Looking for the best zoos in the UK? For some inspiration to occupy your kids with during the school holidays? Whether it’s big cats, crocodiles, elephants and everything in between, there’s plenty around! So, it’s time for a really wild day out. Gather your herd and enjoy a family day out at one of the best zoos in the UK!
Whether you’re curious to see what endangered and rare creatures there are to seeing your all-time furry favourites, these UK zoos have everything you can wish for and more on an animal day out. So, let’s trot along and find a great zoo near you that you can’t say “NO” to!
20 of the Best Zoos in the UK
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
You know you don’t really have to travel all the way to the Arctic to see polar bears…because Doncaster has them for you! With the UK’s favourite polar bears calling Yorkshire Wildlife Park their home. With EIGHT polar bears for you to meet: Nobby, Hamish, Luka, Sisu, Flocke and triplets Indiana, Yuma and tiny Tala, who all spend their days swimming, snoozing and waiting for their next meal.
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Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is your first-class ticket to tour the world, with 125 acres of weird and wild habitats, there’s something for everyone! Between the painted dogs of Sub-Saharan Africa and those Visayan warty pigs, you might need a little help seeing every one of the 21,000+ residents in one day.
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Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
From majestic Asiatic Lions to cheeky Red Pandas, Cotswold Wildlife Park is home to over 260 wonderful animal species. Prepare for a whole day packed with exotic wildlife adventures, including eye-to-eye encounters with the curious giraffes at the Giraffe Walkway and feeding times with the perky penguins at the Walled Garden. There are even live webcam feeds for those who like to stay at home but still get in on the animal action!
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ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
With nearly 4,000 unique animals and 600 acres of stunning land, ZSL Whispande is the proud holder of the biggest zoo in the UK. From lynx cats, wolverines and white rhinos, to zebras, brown bears, butterflies and even an aquarium! With so many animals to see, it’ll make for a grr-eat day out! One of the best zoos in the UK, so mark it on your bucket list!
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Dudley Zoo and Castle
Aside from Disney’s Robin Hood, it’s not often castles and creatures come together but at Dudley Zoo and Castle, you’ll have the chance to team two days out in one. Introduce yourselves to each of the 1,300+ animals in the place before drawing swords and battling at the 11th-century castle. The animals here are a friendly bunch from the cute and fluffy chinchillas, Jorong the Bornean orangutan to feeding Australian lorikeets with tiny pots of nectar. How sweet!
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Crocodiles of the World
Prepare to get snap-happy at Crocodiles of the World! Come face to face with one of most feared predators but in a totally safe, stimulating and snap-tastic way. Discover Siamese crocodiles from Cambodia, a West African dwarf crocodile to slender-snouted crocodile (and plenty more!). If you’re brave enough you can even enjoy a croc keeper experience – meeting the crocodiles up close and personal, helping feed them and learning all fascinating facts about them! There are even daily feeds where you can watch as these prehistoric pals chomp on something meaty.
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Bristol Zoo Gardens
Bristol Zoo Gardens is definitely one of the best zoos in the UK, with an array of animal exhibits that will have your kids squealing with delight. Come and visit the Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, they live in trees! With short legs and strong limbs for climbing! But that’s not all, you can visit the Seal and Penguins Coasts for an immersive experience like no other.
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Colchester Zoo
Discover multi-coloured feathers, fluffy tails and shiny scales at Colchester Zoo. Set in 60 acres of parkland, a home for 180 species to discover like the Mandrill Minkebe, winged wonders of Butterfly Glade or Bailey, the big cat lion with his glorious mane. There are plenty of zoo experiences you can have here too, with lemurs, elephants, and more. Making it one of the best zoos to visit in the UK!
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Banham Zoo
At Banham Zoo you can pay a visit to the endangered Amur tiger, there are currently around 250 adults in the wild. So, Banham Zoo has been involved in an International Breeding Programme to encourage more Amur tiger offspring! You can also join snow leopards, tigers and cheetahs as they prowl through the undergrowth and then leap to the tippy tops of the trees on the Zarafa Heights SkyTrek too! A fabulous family day out, filled with wild fun and fur-tastic memories.
