Bristol Zoo Gardens
Bristol Zoo Gardens
4
This location was reported permanently closed
About
Discover over 400 species of exotic and endangered animals from across the globe at Bristol Zoo Gardens, all set within award-winning gardens spanning over 12 acres. Journey into an amazing animal kingdom and get closer than ever before with spectacular immersive experiences. Marvel at a gorilla family strolling overhead in our glass-floored gorilla house. Journey underwater to watch seals and penguins zoom around you. Go nocturnal in Twilight World, pop up among our cheeky meerkat mob, or walk through the leafy home of the lemurs. Kids are free to run wild at our adventure playground and water play-area Splash, or enjoy face-painting* and crafts galore in the Activity Centre from 11am to 4.30pm every day. Big and little adventurers alike can also climb, clamber and swing through the air in our thrilling aerial ropes course ZooRopia.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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189
Clare P
Stourbridge, UK3 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
Came to visit Bristol zoo on August 14th for the first time, and what a let down it was.
Me and my friend travelled 80 miles to check out the zoo and we both regret that decision.
When you first walk in the zoo your greeted by a beautiful male lion, during our arrival he looked so sad in his tiny enclosure, infact me and my friend couldn't bare to look at him for to long because it was absolutely heart breaking, shame on you Bristol zoo for the poor conditions of the lion enclosure,
The food isn't worth the over priced tag, me and my friend had a very dry vegan pasty, it seemed as though the pasty had been lying around in the oven for hours just for it to dry out.
We both saw more Lego animals than real animals, half the enclosures were closed, we must of only seen about 5 different variety of animal, no word of a lie, we both understand we did visit during a pandemic but it was just a joke how many enclosures were closed.
Seriously not worth the time or money, worst zoo by far that I've visited.
When we both left the zoo my friend addressed our concerns to one of the female staff workers at the desk, and he asked if we could possible get a free return ticket as everything was shut, all she could offer was buying a membership ticket which could be used all year round, which would actually mean spending more.
This zoo seems to be a money grabbing zoo, would not recommend.
Me and my friend travelled 80 miles to check out the zoo and we both regret that decision.
When you first walk in the zoo your greeted by a beautiful male lion, during our arrival he looked so sad in his tiny enclosure, infact me and my friend couldn't bare to look at him for to long because it was absolutely heart breaking, shame on you Bristol zoo for the poor conditions of the lion enclosure,
The food isn't worth the over priced tag, me and my friend had a very dry vegan pasty, it seemed as though the pasty had been lying around in the oven for hours just for it to dry out.
We both saw more Lego animals than real animals, half the enclosures were closed, we must of only seen about 5 different variety of animal, no word of a lie, we both understand we did visit during a pandemic but it was just a joke how many enclosures were closed.
Seriously not worth the time or money, worst zoo by far that I've visited.
When we both left the zoo my friend addressed our concerns to one of the female staff workers at the desk, and he asked if we could possible get a free return ticket as everything was shut, all she could offer was buying a membership ticket which could be used all year round, which would actually mean spending more.
This zoo seems to be a money grabbing zoo, would not recommend.
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear you felt disappointed during your recent visit.
Animal welfare and safety is of paramount importance at Bristol Zoo. Our experienced team of animal keepers and in-house veterinary staff have looked after and bred Asiatic lions for many years now and can confirm that our male, Sahee and our female, Sonika are not stressed and are able to display the full range of their natural behaviours in their home.
Lions are surprisingly undemanding on the amount of space they need or use. The size of lion territories in the wild depends on availability of food; territories are quite small where there is plentiful food and larger when food is not so readily available.
Sahee and Sonika’s home is actually bigger than it looks at 787 square metres in size. There are quiet off-show dens where they can go to rest and spend time away from the main paddock. There are other areas they can tuck themselves away if they wish, with rocks and a sand pit where the pair can play.
Thank you for the feedback regarding the food offer, I will make sure that this is fed back to our catering managers.
We have had to keep certain areas closed to visitors either because it is impossible to maintain social distancing at present in those locations or because they include, by their nature, multiple high-frequency touch points. This is to ensure that everyone is safe throughout their visit. You can find details of closures on our 'Zoo Updates' page on our website and lots of informative links can be found in the 'important information' section at the top of the bookings page online which will advise about what to expect from your visit.
