Visit Blackpool With A Dog – Tourist Attractions & Things To Do
Blackpool is a popular holiday town in Lancashire, much like Marmite. You will either love it or hate it. I fit into the former. I really enjoy visiting; however, you can have too much of a good thing. There is certainly lots to see and do in Blackpool. We stayed at a dog-friendly hotel.
My latest visit was part of my recent trip to the Northwest and Scotland. The trip started with getting married in Gretna Green, then a stay in Carlisle on the way to Blackpool. We travelled with Henry in tow, and this post highlights many dog-friendly aspects of the seaside town, as well as a few mild inconveniences.
About Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside town on the Irish Sea coast in Lancashire. People mainly know the town for the Pleasure Beach, its three piers, and its iconic tower, which houses a ballroom and a viewing platform. Each year, the Blackpool Illuminations are an outstanding event with a light show along the town’s promenade. It is one of the largest and most popular tourist resorts in the UK, with a focus on fun, particularly in the amusements.
Tourist Attractions and Things to See or Do in Blackpool
There are many tourist attractions in the seaside resort; these are the most popular.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
I enjoy amusement parks and funfairs, so I have always had a good time visiting Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It has changed lots over the years; however, it still has many heritage rides. You need to buy a day or season ticket, which gives you unlimited rides in the selected timescale.
There are 14 rollercoasters at Pleasure Beach to enjoy, including the new ride Infusion, which eluded me this time. The Big Dipper is a heritage ride dating back to the 1920s, and it is classified as a listed building. The ride is fun with lots of dips throughout and is rather rickety. On this trip, I also went on the Avalanche, a ride like a bobsleigh with some excellent g-forces. The Big One is a must-try ride too. It is high with an enormous drop at speed. When it was built, the Big One was the tallest and steepest roller coaster in the world.
They have loads of other rides to enjoy at Pleasure Beach. You can find out more or plan your day on their website. Sadly, they are not dog-friendly, so my visit was brief, as Henry was napping in the room for a few hours.
Pasaje del Terror
Near the Pleasure Beach is Pasaje del Terror, an interactive horror experience. This was a fantastic choice to try; basically, it has live actors trying to scare visitors as they walk through the attraction. This was rather freaky and covered many of the classic horror movies. A great option for fans of horror and certainly an advancement on the classic ghost train. They did an amazing job, and it was scary. You can find out more details and book tickets on their website.
Explore The North Pier
The North Pier is the quieter one in my experience; however, it is lovely to visit and enjoy the views of the Irish Sea. They have bars for drinks and street food vendors and, in the main, are dog-friendly. As in the rest of the town, they also have amusement arcades on the North Pier. The bar at the entrance was very handy after arriving by train to get our bearings and have a beer on arrival before checking in.
The pier also has a lovely carousel to ride, and there are many heritage information boards to learn more about its history.
Central Pier
The central pier is near the tower and town centre. They have a variety of amusements, bars and places to eat out.
The central pier is also dog-friendly, and there are lots of amusements, including a Ferris wheel and other rides. There are many snack options, from chips to bratwurst hot dogs. They also have cabaret clubs at the pier; here you can watch live performances such as Kings & Queens or pop and rock and roll.
South Pier
The South Pier is lively and is near to the Pleasure Beach. It has lots of funfair rides for visitors to enjoy, with no day ticket required. There are amusements galore and even bars showing live sports.
The Iconic Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower is one of the centrepiece attractions, and you can see it from most parts of the town. Inside, they have the famous ballroom; however, much to my disappointment, it was closed when I arrived, even after I had booked my tickets. You can ascend to a viewing platform.
Go to Kings & Queens of Pop Concert
The Kings & Queens is a concert featuring 4 icons of pop music at Central Pier. There are a few cover artists on a rota. For my visit, we had cover songs by Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Elvis.
All the performers were talented and looked and sounded like the icons. The event was like a cabaret with small individual tables and a comprehensive bar. The show lasted over 3 hours with a brief interval at the halfway point.
