Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park: Ride Guide & Tips

What Nemesis Inferno is and where it sits in the park

The concept is a volcano: the queue winds through dense planting up the mountainside before trains erupt out of the structure, and the red track reads as lava. The station sits inside the volcano facade, so the build-up is part of the experience rather than a shed and a ramp.

Because it is an inverted coaster, there is no floor beneath you and no lap bar across your thighs; the restraint is an over-the-shoulder harness. That changes the feel of every drop and loop compared with a sit-down coaster of similar size, and it is the single most useful thing to know when deciding whether a rider will enjoy it.

For planning purposes, treat it as one of the big coasters you build the middle of the day around rather than a warm-up. If you are mapping the whole park first, the Thorpe Park guide sets out how the coasters and areas fit together.

Ride stats in brief

The published figures are 750 metres of track, a height of 95ft, a top speed of around 47-48mph and four inversions, with a ride time of roughly 1 minute 43 seconds. Trains seat 28 riders across seven rows of four, running two trains at a time.

Thorpe Park's own ride page quotes a 47mph top speed and a 95ft height, and states plainly that you must be at least 1.4 metres to ride. Check those figures on the Thorpe Park page before you book; the small discrepancies in enthusiast databases matter far less than the height limit when you are deciding who in your group can board.

The layout element by element

The circuit opens with a turn into a misted tunnel lit red, which sets the volcano tone before the lift hill. From the top it drops into a vertical loop, then works through a zero-G roll and interlocking corkscrews before the brake run, with banked turns linking the inversions.

Enthusiast write-ups describe the pace as unrelenting: the elements come in quick succession with little breathing room, which is why a 1 minute 43 second ride feels longer than the clock suggests. The tunnel entrance and the loop are the moments most often singled out, and the back of the train is where the drop and loop forces land hardest.

The station itself is functional rather than theatrical, so most of the atmosphere comes from the queue line, the volcano exterior and the mist effects when they are running. Do not expect a dark-ride-style story sequence; the appeal is the ride hardware and the setting.

How intense it is and who should ride it

Nemesis Inferno is a genuine thrill coaster. The four inversions, the suspended seating position and the sustained pace put it firmly in the top tier of Thorpe Park's line-up, alongside Stealth and SAW: The Ride rather than the family coasters. If you are comparing inverted coasters across the country, the Chessington World of Adventures guide shows how its thrill rides compare.

Confident teenagers usually love it because the inverted seating makes the loops feel dramatic without the drop being especially tall. Adults who tolerate one big coaster per visit often find this a good choice because the circuit is short: there is no long lift hill to dread and no sprawling layout to endure.

Riders who dislike inversions, hanging restraint systems or the sensation of dangling feet should sit this one out. The restraint sits over the shoulders and the legs hang free, so anyone who prefers a solid floor under them will be more comfortable on a sit-down coaster.

Height limit, torso restriction and ride restrictions in practice

The headline rule is the 1.4 metre minimum height, measured at the ride entrance. There is also a maximum torso restriction of 51 inches, which is the detail many groups miss; it exists to ensure the over-the-shoulder restraint closes and locks correctly, and it is enforced at the boarding point.

Riders must have two full legs, with one missing arm or an amputation below the elbow permitted; prosthetic limbs are not allowed on board. Medical hard casts, soft casts and moonboots rule a rider out, so if anyone in your party is in a boot for a sprain, plan an alternative while the rest of the group rides.

Measure children at home against a 1.4 metre mark before promising them the ride; a child who just misses the limit will be turned away at the entrance, not at the ticket gate. The full set of ride-specific rules sits in the park's rider requirements and accessibility paperwork.

Front row versus back row

On an inverted coaster the difference between rows is pronounced. The back row amplifies the first drop and the pull through the vertical loop, which suits riders chasing intensity; the front row gives a cleaner view of the track unfolding ahead and feels marginally less forceful.

If your group is split, let the thrill-seekers take the back and the more cautious riders take the front. Row choice is usually a matter of which queue you join at the station, so decide before you climb the stairs rather than after.

