ZSL London Zoo - Review for families

OK for: Babies (who'll love the fast-moving animals and the general bustle) and 12 years and over

Cost

£££ - a trip to London Zoo is expensive. Whilst children under 3 go free, any older children cost almost as much as an adult ticket. There is a discount for online booking and a slightly more expensive fast track option.

What’s on offer

This is a typical zoo experience for nature and animal lovers with some added on extras, such as daily live shows and opportunities to meet the animals (at an extra cost).

ZSL London Zoo is home to an array of unusual, exciting and exotic animals. You can see the human-like gorillas in their Kingdom, visit the tiger enclosure or meet the meerkats and the monkeys.

Reptile fans will enjoy the Kimodo Dragons and Reptile House and sea life enthusiasts will enjoy the penguin beach and the aquarium. There’s also an area of the zoo specifically for young children.

Over the summer, events like ‘Zoo Lates’ (limited evening entrance into the zoo), history tours and Children’s Art Workshops are available.

You can take a wander or work out your route around the zoo with a free app, an interactive map on the Zoo’s official website or a glossy, costly guidebook..

Highlights

The daily live shows are incredibly interactive and run frequently throughout the day. You can pick from hungry otters, aardvarks, pygmy hippos, giraffes, penguins, tigers and rainforest creatures live. To make the most of your visit, plan using the timetable on the website before you go.

It’s clear that the ZSL London also focuses on conservation and well-being of the animals. Though some Trip Advisor users called the zoo “small”, the animals are clearly well looked after and the cage sizes and conditions have improved over recent years. For example, the gorillas were given a much bigger area to live within (the Gorilla Kingdom) and the elephants were moved out to a larger enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo in 2001.

Most visitors particularly enjoy the Monkey House and Butterfly Tunnel. The tiger cubs are super cute. Toddlers and babies should love the goats, too!

What to watch out for

- There are some unavoidable steps, so be careful if you’re pushing a buggy. However, most of the zoo is designed for wheelchair access.

- Sometimes, animals don’t want to be stared at. Therefore, they might not always be on display or visible in their enclosures. There’s not a lot anyone can do about this one, but bear this in mind when you’re walking around.

- Much work has been done in the past 15 years to improve the living conditions for the animals. This has made the viewing experience much more comfortable with an emphasis on conservation. But this is still a zoo. If you or your children don't like seeing animals in captivity, then you may want to think again.

- Be warned – you'll be encouraged to make a donation when you buy tickets. Make sure you're fully switched on to what you're paying for.

- The four eateries on site are pricey. Bring a packed lunch if you can.

- Parking is also very expensive.

MFM Tips:

- While the Monkey House is a great experience but it has a little archway which is filled with toys, clearly designed to attract wide-eyed children. Prepare for major pestering, and to rush your children through quickly!

- National Rail sometimes do a 2-for-1 entry offer on this attraction, which could save you up to £26. If you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers, you can use these to pay for your tickets. There's an online saving for family tickets (2 adults, 2 children or 1 adult, 3 children) on the ZSL website.

What the owners say

“ZSL London Zoo has been entertaining and delighting visitors since it opened to the public in 1847. With over 720 animal species, exciting and innovative new exhibits and heritage-listed building almost as famous as their inhabitants it's a great day out.”

Visit the official ZSL London Zoo website