Walk The Promenade
Walking the promenade is a nice way to enjoy the sea views and local attractions. As it gets dark, the lights of Blackpool look fantastic. Even more so during the Illuminations. All the piers are visible from the promenade, as are the Pleasure Beach, tower and other attractions. It’s a great place to walk the dog or have some local fish and chips while looking out to sea.
There is a regular tram service along the prom, including some heritage trams that do tours of the town. The Heritage trams are rather nice to look at. The trams are pet-friendly and cost £1 per day for unlimited travel for dogs. They are a handy way to reach the dog-friendly sections at the far ends of the beach.
The Dog-Friendly North Beach
They designate the beach to the north of the North Pier as a dog-friendly section. It is a lovely, long and quiet section with many pets enjoying the sand and sea. The best times to visit are when the tide is going out or has gone out. The beach is closed when the tide is in, as it can be dangerous.
We had a lovely paddle with the dog in this quiet section and could have walked for miles enjoying the sand. The beach also offers superb views of the piers and the tower.
Watch The Sunset on the Seafront
As the sea is to the west of the town, it makes it a brilliant spot to watch a sunset or two if the weather permits. The piers also make it a great place for sunset photography. I was lucky with the weather and enjoyed a few sunsets on my trip.
Dog-Friendly Pubs & Bars in Blackpool
There were many options for dog-friendly bars and pubs while walking through the town. Many had outdoor seating, which, more often than not, allows pets even if they cannot come inside.
The Garden on the North Pier was a pet-friendly bar. It was not too busy and had some fantastic sea views. They had a wonderful choice of drinks on offer, from Kronenbourg to cocktails.
Sitting outside overlooking the church and opera house is Stefani’s Pizzeria, a popular restaurant in the city. Their pizza and starters were delicious to eat outside on a warm day. Their starters, especially the chicken wings, were top-drawer.
Vintro Lounge
Another dog-friendly bar and restaurant is Vintro Lounge. Vintro Lounge is part of the Lounges group of pubs that are known for being pet-friendly. They are opposite the Blackpool Opera House in the town centre.
Vintro Lounge serves food all day, starting with delicious brunch options, including a full English breakfast. They also have a nice selection of burgers, tapas, and main courses. Vintro Lounge is also a good place for a drink, with a good beer menu, coffee options, and other beverages.
Dog-Friendly Hotels & Guest Houses in Blackpool
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After some research, there were many options for dog-friendly places to stay in Blackpool. This included guest houses and hotels. Using the dog-friendly filter on Booking.com is fruitful for most dates of the year. There are also some Travelodges that have pet-friendly rooms. There are a few Travelodge hotels in the town. These are a pretty consistent chain; however, I didn’t stay in one this time.
The Royal Windsor Hotel
On my recent visit, we had a bit of a nightmare with a rude and creepy hotel owner. This led us to move to the Royal Windsor Hotel, which was a bit more acceptable a place for us. Our only requirement was that they were dog-friendly.
The hotel needed a bit of maintenance and had small rooms; however, this was expected after many experiences in Blackpool. (I’ve not had much luck in the town over the years.) However, the staff were great, and the place was dog-friendly as advertised. The bed was comfy, but the cold shower was a massive inconvenience for many guests.
The breakfasts were a Faulty Towers sort of affair, which was funny, as we had considered booking in at the Faulty Towers experience. It was complete disorder, and every morning they were not expecting us to eat despite paying. Despite this, the full English breakfast was delicious and set us up well for the day.
The hotel had a bar which was party central with entertainment until midnight. It’s fun if you are like us; however, for those that like an early night, it is not the best option to stay. The fish and chip shop next door was handy for a late-night post-beer meal. They even let you eat this in the hotel bar.
Review of the Seaside Town & Attractions
Blackpool is a great place to visit for a blowout and to let off steam. It’s not a cheap place and can thoroughly drain your wallet if you’re not careful. It is a must-visit place if you like amusement parks, especially rollercoasters; however, outside the school holidays and weekends, it is much less busy. Fish and chips are a local delicacy, and there are many places to eat them.
I believe you can spend too long here; there is a lot of stimulation, and after a few days I felt very overstimulated by the constant bright lights and noise.