We of course want to reopen the areas which are currently closed as soon as possible, but we will only do this once it is safe to do so. We are constantly reviewing the situation and government guidance in the hope that we can make changes required to expand the experience for our visitors. In the meantime we are so thankful to be able to welcome visitors again and for the wonderful support we have received during this very challenging time.
Thank you for supporting us and our conservation work through your visit.
Written August 26, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
GFW
16 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Coming with two children under 12 and an 86 year old I was apprehensive about enough seating, walking distances and food availability. I checked the website in detail before coming. It is absolutely not made clear that there are no covered seating areas and actually very limited outdoor seating and since it rained heavily we had no choice but to leave after only an hour and a half. Even more frustrating was that the few covered areas to shelter from the rain were cordoned off. See picture. We had also paid for Zooropia which was wasted as we had nowhere dry to wait for our time slot. This was a very frustrating trip and very overpriced for what we saw. Chester Zoo in comparison is only a few pounds more and much more is open including play areas and many covered seating areas. Bristol Zoo, I know this is a really difficult time for you all but more clarity on your website along with some undercover outdoor seating for visitors would have made our experience a WHOLE lot better. Sorry.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear that the limited seating caused difficulties on your visit.
The area in the picture is not much shelter from the rain (trellis roofing) and cordoned-off to ensure that people can social distance when moving from takeaway areas onto the main lawn to eat food.
We have an undercover picnic area with several benches not far from ZooRopia which has been available to use from the end of July. More recently we have been able to re-open The Hide restaurant for sit-in service. I'm sorry if neither of these were in place when you visited, as I can empathise with your frustration.
We are so thankful that we are able to welcome visitors back and we have been opening up more areas as soon as it has been safe for us to do so and following government guidance. We have also been listening to visitor feedback and making improvements to experience where safely possible as a result, so thank you for taking the time to share yours with us.
Thank you also for supporting us and our conservation work during this difficult time and I hope you will be able to visit in the future and have a better experience.
Written September 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Megan M
Aldershot, UK6 contributions
Aug 2020
My husband and I are currently doing a holiday of visiting 8 zoos in the UK. This was our 4th zoo and it was the worst. As a few other reviews have mentioned, the first thing you see is the lions and they look miserable. Their enclosure is tiny compared to every other zoo we have been to, both this trip and in the past. We felt the same throughout our visit with the other animals. We also noticed that the penguins appeared to be hiding up in the corner away from the water. This is very unusual in our experience, there have always been a few in the water no matter the weather. It seems likely this is due to the water being dirty or something.
We accidentally booked 4 tickets for 2 of us and asked if we could have a gift card for their shop but were told they could only give us return tickets. Pretty useless as we will never return.
Parking is £4.50 for all day, but we saw everything in an hour so is expensive.
The whole vibe of this zoo is that they want your money and there does not seem to be much consideration for animal welfare. It felt like the zoo was for human entertainment rather than conservation of these animals.
We accidentally booked 4 tickets for 2 of us and asked if we could have a gift card for their shop but were told they could only give us return tickets. Pretty useless as we will never return.
Parking is £4.50 for all day, but we saw everything in an hour so is expensive.
The whole vibe of this zoo is that they want your money and there does not seem to be much consideration for animal welfare. It felt like the zoo was for human entertainment rather than conservation of these animals.
Written August 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback.
It is disappointing to hear that you have left with a negative impression with regards to animal welfare, as the wellbeing of all of our animals, staff and visitors is of the highest priority to us.
Our animals live in specially designed enclosures which mimic their natural habitats as closely as possible and have lots of enrichment elements to encourage natural behaviours. We are continually monitoring our animal welfare measures to ensure that our animals are happy and content.
Our penguins are very well cared for and enjoy their enclosure and all of the interesting elements within it. Sometimes they enjoy a good swim, other times they like to huddle together on the rocks, especially just before feeding time! I can assure you that the water is just as the penguins like it, carefully maintained by our dedicated team, and they love to swim in it.
