coasters and permanently placing a new intimidating silhouette on the skyline.
With many other significant Intamin hydraulic launch coasters disappearing from parks around the world due to maintenance headaches, enjoy Stealth while it lasts. It’s not just the UK’s eighth best coaster, it’s a proper old fashioned thrill experience, guaranteed to take your breath away every ride.
7. THE SWARM
THORPE PARK
B&M | 2012 | 8.7/10
The UK’s first wing coaster, and still the best according to our rankings. The Swarm combines some clever near miss elements with a decent layout, and some good quality immersive theming. After climbing a 127-foot lift hill, the experience truly starts by slowly turning riders upside down straight into a dive drop. In total you’ll experience five inversions, which add to a thrilling but not top tier layout, maxing out at 59 miles per hour.
The storyline positions riders in the middle of an attack by an unknown alien foe, whose species appear to attack in swarms and have destroyed the nearby area. With the station located in what appears to be a partially destroyed church, the ride navigates through an island containing a crashed aeroplane and helicopter, an abandoned fire engine, and even soars through the middle of a billboard.
Whilst The Swarm may not have grabbed as much attention as Thorpe Park’s other big additions upon launch, it has continued to rate highly with visitors. It’s a smooth and fun experience that has aged well. This was one of the first B&M wing coasters, which failed to become as popular as some of the manufacturer's other classic formats such as the invert. Merlin did eventually return to create a smaller sibling to The Swarm, when Mandrill Mayhem (ranked 12 on our list) opened in 2023.
6. SIK
FLAMINGO LAND
INTAMIN | 2022 | 8.7/10
After climbing 108-feet into the air in a traditional seated position, riders on Sik drop into an element packed layout, experiencing ten inversions along the way. It’s a fantastic example of a classic rollercoaster experience, the type of thing the average person might picture in their head if you asked them to imagine a rollercoaster. The attraction is named thanks to the similarly named local fashion brand, and that’s not the only thing that might be familiar to experienced theme park visitors.
Sik is an almost exact copy of Colossus which opened over 20-years earlier at Thorpe Park. The Flamingo Land version is definitely the better of the two, likely thanks to a couple of decades of design and tech improvements that make this particular Intamin creation smoother throughout, helped further by a more comfortable train configuration.
Whilst Sik was technically new when it opened in 2022, it had previously been manufactured for another park in Brazil, but when it was no longer required it waited in storage for around a decade before finally making its debut. According to riders it’s easily Flamingo Land’s best rollercoaster and we’re glad it found a good home.
5. WICKER MAN
ALTON TOWERS
GREAT COASTERS INTERNATIONAL | 2018 | 8.8/10
According to ride ratings the best wooden coaster currently in existence in the UK, Wicker Man has been a big hit since opening in 2018. Alton Towers had considered many times previously adding a wooden coaster to a constantly changing ride line-up, but the feedback always seemed to suggest that the UK public wouldn’t resonate with a concept that seemed old fashioned. Now ranked the fifth best coaster in the country, it’s fair to say the gamble paid off.
Wicker Man doesn’t break any kind of significant record, it is by design a family thrill coaster that does the basics really well, and offers an experience that is a good contrast to the many other coasters situated in the Staffordshire theme park. There is one gimmick, and that’s the titular wicker theming feature. It’s a huge effigy that through a combination of effects appears to be on fire, which the ride train flies through twice during its 2,600-foot adventure through the extensive layout. It’s a load of fun for older kids and adults, and whilst it has the slightly out-of-control rattly nature of a classic wooden coaster, it never feels unpleasant.
The eerie touches throughout the queue and ride area are generally really well done, and allow visitors to imagine what kind of sinister cult created the burning feature without being too on the nose. There’s also a fun pre-show that never quite reaches its potential as the experience is usually far too rushed. Wicker Man is a modern wooden coaster that every UK theme park fan should ride, which will hopefully open the door to more similar experiences in the future.
4. THE SMILER
ALTON TOWERS
GERSTLAUER | 2013 | 9.0/10
If you’re visiting this page you probably already know about The Smiler at Alton Towers, it’s both iconic and infamous. Located in the X-Sector area of the park close to Oblivion, it launched in 2013 to huge publicity making headlines around the world thanks to smashing the world record for most inversions on a coaster. 14 are packed into a twisted layout that is split into two distinct main sections, each beginning after a lift hill, and having the potential to interact with other trains flying round and a central theming element dubbed the Marmaliser.
