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10 of the best Norfolk caravan holiday parks 2021
Norfolk has more than 20 holiday parks to choose from, or more if you include posher lodges and retreats. We've picked 10 of the best caravan holiday parks by comparing onsite facilities, reviews from visitors, location and value for money.
Most of Norfolk's holiday parks are based around the busier resorts of Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth but there are some in quieter spots along the coastline such as Sheringham and Cromer and a few inland sites which are good bases for exploring the Norfolk Broads.
For our price comparison, we looked for the cheapest caravan for a week in early August.
So, drumroll please for our top 10 caravan holiday parks in Norfolk for holidays in 2021....
Most of Norfolk's holiday parks are based around the busier resorts of Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth but there are some in quieter spots along the coastline such as Sheringham and Cromer and a few inland sites which are good bases for exploring the Norfolk Broads.
For our price comparison, we looked for the cheapest caravan for a week in early August.
So, drumroll please for our top 10 caravan holiday parks in Norfolk for holidays in 2021....
1. Hopton Holiday Village Great Yarmouth (Busy Haven park, indoor pool, beachside)
**Haven 2021 Offers: Last minute bargains from £120 + Summer from £369, Autumn from £79**
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Haven has got four holiday parks in Norfolk but we think the best ones are Hopton Holiday Village and Wild Duck Holiday Park (see #2).
Hopton scores 4.5 on TripAdvisor or 8.1 out of 10 on Hoseasons, which is impressive when you consider that big chain holiday parks often get less positive reviews. It’s also jam packed with facilities and it’s right by a sandy stretch of beach so you won’t be getting in the car every day to see anything. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools (I know which I prefer…), a decent minigolf/adventure course, tennis courts, fencing and football and a bowling green for old people with white suits. Most things are free, but you’ll pay a few pounds for some activities. Hopton also has kids' clubs, evening entertainment (if that’s your sort of thing) and a shop where you can buy some brightly coloured furry things for your children. In 2019, they opened a new 'entertainment arena' at Hopton, with two restaurants, soft play and amusements. Location wise, Hopton is half way between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft so there are a fair few family attractions within a short drive if you fancy exploring a bit. Price comparison: £972 for a family of four staying for a week in a 'standard' caravan in August 2021 (that was arriving on a Monday, you'll pay about £150 more to arrive on a Saturday). |
Hopton Holiday Village gets very good reviews thanks to its coastal location...
...and a big range of family activities including swimming, minigolf and soft play
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2. Wild Duck Holiday Park near Great Yarmouth (woodland Haven park, great reviews)
**Winner: best value holiday park**
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Bizarrely named Wild Duck Holiday Park is the other highly-rated Haven holiday park in Norfolk (Seashore and Caister on Sea get good reviews, but not quite as good).
It’s a different sort of park to Hopton as it is set within a woodland with the option of posh Safari Tents, nature activities and the like. On the downside, it isn’t right by the sea (it’s about four miles away from Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth) so you’ll have a short drive for sandcastle building. However, the park is attractive and there is quite a bit to do onsite. There's not quite as much as Hopton, but still lots more than most parks. The Norfolk Broads spread out throughout much of East Norfolk, so you are well placed for those. Wild Duck Holiday Park has got the all-important indoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor pool, amusement arcade, pool tables, bike hire, football, archery and minigolf. Some kids' activities are included, whilst you have to pay extra for some of the nature skills (bushcraft etc). There’s also the usual evening entertainment which you’ll find at most Haven parks. Price comparison: £823 for a family of four staying in a standard Wild Duck caravan for a family of four for a week in August 2021. Price was based on arriving on a Monday, it would have cost about £120 more to arrive on a Saturday. Yurts and Safari tents are sometimes cheaper. |
Bushcraft, bike hire, football, archery and minigolf are all available at Wild Duck Holiday Park...
...as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
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3. Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club Wisbech (posh inland park, reasonably priced)
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I've included Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club as a bit of a classy curveball, which is surprisingly affordable.