Our experienced team of animal keepers and in-house veterinary staff have looked after and bred Asiatic lions for many years now and can confirm that our male, Sahee and our female, Sonika are not stressed and are able to display the full range of their natural behaviours in their home.
Lions are surprisingly undemanding on the amount of space they need or use. The size of lion territories in the wild depends on availability of food; territories are quite small where there is plentiful food and larger when food is not so readily available.
Sahee and Sonika’s home is actually bigger than it looks at 787 square metres in size. There are quiet off-show dens where they can go to rest and spend time away from the main paddock. There are other areas they can tuck themselves away if they wish, with rocks and a sand pit where the pair can play.
We are a registered charity and all profits made go towards taking care of our animals and the conservation projects we undertake around the globe, protecting animal habitats and saving wildlife.
I appreciate that you care about the welfare of our animals and I hope that my explanation has gone some way to alleviate your concerns.
Thank you for supporting us and our worthy conservation aims through your visit!
Written September 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Carrie-Ann S
Wiltshire, UK13 contributions
Aug 2020
Over half of the zoo is closed due to Covid measures. Whilst this information is on their website, it's not very obvious and should be made a lot clearer, perhaps big bold text on the first page of their website. Paying full price to spend less than an hour at the zoo was very disappointing. There was so little to see we didn't even take any pictures! However, having visited Bristol Zoo in 'normal' times, I know it is usually a great day out, but for now I strongly advise you to avoid wasting your money.
Written August 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear that you left disappointed.
Certain areas are out of bounds currently, either because it is impossible to maintain social distancing at present in those locations or because they include, by their nature, multiple high-frequency touch points. This is to ensure that everyone is safe throughout their visit.
Full details of closures are on the first page of our website, under the main banner, in 'Zoo Updates' and a link to this page is clearly communicated in the 'important information' section at the top of the bookings page.
We are pleased to have been able to open up two new enclosures in the last two weeks as well as The Hide restaurant for sit-in service which will enhance visitor experience.
It's lovely to hear that you have visited us and enjoyed yourself in the past and we thank you for supporting us during this difficult time, allowing us to stay open and to continue our conservation work.
Written September 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Liam B
Manchester, UK19 contributions
Jul 2021
From what I understand Bristol Zoo is trying to move to a new site from 2024. Unfortunately it seems like many of the animals have already moved. Many of the enclosures seem to be empty or not accessible to the public. Almost all of the larger animals seem to be gone. The enclosures that are lift also seem to be somewhat old and in need of repair. I understand the upkeep required for animals is expensive and the limited numbers of people allowed in will also be a problem, but charging full price for half a zoo seems very steep. I recommend waiting until the new zoo opens
Though I did enjoy the nocturnal enclosure and the tree Kangaroo.
Though I did enjoy the nocturnal enclosure and the tree Kangaroo.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback.
We have not yet relocated any of our animals over to the Wild Place site and do not intend to until we are closed to visitors at Bristol Zoo Gardens late 2022. There is still some movement of animals both to and from the site according to regular breeding programmes etc. but we still have over 300 species of animal onsite from gorillas, lions, meerkats and lemurs, to penguins, seals, flamingos and giant tortoises, so there is plenty to see.
Our enclosures are well-maintained and animal welfare is of the highest priority. We ensure that each animal is in a space that closely mimics natural habitats and allows them to display their full range of behaviours in their homes.
Nearly all of our enclosures have now reopened to visitors and you can find a full list of up-to-date closures on our website updates page. We are following government guidance and will reopen more as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
We did not implement planned price increases this year as a reflection of Covid restrictions in place. Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wild Place Project are both run by Bristol Zoological Society which is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work at both zoos, but also its conservation work around the world.
Thank you for supporting us through your visit!
Written July 14, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
EllieMariposa
17 contributions
Aug 2020
We visited with a toddler, it was his first visit to a zoo and he loved it! A few exhibits were closed, but given that we're in the midst of a global pandemic that's understandable. The zoo has clearly worked hard to make the experience as safe as possible for visitors, but there was still plenty on offer (lions, gorilla, monkeys, penguins, seals, meerkats...). We spent a fun afternoon there and the fact that there were restricted visitor numbers meant that we could take our time, and there was less waiting for a good spot to view the more popular animals.