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Marwell Zoo
Marwell Zoo is home to hundreds of exotic and even endangered animals across the gigantic 140-acre wildlife park. Meet ferocious big cats like Amur tigers and snow leopards, wander through the Tropical House with free-flying birds soaring over your head, and get a spectacular view of the zebras grazing as you make your way across the boardwalk. There are also 5 adventure playgrounds for your kiddies to have lots of exciting fun on. A day full of wild wonder.
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Africa Alive!
Experience the sights, sounds, and animals of Africa at Africa Alive! and meet birds, reptiles, mammals, and more! With 100s of acres in the Suffolk countryside, it provides you with the perfect place to connect with nature. From the bright pink feathers of the flamingos to the unusual patterns on the giraffes, you can’t forget the impressive manes of the lions too! Plus, don’t miss out on the daily activities and displays across the park too!
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ZSL London Zoo
ZSL London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo and the first in England, dating way back to 1828. With Europe’s only walkthrough spider enclosure (!) and the impressive Land of the Lions, the roarsome state-of-the-art enclosure. Sadly, there are only 400 of them left in the wild, so go and show your support for the kings of the jungle!
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Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre
Gather up your tribe and head over to Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre, where there’s over 250 rescued and endangered primates waiting to meet you. From orangutans to gibbons, to lemurs and chimpanzees, it’s the perfect place for your cheeky monkeys to go wild! An incredible zoo that rehabilitates apes that have suffered abuse and neglect. Make this the next zoo you visit during the holidays – it’s one of the best in the UK!
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Howletts Wild Animal Park
Kent’s original wildlife park, is dedicated to animal conservation. Home to over 390 animals, including Kent’s only giant anteaters and the largest herd of African Elephants in the UK. Howletts Wild Animal Park is a unique zoo to visit, the perfect place to learn more about conservation and meet all sorts of amazing animals! You’ll be truly amazed and won’t want to leave! Don’t forget to visit the family of gorillas!
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Paignton Zoo
From cheetahs and crocodiles to rhinos and red pandas, Paignton Zoo has over 2,000 animals waiting for you to meet them! Set across 80 acres, you’ll get to roam wild and explore and learn all about the fascinating wild animals and rare breeds, plus if the weather doesn’t hold up there’s plenty of indoor fun to explore! And there’s even live webcams for you to watch the animals any time your kiddies would like.
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Exmoor Zoo
Are you ready to meet the legendary Exmoor Beast? Giant black cats have been allegedly spotted roaming around the hills of Exmoor and Somerset, and at Exmoor Zoo, you can meet the only black leopards in the UK! Along with the impressive black cats, there are reptiles, birds, and plenty of other big cats and mammals too. The zoo is also open 362 days a year – meaning there is plenty of time for you to visit!
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Belfast Zoo
Just a hop, flap and pounce away from the city castle, Belfast Zoo is a hub for over 120 different species who are facing increasing danger out in their natural habitats. Meet mighty gorillas, monochrome zebras and enormous Malayan sun bears, plus learn all about the fantastic conservation efforts to protect these incredible animals.
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Edinburgh Zoo
Meet Edinburgh Zoo’s infamous pair of pandas, Tian Tian (meaning Sweetie) and Yang Guan (Sunshine). They live in two special enclosures full of climbing frames, treehouses and caves where they can play or snooze the weeks away. As well as black and white bears, there’s a fantastic – and free – Hilltop Safari Ride and the adorable koalas. So many animals to visit!
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Welsh Mountain Zoo
From big cats to primates and reptiles, head over to Welsh Mountain Zoo and meet all your favourite animals! See the cheeky penguins splash around, watch the majestic snow leopards run around, and you can even meet the impressive brown bears, plus there are plenty of animal shows to watch as you make your way around. Another list to add to the best zoos in the UK!
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Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo
Home to over 90 different species, there’s a real animal adventure at Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo. With the chance to see lions, rhinos, penguins and loads more, the zoo is also home to the only giraffes in Wales – with a special Giraffe Heights Walkway to ensure you can get nice and close to the action!
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If this walk on the wild side has got you in the mood for visiting a few more of the best zoos in the UK, check out our round-up of the best safari parks in the UK, or check out the best zoo experiences in the UK! Give the underwater creatures some love too – here are the best aquariums in the UK! We’ll guide you to the craziest and cutest creatures all over the nation.