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    Edinburgh Zoo

    4.0 (63 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Edinburgh Zoo Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Edinburgh Zoo

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    Giraffes at Edinburgh zoo
    Ruaraidh M.

    Fantastic day out with our nephew, and was extremely easy to get to by bus from the centre. Staff were also very accommodating when we asked to delay our ticket time due to one of our group being late.

    Edinburgh Zoo
    Sandi S.

    Had an amazing time at Edinburgh Zoo 3rd June 2018, looking around to seeing all the animals. I was very pleased to see the pandas a little bit as one was hidding outdoors and the other hidding indoors. Edinburgh Zoo is kind of a little steep hill but I had a nice walk around it and took some photos Can't believe I spent 4 hours in the zoo, however there are plenty to see and they do hold talk sessions of the animals too. Worth having a look for yourself, if your visiting Edinburgh This post was taken from my Blog, link below. By #Socialsandi1 #Edinburghzoo #Edinburgh #outdoors #active #Exoplore #Placestosee #Wordpress http://socialsandi1.com/2018/06/03/edinburgh-zoo/

    Michael H.

    Edinburgh Zoo is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city and its easy to see why. This place brings back so many happy memories for me. Both when I was a child when I used to come here on school trips and now as an adult when I bring my daughter. We both love Edinburgh Zoo. Its an awesome day out and good exercise too !!! Here are just a few of my favorite attractions:- Amur leopards Asiatic lions Black howler monkeys Buff-cheeked gibbons Chimpanzees Rhinos Zebras Jaguars Owl faced monkeys Sea-lions Polar bears Hippos Squirrel monkeys Sumatran tigers European beaver ;) Amur tigers Reindeer Wild boars Wildcats Wolves Yaks & of course the red titi monkey !!! There's a ton of stuff for the kids to learn too. All in all, a great family day out. PS: Lets not forget about the daily "Penguin Parade" too. Get a chance to see penguins up closer than ever before !!! :)

    Nicola H.

    The last time i visited the zoo was when i was a small child so i was excited to visit again now that the pandas and meerkats were here. You get a small discount on entry for booking online but you need to do this 24 hrs before so worth noting. We paid £19 each and that included a time slot to see the pandas. A guide map is provided for navigating your way around the zoo. There is alot of walking to be done and most of it is uphill but wheelchairs and mobility buggies can be hired. There are so many animals to see but unfortunately for us many of them seemed to be having a siesta when we visited. The pandas were out for the count and one was hiding in her private enclosure! Asisde from that it was a fantastic day out and so easy to get too as its on the main bus route into town.

    Michelle M.

    I've loved going to the zoo ever since I was a little kid. I can't get enough of the animals, in particular, flamingos, lions, chimps, koalas, giraffes and orangutans. I had never been to a zoo in the UK until I visited Edinburgh Zoo for one of their Edinburgh Zoo Nights. This is an adult-only event where you can enjoy street food in a relaxed atmosphere, wander round and see the animals in the early evening along with some life-sized animatronic dinosaurs in their own lost world enclosure. Snazzy! Ross & I wandered around the zoo for over 3 hours taking photos of the animals, eating some food and trying not to pass out while trekking up the hill to the dinosaurs. I loved the fact we could roam around the zoo without a massive crowd, screaming kids (sorry!) and at times, felt like we had the entire zoo to ourselves. Even though we didn't get to see the meerkats, lions or tigers due to them hiding or the pandas due to breeding season, we enjoyed ourselves. The only downfall of the night was the pesky weather, sunny one minute, raining the next. As I'm rather unfit, the hill to the top was a bit of a hike. Luckily, I wasn't the only unfit person around so I didn't feel too bad. There were little benches on the way up for much needed rest breaks. When I got to the top it was definately worth it for the views over Edinburgh. Moral of the story? don't let steep hills put you off.

    Claire P.