OK, so it's not exactly a caravan park and it's right on the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border rather than by the sea but it is reasonably priced and it's an appealing option if you can't bear the flumes and amusement arcades of some big holiday parks. The main attraction is an 18 hole golf course but there's also an indoor swimming pool, gym and fishing. There's not a huge amount for kids (don't expect a kids' club with a man dressed up as a pink bear) but if you want classy accommodation, a decent pool and a base for exploring Norfolk then it's worth a look. Reviews are good, averaging 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor when I checked. It is run by Pure Leisure Holidays. Price comparison: £785 for a week in August 2021 in a bronze lodge, for a family of four. |
It's not a caravan park, but Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club...
...has activities including fishing, golf and swimming.
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4. Caister on Sea Holiday Park (beachside, swimming pool)
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Caister on Sea Holiday Park is the third Haven holiday park in Norfolk to make our top 10.
Reviews are marginally behind Wild Duck Holiday Park and Hopton Holiday Village but they still manage a very respectable 4/5 or 8.7/10 depending on which site you check. It's in a beachside location, and is about 15 minutes in the car to Great Yarmouth. Cromer is a 45 minute drive, assuming you aren't stuck behind a tractor. Onsite, you'll find a large indoor swimming pool with activities like pool kayaking. Other options to occupy excitable children include bike hire, crazy golf, a climbing wall and a football academy. Bear in mind that lots of activities cost a bit extra. Swimming and evening entertainments are included in the price you pay upfront. Price: £772 for a family of four staying in early August 2021 in a standard caravan. That was arriving on a Monday - it would have cost £100 more to arrive on a Saturday). |
Caister on Sea Holiday Park is another Haven resort in a beachside location...
...with things like swimming, bike hire and minigolf onsite.
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5. California Cliffs near Caister on Sea (busy Parkdean Resorts holiday park)
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There are a few former Park Resorts holiday parks in the Great Yarmouth area, but we think the best is California Cliffs (the others include Summerfields Holiday Park and Breydon Water). They're now known as Parkdean Resorts holiday parks after the two companies merged a few years ago.
California Cliffs and Breydon Water get very similar overall reviews and have similar facilities onsite, but California Cliffs is nearer to the beach which is the clincher for me. Summerfields is sometimes the cheapest option and has some plus points, but it doesn’t get quite such good reviews (averaging 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor when I searched) California Cliffs is also a bit more compact than Breydon Water, which is essentially two holiday parks stuck together. California Cliffs has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an adventure playground, sports court, crazy golf as well as the usual shop, bar and launderette. Like most big holiday parks, they also put on entertainment for kids and adults, including outdoor cinema on certain days. They accept pets in some of the accommodation. Price comparison: £719 for an 'Alderney' caravan for a family of four, for a week in August 2021 in a two bedroom caravan. An eight berth was less than £100 extra so would be good value for a big family. |
California Cliffs is a family-friendly caravan park with indoor and outdoor swimming pools...
...and it's near to this sandy beach.
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6. Searles Leisure Resort Hunstanton (big park, loads of facilities, near the beach)
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Searles Leisure Resort is a large and well established Hunstanton holiday park, which has been going for decades.
It competes well with big chains like Haven and Parkdean Resorts (and formerly Park Resorts) thanks to a large range of onsite facilities. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, soft play and adventure playground for kids, crazy golf, tennis, restaurants and those funny pedal cars for getting around the site. It's also right by the beach, so it gets a thumbs up for location. As it's near Hunstanton, there are several attractions nearby if you want to explore the area, such as the local Sea Life Centre. Reviews are good, averaging 4 out 5 on TripAdvisor. If you don't fancy a caravan, they've also got lodges although I couldn't find any with hot tubs. Dogs are welcome in some of the accommodation, but not all types. Price: £1075 for a family of four for a week in a Classic Rio caravan in August 2021. |
Searles is an independent Leisure Resort with two swimming pools, playgrounds...
...and evening entertainment.
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7. Thorpe Forest Lodges Thetford (basic facilities, quirky woodland setting)
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Thorpe Forest is a little bit posher (and more expensive) than most holiday parks, but it will appeal to those who fancy life as a Robin Hood type character – by which I mean living in woodland rather than robbing from the rich…
Thorpe Forest gets very good reviews (4.5/5 on average) and offers things like nature trails, cycling and forest walks rather than flumes and kiss-me-quick hats. It's a good one for parents who feel their children should spend their time getting muddy and identifying deciduous leaves rather than staring at a smartphone. It's some way inland (Suffolk/Norfolk border) so you'll need a car if you want to get to the beach. It's run by Forest Holidays, which has several similar sites across the country. Pets are allowed in some accommodation at Thorpe Forest. Price: £2085 for 7 nights for a family of 4 in August 2021 in a Silver Birch lodge with a hot tub. Some of their properties sleep 8 in 4 bedrooms, so are good ones for a larger family. |
Thorpe Forest Lodges scores well with customers...