Accessibility and non-ambulant rider information

Thorpe Park states that Nemesis Inferno is suitable for non-ambulant riders, provided the rider has full upper body strength including head and neck control and can brace against the ride forces. In the event of an evacuation on the lift, riders may face a longer wait before exit, and the park asks guests to speak to staff before boarding for full details.

An evacuation requires riders to pull themselves up out of the seat at an inclined angle and make a 180-degree turn onto the walkway while wearing a waist harness, so that capability is part of the assessment. The Thorpe Park Accessibility Guide lists the limb-safety requirement for every ride, and the Ride Access Pass time card shows the restrictions in one place.

Guests with questions about a specific limb difference or medical situation can contact the park before travelling rather than discovering the answer at the boarding gate. Build that conversation into your planning if the ride is the reason for the visit.

Queue patterns and using Fastrack

Nemesis Inferno has a Fastrack queue that merges with the main line at the foot of the mountain, with staff controlling the merge before the stairs up to the station. The steps are exposed and can be slippery in wet weather, so take them steadily rather than rushing to catch a train.

Fastrack is sold as a paid extra on the ride page, and Thorpe Park also builds all-day Fastrack into some short-break packages. Whether it is worth it depends on your date; buying it in advance for a quiet weekday is usually money spent on nothing, while a peak school-holiday day is where it earns its place.

The main queue runs beneath the ride with the trains visible for most of its length, which keeps the wait more entertaining than a switchback in a shed. Ride availability and live queue times sit in the official app, which is where to look on the day.

Nearby rides to pair it with

The natural pairing is the other big coasters: SAW – The Ride, Stealth and Colossus, plus The Swarm, all within a walkable circuit of the main thrill area. Doing Nemesis Inferno between two of them keeps your day moving rather than zig-zagging back across the park.

Hyperia in Fearless Valley is the park's headline height record and deserves its own slot rather than being squeezed in after a run of coasters. If a member of your group is under 1.4 metres, plan a split: one adult takes the tall coasters while the other covers the family rides.

Colossus, with its ten inversions, is the other ride that attracts the same audience, and it is worth knowing which of the two your group prefers before committing to a queue. A quick look at the Thorpe Park rides overview helps you rank them before you arrive.

Ticket types that include Nemesis Inferno, plus short-break packages

Every standard day ticket covers all the rides, including Nemesis Inferno, and there is no separate charge for the coaster itself. Online day tickets start from £32 when booked in advance, and the park states that guests under 1.2 metres tall visit free.

Overnight stays with two days of park entry start from £77 per person, based on four people sharing a standard Thorpe Shark Cabin on selected Monday to Thursday dates in 2026. That package includes a first or last hour of Fastrack on the second day, buffet breakfast and free parking, which changes the maths if you were going to pay for those separately.

Coaster-themed cabins step up to from £95 per person, adding a Coasters Fastrack per guest valid on the big six coasters plus an hour of Fastrack. Prices vary by date, so compare the day-ticket plus Fastrack route against the package before booking, and check Thorpe Park tickets for the wider range of ticket types.

Where Nemesis Inferno sits in a one-day plan

Use the opening half hour for whichever coasters are closest to the entrance and save Nemesis Inferno for when the first wave of queues has spread out. A mid-morning or early-afternoon slot keeps it as an efficient stop between the park's other thrill rides.

Check the official calendar before you fix your date, because opening hours and event programmes change across the season and Fright Nights evenings run late into the autumn. A date chosen around a quieter weekday will do more for your ride count than any queue-jump purchase.

If you are visiting during Fright Nights, expect the evening atmosphere to carry into the volcano area and plan the coaster for daylight if you want the full view of the layout. Food stops near the main thrill zone make a sensible break between Nemesis Inferno and the next big coaster.

Plan Your Visit

Nemesis Inferno earns its place as one of Thorpe Park's signature coasters: short, forceful, inverted and wrapped around a volcano that you walk up before you ride. If your group clears the 1.4 metre limit and the torso restriction, it belongs in the middle of your day rather than at either end.

Book a dated ticket online in advance, decide on Fastrack once you know your date, and pair the ride with SAW: The Ride and Stealth for a coaster-heavy circuit. Rider requirements and the live calendar on the official site settle the rest before you travel.