    Just a short and cheap bus ride (£1.50) from the city centre the Edinburgh Zoo is a must place to visit if you're a tourist in the area. Admission at this moment in time is a little more expensive than usual as they have a dinosaur exhibition type thing going on (definitely aimed at younger children), but the price is definitely worth it. Be prepared for a lot of walking - this zoo is huge and to see everything you will definitely need a good few hours! As well as the usual types of animal there were also plenty of animals that I've never seen before and also some I'd never heard of so I even learnt a little as well as having a great time. I enjoyed the whole experience from start to finish. I was pretty lucky in that most of the animals were roaming around their enclosures whilst I was there. I think there was only one or two that I didn't get to see. I wasn't made aware on arrival that you needed to book a time slot in order to visit the giant pandas, however I was extremely lucky as some people in the group who had been admitted as I arrived at the panda section hadn't shown up so I was allowed to take their place, phew!! Throughout the day there's a few shows and displays you can see. I arrived just in time for the penguin march, where four or five penguins come out and take a short walk around the area surrounding their home. Absolutely adorable (I think I may have enjoyed it more than some of the small children). I visited on a Saturday afternoon and expected it to be super busy, however due to the sheer size of the zoo I never felt like I was in anyone's ways or that it was overly crowded.

    Michele S.

    We had a great time at the Edinburgh Zoo this past weekend. The zoo is large - it has some of the largest exhibits I've ever seen. The zebra exhibit was truly remarkable. I couldn't believe how much space the animals had. Clearly, the zoo is interested in making the animals comfortable, as opposed to simply cramming in as many exhibits as possible. Speaking of the zebras, their exhibit is situated about half way up the HUGE hill in the middle of the zoo. We did not realize the zoo was situated on (what felt like) a mountain! I don't know how unfit people could properly navigate this place; it was quite a workout! I would not recommend coming here after you've done a 10 mile run in the morning, like I did! I was definitely beat by the end of the visit! The other really remarkable exhibit were the penguins. Another huge exhibit with DOZENS of penguins. We were there during feeding time, so of course all of the penguins were very active. We really enjoyed looking at and comparing the different varieties of penguins in the exhibit, and really got a kick out of some of their antics. If you're in Scotland, you must pay a visit to the Edinburgh zoo!

    Angela M.

    Not your average zoo! They actually let you in the enclosure to walk around with the lemurs, the penguins go for a walk around the park everyday at 2:15 and the best part for me was the layout. There are hills involved in walking around this zoo. It is not just a flat area with everyone lined up next to each other. The habitats are large, spaced out well and people visiting aren't over crowded. Plus the rockhopper penguins be still my heart

    Gavin M.

    I absolutely love wild, dangerous animals, so you would think that I'd love the zoo. Unfortunately though, if I wanted to see a lion, I'd want to see him in the Serengeti, tearing a zebra to shreds. I don't want to see him sitting bored out his mind in a cramped pen, wondering why all these big bald apes are staring at him like a freakshow. I understand that Edinburgh Zoo is quite well renowned for it's conservation work and contributions to zoological science, but it's still very sad to see such majestic beasts in this situation. The zoo was however inadvertently responsible for one of the most touching news stories I've seen in recent times concerning their polar bear Mercedes, who was recently moved up north to the Highland Wildlife Park for her retirement. She hadn't seen proper snow for 25 years, until last winter when about two feet's worth fell on her new home. Seeing the news pictures of her rolling about in it and generally having a fantastic time brought a tear to my eye, as it did to most of the staff at the park. If only I could show such compassion to actual humans, instead of my usual unflinching contempt.

    Albino penguin on parade
    Rachael C.

    I love Edinburgh Zoo. It's a great place to spend the day looking at various animals. It's built on quite a steep hill but they do have golf buggies to give you a lift if needed. There is so much to see that every trip I discover something new. Either a new route, a different view or an animal that I haven't seen before. The pandas are a big attraction and you need to book a separate time slot for them. Often they have extra slots available on the gate if you ask. 90% of the time they are sleeping but they're cute anyhow. Another favourite is the penguin enclosure which is the biggest in Europe. It includes an underwater viewing area which is awesome to watch them swimming. The food options aren't that great on site of you've any dietary restrictions or allergies. However there are lots of picnic spots so bring lunch with you.

