How to get cheap zoo tickets for London Zoo, Chester Zoo, plus more

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Our guides to Alton Towers tickets deals, cheap Thorpe Park tickets, and LEGOLAND Windsor deals make it easier to plan an affordable adventure.

Now, it’s time to explore cheap zoo tickets! After all, a day at one of the best UK zoos is always a guaranteed winner for kids and grown-ups alike.

When visiting a zoo, the most important thing to consider is where the money goes.

Every zoo featured here is dedicated to vital conservation work. London Zoo, for example, has helped reintroduce the world’s smallest snails and cares for endangered species like Sumatran tigers, while Twycross Zoo is the only zoo in the UK that looks after all four species of great ape.

Ready to find the best zoo deals?

Best UK zoo deals at a glance:

Can you buy zoo tickets on the door?

Yes, you can buy zoo tickets on the door.

However, like we've seen with attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures and Warwick Castle, it's more expensive if you buy tickets on the gate in comparison to purchasing in advance.

Our friends at RadioTimes.com have put together a guide on how to get cheap Warwick Castle tickets.

How to find cheap zoo tickets

Girl with face paint watching animals — Images By Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images

We've put together a list of top tips which will help you find cheap tickets to the zoo, and these should be universal across all UK zoos, not just London Zoo.

Pre-book your zoo tickets. As we mentioned earlier, it's often cheaper to pre-book your tickets rather than buy them at the gate. For example, at London Zoo, a Standard Weekend Child ticket will set you back £23.10 when you book online, whereas a Standard Weekend Child ticket costs £24.50 at the gate.
Select your day wisely. Like with a lot of things, it's cheaper to visit the zoo at an off-peak weekday rather than a weekend. For example, an Off Peak Weekday Adult ticket will cost you £27 at London Zoo, whereas a Standard Weekend Adult ticket will cost you £36.30.
Book as a group to save money. If there are a few of your parents who are looking to take your little ones to the zoo — perhaps you're making the most of the current spring half-term holidays — it's cheaper to book as a group rather than individual tickets. For example, at London Zoo, you can save 15% when you book in a group of 15 people or more.
Travel by public transport. Not only is public transport better for the environment than travelling by car, but you can also make use of a two-for-one discount when you catch the train; get two-for-one entry to London Zoo when you travel via National Rail.
Make use of eligible discounts. If you claim Universal Credit or you're eligible for Blue Light or Military discount, you might be able to secure cheaper tickets at UK zoos. For example, if you receive Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, you'll be able to buy Whipsnade Zoo tickets for as little as £3 per person.

For more Days Out guides, take a look at our National Trust family membership explainer.

Best UK zoo deals: Cheap zoo tickets and offers

Boy and girl with a deer — Rebecca Nelson via Getty Images

Save when you book in advance at UK zoos

What's the deal: As we find with other UK attractions, such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, it's cheaper when you buy tickets in advance online in comparison to buying them at the gate.

Why we chose it: If you know what day you're visiting the zoo — and we know a lot of you have your school holiday plans organised to a T — then this saving is a no-brainer.

Get 25% off an annual pass at Twycross Zoo

What's the deal: Save 25% on the Twycross Zoo annual memberships: Annual Ticket, Annual Pass+, and Conservation Membership (which is coming very soon!).

Why we chose it: Each membership has 12 months of Twycross Zoo adventures, as well as perks such as free parking, free seasonal events, plus discounts at the gift shop, Soft Play Jungle, and food and drinks.

Buy a London Zoo membership to save on the ticket price

What's the deal: Our team's favourite animals range from goats and horses to elephants and pandas, some of which you're more likely to find at the zoo than others! If you and your family are big animal lovers, you'll probably frequent the zoo more than once a year. Luckily for you, London Zoo offers annual memberships, which will work out cheaper if you visit the zoo often. We've broken down the price for you below.

Why we chose it: A gift membership for one adult and four children will cost £220, whereas a single adult ticket will cost £33 and a single child ticket will cost £23.10, taking the total price to £125.40, meaning you only have to visit the zoo twice to get your money's worth.

Plus, it's worth noting there are other memberships on the London Zoo site, too, so you can tailor-make it to your family.

Buy a London Zoo membership to save on the ticket price

Flexible tickets at Virgin Experience Days

What's the deal: Virgin Experience Days offers zoo and safari experiences at popular UK zoos such as Whipsnade Zoo, Chester Zoo, Belfast Zoo, and London Zoo. The fantastic thing about Virgin Experience Days is that once you buy a voucher, you have 12 months to redeem it.

Why we chose it: As we mentioned earlier, we know some of you parents love to plan your school holiday activities in advance, however, we know that some parents like to choose activities as their (and their children's) mood takes them, and there can also be circumstances, such as illness or weather that prevents you visiting the attraction you'd planned.

Shop flexible zoo and safari tickets at Virgin Experience Days

Here's how you can get CBeebies Rainbow Adventure tickets today.

Bundle London attractions at Headout

What's the deal: When you buy London Zoo tickets at the activity website Headout, you can choose to add one or two London experiences with your ticket, and these experiences include famous attractions such as Kew Gardens, London Aquarium, London Eye, and The Tower of London.

Why we chose it: If you're visiting the capital city from elsewhere, this bundle option at Headout is a fantastic way to make your family day out even more special.

Bundle London attractions at Headout

Two-for-one London Zoo tickets with National Rail

What's the deal: Travel by train and secure two-for-one London Zoo tickets!

To claim your tickets, simply request '2FOR1 discount codes' on the Days Out Guide website, before pre-booking your '2FOR1' entry tickets. You'll then need to present your zoo admission tickets and valid train tickets on arrival at London Zoo.

Why we chose it: Here's a fun fact for you: Did you know that since 1994, London Zoo has co-ordinated the conservation breeding programmes for 25 species of particular snails in 16 zoos worldwide? Just like the work London Zoo does with its conservation, it's important that we think about how to better impact the environment, too, and taking public transport is one of the ways to do that.

Get two-for-one London Zoo tickets with National Rail

Get Dartmoor Zoo tickets from just £18 at daysout.co.uk

What's the deal: You can book tickets to Dartmoor Zoo, which is located in Plymouth, from just £18 when you purchase via the daysout.co.uk website.

Why we chose it: Just some of the highlights at Dartmoor Zoo include: Over 70 different species live here, such as tigers, zebra, and monkeys, there are daily talks and feeding sessions, plus 33 acres of beautiful gardens to explore.

Get Dartmoor Zoo tickets from just £18 at daysout.co.uk

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Laura Wybrow