I honestly don’t know why I haven’t done a review of Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire sooner! We used to be members and over the years we have been here many, many times. It’s our closest zoo, and the sister site to London Zoo (you can read that review here). It is one of the more expensive zoos to visit, but they’re got a good range of animals. Apparently they’re actually the largest zoo in the UK and with plenty of things to do inside and out you’ll easily spend the entire day here.
Should you take your car into Whipsnade Zoo or go on foot?
It is quite a large site, and it can take its toll on little legs. If you still occasionally use a pushchair it might be worth taking it just in case. It’s also on the top of a hill and it gets windy up there. Basically, whatever the weather is where you are, take at least a couple of degrees off and that’s what you should expect up there. The first time I actually wrote a review of Whipsnade Zoo up the weather was supposed to be OK for our visit. WRONG!! It was a mizzl-y and actually quite cold. At one point, when the hangries were setting in the kids were pretty miserable. We saw a couple of people driving past in their lovely warm cars and I was a bit jealous.
Another thing to bear in mind is that the car park is a fair walk, even from the entrance of the zoo. If you don’t want to be carrying your lunch around all day then it might be worth paying the extra to drive in. There’s actually only a very small bit that you can’t really see without a car, so you’re not missing out on much if you do decide to walk it all. It’s also worth knowing that you can actually see all of the areas that are only accessible by car if you go on the train.
The animals
They have quite literally got thousands of animals at Whipsnade Zoo. There’s tigers, lions, hippos, penguins, lemur, giraffe, rhinos, chimps, zebra, flamingos, elephants, red pandas and many, many more. On one visit to see the lions, just as we were leaving, a few of them started roaring. It was the most amazing, and spine chilling thing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it in real life before and it was EPIC! They have babies currently and they are adorable.
One thing I will say about Whipsnade zoo is that their enclosures are big. Sometimes, particularly in bad weather, this does mean you won’t spot the animals. Hertfordshire Zoo has a much better set-up for this TBH, but there were only a couple of animals we didn’t get to see on our most recent visit.
Overall I’d say there’s a good range of animals and they all look like they’ve got tons of space to enjoy. That was the one concern I had about London Zoo when we visited, it just wasn’t very big. Maybe I’d been spoilt by Whipsnade??
The flamingoes made me laugh. When we were walking past it was clearly feeding time. They were so noisy, all of them worried they might not get a look in. I was strangely reminded of back home!!!!
The butterfly house and the aquarium
These have always been my favourites bits of the zoo. Well, the aquarium is relatively new(ish) so it’s a new favourite. It’s not massive, but there’s a good range of aquatic animals to see. Make sure you look out for the spotted ray in one of the big tanks. It’s quite well camouflaged at the back, but looks amazing.
I’m always fascinated by butterfly houses, like the one at Blenheim Palace. At the same time I’m also always terrified if one flies anywhere near me, convinced it’s going to fly right in my face.
The crowds
If you fancy avoiding all of the crowds then I recommend visiting during a pandemic, in the rain, during the school term for many and on what turned out to be the day before they were forced to close. It was pretty much deserted. We had the entire leopard area to ourselves for ages. Ditto the elephants, sea lions and hippos. It meant we got the chance to really hang around and appreciate what they were all up to. The tigers were properly showing off on their platforms right behind us whilst we were having our lunch. I couldn’t decide if they thought maybe we were their lunch or just having a bit of fun??
In normal times it can be quite busy here, just as you’d expect. That can make it a bit more difficult to see some of the more popular animals that have to be viewed through windows. Also, everyone does tend to crowd around the best viewing spots if an animal is visible so you just have to wait your turn. We’re British – we’re good at waiting our turn.
The playground areas
This review of Whipsnade Zoo is based on several different visits over a number of years. Because of the size of the site we don’t always get to do all of the things every time so things can change in between and Whipsnade is good at upgrading their facilities. There are two main play areas; one indoors and one outdoors.
Hullabazoo is a relatively small soft play area. It says that it’s suitable for up to 10 years but I’d say, in reality, it’s a lot younger than that. It is several years since we last went inside Hullabazoo but I remember the kids enjoying it, and us welcoming the break. You have to book tickets to go in, but you can book them when you arrive.
Whipsnade Zoo completely updated their outdoor playground in 2020/2021 and it’s awesome. It’s also very popular so I wasn’t able to get a decent photograph for the review. They’ve got separate areas for younger and older kids, and a sand play area. There’s also parent and child swings which were soooo much fun!!
Changes over the years
I’m updating this review after a recent visit, our last one was in 2021 and it’s amazing to see how much has changed. There’s a new monkey “walk-through” – although this isn’t a walk-though like you have with the lemurs where you’re close to the animals, you just have to walk further to get to their enclosures.
They have also removed certain services, like I don’t think the shuttle bus is a thing anymore? Which is a shame.
Our Whipsnade Zoo review
Whipsnade is not the cheapest zoo that you’ll visit, but it is a lovely zoo. The shows and keeper talks are brilliant – After the birds of prey show Smallest Child shouted “This is a once in a lifetime experience”. I didn’t have the heart to tell her they do it every day! I know that not everyone agrees with zoos in general, but I really liked how much space the animals have. I also like the fact that there’s plenty of places to shelter from the rain and still see the animals. We’ve visited in bad weather multiple times and it’s been OK. You’ll also be able to spend the whole day here, with no problem at all. Overall I’d say you get your money’s worth.
Admission Cost
This varies according to the season. Admission is £68 – £114 for a family of four (plus 10% voluntary gift-aid donation). You can check availability and book your tickets here (affiliate link). Blue Peter badge holders get in for free, but only for on the day tickets.
They also offer annual membership. You only need to visit a couple of times to start saving money. We were members and we went so many times during the year, it was absolutely worth it.
Parking / How to get there
Address – Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2LF
Parking – free, on-site. You can also pay to take the car into the zoo if you wish.
Toilets
There are toilets, including baby change, all over the site. You’re never more than a few minutes walk from a loo.
Food
There are various covered places where you can have a picnic. There’s also various places you can buy food on-site.
What’s nearby?
Within just a few minutes drive there are loads of things that you can do with the kids. There’s Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade Tree cathedral (and the walk between them) and Ivinghoe Beacon.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