If you're expecting the "normal" zoo experience then you may be disappointed, but I felt we got good value for money given the current situation. Plus if we don't support attractions like this now, then they may not be around when things go back to "normal".
If you're expecting the "normal" zoo experience then you may be disappointed, but I felt we got good value for money given the current situation. Plus if we don't support attractions like this now, then they may not be around when things go back to "normal".
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It's lovely to hear you had a great day with us! Thank you for your positive feedback, we're glad you found there was plenty to see and appreciated the reduced capacity. We are doing everything we can to ensure a safe and fun visit for everyone.
Thank you for supporting our conversation work through your visit!
Written August 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charlene W
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
PARKING!!!!I would not recommend going by car, we arrived an hour before our allocated time only to sit in traffic for 45 minutes on the main road trying to get to the car park, then when we got to the gate we was told no spaces. No organisation skills this has always been an issue for this zoo, had to park down a side road and pay £5 but could only park for 5 hours so we was on a time limit.
FOOD!!! Waited in line again for 20 minutes to be seated ordered our food and paid to then have to wait a whole hour for it to arrive, food was ok but not worth the money we normally bring our own but thought we’d try the food this time around, I would definitely recommend bring your own food. The zoo itself was fantastic just no skills in anythink else. Sorry Bristol zoo this has really been a let down for our family of 5 we will be going elsewhere next time as too much messing about all in all waited 2.5 hours for things so wasted half or our day 😤😡
FOOD!!! Waited in line again for 20 minutes to be seated ordered our food and paid to then have to wait a whole hour for it to arrive, food was ok but not worth the money we normally bring our own but thought we’d try the food this time around, I would definitely recommend bring your own food. The zoo itself was fantastic just no skills in anythink else. Sorry Bristol zoo this has really been a let down for our family of 5 we will be going elsewhere next time as too much messing about all in all waited 2.5 hours for things so wasted half or our day 😤😡
Written July 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. It's lovely that you describe our zoo as fantastic! We love our zoo and have lots of passionate and skillful individuals in our teams across the site.
I am sorry that there was a queue for parking when you arrived. During peak times such as summer holidays this is very common, especially for popular morning slots. We do our best to park visitors up as quickly as possible and direct people to on-street parking if the car parks are full. Obviously we are bound by the road layout and geography of the site but I appreciate that this was not a smooth start to the day for you.
On-street is also free at weekends and bank holidays and there tends to be plenty of spaces on surrounding streets. The day rate for our car parks is £4.50 so comparable with the £5 rate for on-street so a recommended alternative when busy. The average duration of a zoo visit is 2-3 hours so the 5 hour time limit for on-street should allow plenty of time to explore our zoo.
I am sorry to hear that there was such a long wait for food, an hour seems unusually excessive even for our busiest times so I will be sure to pass on this feedback to catering managers.
It has been a challenge adapting to all the changes through the months of the pandemic, whilst ensuring an excellent visitor experience and we are so thankful that we now have so much open within the zoo. We are always reviewing the way we do things and improving as we go, so welcome any ideas and suggestions our visitors have.
Thank you for supporting us and our conservation work through your visit, it means a lot to us all.
Written July 31, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mikebstravels
Didcot, UK942 contributions
Aug 2020
Visited during Covid and the pre-booking worked well, one way system was a good idea and staff onsite ensuring people followed it. However its a shame a number of areas a closed whilst they still charge full price, although recognise small zoos such as this need the business to survive.
Most exhibits good, personally think the zoo is too small for Lions!
Spent a good couple of hours visiting, would have been much longer if it wasn't for the one way system and closures.
Most exhibits good, personally think the zoo is too small for Lions!
Spent a good couple of hours visiting, would have been much longer if it wasn't for the one way system and closures.
Written September 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I'm glad to hear that you found the one-way system and safety measures in place were effective.
We have recently been able to reopen two more animal enclosures and the play park, with extra COVID compliance measures in place, and we will monitor the situation to ensure everyone is able to visit safely. We have an up-to-date list of closures on our 'Zoo Updates' page on our website.
