Chester Zoo Reviews

We went to Chester, which is a 4 hour drive, specifically to visit Chester Zoo and we weren't disappointed. I'm an avid zoo and wildlife lover and I can say this was easily the best zoo I've ever been to. The zoo is easy to get to and parking was good although I would say we arrived just before opening (10 am) and it was already busy so I would recommend arriving early. We paid for a map and VIP photos around the zoo and I would recommend both. The zoo is large and navigating without a map will almost certainly mean you miss things as there are multiple routes you can take. There is a lot to see and we managed to see everything but it did take us 6 hours so expect a lot of walking. There is so much to see I think you could easily spread it out over 2 days especially if you go to every Zoo keeper talk and see everything. The enclosures are large and really well laid out with plenty to see inside and out. Highlights were the elephants, orangutans, butterfly's Aye-aye and sloths but honestly everything was great. There are plenty of places to eat or take a break and lots of picnic areas and garden spaces. There were some surprise additions we weren't expecting, lazy river boat ride, walk through bat experience and lots of walk through bird and tropical enclosures which are all included in the entry fee. The VIP photos: This was a bit of fun with several places where you can have your photo taken. At the end of the day you can get a printout, keyring and magnet for £10 and you can also access the photos online as part of the standard VIP photo cost. In total for 2 adults we paid £85 which included entry, a map and 2 VIP photos passes (You only need one for the whole group). Go to Chester Zoo it's awesome! ❤️

Best zoo I’ve been to! We arrived midweek at 9.30 ready for 10.00 opening. It was calm And quiet and the car park was almost empty! The new zones are amazing! Very well set out with beautiful natural spaces for the animals. There are plenty of places to view the animals and we were fortunate enough to see almost all of them. The new areas have lovely wide paths with attractive landscaping. They are very well sign posted and there were ample places to eat and drink. The older zones were great however we found the signage challenging. Please make signs to the lemurs a little clearer. All in all an excellent day out. Would fully recommend.