Day trip to London Zoo Review

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

London Zoo, formally Zoological Gardens, zoo in the northern part of Regent’s Park, in the City of Westminster, London.  This zoo has one of the largest zoological libraries in the world, as well as one of the world’s most comprehensive animal collections.  In addition to opening the first scientific zoo, London Zoo also added the first reptile house (1849), the first public aquarium (1853), the first insect house (1881), and the first children’s zoo (1938).  Located in central London, the London Zoo is administered by the Zoological Society of London. Discover over 650 species of animals and thousands of more intriguing and surprising facts at ZSL London Zoo.

So we were incredibly excited to find ourselves on our way to London Zoo.  We were so lucky with the fantastic weather and even though I woke the kids early for the 2-hour journey from our house, we were all looking forward to our first ever venue to this highly recommended venue.  You can find yourself face-to-face with our Asiatic lions and our friendly giraffes whilst they enjoy a spot of lunch (there are a variety of pop-up outdoor food outlets that offer a selection of food options and the prices were competitive for London but with my three children, I planned ahead and checked with management if I was welcome to bring my own which always goes down well with me when a venue allows you to bring your own AND they provide picnic tables around both of their sites for you to use). 

After lunch, we wondered through the Madagascan shrub forest and we tried to see how many of the ring-tailed lemurs we could spot before heading down to B.U.G.S to quiz the insect experts on the importance of insects to our ecosystem.  You also have the opportunity, if you’re feeling brave, to get up close and personal and take a Spider Selfie with the resident arachnids in Europe’s only walk-through spider experience.  Our firm favourites were definitely Gorilla Kingdom, Penguin Beach and Tiger Territory – the animals all looked healthy and content in their living space.  Young and old will enjoy this great day out.  Taking a walk around the park is easy thanks to the marked routes.  There is no requirement that you stay on the trail, but it makes it easy to view all the animals while staying at ease.  Something else I learnt about which is another plus for me as I’m not the greatest fan of wildlife in captivity, a portion of the tickets to enter the park will help support the conservation work that is ongoing in over 50 countries around the world.  So our fun day out really could make a positive difference to the wildlife they work to protect. 

It is undeniably one of the best attractions in London, and a visit to London Zoo will keep you busy for a few hours as you discover the wide variety of animals that live there.  ZSL’s conservation efforts around the world are funded through visits to the zoo, so you’re doing good by going.  How much time do you need at London Zoo?  If you are hoping to see many animals or exhibits at the London Zoo, you should plan on spending approximately two to three hours there.

5/5 experience for me and my family. Ticket prices start from £27 per adult during the week and can be purchased 
Parking is available too and the venue is outside of the congestion zone! The day was lovely and the kids were shattered after their experience – well worth the travel!

Rating: 5/5