Chester Zoo in Leek

Always a brilliant place to visit but more so when the lantern show is on! Make sure to put this in your calendar as they are a sight to behold and made all the better by the derivation of the staff who were brilliant with my daughter who loved every minute of it! A really accessible and fun place to visit.

Review not only on the zoo, but the annual membership:We’ve had our annual membership 10 months now so thought it is worth giving our opinion. We are a family of 2 adults and 3 kids (9,5,2).I think we’ve been 6 times so based on the cost of the membership we’ve definitely got our moneys worth.One thing to note straight anyway is like many people, we got the membership as a Christmas present. So we went for the first time during the Christmas holidays and there was a long wait to get our membership cards printed (around 1 hour). Once you have the cards then entry into the park is quick and easy but the first time was painful.The zoo is always immaculately presented and we are still finding new things each time we visit. Our favourites areas are the butterfly house, tropical realm and today we visited the new large enclosure called Monsoon forest which was great!We always take a picnic with us as the food is pricey 👎 but we still end up buying coffee and ice creams. Members get 10% discount on any food and drinks (to be honest I’d like to see this increased to 20% though). We’ve never had difficulty finding a nice picnic bench and there are a few indoor places you can have a picnic too if the weather is bad.One thing which I think is missing from the zoo is that there is none (or very littlestaff interaction / shows telling the kids about the animals.

Beautiful place. Great for a day out as a family or even as a couple.Clean. Friendly staff.We went on a Monday in the afternoon. Most of their food stalls were sold out. We ate at the food court which was good value but the food was quite bad. Ill give them the benefit of the doubt though considering the time and day.

Fantastic day out! The animals are clearly very well cared for and have plenty of space in their areas. There is a large range of different species for all to enjoy.I would definitely recommend walking shoes and give yourself plenty of time to make the most out of the zoo! Staff are extremely friendly and helpful, restaurants and toilets were spotless.

We recently visited for our daughters second birthday. We hadnt been since the unfortunate fire incident and were amazed by the new additions and changes that were made following this. Plenty of new animals to see, especially the aye-ayes which were something I had never heard of until our visit. As regular adopters of the animals its always a pleasure to see the hard work and dedication provided to the animals.Plenty here for a day full of fun and animals, just be prepared to walk as the monorail is no longer there. Although that did not bother us.

Visited with wife and 2 kids although it was very busy moving around in the majority of the zoo was good and queues at the food court were very efficient.Loved the pub as a half way pit stop for me and the wife.Parking was great and toilet/changing facilities were great and generally very clean apart from in the mens certain individuals cant aim 🤣Disappointed as the big cats werent playing ball to view. Managed to get a glimpse of the jaguar which was amazing.All in all I would visit again but we are 150ish miles away from here.

This Zoo is amazing, it is the second most popular in the UK behind London Zoo. It is so big the animals have so much room and are really well looked after. Everywhere is so open and the penguin enclosure is second to none. It is the most enormous pool with glass all the way around so you actually see the penguins swimming. There are over 21000 animals and over 500 different species. You can walk among the butterflies and bats. I cannot praise it enough and it is well worth the entrance fee. My only complaint would be the price of food and drink. Almost £10 for an hot dog or burger and £3.30 for a coffee. You need to allow a full day to see everything the Zoo opens at 10am and closes at 6pm. Well worth a visit.

Took my 2 girls (4 & 6here for what has to be one of the best days out Ive ever had with them. You get a discount if you book online and get to skip the ticket queues, which can be long. Food prices are high as can be expected but we took our own packed lunches and there were loads of picnic benches and places to stop. Also car parking is free so there are no nasty hidden fees like in some places which is refreshing.Doors open at 10. We arrived at 11 and were one of the last to leave at closing time and still never saw everything so Id say get there as early as you can if you want to experience everything and not have to rush. The VR experience was a highlight for the girls as was the Elephants, Giraffes and Penguins. Shame we dont live closer so we could go more often.If youre thinking of going, just do it! You wont be disappointed.

