Edinburgh Zoo

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Reviews

1. 1000thousand Steps ★★★★★

   Winter visits - when it’s very dry, and very clear, and very cold - might be underrated… yes, the animals are feeling pretty docile, but the views across the park and over the city, onto the Pentlands, can be quite magical. So make sure you head up to the hilltop viewpoint (see my photos on the maps link there) to see how beautiful it is in winter. From there, now warmed up, it’s an enjoyable stroll downhill to see the different enclosures. Make sure you’re at the bottom in time for the famous Penguin Walk, and the monkey house is organised chaos to watch. The park itself feels more like you’re on a National Trust day out at times, so something for everyone, and you’re still well within the city - just a 15 minute bus ride. It felt like the animals were well looked after, none of those awkward feelings I’ve had at some other zoos.

   almost 2 months ago
2. Louisa Henshaw ★★★★★

   We absolutely loved the zoo! As someone with a disability who struggles with hills, the team gave me a very special lift to the top of the hill! We heard lots of facts about the penguins and other amazing animals! I can’t remember the staff members name but he had ginger hair!!! Our favourite animal at the zoo was the hippos, they were really really cute as well as the penguins! The giraffe viewing inside areas were amazing I must add! Overall a fabulous time, definitely recommend ❤️

   almost 2 months ago
3. Ann James ★★★★★

   Brilliant. I absolutely loved it. There is a bus stop across the road if you are coming from the city centre. There is also a car park at the zoo. All staff were very helpful on arrival. Today it rained heavily all day so some of the animals were staying in their enclosures so I didn't see all of them. There are some cafes, toilets and a nice gift shop. Please note Edinburgh Zoo is CARD PAYMENT only. The site is set on a steep hill but there are plenty of disabled facilities. All the animals are very well cared for and look at ease with their surroundings. Well worth a visit. Great for families.

   almost 2 months ago

1. Alyssa Bartolotta Chase ★★★★★

   Amazing zoo experience! The habitats were thoughtfully designed with each animal in mind — spacious, intricate, and very natural. The layout for visitors was also impressive; you could see nearly every animal, whether they were active or resting, with only a few exceptions due to conservation efforts. Overall, it was an amazing experience and definitely one of the top zoos to visit. Do keep in mind that the zoo is quite hilly, so wear comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty, especially if it’s rainy or wet.

   almost 3 months ago
2. isabela muntean ★★★★★

   The zoo was a wonderful experience! I didn’t expect to spend so many hours there, exploring every corner and admiring each animal. They were all incredibly cute – if I could, I would have taken them all home. The place is very clean, well-maintained, with friendly and attentive staff. There are plenty of playgrounds and activities for children, as well as food and sweets stands for visitors. I was especially delighted by the delicious ice cream I tried. The zoo also offers many relaxing spots, with benches at every step – perfect for taking a break and enjoying the atmosphere. At the exit, there was a great souvenir shop, well stocked with something to suit every taste.

   almost 5 months ago
3. Emily Dudley ★★★★★

   The staff are super helpful in this uphill maze like zoo! Although each animal habitat is easy to find you find yourself wondering how much further up the hill you need to go. The Forrest-like zoo keeps you dry and warm when exploring and there is definitely a lot to explore here. The zoo offers a couple of places to eat and drink and has maps around for your sense of direction. We went whilst they were getting ready for Halloween and it looked amazing. The carefully thought out zoo experience is definitely something I would return too or recommend you to go and see it yourself

   almost 2 years ago

1. Johnny H ★★★★★

   A nice day out with some lovely scenic grounds and a very large mix of animals. While it’s not a huge zoo, it is still reasonably sized and nicely spaced out with a decent layout. Considering you could easily spend at least a few hours here and the price of a ticket isn’t crazy, it’s definitely worth a visit. Also nice to be able to see koalas in the UK and that they do seem to be very aware of animal welfare.

   almost 3 years ago
2. Fair to Fair (fairtofair) ★★★★☆

   Bought tickets online in advance. Easy to get to by public transport simply by tapping your bank card to pay for the bus ticket. Arrived 15 min early before the Zoo was open. There was already a queue by people who like us were there early. The best animals, in our opinion, were the pandas. Even on a week day is quite busy. This unfortunately makes it less of an experience as the animals prefer to stay q in a quite place hiding and even when an animal is out can't really see because of the many people around. The best part were the dinosaur trail, truly entertaining for kids. There ware two playgrounds. They were not mentioned anywhere but huge bonus. Top of the hill by the dinosaur trail limited offering of food - pizza and burgers, together with drinks and ice cream and tables. The food was really good quality.

   almost 3 years ago
3. Jheniel K. Mitchell ★★★★★

   It was a nice family experience. Lots of walking uphill so it makes sense to wear comfortable footwear. I enjoyed seeing most of the animals. Some were unavailable due to different reasons I think. A few were simply not visible but those were mostly the smaller ones. My little one enjoyed the new dinosaur exhibit. It was good. I plan to visit again when my nephews are here so they can also enjoy the animals.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Laura R ★★★★★

   We go every year and we love it. I adore snowflake, he is my favourite penguin and I enjoy spotting him and making sure he's still well. I fed the penguins once and it was such a great experience. My son has been every year since he was born (except for covid!) and he loves it equally. I recommend taking a packed lunch and sitting on the benches up by the dinosaurs. We saw a sloth for the first time yesterday too! The staff were friendly and knowledgeable as always.

   almost 3 years ago

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