Visiting London Zoo – Is It Worth Your Money – Winter Day Out

Today, I’m taking you on a day trip to the London Zoo, which is preparing to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2028. I’ve been to the London Zoo before in the summer, and recently – convinced by a sweet 30% discount on tickets – I decided to visit it again. If you’re curious whether London Zoo is worth visiting – especially in the winter – here’s everything you need to know to make an informed decision!

How to get to the London Zoo

London Zoo is located in the north part of Regent’s Park in central London, near Primrose Hill. Whilst there aren’t any underground stations right next to the zoo entrance, there are a few stations about 15 minutes away on foot, including Camden Town, Chalk Farm, and Baker Street. There are also Euston and Marylebone National Rail Stations nearby, and several bus stops. If Camden Town sounds most convenient to you, please note that the station gets incredibly busy on weekend afternoons. I had to queue for about 10 minutes to enter the station after my zoo visit, and it wasn’t my first time experiencing a large crowd at that station.

A small goat standing on top of a wooden structure in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Small black and yellow monkey in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

An open ant enclosure in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

How much are tickets to London Zoo

For up to date prices and opening times, visit the official website of ZSL London Zoo. But in short: it ain’t cheap. In February 2026, a standard adult ticket was close to £35. There was a 30% off promotion running for a week, and that’s why I decided to go.

How to get cheaper tickets to the London Zoo

First of all – check the official website: https://www.londonzoo.org/. Offers are rare, but you might get lucky. Tickets bought online are cheaper than those purchased at the ticket office on the day, so make sure to book in advance! If you want to be a frequent visitor to the London Zoo, you can consider membership options.

You can also Google other promotions. For example, as of early 2026, there had been a National Rail 2 FOR 1 ticket promotion running for a long time. It’s mainly aimed at visitors coming from outside of London, but I have a suspicion it’s possible to still save money with this offer if you live in London. For that offer, you can get two adult tickets for the price of 1, if you show two National Rail train tickets for the same day (underground tickets don’t count!). Make sure to check all terms and conditions before you go. Check out the official website of the promotion: https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/london-zoo.

What to expect when visiting the London Zoo (in the winter)

I visited London Zoo for the first time in summer 2023, and I loved it. This time, seeing the 30% off promotion, I decided to take the risk and go in winter. I was a bit worried that a lot of animals might be hiding/sleeping in their indoor hides, but luckily, I didn’t miss much! My favourite thing about the London Zoo are the pavilions that you can enter to walk amongst the animals. There are quite a few of those!

A walk-through enclosure with small monkeys in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

A butterfly house full of visitors in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

The most impressive enclosure belongs to Colobus monkeys. They have plenty of space to jump and climb, and visitors can walk across the footpath from one end of the enclosure to the other. The monkeys typically keep their distance, but occasionally, they may run through the bridge right in front of you. This enclosure is only open to visitors at selected times of day, so don’t leave it for the end of your visit!

There are also a couple other monkey enclosures that you can enter, including one with ring-tailed lemurs. On a winter day, these lemurs spent most of the day indoors, but I did manage to see them up close in the afternoon when it got a little warmer.

A walk-through enclosure with Colobus monkeys in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Colobus monkeys sitting on a tall platform, enjoying their breakfast — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

A walk-through enclosure with lemurs and lots of people taking photos of the monkeys — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Other enclosures that you can enter include a butterfly house, a couple of tropical bird enclosures, and… a spider room. The latter is certainly not for everyone! I used to be incredibly arachnophobic. Ten years ago, I certainly wouldn’t have entered that enclosure! I’ve got a bit better in recent years, but I still had shivers walking through that tiny room. Can you spot the orb weaver spiders?

A walk-through enclosure with orb weaver spiders in London Zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

And speaking of enclosures you can enter, I need to mention the tropical house – a large pavilion filled with trees, and curious animals: from monkeys to sloths and giant bats!

A tropical enclosure with monkeys, sloths and bats in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

A sloth hanging upside down from a tree — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

One of the best things about visiting London Zoo in the winter was seeing the big cats – lions and tigers – full of energy. In the summer, they spend most of the day napping in the shade. But during my zoo visit in February, one of the lions was actually playing with his toy, just like a house cat would. It was the cutest thing I saw that day, for sure.