One of the best zoo’s in the UK the lemur walk through enclosure is a personal highlight, and the park food is also varied and of high quality. The prices here are also reasonable. Worth the trip at any time of the year you would be hard pressed to see everything all in one day!

First visit as an adult, but had the eyes of a child, was amazed by all in particular the free flying butterflies in the butterfly house and walking around the lemurs and interacting with them at a safe distance. There is plenty of animals to see, but not enough time to get around but you can spend all day and still not take in all. Its a must see and will be visiting again to soak in the rest of the zoo, as well get better camera shots.There were plenty of snack outlets as well as food outlets, now it was a busy day but still managed to get a sit down meal. The staff made sure tables were cleaned and left items put away for cleaning. Plenty of choice to eat from your pizza to fish n chips and there is dessert too if you fancy a spot of ice cream.Staff were very polite, courteous and very informative if required more information and made sure guests were ok.

Amazing zoo Animals were happy gave us a show ❤️ was our first time here super clean environment toilets close by free parking. Highly recommend wearing comfortable footwear & buggy for kids is essential was a long walk around 6/7 hours but worth it! my highlight was the boat ride & food was lush. Highly recommend visiting 👌

Such an amazing place would advise to get a year pass to go time after time because its so big and fun for all. It has lots of snack an food places and food cafes everywhere around the whole site so need to stress about getting food all tho if you decide to bring a pack lunch there is plenty of picnic benches scattered all over across the zoo.The animals are all well kept and seem to have a happy lifestyle and seem to be well entertained and cared for by the zoo keepers.All in all its a must do place to visit.

A great zoo with lots of different animals from all around the world. The zoo is great and all of the animals seemed to be in good health. In all honesty I do think that £115 (approxfor a family of 4 and then the usual inflated prices that go with a captured market is a bit steep and makes for a £200 (ishday, if purchasing food in the zoo, but the kids loved it.

Fantastic place to visit with the kids as well as big kids, we should have started when they opened at 10am but we arrived late 1pm. We did all the coloured sections on the map, saw almost everything and we highly recommend wearing comfortable footwear as this place will involve you walking a lot.They also offer a buggy service where you can rent one out for the day, we should have done this as the kids towards the end of the day were shattered.In the yellow section of their map there is a boat ride which we didnt do due to time but for next time and as a great tip, its better to do the yellow section and purple sections of the map first before going to the other side.Highly recommended, we were not locals to the area so it was on the list of zoos to be done in the UK. Great day out for the kids.

Loads of beautiful animals to be seen here, some endangered. Best to visit when not too hot as the animals tend to stay in the shade, and are hard to spot. We went a quite a dull day, so most animals were lively and funny.Be prepared for a lot of walking, if you have problems walking, it may be best to hire a scooter/wheelchair as there arent many benches either. Food and drink very expensive, but apart from those small gripes, a great day out although, it would be better over two days to see everything.Our best part of the day though, was seeing a family of wild voles, behind a bench. They were so cute, not scared of people, and mesmerising! My favourite animal of the day as I had never seen one before.There is a long queue to park whilst you wait for Mr and Mrs wavey people to show you where to park. Make sure to check where you have parked, as all car parks look the same. Maybe take a photo of a landmark/flag so you dont forget. There were plenty of people wondering around at the end of the day, looking for their car.Try to arrive in the morning as all shows etc. are AM.Wish they would advise feeding times at the entrance, so you could make a choice of being there or not.Overall, a great family day out. One of the best zoos Ive been too. Just need more benches!

An amazing zoo experience. Animals from all over the world can be found here. There are also a number of kids play areas, eateries and relaxation areas. The zoo is very clean and the animals well taken care of. I recommend a visit for the family if around the Chester area

Great day out.It was great to see that the animals were really cared for and that the zoo was well maintained. Possibly the best zoo I have ever visited.The catering facilities are not great. I wished we had bought a packed lunch with us. The queues can take up to an hour.

