When the duration of the experience is mentioned / advertised, this is an approximate indication and may differ on the day of your booked experience.
Giraffe Experiences, Penguin Experiences; Meerkat Experiences, Red Panda Experiences, Elephant Splash Experiences, Komodo Dragon Experiences, Chameleon Experiences, Butterfly and Bug Experiences, Lion Experiences and Rhino Experiences will be available on selected dates according to availability. Places are booked on a first come, first served basis. Please do not assume your experience is booked until you have received your booking confirmation email.
Experience bookings are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
Under exceptional circumstances, and at Chester Zoo’s discretion, the date of your Experience can be changed. Changes are subject to availability, can only be made once and will incur a £20 administration fee. Date changes cannot be made less than 8 weeks before the Experience.
Exceptional circumstances include serious ill health, bereavement and pregnancy (documented proof may be required). They do not include holidays or other none-emergency commitments.
Chester Zoo reserves the right to ask any participant to leave the zoo should they behave in an inappropriate or unsafe manner, no refund shall be given.
Penguin Island Experiences are suitable for adults and children aged 5 years old and over, however children (5 – 15 years) must be accompanied onto Penguin Island by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child)
Meerkat Experiences are suitable for adults and children aged 11 years old and over, however children (11 – 15 years) must be accompanied into the zoo by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child)
Giraffe Experiences are available to adults and children aged 11 and over, however children (11 – 15 years) must be accompanied by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child).
Red Panda Experiences are suitable for adults and children aged 12 years old and over. However, children (12 -15 years) must be accompanied into the zoo by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child).
Elephant Splash Experiences are suitable for adults aged 18 years and over.
Rhino Experiences are suitable for adults aged 18 years and over.
Lion Experiences are suitable for adults aged 18 years and over.
Komodo Dragon Experiences are suitable for Children aged 16 and over.
Chameleon Experiences are suitable for adults and children aged 7 years old and over, however children (7–15 years) must be accompanied into the zoo by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child).
Butterfly and Bug Experiences are suitable for children aged 5 years old and over, however children (5 – 15 years) must be accompanied into the zoo by a spectating adult (1 adult per 1 child).
Regrettably, certain guests will be unable to take part including people with relevant phobias or known allergies, pregnant woman and immunocompromised individuals. Due to health and safety, people with epilepsy will be unable to take part in the Penguin Island Experience.
Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate those with a disability or learning difficulty, due to practicality and health and safety this cannot always be achieved; please contact Chester Zoo for advice before purchasing. It is your responsibility to inform us if you have any medical condition that you or your doctor feels we should be aware of in order to ensure your safety. Failure to disclose this information may mean that you will be unable to participate in the Experience on the day and no refund will be given.
Chester Zoo reserves the right to reschedule any of the booked dates for the Animal Experiences. Chester Zoo will give as much notice as possible; however this cannot always be guaranteed. Chester Zoo cannot cover travel, accommodation or any other associated costs if the scheduled date is cancelled.
Chester Zoo reserves the right to alter or cancel the Experience on any given day due to animal welfare or health issues or a change to the zoo’s collection, but Chester Zoo will ensure that if this is the case then the activity will be replaced with another similar task. Chester Zoo will give as much notice as possible; however this cannot always be guaranteed.
In cases of severe weather the Experiences may be rescheduled for another day. Giraffe Experiences may not take place when the weather gets too cold and the giraffes go indoors. Chester Zoo will endeavour to provide as much notice as possible but please be aware that cancellations may occur on the day of your Experience for reasons beyond Chester Zoo’s control.
Chester Zoo does reserve the right to cancel your Experience if you arrive more than 10 minutes after your pre-booked Experience time; unfortunately your Experience will not be rescheduled and no refund will be given.