There’s so much to do at Chester Zoo, with over 20,000 animals and 128 acres to explore.
We’re here to help you make the most of your adventure with our top five zoo highlights you absolutely have to see – and plenty of extra excitement along the way!
If you want to experience these zoo highlights the whole year round, (plus a whole host of other amazing perks!), become a member and get unlimited access.
Take a left at the gates and start your afternoon by marvelling at our magnificent Asian elephant herd! These gentle giants are fascinating to watch as they stroll across their magnificent habitat or go for a swim in the pool. Check out the immersive display where you can use your senses to smell, see and hear like an elephant!
After wandering through our recreation of an elephant migration route, take a stroll over Elephant Bridge towards our majestic Asiatic lions! You might spot them taking a nap whilst soaking up the sun. Keep an eye out for the interactive game where you can test how you’d handle day-to-day life as a lion!
Exciting extra: On the way to the lions you can immersive yourself in a tropical adventure with the Butterfly Journey walkthrough, where you’ll get up close and personal with our free-flying butterfly collection!
You can’t come to the zoo without visiting our amazing Rothschild’s giraffe family. You’ll be amazed how tall they really are, with their necks alone reaching up to 2 metres long! Giraffes can spend 20 hours a day eating, so you might even catch them eating their afternoon snack of leaves and branches.
If you’re feeling hungry after watching the giraffes tuck into their food, why not stop for a bite to eat at one of our delicious food outlets? When you book your afternoon tickets, you can book a meal deal at Junes Food Court, Bembe Kitchen or Manado Street Kitchen and save up to 20% on your food. It’s the perfect way to keep your energy levels up and make the most of your afternoon at the zoo!
Exciting extra: Just a stone’s throw away from the giraffes, take a moment to relax with a journey through the Tropical Realm. Let the soothing sounds of the waterfall and beautiful birdsong wash over you while you discover colourful reptiles, amphibians and free flight birds.
You’re in for a treat next, when you take a quick stroll over to Madagascar for our Lemur Walkthrough! This is an experience not to be missed, where you’ll have the unique opportunity to walk among these playful creatures. Try to see how many lemurs you can spot, as they leap through the trees and scamper along the paths around you!
Some other exciting extras to enjoy along the way…
If you’d love to see a real life dragon, pop into our Dragons in Danger immersive space. Here you’ll find one of the world’s fiercest hunters, the Komodo dragon.
Meander through our beautiful Madagascar Grasses towards Bats Bridge and enjoy being one with nature! (Please note: Our wooden Bats Bridge is not fully accessible for wheelchair users, who may prefer going back over Elephant Bridge).
Do you dare visit the Fruit Bat Forest?! Take the opportunity to plunge into darkness and feel the air as bats whoosh past you overhead.
It’s time to take a short walk past the Andean bears on the way to your very own wildlife expedition through six South East Asian islands! Discover Islands and experience what it’s like to be a real life conservationist. You’ll see awe-inspiring animals like our Sumatran tiger, and venture through the dense jungles of Monsoon Forest with its rare plants and our family of orangutans.
No two Chester Zoo journeys are the same, but with these top five highlights you’ll ensure you make the most of your day here.
BECOME A MEMBER
Join our zoo family by becoming a member and you’ll get a whole year of FREE unlimited entry plus lots of other great benefits.