    Hannah M.

    Yes, so much yes. I love animals, really love them, so my feelings on zoos can be torn, but here, and chester, do a hell of a lot for conservation, so I can kind of feel like this means keeping things cooped up can be more excused. Out f the centre, and on a steep hill, you're in for a good walk, with many adorable stops on the way. We of course, booked to see the pandas. Because pandas, only place in the UK to see them. Being a weekday, in term time (oh, freelancing does have it's benefits) it wasn't actually too busy, and we actually got to see the shy lady panda for a short time, and the male. The male was unintentionally putting on a real show, climbing, eating, and even a roly poly, which when exclaimed by a lovely lady to my left exclaimed about it, became my new favourite thing to hear in a scottish accent. The keeper in there to answer questions was lovely, informative and hilarious "Oh, aye, koalas often get chlamydia, riddled with the stuff, their labia swell up like you wouldnae knorr" another, more niche accent fave. The penguins are excellent, and the penguin parade is a real treat, though odd when they stop and stare! So many lovely animals, i'm a particular fan of otters too, and the scottish wildcats were beautiful, and something I hadn't seen before in real life, so that was nice, and the monkeys were wonderfully curious too, I could have sat and watched them for a while. One thing I will say- it gets dark early in winter, doesn't it? Not as busy in winter, is it? Well yeah, there aren't lamps around when the sun goes down. We had a good nervous half hour before we left, navigating to the exit in the dark, not seeing another soul, thinking that we would quite possibly be locked in if we didn't find it before the doors shut, awkward! If you go in the winter, go earlier rather than later, and consider a torch!

    Caleb M.

    Wow. Having been used to London Zoo (and loving it) Edinburgh Zoo is beautiful in a way LZ isn't. The use of large open greenery, unusual and interesting habitats really added to the flavour of our day. The cafe got pretty full and the staff forgot parts of our orders because of a mix up behind the scenes. The chicken pizzas were delicious, though. Reasonably priced, also. We recharged our phones while there, a couple of sockets were free to use.

    Photo from business website. Hilltop Safari.
    Lisa G.

    Ok people why is there only one review for Edinburgh Zoo? Everybody knows Edinburgh is all about the castle, the festival, the dungeons and the zoo, with its infamous Penguin Parade! One of my favorite attractions at the zoo is Budongo Trail which is where they keep the chimps. It is a huge outdoor and indoor enclosure with lots of ropes and wooden platforms for the chimps to play on in the outdoors section and a viewing gallery indoors where there is only a sheet of glass between you and these gorgeous creatures. Unfortunately they had to close the reptile enclosure to make way for Budongo Trail which is a shame as it was a hit with the kids, but hey everybody loves chimps' right? Another winner is Rainbow Landing where you can buy some nectar to feed the beautiful rainbow lorikeets which happily come and perch on you as long as you have a cup of the sweet stuff! The Animal Antics show is always good fun and has been different every time I've seen it. It mostly consists of birds of prey doing some cool stuff and the presenters always pick a few kids from the audience to help out. One of the first enclosures you come across at the zoo is the sea lions. There is a sea lion show on at various times throughout the day but even if you can't make this the sea lions are always entertaining to watch as they are so playful. The Hilltop Safari is a great way to see the zoo and is particularly good for anyone with mobility issues as the zoo is on a huge slope which is really steep in parts. In the Hilltop Safari you climb aboard what looks like a milk float being pulled by a jeep and the driver gives a running commentary of the animals you pass and tells you lots of interesting tit bits about them. If you get peckish you can visit the The Bistro in New Mansion for some fancy smancy food or alternatively you could dine in the Mansion House Bar which is more a sort of soup and sandwiches affair or you could go for the afternoon tea for two for £16! However if you have your little toe rags with you then your best bet is the Jungle Café where there is a soft play area and the food is more school canteen style with pizzas and baked potatoes. Last but most definitely not least is the Penguin Parade! As you would learn if you went to the parade it has been taking place at the zoo every day since 1951 when a keeper accidently left the enclosure door open and the penguins went for a little walk around but then just went back in the enclosure! The zoo has the largest penguin pool in the world and you could literally spend a good hour watching these little guys. Finally Edinburgh Zoo is open every single day of the year, even Christmas Day so you have no excuse not to visit!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Review Highlights - Edinburgh Zoo

    The penguins are excellent, and the penguin parade is a real treat, though odd when they stop and stare!