Its a lovely place to visit and I will get a membership for next year as I love it there. The reason for the 4 stars is when we went it was really hot, it was too hot to be carrying a lot of stuff around with you and the zoo is huge. I personally think with the entry fee which is expensive for a family or even an individual they need to provide water in random drinking taps around the site. You can only get cans of water, which are expensive, Im sure they could provide water for people instead of making people pay for water. Refreshments of any sort are just too overpriced in my opinion. But as a zoo its the absolute best

Absolutely incredible zoo! Staff are extremely friendly (along with volunteers), the animals and their habitats are amazing!, so much information provided about the animals, environment and how we can help them, you can also see just how dedicated they are to the environment! Would 100% recommend this place to anyone! The only downfall is how big the place is but its a very small price to pay in order for the animals to have incredible habitats!

Love Chester Zoo. Its an absolutely fabulous day out. The cost to visit is very reasonable. I paid just over £25 for 5 adults and that was including a donation as well. The food and drink around the park is about as you would expect for a large venue. A bit pricey for what it is, but there is nothing taking your own picnics with you.We went on quite a hot day as we had already pre booked a while ago. We took water and you can get refills but only in the restaurant places, not the smaller snack bars dotted about. I would say they need to look at getting some self refill water stations about for people to use, to avoid big queues at the food courts and extra pressure on staff.The animals seem very happy and well looked after in their spacious enclosures. You can see how much the staff care for their animals and how much the zoo does for wildlife conservation around the world.

Really good zoo, so many animals to see. There are so many animals here and they have their own enclosures specific to environments they like. The grounds are well kept and the theming is good too. If you like animals you wont get bored here. My favourite is the bat cave as I love how they fly so fast past you and you are able to get so close to them.

Friendly and helpful staff! Huge variety of animals that are part of their conservation efforts. The enclosures get a good balance of visibility while also giving the animals plenty of places to rest out of sight for their welfare. Would definitely recommend for a day out or two!

Highly recommended! Amazing day for the whole family. Apart from usual animals there was also a short boat cruise ⛵and the Butterfly House 🦋. Toilets are at every turn so no need to search for them. I advice to come at ten when the zoo is being opened as it is really huge and you need a couple of hours to enjoy it properly.

Wow. Amazing zoo. Really well laid out. Fantastic variety of animals. Plenty of stops for snacks etc. Reasonably priced. Family of 4 from 13 to 48...all enjoyed. Book online recommended.

This was a fantastic day out seeing all the wonderful animals. I hired a scooter free to get round with a friend. The weather was rainy at first but cleared up after lunch. I can recommend this excursion highly.

Absolutely LOVED the zoo!! No wait to get in we went on a Monday. There was a groups of schools sadly but they did leave around 2pm! We were there from 10am till close at 5pm and we only just managed to see all the exhibits. Our fave was bats!

Absolutely love Chester zoo, theres so much to do for everyone and its not super expensive. Food is good, decent portions, well priced.You will likely need 2 or 3 days to see and do everything properly unless you intend to sprint around.Weve been 5 years ago and its nice to see they continue to keep the standards of conservation and animal care high

I love Chester zoo been many times over the years, all the animals are very well looked after and have really big enclosures, and it is massive you definitely need to get there as soon as it opens to see everything,I would recommend going the butterfly Cave its amazing. Its definitely worth the money 100% we booked our tickets online which makes it much easier and sometimes you save money doing it that way. I think everyone should visit Chester zoo.