Our experienced team of animal keepers and in-house veterinary staff have looked after and bred Asiatic lions for many years now and can confirm that our male, Sahee and our female, Sonika are not stressed and are able to display the full range of their natural behaviours in their home.
Lions are surprisingly undemanding on the amount of space they need or use. The size of lion territories in the wild depends on availability of food; territories are quite small where there is plentiful food and larger when food is not so readily available.
Sahee and Sonika’s home is actually bigger than it looks at 787 square metres in size. There are quiet off-show dens where they can go to rest and spend time away from the main paddock. There are other areas they can tuck themselves away if they wish, with rocks and a sand pit where the pair can play.
I appreciate that you care about the welfare of our animals and I hope that my explanation has gone some way to alleviate your concerns.
We are so thankful that we are able to welcome visitors again and I'd like to thank you for supporting us and our conservation work during these difficult times.
Written October 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chris W
Harrogate, UK283 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
First to say, the views of the animals are excellent. We saw lions right in front of us, fur seals up close, fruit bats within inches, gorillas above our heads and much besides. The enclosures are well designed for animals and humans.
However, all the 'human' elements were not that great. They are moving to new site in the next few years and it's needed.
On arrival, the parking is horrendous! They have two car parks and although we booked one of the earliest time slots in the day, we were lucky to get just about the last parking space before they shut the second one as it was full. We have no idea where you are expected to park otherwise! There is some on street parking but again full and 4 hours maximum which isn't enough for the zoo. If you do 'get lucky' and get into the zoo car park, you are charged £4.50, on top of your ticket, for the privilege.
When we had parked there was then a queue to get in. Although we'd pre-booked, there was one queue and only two kiosks open.
You are given a map on entering but it's difficult to follow as the animal silhouettes aren't all obvious and they seem to have actively removed all signposts. The website is rubbish as its mainly about opportunities to spend your money and when you've found the map it's the same as the paper one.
For lunch, we went to the first place we could find, which was The Hide restaurant. This only serves table meals; no sandwiches or takeaways. Although only half full, we would told our food would be an hour, though it arrived in 20 minutes. The child lunch box is good but my burger snd chips was cold. Its also expensive.
As we went round, our 4 year old wanted Ice cream. Unusally there are virtually no catering kiosks but loads of vending machines, most of which were either out of order or so temperamental and difficult to use that one family would fail to get anything out but the next in the queue would be successful.
However, all the 'human' elements were not that great. They are moving to new site in the next few years and it's needed.
On arrival, the parking is horrendous! They have two car parks and although we booked one of the earliest time slots in the day, we were lucky to get just about the last parking space before they shut the second one as it was full. We have no idea where you are expected to park otherwise! There is some on street parking but again full and 4 hours maximum which isn't enough for the zoo. If you do 'get lucky' and get into the zoo car park, you are charged £4.50, on top of your ticket, for the privilege.
When we had parked there was then a queue to get in. Although we'd pre-booked, there was one queue and only two kiosks open.
You are given a map on entering but it's difficult to follow as the animal silhouettes aren't all obvious and they seem to have actively removed all signposts. The website is rubbish as its mainly about opportunities to spend your money and when you've found the map it's the same as the paper one.
For lunch, we went to the first place we could find, which was The Hide restaurant. This only serves table meals; no sandwiches or takeaways. Although only half full, we would told our food would be an hour, though it arrived in 20 minutes. The child lunch box is good but my burger snd chips was cold. Its also expensive.
As we went round, our 4 year old wanted Ice cream. Unusally there are virtually no catering kiosks but loads of vending machines, most of which were either out of order or so temperamental and difficult to use that one family would fail to get anything out but the next in the queue would be successful.
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I'm really glad that you enjoyed discovering all of our amazing animals in their exciting enclosures!
Parking is limited and the £4.50 (£2.50 for members) goes towards our conservation projects and looking after our animals. On-street is £5 for 5 hours and there's plenty of it available. This is also free at weekends and bank holidays. There's also some spaces for free on the Downs during the week.
I'm glad you managed to get a space in our car park. There is a lot of useful information on our website under the 'Visitor Information' section (clear tab for this at the top of the homepage) which has 'getting here' information as well as handy FAQs, site rules, catering information etc.
