Hebbs Alpacas

You'll find yourself in a proper working alpaca farm just outside Carlisle, where the animals roam freely across the fields and you can get up close with these impossibly soft creatures. Hebbs Alpacas isn't some theme park experience - it's the real thing, and that's exactly what makes it worth the drive from the city. The alpacas are genuinely friendly, and if you've never fed one before, the sensation of their velvety noses and curious nature is something you won't forget quickly.

Families with younger kids absolutely thrive here. There's something about hand-feeding alpacas that beats a screen any day, and even teenagers seem to soften when faced with an animal that tall and gentle. Keen photographers will find themselves taking far more shots than they expected - the creatures are strikingly photogenic against the Cumbrian countryside.

Spend a good hour here if you're genuinely interacting with the animals, though thirty minutes works if you're just passing through. It's a lovely addition to a caravan week at Low Moor Head, which sits just six miles away - that's easily close enough for a half-day outing without committing your whole afternoon. Check ahead for opening times and whether you need to book, as smaller attractions like this sometimes operate on limited schedules outside peak season. Bring a jacket even in summer; standing in a field chatting to alpacas means the wind catches you when you're not moving about.