For decades, British coaster fans had to cross the Channel for a true hyper coaster. That changed on May 24, 2024, when Thorpe Park opened Hyperia, a 236-foot Mack Rides machine that became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the United Kingdom.
Hyperia isn’t a traditional airtime-only hyper coaster — it packs two inversions, a 168-foot loop billed as the tallest in Europe, and a near-vertical first drop into a layout under 1,000 metres long. Here’s exactly how many times it flips you upside down, how its drop and top speed stack up against Thorpe Park’s own Stealth, and everything else you need to plan a ride.
Quick Answer
Hyperia at Thorpe Park is 236 feet (72 m) tall and reaches 81 mph (130 km/h), making it the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK. It turns riders upside down twice — once in a barrel roll and once in a stalled dive loop billed as Europe’s tallest at 168 feet — and its first drop covers the ride’s full 236-foot height at a near-vertical 90-degree angle. At 236 feet, Hyperia stands 31 feet taller than Thorpe Park’s Stealth (205 ft), though Stealth is only a shade slower at 80 mph.
How Many Times Does Hyperia Go Upside Down?
Hyperia turns riders upside down twice. The first inversion is a barrel roll that twists downward straight off the main drop sequence; the second is a stalled dive loop near the midpoint of the ride, where the train hangs briefly before diving toward the ground. Thorpe Park promotes that second element as the tallest loop in Europe, at 168 feet.
The ride also includes a non-inverting Immelmann-style turn and an outer-banked airtime hill, both of which bank riders sideways without flipping them fully over. Those elements add to the disorientating feel of the layout but don’t count toward the official inversion total of two.
How Many Loops Does Hyperia Have?
Strictly speaking, Hyperia has one true loop: the 168-foot stalled dive loop that Thorpe Park bills as the tallest of its kind in Europe. Its other inversion, the barrel roll, is a corkscrew-style twist rather than a circular loop, which is why most ride databases describe Hyperia as having two inversions rather than two loops.
If you’re counting every moment of hang time, though, the dive loop is the one to brace for — it’s the slowest, most prolonged point of the ride, holding riders near-vertical before the drop back down.
Hyperia vs Stealth: How the Two Thorpe Park Coasters Compare
Hyperia and Stealth now share the same corner of Thorpe Park’s record board, but they’re built for different thrills. Hyperia stands 236 feet tall against Stealth’s 205 feet — a 31-foot gap — and nudges ahead on top speed too, at 81 mph versus Stealth’s 80 mph. Hyperia also has two inversions to Stealth’s zero.
Stealth still wins on raw acceleration: its hydraulic launch pushes riders from 0 to 80 mph in under two seconds, a sensation Hyperia’s chain-lift climb and gravity-driven drop can’t replicate. Think of Hyperia as the taller, longer, more inverted ride, and Stealth as the shorter, sharper launch coaster — both are worth riding on the same visit.
The First Drop: Height, Angle and What It Feels Like
Hyperia’s first drop covers the coaster’s entire 236-foot height, according to Thorpe Park’s own ride statistics — there’s no pre-drop or secondary lift, so what you climb is what you fall. The drop angle hits a true 90 degrees at its steepest point, and the train twists through 180 degrees as it falls, so riders are turning and dropping toward the lake at the same time.
That combination — full height, vertical angle, and a mid-air twist — is what reviewers point to as Hyperia’s signature moment. It’s also where the ride delivers most of its 14.8 seconds of airtime, Thorpe Park’s own figure for total weightlessness across the layout.
Is Hyperia the Tallest and Fastest Coaster in the UK?
Yes, on both counts, though the speed record is tighter. At 236 feet, Hyperia beat the previous UK height record holder, The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (213 ft), by 23 feet. Its 81 mph top speed edges past Stealth’s 80 mph, which had held the UK speed record since 2006.
Globally, Hyperia is a big coaster but not a record-breaker — its reputation rests on how much it packs into the layout rather than on raw numbers.
Hyperia’s Height Requirement
The minimum height to ride Hyperia is 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). That’s higher than at many of the park’s family rides, so measure children before you queue. Thorpe Park classes Hyperia as an “Intense Thrills” ride, and the lap-bar restraint with open seating suits riders who are comfortable with strong airtime and inversions. Check the official ride page before your visit in case the rules change.
Layout and Ride Elements
After the 236-foot climb, the train drops vertically toward the lake while turning through 180 degrees. From there the layout moves quickly through an outer-banked airtime hill billed as a world first, a large non-inverting Immelmann turn, the barrel-roll inversion, and the stalled dive loop, before a splashdown effect and trim brakes bring it home.
Many hyper coasters rely on long, spaced-out airtime hills. Hyperia instead stacks its elements close together, with fewer pauses and more hang time upside down. Reviewers generally rate the first three-quarters highly, while some say the braking near the end makes the ride feel short. The low-slung Mack trains, with only a lap bar over your thighs, add to the exposed feeling throughout.
Planning Your Visit
Hyperia sits in the Fearless Valley area, in the back corner of Thorpe Park near Samurai and Colossus. The park is in Chertsey, Surrey, and is usually reached by car or by rail to Staines or Chertsey followed by a bus or taxi.
Ticket pricing follows the pattern used across Merlin’s UK parks: booking online in advance is typically cheaper than paying at the gate, prices rise on peak school-holiday and weekend dates, and paid Fastrack add-ons let you skip the standard queue. Children under 1.2 m enter free with a paying adult, though that doesn’t mean they’re tall enough to ride Hyperia. Opening hours run longer in the main summer season and shorter outside it. For current opening times, ticket prices and Fastrack options, check the official Thorpe Park website before you go.
Visiting Tips
Hyperia has been one of the park’s busiest rides since opening, so ride it first thing at opening or late in the day, or budget for Fastrack on a busy date. A single-rider queue can also cut your wait if you don’t mind being seated apart from your group.
It’s a tall, exposed structure, so Hyperia can close in high winds or bad weather — have a backup plan and check the park’s app for ride status. Seat choice matters too: the front gets the best view and the most wind, while the back is whipped harder over the first drop. The two trains have also been reported to ride slightly differently, so it’s worth riding more than once if you can.
Photos
Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Hyperia at Thorpe Park FAQs
How many times does Hyperia go upside down?
Twice. Hyperia has two inversions — a barrel roll and a stalled dive loop — within its full layout.
How many loops does Hyperia have?
One. The ride’s dive loop, billed by Thorpe Park as the tallest loop in Europe at 168 feet, is its only true loop; its second inversion is a barrel roll rather than a circular loop.
Hyperia vs Stealth: how do they compare?
Hyperia is taller (236 ft vs 205 ft) and marginally faster (81 mph vs 80 mph) than Stealth, and it has two inversions where Stealth has none. Stealth still accelerates faster, launching from 0 to 80 mph in under two seconds.
How big is Hyperia’s drop?
The first drop covers the ride’s full 236-foot height at a near-vertical 90-degree angle, with a 180-degree twist as the train falls toward the lake.
How tall and fast is Hyperia?
Hyperia stands 236 feet (72 m) tall and reaches 81 mph (130 km/h), making it the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK.
What is the height requirement for Hyperia?
Riders must be at least 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) tall.
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