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    East Links Family Park

    East Links Family Park

    4.8(9 reviews)
    27.6 mi

    East Links is a nice farm/theme park/petting zoo just outside Dunbar. You just can't miss it…read morebecause there is a large brown castle with 4 towers sporting the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish flags. They have various animals that I have never seen before like lamas, rheas, wallabies and even a highland cow! A newborn baby donkey was born on Monday and it was so cute when I saw it while we whizzed past on the train. You even get to feed baby lambs in the petting area which is the cutest thing ever! The fortress is good and has large freefall chutes going to the bottom which are really fast and I actually had to hold onto the sides to slow me down a bit! There are rat tunnels (which are very dark and scary), nets, bridges, ropes and a ramp to the top if you feel lazy. On the 4 towers, there are cannons which you can shoot tennis balls out of. There are 3 go-kart tracks, 2 of which are for small children but the one behind the fortress is for hardcore teenage drivers, like me! There is also mini golf (tokens are required to hire balls) and an indoor ball shooting arena. The prices are a bit ridiculous for the size of the place. It is about £15 per head and you will need to pay even more once you get inside (the tearoom, shops, animal feeding dispensers and golf ball dispensers charge you.) The tearoom was actually quite nice for a theme park café but the prices were quite steep! I was charged £4 for a bottle of Irn Bru and a honeycomb traybake. Ridiculous prices. The food was good though and it was the first time I had ever tasted Irn Bru. It doesn't taste as orangey as it looks. It's like Fanta with a weird vanilla twist to it. The toilets are straight ahead as you enter and they were clean with no bad smells, plenty of soap and hot water that was actually hot. The Dyson Airblade dryers worked fine too. I will be back at East Links in the summer because I didn't actually get to see everything in one day! The sweet shop on the way out is not to be missed too.

    East Links farm is a brilliant, well priced day out for all the family…read more At first glance it seems quite small, but further investigation proves differently! There are animals to see, horses to feed, a train ride to be taken, trampolines to be jumped on, a hay barn to be hidden in and much, much more. You can buy animal feed and bird feed to use at your discretion I believe it was only around 25p a portion which was great. The onsite shop is small but lovely with a small range of reasonably priced items. There is a huge barn with tables for picnic consuming which is a blessing with Scotland's weather! We really enjoyed our visit and would go back any time. Highly recommended!

    Almond Valley Heritage Centre - Highland Cow

    Almond Valley Heritage Centre

    4.6(9 reviews)
    11.5 mi

    I visited this time for Puff's toddler group trip and was delighted to go back. Smudge has now…read moredeclared herself far too grown up for this sort of activity much to my disgust as I loved our trips here when she was little. This visit was a beautifully sunny day so the perfect day to wander around checking out all the animals; goats, donkeys, GIANT bunnies, guinea pigs, cows, sheep, rats, collie dogs, geese and puff's favourite a cat - we have a cat at home!!! As well as a farmyard full of animals to check out, you can pet lots of the wee ones. A whole barn full of fluffy bunnies, chickens and guinea pigs to stroke. Unless like me you're allergic in which case not touching is a much better option - puffy eyes, manic sneezing and a snotty nose does not make for a fun day out. Once you have spent a happy hour trying to teach a stubborn one year old any animal noise other than meeow, and failed, there is still plenty to do here with an inflatable cow bouncy castle, indoor soft play area, tractors to ride, trampolines to bounce, fossils to uncover and a lovely cafe to eat cake and drink coffee in. It has to be said that a rainy day would not completely ruin a trip to Almond Valley. There is plenty to do under cover and even a big picnic barn to eat in, not to brag but we used it for shade because it was so hot.

