I have always enjoyed the touristy type places that are fun and unique. When we visited London I knew we had to include Shrek’s Adventure in our trip, but what can you expect and should you include it. Today I am sharing my Shrek Adventure London review and giving you all the details to decide if you should include it in your London trip.
Nobody fully understands what Shrek’s Adventure London actually is before they visit- including us. The website says “unique Shrek experience” and that tells you almost nothing. Interactive? Walk-through? Theme park? Theater? The honest answer is that it’s all of those things at once, and it works far better than you would think.
We visited Shrek’s Adventure as part of our 3-night London trip, squeezed between the Borough Market and Great British Fish and Chips on our self-guided walking day. I booked it somewhat on a whim because it was right next to the London Eye and the price felt reasonable for what it promised. What I didn’t expect was how genuinely fun it would be for a family with teens.
We were all laughing, participating, and completely caught up in the story by the time we reached Far Far Away Land. Shrek’s Adventure is one of those experiences that sounds like it’s for little kids and turns out to be exactly right for families with older kids who are willing to lean into it.
Planning your full London trip? Read our London Itinerary with Teens for our complete 3-night guide- everything we did, what it cost, and what we would do differently.
Shrek Adventure London Review- My Experience
We are fans of Shrek and were excited to include some theme park type attractions in our London trip. I know touristy places can be busy and sometimes expensive, but we have so much fun! The corny jokes and silly atmosphere was a good balance for us on our trip to London.
From the start of the tour in Shrek’s Swamp guests are included in the adventure. This is an interactive experience. If you do not enjoy these types of experiences this might not be for you.
I don’t want to have any spoilers but you become part of the story and have to accomplish tasks to finish the adventure. Each room has different character interactions and you are encouraged to participate. No photos and video are allowed inside the experience, which is probably why it is such a mystery.
We had the best time. All of us were laughing and enjoying ourself throughout the adventure. I did feel a bit rushed meeting Shrek at the end, but I understand the need to keep everyone moving along and it didn’t damper our experience.
My kids enjoyed it just as much as us. No one was bored during the experience and we had fun with it.
Shrek’s Adventure- What to Know Before You Go
A few things you should know before arriving at Shrek’s Adventure London.
Shrek’s Adventure is located in London in a very popular tourist area at the County Hall. It is located on the South Bank of the river Thames and cost around $28.00 a person. I highly suggest booking your Shrek tickets before you arrive.
Shrek’s Adventure is one of many family-friendly London attractions is this area. You can also visit the London Eye, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, the London Dungeons and the Big Bus Tour. These are all within walking distance of each other. If you plan on doing many attractions consider purchasing a bundle ticket that will save you money.
During our visit we were limited on time so we didn’t get to experience anything other than Shrek’s Adventure. Tickets should be purchased before you arrive to avoid long wait times or being sold out. They do offer multi-attraction, timed entry tickets where you choose a time slot, and standard tickets so be sure to find the one that fits your needs best.
Shrek’s Adventure is recommended for those 6 and up but I think that is more because of the nature of the attraction. You will be walking room to room with actors following the story of an adventure to find Shrek. Small children and toddlers may find it too long to go through.
There were babies and children of all ages on our tour and everyone seemed very entertained. I think it is a great time for the whole family. If you do need to exit at any point during the tour all you need to do is ask an actor and they will assist you.
What to Expect at Shrek’s Adventure London Experience
The whole experience lasts around 70 minutes and you are on your feet walking most of the time. You will see familiar faces like Princess Fiona, Pinocchio, and more. There are also photo-ops where you can take your own photos with different characters from Dreamworks films. These are stationary photo-ops not meet and greets.
Shrek’s Adventure uses some special effects and it is a fully immersive experience. Guests will have a tour guide and journey to different rooms. It is wheelchair accessible but they do not allow motorized scooters in the experience.
The rooms and areas you go through are fairly small. Strollers, or buggies, are not permitted inside the tour. There is a place to store your stroller free of charge at the start of the tour.
Guests with young children may worry if the attraction is scary and we did not find it to be scary at all. If they have seen the Shrek movie’s they should be fine with the content. You know your child best so use your best judgement.
There are many opportunities to talk and interact with the actors making the tour engaging for most guests. The entire tour is in English so consider this when visiting. For the tour, you are grouped with around 20 people to go on the adventure. There were a few families that didn’t speak English including a young boy who an actor called on to interact with.
During their exchange she realized he didn’t speak English and started speaking Spanish to him, which made his face light up. It was such a cool moment and I was blown away by the commitment and excellence of the actors.
Photos and videos are not permitted once you start the fairy tale attraction but here is a guide to what Shrek’s Adventure experience is like. Once you pass through the turnstiles you enter DreamWorks Tours. There you find photo-ops with characters from Madagascar. Then you enter an elevator to take you to the next part of your tour.
Inside the elevator you will encounter Gingy the Gingerbread Man. Then there is a spot to use the restroom if you need to followed by a photo-op. This photo-op is a green screen one that has a photographer and guests can purchase photos at the end of the tour.
The next stop is the 4D Flying Bus ride hosted by Donkey. It is a very low impact attraction. The bus moves up and down a bit with a screen around you. The show sets the scene for why we are going on a journey through the land of Far, Far, Away to find Shrek.
From there you go through the Swamp, Rumpelstiltskin’s Carriage, Poison Apple Pub, Farquaads Dungeon, Mirror Maze of Insanity, the Bakery, and finally the Prison.
Each area has an actor and audience participation. My husband was chosen to dance with the fortune teller and he had a blast. (No photos or videos are allowed so I don’t have the proof!)
It is a fully immersive experience so be prepared to be part of the adventure.
One thing I need to mention that may bother some guests is the Mirror Maze. It is not scary and should be fairly simple. It is part of the journey and an easy maze to follow but we were with a group, and at the end of the line.
The leaders of our group got lost in the maze…and we all followed. Thankfully an actor found us fairly quickly but I did feel a bit claustrophobic. I am prone to this and it was fine, but I wanted to share so you know what to expect.
After the prison scene your Shrek experience is complete and you get to meet Shrek with a photo-op. I felt this was very rushed and I only got a photo of my family, without me.
I wish it was a bit slower pace to get the photos so I could have been in it too. There is a photographer there taking pictures for purchase but I was allowed to take a photo of the family with Shrek.
After Shrek at the end of the tour there are a few more photo-ops that include popular Dreamworks characters. There are Kung Fu Panada and Light Fury from How to Train Your Dragon areas to take photos.
As you exit the Dreamworks area there is a small Shrek gift shop and a place to purchase your photos if you’d like.
Seasonal Events
During Halloween they offer A Shrektacular Halloween for spooky fun enhancements to the experience. There has also been a Christmas event that has not yet been confirmed for 2026.
Shrek’s Adventure London Review- Final Thoughts & Recap
This experience is unique and silly, with Shrek humor and story-telling. It is great for families looking to enjoy something different as you tour historical sites of London.
The cost of the experience felt like a good value and it is located near a lot of other London attractions making it a great way to spend your day. I would do it this again because we had so much fun.
Planning your full London trip? Read our London Itinerary with Teens for our complete 3-night guide.
Exploring more of Europe? Visit our International Destinations Guide for every destination we’ve covered as a family.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.