Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is a family-friendly, world-class hub for global conservation. Did you know it's the most visited zoo in the UK?! With over 21,000 endangered and exotic creatures, 500 animal species and 128 acres of islands and habitats to explore, you’re in for a treat!

Plus, they're also a world-leading conservation and education charity which means income raised from visitors goes towards their commitment to preventing extinction! As a not-for-profit, the zoo ploughs everything into its conservation mission, both here in the UK and around the world! Not only that but their millions of annual visitors and huge online communities are a huge part of the educational, scientific and conservation jigsaw!

Seasonal Events at Chester Zoo

This Halloween join Luna the Witch for a mystical quest like no other. Discover Luna's Legendary Creature hidden in the depths of Monsoon Forest... Encounter FIVE amazing species, unlock secrets of the rainforest and claim your Halloween treat! Plus, you embark on a quest on their enchanted Halloween Boat Ride! Spooky fun and games are included!

But that’s not all! Introducing… the world premiere of Lanterns and Light, Chester Zoo’s brand new winter trail, produced by Sony Music! This fan-favourite lantern-lit trail is back this November with a new name and plenty of new festive surprises. Enjoy dazzling light installations and enchanting lands as you journey through the zoo after dark.

Wander through flickering fire gardens, gaze upon larger-than-life illuminated animals, and even see a GIANT woolly mammoth hologram! Plus so much more.

No matter what time of year it is, it’s always a great time to visit Chester Zoo!

Chester Zoo Wild Animals

Discover the incredible sights and sounds of the Southeast Asian jungle at Monsoon Forest! From meat-eating plants, ancient gharials, rare birds and a delightful family of orangutans - it's sure to be a fab family day out! The Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered species that come from East Asia and you can only see them at Chester Zoo!

You can also have a ROARSOME time spotting the incredible pride of Asiatic lions in their expansive habitat! How big is it? 4,790 square metres! That's a lot of space for your chance to see them.

Everyone has their favourite animals... but exploration is the name of the game here! You could visit the plains of Africa and see the famous painted dogs or the mighty Asian elephants. Gaze at them in awe as one of the biggest land mammals in the world. If you love cats, you can find the Sumatran tigers and cheetahs in their animal habitat and see how they prowl around, as they're quite inquisitive animals!

For an immersive experience, head to the Lemur walkthrough, where you can come face-to-face with lemurs in Madagascar and witness flamingos in full flight in the Latin American Wetland Avery!

Chester Zoo Exotic Birds

Where will your eyes & feet take you next? Perhaps to the Tropical Realm? Here you'll discover hundreds of amazing animal houses occupied with exotic animals, from reptiles to amphibians and free-flight birds. Listen to the songs of South East Asian birds like the White-rumped shama, it is said to have the best songs in the songbird world. Don't believe us? Hear it for yourself against the songs of another fine Asian bird like the Asian Fairy Bluebird or the Crested wood partridge!


But that's not all in the aviary section. If you like the dark why don't you explore the fruit bat forest? Only at Chester Zoo, you can get up close and personal with one of the world's most unique animals. Watch these inquisitive animals as they fly, eat and more - all under the cloak of darkness.

Chester Zoo Plants & Gardens 

Did you know about Chester Zoo's botanical gardens? As well as beautiful animals, you have beautiful nature here too. With their award-winning gardens, you'll have lots to discover and admire. From the stunning orchid national plant collection, and the rock garden to the botanist's lab. Learn all about how they contribute to the ecosystem in an animal habitat and their vital role outside of Chester Zoo!

Chester Zoo Animal Experiences

Become a zoo VIP and have a day experience of meeting some exotic animals! You'll be accompanied on a one-to-one personal keeper day, by some fabulous expert keepers who know all about the animals! So, they can answer whatever questions you may have.

If you want to get on the really wild side, then you can have an amazing experience feeding lions (but from a zip wire, not in person!). With the lion experience, you can watch them tackle their prey from the best view in the zoo as you deliver their lunch via a zip line on an exclusive platform! This is the perfect gift for animal lovers!

Finally, you can join the expert keepers at the keeper feeding station on Lemur Island as you feed them their lunch before watching them leap back into the trees in their Lemur enclosure. How often can you say you were lucky enough to have the experience of meeting with some really curious creatures?

Dining & Gift Shop

Need to refuel those growling bellies? Head to House of Sumatra, Bembe Kitchen, Manado Street Kitchen and more, where you can grab yourself hot or cold food and refreshments.

If you want to take something home to remember your time here, you can pop down to a gift shop here. Either the Look Out or George's Sweet Shop! Either gift shop is perfect to grab a little something!

Chester Zoo is fully accessible and also offers animal talks, interactive activities, children’s play areas, face painting, the Lazy River Boat Trip and shopping opportunities. Food options include Sunday lunch, authentic Southeast Asian street food, family favourites and tasty snacks.

- See Chester Zoo's collection of over 15,000 beautiful animals!

- Monorail and lazy river boat trips offer an amazing experience

- Junior Rangers training camp