Even though London is known for its many museums and historical buildings, we were so surprised how much we loved the London Zoo. Even though many people say not to waste your precious time in London at a zoo you could see anywhere, Ben and I were so glad that we took the time to go visit this beautiful piece of London.

How to Get to the London Zoo:

Just like most places in London, the London Zoo is easy to get to via the Tube. The closest stops are the Camden Town and Regent’s Park stops. If you’re getting off the Camden Town stop, you will need to walk about 15 minutes to get to the Zoo. From the Regent’s Park stop you will have a 20 minute walk. If either of those are too far for you and your family to walk, you can also get off at the Baker Street stop and then take the 274 bus to Ormonde Terrace.

We got off at the Baker Street stop and took the 30 minute walk through Regent’s Park to enjoy the scenery. If you have the time (and the energy!) we definitely recommend going this route.

From the London Zoo

Once you get to the London Zoo you will easily see the main entrance. If you are using the London Pass to get into the London Zoo (which we also highly recommend!) there is a different fast track entrance that you have access too that is down and around the corner. Ask a Zoo worker for directions if you can’t find it.

When we went to the London Zoo it was a chilly, rainy day so the main entrance line wasn’t too long so we didn’t even use the fast track entrance.

What To Do At the London Zoo:

The London Zoo is divided into two parts. The main part, where you enter the zoo, is home to most of the animal exhibits. The second part of the London Zoo is located across the street (you cross underneath the road in a walking tunnel). While it is definitely smaller than the main part, it is home to African animals (including my favorite giraffes!), Rainforest Animals, Lemurs, Animal Families, Nightlife Animals, and an Aviary.

Animal highlights:

There are a lot of animals to see at the London Zoo. If you want to see them all, plan on at least half a day there. We saw pretty much every exhibit and spent about 4 hours there. If you have less time, here are some of our favorite animals that we think you should see!

• Land of the Lions: The London Zoo is home to a rare form of Asian lion and they were so neat! In addition to the lions (that you can actually get pretty close to) there are flamingos, monkeys and other Asian animals in this area. They also did a great job with the exhibit by making it look like you’re going on an Asian safari and into little Asian towns.

• Gorilla Kingdom: Gorillas are such beautiful animals! In the Gorilla Kingdom, you can see a large family of gorillas including some babies 🙂

• Penguin Beach: The London Zoo has quite a few penguins in their penguin exhibit. They have an above ground pool with clear sides so you can see the penguins swim. There are also little lookouts where the penguins come right up to you (through the glass) and you can interact with them.
• Giraffes: They’re my favorite, so I can’t not recommend them 🙂

• Happy Families: In the Happy Families exhibit, we especially loved watching the cute family of otters.

In with the Animals

One of my favorite things about the London Zoo was that they had quite a few “In With the Animals” exhibits. These exhibits are places in the zoo you can go into and the animals in that exhibit are out just roaming around! I really enjoyed these exhibits; Ben only enjoyed/went into some of them. Some of the exhibits include monkeys, butterflies, spiders, lemurs, and rainforest animals.

Daily Activities

Every day the London Zoo is full of activities that give you new and interesting experiences with animals. While we didn’t have time to go to (or we just missed) the activities, they look very promising. You can check out their website and see what is going on each day. They are also listed inside the map you receive at the beginning of your day.

Sum Up:

The London Zoo was a great place for us to go. Because we were in London for more than a week overall, it was nice to have a day where we weren’t looking at museums or buildings (even though we loved those too!) If you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed with the amount of history and architecture found in London, we highly recommend taking a day to go to the London Zoo.

There are snack bars and a restaurant located inside the London Zoo as well as plenty of free restrooms. If you are going, and are planning on visiting other sites in London, it is totally worth it to have a London Pass. The London Pass will save you some money (the London Zoo can be on the more expensive side of attractions in London) and it can get you into the London Zoo faster through their fast track line.