...and offers classy hot tub holidays
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8. Heachem Beach Hunstanton (very cheap holiday park for families, good reviews)
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Park Resort’s/Parkdean Resort's Heachem Beach Holiday Park makes our list as a well equipped caravan park, which offers low cost family holidays.
In my view, it just has the edge over Manor Park, which is a similar park in the local area which is also owned by Parkdean Resorts (and previously by Park Resorts). They get similar reviews but Heachem Beach has an indoor swimming pool whereas Manor Park has an outdoor pool. Although holiday park pools can be busy, they are a welcome refuge on a rainy day when the children are doing somersaults on the caravan sofa. Heachem Beach is also marginally closer to the North Norfolk coastline, although there’s not much in it. The location is good for anyone travelling from the East Midlands, as it’s a lot quicker to reach than Norfolk’s east coast (Great Yarmouth area). Price comparison: £769 for a week in August 2021 in a Grebe Caravan for two adults and two children. |
Heachem Beach is another resort with a good-sized indoor swimming pool...
...and it's right by Norfolk's famous coastline
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9. Vauxhall Holiday Park Great Yarmouth (cheap holiday park, lots of facilities, close to beach and attractions)
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Vauxhall and Cherry Tree are two quite similar holiday parks in the Great Yarmouth area which are both owned by Parkdean Resorts. There isn't much to choose between them, as they've both got indoor swimming pools, adventure playgrounds and various games and sports to fill some time. They both have kids' clubs and evening entertainment.
At the time of writing, Cherry Tree gets slightly better reviews with 4/5 on TripAdvisor and similar sites, whilst Vauxhall scores about 3.5/5 from customers. However, when we checked prices, Vauxhall was about £100 cheaper than Cherry Tree for similar accommodation. Plus, Vauxhall is slightly nearer to the attractions and seafront at Great Yarmouth. Price: £759 for a family of four for a week in August 2021 in a Partridge caravan. |
Vauxhall Holiday Park is a good choice if you want to be near the busy resort of Great Yarmouth...
...and it's got places to eat onsite if you don't want to cook.
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10. Norfolk Broads Country Park near Norwich (cheap and peaceful)
**Winner: cheapest holiday park**
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Norfolk Broads Country Park is an inland holiday park, so it's fine if you've got a car and want to see the county. It's obviously not a good choice if you want a beach holiday and don't have a car. It's only a short distance from Norwich and you can get to Cromer or Great Yarmouth in about 45 minutes.
The emphasis is very much on peace and quiet rather than non-stop family entertainment. There are no facilities to speak of onsite but it is one of the cheaper options we've found. Perhaps one to consider if you can't think of anything worse than a bingo hall and a shop selling plastic tat... Reviews are about 4/5 or 4.5/5 depending on which review site you look at. Price: £655 for a family of four for a week in August 2021 in a 'Norfolk' caravan. |
You won't find lots of facilities and entertainment at Norfolk Broads Country Park...
...but you will find good value caravans in a central location.
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Price comparison of 10 of Norfolk's best holiday caravan parks
We only did one comparison, but this should give you a rough guide as to which are the cheaper and more expensive caravan holiday parks in Norfolk. We searched in November 2020 for a week long holiday in August 2021 for a family of four. We didn't include any extras or upgrades and obviously the prices may be different when you search at a later date.
From cheapest to most expensive:
Images are from Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Pure Leisure, Forest Holidays and Hoseasons.
From cheapest to most expensive:
- Norfolk Broads Country Park - £655 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
- California Cliffs Holiday Park - £719
- Vauxhall Holiday Park - £759
- Heachem Beach Holiday Park - £769
- Caister on Sea Holiday Park - £772
- Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club - £785
- Wild Duck Holiday Park - £823 **Winner: best value holiday park**
- Hopton Holiday Village - £972
- Searles Leisure Resort- £1075
- Thorpe Forest Lodges - £2085
Images are from Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Pure Leisure, Forest Holidays and Hoseasons.