The ride experience is intense, disorientating, and undoubtedly thrilling. There’s been no compromises to make this family friendly, it is clearly an attempt to recreate the white knuckle appeal of the iconic Nemesis for a new generation. It’s also visually stunning, with the various complicated and intertwined elements adding to the intimidating nature of the experience.
Those who don’t enjoy The Smiler usually make some fair criticisms. Commonly these include a potentially uncomfortable ride experience, which can vary greatly depending on the seat or train you are situated in. Gerstlauer are generally not considered a top-tier coaster manufacturer, and some parts of the layout, whilst ambitious, feel poorly executed. The queue is also painful for several reasons. Long waits can be extended by various express pass holders getting priority, with the main queue itself situated in a large concrete pit surrounded by black cages with a looped laughing soundtrack playing. The infamous 2015 crash left five people with life-changing injuries, and it’s implausible that the ride will ever completely shake that reputation.
For its faults The Smiler still ranks highly with those who experience it, and it’s testament to the ambition Alton Towers showed to create such a unique and thrilling experience that it is still considered one of their best rollercoasters. Although their best remains in Forbidden Valley.
3. NEMESIS REBORN
ALTON TOWERS
B&M | 1994/2024 | 9.1/10
Nemesis changed Alton Towers forever when it debuted in 1994. The B&M inverted coaster was like nothing the UK had ever seen, seating riders underneath the track and flinging them high speed into a specially created pit and through numerous thrilling twists and inversions in under a minute. It was a breathtakingly thrilling experience, but unlike other coasters of the time, perfectly smooth and largely comfortable. The media went crazy for this new beast and so did the public, regularly forming massive queues to experience a cultural phenomenon.
Over time the reputation of Nemesis remained, a steadfast favourite with enthusiasts, but new gimmicks elsewhere in the park meant the queues never quite matched the 90s peaks. Nearly thirty years of service passed successfully but Alton Towers faced a quandary. Their iconic Nemesis ride was near the end of its life, and would need replacing. Their response was to replace the legendary coaster almost entirely for 2024, retaining the exact same layout.
Whilst the newly dubbed Nemesis Reborn was in essence the same ride experience, many elements around the ride were ‘plussed’. The original Nemesis story cleverly positioned the track as an alien’s tentacles, held down by the supports. For the re-opening the station was upgraded with new alien effects including a high tech eye, and the ride area received additional theming and lighting with the track given a unique paint design.
The result is a truly classic rollercoaster having its future secured for another few decades. Nemesis is a must-ride experience for any theme park fan, and a truly unique coaster.
2. ICON
BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH
MACK RIDES | 2018 | 9.2/10
Positioned as the UK’s first multi-launch rollercoaster, Blackpool Pleasure Beach collaborated with Mack Rides to launch ICON in 2018. Its lengthy layout twice launches riders through twisty elements that occasionally interact with some of the park’s other classic rides, reaching speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour.
Like many modern Mack rollercoasters, ICON has earned a reputation for being smooth and comfortable whilst being thrilling. A simple lap bar restraint gives you added freedom and the ride is generally well paced and interesting. Like the majority of Blackpool’s attractions the theming is minimal, but has a modern style with Japanese influences.
Four years after initially opening, a new spinning car was added to the back of the train with the experience dubbed Ensō, and available for an additional charge. Despite a robust lineup of attractions, ICON is now rated the best coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and deservedly so.
1. HYPERIA
THORPE PARK
MACK RIDES | 2024 | 9.4/10
Hyperia is the UK’s tallest, fastest, and now highest rated rollercoaster. Since opening in 2024 the Mack Rides hypercoaster has received rave reviews and is deservedly ranked number one on our list.
The first drop following the 236-feet tall lift hill is simply stunning, and the various twists and turns that follow take inspiration from some of the world’s best coasters, combining into something truly special. The lap bar restraint is the only thing holding you in as you feel completely exposed and vulnerable through modern elements including an unforgettable stalled dive loop, at speeds of up to 81 miles per hour.
Hyperia was Thorpe Park’s first major coaster in 12-years and sits in the former location of the much-loved log flume Loggers Leap. The theme is loosely based around a fictional goddess, although this is realised through light touches like the colour scheme, soundtrack, and a lighting package as each train leaves the station.
Quirkily the height restriction of 1.3 metres is lower than many of the park’s other coasters, allowing those a little younger to get a taste of this incredible experience. Let’s hope Thorpe Park doesn't leave it another 12-years before they do something special again.