Activities in Milton Keynes

One of the most popular theme parks in the UK, it’s only right there is a page dedicated to all the fun and games at Gulliver’s Land.

15 minutes by car from our Milton Keynes South hotel is Go Ape at Woburn Sands, an exhilarating treetop adventure. Taking in swing ropes, ladders and interconnected zip wires, you can swing through the trees like Tarzan and even spy on the lions and zebras below in Woburn Park. In total, there are over 800 metres of zip lines, with anyone over 10 years old welcome to become king of the swingers.

Speed junkies are well catered for in Milton Keynes. Experience The Country is a dedicated off-road driving centre with 800 acres of country estate primed for discovering in 4x4s. They also offer clay pigeon shooting, archery, axe throwing and zorb football, making for an energetic day out.

Located to the south of the town centre near Newton Longville, the Quadrenalin Quadbiking Centre lives up to its name, offering hour-long countryside treks on-board high-performance quad bikes. There are various sessions available to book, with all safety equipment provided.

Just as fast, but a lot less muddy, is Daytona Milton Keynes located just off the A5 near North Loughton Valley Park. One of the leading outdoor karting circuits in the UK, there are two tracks to choose from including the 1,360-metre International Circuit and its 11 testing corners, and – thanks to the floodlights – they let you race until 10pm seven days a week.

One of Milton Keynes’ biggest success stories, the full lowdown on the Snozone, The Casino MK and iFLY Indoor Skydiving can be found on a dedicated Xscape Milton Keynes page.

If Milton Keynes’ range of outdoor racing activities doesn’t do it for you, try Simply Race. A state of the art simulator experience, you can take control of an F1 car, McLaren supercars, Bentleys and Corvettes with panoramic screens, bass-shakers and force feedback steering giving you an incredible virtual experience. Up to 15 simulators can be linked for competitive races, with all racers required to be 1.20 metres or taller. Make sure not to take that speed back with you on the three-mile drive back to our Milton Keynes Central (Xscape) hotel, however!

One of the region’s leading indoor climbing walls, the Big Rock Hub offers starter sessions, lessons for all abilities and rock-up-and-climb sessions over more than 70 routes and 650 square metres of bouldering. Open daily until 10pm on weekdays and 8pm at weekends.

With eight individually themed escape rooms spanning time travel and turning invisible, Locked In A Room is one of the largest escape rooms in Europe, able to hold up to 44 players at any one time. Handily, it’s right on the doorstep of our Milton Keynes Theatre District hotel and just a short walk from The Centre: MK.

With its mostly flat landscape and miles of parks, rivers and lakes, there are few better ways to explore Milton Keynes and its countryside than by bike. The MK Heritage Cycle Trails offer four routes ranging from four-mile trips to 22-mile treks. Along the way, you’ll take in everything from the Aston Martin factory to concrete sculptures and picturesque country villages. Each trail has a long and short option allowing for high-octane bike rides or more family-friendly affairs.

A 15-mile route that takes you around the town centre, the City-wide circular is a widely used ride that takes in canals, churches, secret gardens, windmills and several parks. Starting and finishing at Willen Lake South, bike hire is available at Whitecap Leisure.

Again starting from Lake Willen, the Ouzel Valley Circular is a 12-mile ride that takes you through Milton Keynes village, Fenny Lock and some gorgeous countryside. There are plenty of cafés and sightseeing stops along the way, including the recreated Roman Garden at Dobbie’s Garden Centre.

Overseeing more than 600 acres of open spaces, The Parks Trust looks after many of the parks in Milton Keynes. It offers nearly a dozen self-guided walks taking in the Great Ouse Valley, Willen Lake, Howe Park Wood, Great Linford and more, as well as a gruelling 25-mile challenge walk keen hikers can manage in one day!

Using the closed Wolverton to Newport Pagnell train line as its base, the Lost Track of Time Railway Walk takes you across the north of Milton Keynes through Great Linford and New Bradwell. There is plenty of sightseeing along the way, including the Milton Keynes Museum and the Secret Garden and Newport Pagnell, which has strong Roman roots.

Finally, take a Tour of Milton Keynes, City of The Future to see the city from the streets. A three-mile stroll that brings in the city’s sights including Xscape, Campbell Park and Midsummer Boulevard, it takes around two hours to complete.