Great habitats, animals so well looked after, Sadly massively over crowded, queues to get into everything.Except the islands boat ride, well for us anyway.... Now we were allowed to skip the queues because my Mum was in a wheelchair. Not just sent to another entrance, but actually skipped the queues which personally I think is unfair. Thing is my Mum is disabled yes, but by older age and arthritis, I on the other hand am registered disabled due to a failed spinal fusion. But because I walk with a stick I wouldnt have been able to skip the queues, yet for me waiting in a queue = severe pain. Not that, I would want to skip ahead of the queue, but being able to sit and wait would make all the difference, whilst my Mum would be quite happy waiting in her wheelchair in a queue! Disability is more than just wheelchairs... Rant over.Missed loads on this visit due to the crowds, and found a number of the vendors to be under staffed. Queued 20 mins at one vendor only to find out the coffee machine was out of order when we got to the front of the queue, no notice outside, but then with only 1 staff member they probably had no chance to do anything!!Still love Chester Zoo, and support their animal conservation, but this visit was sadly not the best.

Took a big gulp when forking out for the entrance fee (best to book online because you do jump the queuebut after just under seven hours of brilliant family time we had only just seen everything. Animals in excellent condition, enclosures spacious and you can get surprisingly close. Some really terrific new experiences - the bat exhibit is unlike anything we have seen before, for example, and I don’t remember getting such nice views of bears and monkeys anywhere else before and they all seemed to be having a fun time! There are also very nice flower beds and other plants, plus some ponds and larger bits of water - the gardening team seem to really know what they are doing, and again, all the plants seemed to be in very healthy condition.All three generations of our family felt the zoo had exceeded expectations and that the money was actually very good value (takes a lot for my mother to say that!).Trying really hard to think of a criticism… the aquarium exhibit seemed less modern and less interesting when compared to other parts.We went on a day which had some sun but showers, too - that isn’t a problem, there are indoor parts too and it was probably a little less busy because of the mixed forecast. You can buy food and drink, and it isn’t too awfully priced considering they have you as a captive audience, but there are also many good places to sit and eat a picnic - lots of picnic benches, often with a nice view. We took sandwiches but bought coffees/ice creams and that seemed to work well.A good sense that the zoo is doing a lot towards science and conservation.From what I could see there were no obvious issues with access for wheelchair or mobility scooter users and there were plenty of staff around to ask for assistance or directions. The free zoo app works pretty well and is worth downloading.

Chester Zoo should be renamed to Chester Animal Sanctuary. A great day out for all ages, filled with numerous, well-kept animals to keep everyone entertained for the whole day.Plenty of food and drink facilities, with lots of tables too which is rare for an attraction of this popularity.

Excellent, one of, if not the best, animal attractions in the country, even the weather couldnt put us off, although a lot of the animals thought differently, and decided not to make an appearance. Impossible to do it justice in one day, this place is vast. Having followed the TV shows and social media, was eager to experience it first hand and it didnt dissapoint.The app is great, would recommend this, but some of the signage is a little confusing.Will definitely be going back as soon as possible.Looking forward to it already.

Brilliant place. Lots to see, loads of space. Personal favourite was the bats - very interesting indeed! Souvenir shop fairly priced too. Bought tickets online and sailed pretty much straight through into the park. Free parking - bonus! There was face painting stalls popped up all over the place, at £6 per face painted....

One of our favourite places to visit, we are fortunate enough to live locally and have had memberships for many years. Has to be the best zoo in the UK. Brilliant friendly staff and animals all in fantastic health, large spacious enclosures, plenty amenities and never a dull day . 5☆

This place is amazing. Lots of animals to see.... Some not so easy to see like the big cats as theyre hiding and also beautiful plants. Lots of places to eat that are dotted around the Zoo at ok prices. There is a bus from Chester centre that takes you right to the entrance of the zoo for £5.30 return i think it was. I would definitely go again and I highly recommend it to everyone.

One of the best zoos I have been to. There is a LOT of walking and it will take all day to get round. The animals look very well cared for. Their enclosures seem spacious and there are plenty of places for the animals to find shelter, if us visitors annoy them too much.Most of the animals were easy to spot, I think the tiger was the only one we didnt manage to see. Definitely worth the visit. Baby orangutans are adorable to watch.

