When to queue
Go at 8pm.
- Typical wait at 8pm
- 25min
- At 12pm, its worst hour
- 45min
Alton Towers · Thrills
Galactica queue times
- Typical wait
- 40min
- At its busiest
- 51min
- Shortest queue
- 10am
- Running
- 91%
40minTypical wait
A typical day, opening to close
Galactica at Alton Towers averages 40 minutes. It is shortest at 10am and worst at 5pm. It has run 91% of the park's opening hours recently.
Galactica queue times, day by day
Every reading through the day, against what Galactica usually does at that hour. Pick another day underneath.
Galactica over recent weeks
Typical waits from this ride's own recorded readings
Galactica has averaged about 40 minutes of queue across its recorded readings, peaking around 51 minutes, with the longest queues near 5pm, and the shortest near 10am. Pick a date below to see that day minute by minute.
- Typical
- 40min
- Peak
- 51min
- Running
- 91%
- Busiest at
- 5pm
Last 14 days, tap one
Which day
Pick a Tuesday.
- Typical wait on a Tuesday
- 24min
- On a Saturday
- 59min
Does Galactica break down?
Rarely.
It was running 91% of the time Alton Towers was open over the last two weeks, so it was down about 5 minutes in every opening hour.
- Running, share of opening hours
- 91%
- Queue readings recorded
- 14,083
The record
110 minutes.
The longest queue Galactica has held, on Saturday 17 October.
Every ride at Alton Towers →When is the Galactica queue shortest?
Usually at 8pm, about 25 minutes, against 45 at noon. Turning up at the right hour saves 20 minutes on a single ride.
Galactica queue times by hour
Typical wait, last 90 days · minutes
2810a
3711a
4512p
371p
412p
383p
404p
435p
426p
327p
258p
Walk on under 10 minShort 10-19 minModerate 20-34 minLong 35-59 minVery long 60 min and up
Best time to ride Galactica
8pm on a Tuesday
Galactica averages 25 minutes at 8pm. The longest queue it has ever held is 110 minutes.
40maverage
Which day is quietest for Galactica?
Tuesday, at 24 minutes on average, against 59 on Saturday.
Galactica by day of the week
14 days with a recorded queue
- Mon35m
- Tue24m
- Wed40m
- Thu46m
- Fri42m
- Sat59m
- Sun55m
Does Galactica break down?
It ran 91% of Alton Towers's opening hours across 14 recorded days, and is improving. It ran without a recorded stop on Sunday 25 Oct.
Uptime and closures
91% of opening hours · 14 days recorded
↑ improving91%
Good
Running 91% of the minutes Alton Towers was open.
Each square is one day, its share of opening hours running. Tap a day to open it above.
How long can the Galactica queue get?
The worst queue recorded for Galactica was 110 minutes on Saturday 17 Oct.
Longest Galactica queues on record
Peaks in the last 14 days · Every one a real date
- 1Saturday 17 Oct110m
- 2Thursday 22 Oct85m
- 3Friday 16 Oct80m
- 4Sunday 18 Oct80m
- 5Friday 23 Oct80m
- 6Sunday 11 Oct70m
- 7Saturday 24 Oct70m
- 8Tuesday 20 Oct65m
Which months are busiest for Galactica?
March runs longest at 45 minutes on average, and June is quietest at 33.
Galactica through the year
All-time average by month · minutes
40Nov
45Mar
41Apr
35May
33Jun
45Jul
42Aug
33Sep
40Oct
About Galactica
Galactica is a flying coaster at Alton Towers, originally opened in 2002 as Air and rebranded in 2016 with a VR overlay (the VR was later retired). Riders are loaded vertically, then rotated face-down for a smooth, low-G flight through the Forbidden Valley landscape. The ride uses a Bolliger and Mabillard layout, the same manufacturer behind Nemesis next door. Three minutes from station to station with a top speed of 47 mph.
Galactica's queue typically stays moderate even on busy days because its hourly throughput is high. Mid-morning and late afternoon are best for short waits. Check the live wait time before crossing the park - the walk from the entrance can take fifteen minutes, longer than the queue itself on quiet days.
Galactica has averaged about 40 minutes of wait over recent weeks, and is typically busiest around 5pm and quietest around 10am. Over the last two weeks it has been open around 91% of the park's operating hours. It's typically quietest on Tuesdays and busiest on Saturdays.
How we measure
- Readings
- The queue time Alton Towers publishes for this ride, read every few minutes while the park is open.
- By hour
- This ride's own last 90 days, within opening hours.
- Day by day
- Its last 14 days.
- Running
- The share of the park's open minutes the ride was running.
Frequently asked
What's the current wait time for Galactica?
The live wait time for Galactica at Alton Towers is shown at the top of this page and refreshed directly from the park's own ride system. Check live Galactica queue times.
Is Galactica open right now?
The live status badge at the top of this page shows whether Galactica is open or closed right now - it updates automatically from Alton Towers's own ride system. Over the last couple of weeks, Galactica has been open around 91% of Alton Towers's operating hours. You can also see the live status of every ride at Alton Towers.
What's the best time of day to ride Galactica?
Based on historical queue time data, Galactica is typically quietest around 10am. For most rides the queue is shortest in the first hour after the park opens and the last hour before it closes, with midday through mid-afternoon the busiest window.
What is the best day to ride Galactica?
Galactica is usually quietest on Tuesdays, and busiest on Saturdays based on recent weeks - visit on a Tuesday for shorter waits.
How long is the queue for Galactica usually?
Over recent weeks, Galactica has averaged about 40 minutes, with queues usually longest around 5pm. Wait times usually build through the morning, peak from midday to mid-afternoon, then ease off before close. Weekends and school holidays run noticeably longer than quiet weekdays. This page shows today's live wait time, the day's average, hourly breakdowns and the full history of peak queues for Galactica at Alton Towers.
Is Galactica often closed or broken down?
Over the last two weeks, Galactica has been running about 91% of the time. We track Galactica's uptime and downtime automatically - see the "Reliability" and "Downtime History" panels on this page for its full record over the last 30 days, including any current closures and how long they've lasted.
Where can I find Galactica at Alton Towers?
Galactica is at Alton Towers - see the park map and full ride list for its exact location. The Alton Towers page also shows which rides nearby have the shortest queues right now.
Can I get queue time alerts for Galactica?
Yes - create a free alert and we'll notify you when Galactica's wait time drops below your chosen threshold (for example, "tell me when Galactica is under 20 minutes"). Great for timing your sprint from across the park.
More rides at Alton Towers
Other rides at Alton Towers
Gangsta Granny: The RideGet Set Go Tree Top AdventureGo Jetters Vroomster Zoom RideHeave HoHex - The Legend of the TowersHey Duggee’s Big Adventure BadgeIn The Night Garden Magical Boat RideJoJo & Gran Gran At HomeJustin's House Pie-O-Matic FactoryMarauder's MayhemMonorail to Entrance PlazaMonorail to Hotels & Car Parks
Crowd calendar · Best time to visit · Best rides · Ride reliability · Plan a day