A lion playing with its blue rubber ball in his enclosure in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

A close up portrait photo of a lion from London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Reptiles at the London Zoo

I’m a big nerd when it comes to reptiles. While I don’t own any myself, I love learning about snakes and lizards. When I first visited London Z00 a few years ago, I particularly loved having the chance to see the historic Reptile House – a famous pavilion, house to a variety of reptiles, known to audiences around the globe thanks to a scene in the first Harry Potter film.

I was heartbroken to hear that Reptile House would be closing down a few years ago. Today, this incredible place, historically significant to reptile lovers around the world, is… an indoor playground. I couldn’t even get myself to take a picture of the famous entrance surrounded by tacky, colourful decorations. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s an absolute insult to reptile lovers. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it! Whoever made the decision to transform this famous pavilion into a kids’ playground clearly has no regard for reptile lovers. I hope they rot in hell for that.

Now, speaking of reptiles in the London Zoo, there are some. There’s a new building for reptiles and amphibians, but it’s not huge. I believe there were three species of snakes. All really impressive… but just three. There was an emerald tree boa, a couple of adders, and a stunning King Cobra, which seemed completely unfazed by the visitors and kept exploring its enclosure.

The most impressive reptile in the London Zoo was probably the Komodo dragon – the largest species of lizards in the world, native to Indonesia. What’s really cool about that enclosure is that it’s connected to a weather system replicating the actual climate in Indonesia – quite literally! Apparently, when it rains in Indonesia, it also rains in the Komodo dragon’s enclosure. That’s really cool!

Close up photo of a king cobra snake in London Zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Komodo Dragon basking in its enclosure in London Zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Aquatic animals in London Zoo

There are some species of aquatic animals in London Zoo, but not too many – I saw some fishes, crabs and jellyfish. If you’re a huge fan or marine creatures, you’re probably better off visiting Sea Life Aquarium near Big Ben.

Major animals you WILL and WON’T see in London Zoo

If you or your children are particularly interested in seeing specific animals, you may want to know if that animal can be seen in London Zoo. Here are some examples of animals you will and won’t see in London. Of course, it’s not a comprehensive list – I tried to include some of the major species.

Animals you WILL see in London Zoo (as of early 2026):

giraffes
zebras
ostriches
lions
tigers
various species of monkeys/primates, including gorillas and lemurs
birds: macaws, vultures, parrots, flamingos, penguins
reptiles: crocodile, Galapagos tortoises, King cobra, Komodo dragon
alpacas
camels
goats
ants
capybaras (they were asleep in the far end of their enclosure during my winter visit)
…and many more.

The huge penguin closure in London Zoo, with a large pool — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Dozens of penguins standing on land in London Zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Animals you WON’T see in London Zoo (as of early 2026):

elephants
rhinos
hippos (but there are Pygmy hippos)
kangaroos (but there are wallabies)
giant pandas
wide variety of reptiles
wide variety of aquatic creatures
big cats other than lions and tigers

Talks and displays at London Zoo

Throughout the day, you have a chance to listen to talks about some of the animals – taking place near their enclosures – and see animal displays taking place on the display lawn. You can find a timetable online and in the zoo, near the entrance. I had a chance to listen to a very informative talk about Komodo dragons and see some free flying birds on the display lawn.

A parrot sitting on a rope, being fed snacks by their keeper in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Flamingos and pelicans in an enclosure in London zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

An otter munching on some mussels in London Zoo — Visiting London Zoo – Things You Need To Know – Is It Worth Your Money

Facilities and services at London Zoo

There are naturally toilets, cafes, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop in London Zoo. However, you can bring your own food and drinks to London Zoo, and I highly recommend that option. It’s obviously much cheaper, but it will also let you save a lot of time. At peak times, the queues get pretty long!

How big is London Zoo

In terms of area, it’s not huge. I’ve been to many significantly larger zoos. Yet, there’s plenty to see. I recommend getting to the zoo for the opening time, because you can easily spend the whole day there. It’s definitely not worth paying the full price of the ticket to enter for just an hour!

Final thoughts

Overall, I did enjoy my visit to London Zoo on both occasions – in the summer a few years ago, and in the winter this year. There’s a good variety of animals in London Zoo, and I particularly enjoyed the walk-through enclosures where you have a chance to see the animals up close.

I was worried that not many animals would be out in the winter, but in reality, I don’t think the winter visit was any worse than the summer one. And the zoo was a lot less crowded in the winter!

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