Beautiful Zoo...Been about 7 yrs since we last visited.The Animal enclosures are so spacious, the Animals look in excellent condition.We were surprised at how much seating and eating areas there was. Had a lovely day, spent 4 hrs there, its a lot of walking, but like I said, theres plenty of places to sit and rest. We came across 3 kids play areas.We had a picnic, only bought coffee & ice cream while there, and the gift shop items were good quality.... Would highly recommend. 5*.

Such a great day out- absolutely loads to see and the constant kiosks along the paths selling ice creams and drinks were a great touch. The animal enclosures were all big and full of nature and seeing elephants and monkeys so close up was amazing! Couldn’t recommend enough

I mean whats not to like about a zoo right?!?!? kids loved it, I loved it, was a real fun day. Saw plenty of animals, the best ones for me always has to be the elephants and giraffes. such majestic animals. Was lovely and clean and kept tidy. My only complaint with zoos is the amount of walking you have to do, but again its all part of the experience!!

Quite busy and lots of crowds, sadly didnt have time to see all the animals we wanted to.Reasonable entry fee, park was clean and in good order, and many staff members around to ask questions.Animals seemed happy and well cared for in interesting and engaging environments

Lovely day, got there for opening time. Very organised parking and entry without delays. Park was busy but only to be expected as it was a bank holiday. There was plenty places to sit and eat your own food. Sand pit and water play for the tiny ones which was nice as the weather was good. We saw the majority of the animals without issue. The park was clean, staff helpful and would definitely recommend. The only reason for not giving 5*was the cost as for a family it was quite expensive. Well done though Chester zoo.

Wow, an amazing zoo! It has been on my bucket list for a few years now, but I live 4 1/2 hours away. Weekend in Chester to accommodate.Fantastic enclosures. Amazing displays and so much to see and do. Just about got round once in 7.5 hours.

Superb family day out, weather made it even better. Almost missed half of the zoo and was glad we caught the better half (the islandsan hour or so before closing. So much to see and learn about. Worth every penny!

Absolutely amazing place to visit.Stayed in a nearby hotel the night before and arrived for opening time the next day so me and my family could spend the day exploring and we were not disappointed! Even when the weather was not so good, we found plenty of areas covered over with animals to see and had a fantastic day for my little ones birthday. The staff were fantastic and very helpful and each one of them saw my daughters badge and wished her a happy birthday 🙂. Theres lots of places to eat on your way round and the gift shops are great and fairly priced too. We will certainly be going back in the future.

Visited on a Sunday, there was no queue to enter and plenty of food and drink places to go or places to sit down and eat if you bring a picnic. Staff were friendly and helpful all over the grounds. If going for the first time you would definitely need all day to cover the whole place.

We had an amazing day out, lots of interesting (and adorableanimals. We loved the "Islands" portion of the zoo, and the food there was better than it had any right to be! We would definitely recommend it.

A wonderful day out with my kids. The map was easy to follow around the zoo. Manage to see most of the animals..the staff were friendly and I would most definitely recommend this zoo for a great day out for both kids and adults

One of my favourite places to visit. The animals all look really well cared for. Chester zoo do an amazing job of educating people and conservation of animals. The animals all have plenty of enrichment and loads of room. Got to see pretty much everything while we were there. The staff and volunteers were all brilliant too. Cant wait to come back again in the future!

It was a great day. Weather was windy and most animals were either inside or asleep, but we brought 3 kids and they all loved it. The animals that were out and active were still interesting and made it worth it. Might give a 5-star when covid restrictions are up and ALL areas are open again.

Fantastic day out. The zoo is set out over a large area so be prepared to walk, however there are lots of benches along the paths so you can sit down. I use a mobility walker and access was superb in all areas of the zoo. The Butterfly House was a highlight! We ate in the "Junes Kitchen" food court. We chose burgers and was impressed at the quality and quantity of the food. Definitely a good day out for all the family.