    This is a lovely little place, a great day out for all the family. Lots of animals to see, an lots…read moreto learn. they're upgrading it all the time so it just keeps getting better and better. They do lots of special activities, Christmas Fayres, Easter, all year round really. they have soft play for toddlers and a new bigger area for older kids. It's got a great little cafe too with friendly staff and good food. It really is worth a visit, you will undoubtedly learn something and have fun while doing it.

    Photos
    Almond Valley Heritage Centre - Mummy and baby donkey - for my Christmas I would like a baby donkey

    Mummy and baby donkey - for my Christmas I would like a baby donkey

    Almond Valley Heritage Centre - Massive pig!

    Massive pig!

    Almond Valley Heritage Centre

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    Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre

    Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre

    4.8(8 reviews)
    41.1 mi

    This place is lovely, set in the Perthshire hills the scenery alone is spectacular…read more The wildlife centre is roughly 10 miles west of Crieff so if you don't have transport it is difficult to get to. They have a varied range of animals consisting of lots of types of birds from around the world, Prairie dogs, deer, Llamas and many more, to many to mention. They have a large area where you can go in and pet the animals within as well as the usual pens holding the other animals. There is a Falconry Centre, which is paid for separately (only if you want to hold and have your picture taken with one) as well as a hatchery, woodland walks, barbeque area and a massive playing area for the kids, indoor and outdoor. There is also a gift shop and cafe a lot of the produce being home made. When your there it feels like your on a large farm with amazing animals that are always friendly and looking for a bit of attention, you can even buy bags of food so as your trotting around the centre you are able to feed them as well. Entrance fee is £6 per adult and £4 per child; family tickets available, so it is excellent value for money and you could spend the whole day there. Staff are very friendly and always at hand to help or answer ant questions you may have. If you do have transport this is a brilliant day out for kids and adults and with ample free parking you wont miss out on a wonderful day. Sturdy footwear is advisable

    I have been here, can show you some photos of the many wonders of this place. It was particulary…read moregood for us as having a blind partner it was so accessable, and the animals making noises was good for my partner. We loved the Tartan sheep.it was unusual, and the cheeky parairie dogs, just made our day and we would highly reccomend this to anyone who loves animals

    Deep Sea World

    Deep Sea World

    3.5(32 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    Went here today as suggested by the bf as a wee cheer me up day and im so glad he suggested it as i…read morehad so much fun. Its a bit fiddly to find at the moment with the diversion due to the new forth rd bridge but if you follow the diversion you will be ok. Cost was £14 per adult however if you book in advance online its slightly cheaper. We got to see sharks being fed and a giant turtle but for me the best thing was seeing the seals being fed. They are so cute and clever and the tricks the handlers have taught them are briliant! There are tv screens dotted around the place that show you the times of all the feeds so you dont miss anything. The underwater tunnel is a brilliant way to get up close and personal with the sharks too. There is a cafe but we didnt visit that. The gift shop has all your usual cuddly toys and gifts. Plenty of parking available on site too. A great day out for young and old alike!

    Deep Sea World is a great day out for all the family. I came here with my friend and her two little…read morecousins a few years ago and they were fascinated by everything, I've never seen them so well behaved. They even saw a bit of seaweed move and ended up mesmerised by it for ages. They were also huge fans of Finding Nemo and started screaming at the top of their voices when they were faced with Nemo in the flesh living it up in his Coral Reef. There are also plenty of sharks to marvel at and you can even dive with sharks... I don't know if I fancy that though. My personal favourite underwater critters are stingrays and was pleased when I saw a good few swimming around. Tickets are rather pricey, £12 adults and £8.25 but it's an excellent day out and there's so much to see and do and it's only a 20 min drive from Edinburgh city centre.

    Photos
    Deep Sea World - Deep Sea World

    Deep Sea World

    Deep Sea World - Http://www.deepseaworld.com

    Http://www.deepseaworld.com

    Deep Sea World - Deep Sea World

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    Deep Sea World

    Edinburgh Zoo - zoos - Updated May 2026

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