The queue to get in moves very quickly and is to be expected during the summer holidays but apologies if this felt frustrating.
We have plenty of takeaway options as well as The Hide Restaurant for eat-in. It's great that you were served quickly. We have outlets for ice cream as well as the vending machines, including The Hungry Monkey cafe and gift shop. We also have an ice cream van at busy times.
All of the catering outlets are clearly indicated on the map with a knife and fork symbol. We are printing these in-house in black and white currently due to the regularity of changes implemented due to COVID-related measures but we are hoping to be able to have the colour versions re-introduced soon. Apologies if this made navigating unclear for you.
Thank you for supporting us and our conservation work through your visit!
Written September 1, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BartyLawrence
London, UK83 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We visited today and you are met with a £4.50 charge to park your car straight away. Next up is your online entry £90. (3 adults and 3 kids)
You can’t swap your ticket if it is wet weather.
Cafe shut inside but will serve you food if you sit outside.
Some animal enclosures shut.
We were in and out in less than 90 minutes which works out at over £1 per minute.
Bristol Zoo was brilliant prior to Covid but this time around it was poor.
I wouldn’t recommend as per other comments until things return to some sort of normality.
Pricing HAS to be adjusted.
You can’t swap your ticket if it is wet weather.
Cafe shut inside but will serve you food if you sit outside.
Some animal enclosures shut.
We were in and out in less than 90 minutes which works out at over £1 per minute.
Bristol Zoo was brilliant prior to Covid but this time around it was poor.
I wouldn’t recommend as per other comments until things return to some sort of normality.
Pricing HAS to be adjusted.
Written August 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry to hear you felt disappointed with your visit.
I am sure you can appreciate why certain areas are out of bounds currently, either because it is impossible to maintain social distancing at present in those locations or because they include, by their nature, multiple high-frequency touch points. This is to ensure that everyone is safe throughout their visit.
I understand that the cost of a visit can be expensive for a family but we have taken the decision, like many attractions during this challenging and unprecedented time, to keep the same pricing structure at present and make it very clear on our website what areas remain closed.
You can find up to date details of closures on our 'Zoo Updates' page on our website and lots of informative links can be found in the 'important information' section at the top of the bookings page online which will advise about what to expect from your visit.
We are a registered charity and all profits made go towards taking care of our animals and the conservation projects we undertake around the globe, protecting animal habitats and saving wildlife. This includes money raised from our car park fees, admissions tickets, catering and retail sales.
We feel that there is still a lot to explore and animals to see during your visit and we are looking forward to opening more areas as soon as safely possible to do so.
We are so grateful to be able to welcome visitors back to our zoo and we thank you for supporting us and our conservation work through your visit!
Written September 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Compass group, is the same low standard of food being served to HM soldiers the same as being served at Bristol Zoo?
Written July 9, 2021
Can you take dogs into Bristol zoo?
Written August 1, 2019
We are committed to welcoming all visitors to our zoo but unfortunately this cannot include pets, so unfortunately dogs are not allowed in our zoo.
Dogs registered with an association recognised by ADUK can visit Bristol Zoo Gardens with their registered owner. Feel free to contact us for more information or visit our website to view our FAQs.
Written August 10, 2019
Hi
Planning on visiting on Sunday.
Is it likely that the car parks will be full? If so where is the alternative location?
Many thanks
Written April 19, 2019
When the family and I went recently we got there about 11:45 on a Sunday morning and the North carpark nearest the entrance was full but we got a space in the West car park which is a very short walk away and clearly signed.
However being Easter and with a sunny day predicted I suspect the zoo will be crowded so the only alternative parking is in the surrounding residential streets. Although this is an area of residents parking permits parking is free on Sunday’s and bank holidays.
Written April 19, 2019
Hi Nicola --- I was thinking of visiting Bristol Zoo and read your review!!!!!! ----- You haven't even mentioned the actual Zoo!!! So a very weird review of a Zoo you have given! --- Didn't you realise that you were reviewing a ZOO and not a Cafe!!! Hahaha but perhaps I will just take a packed lunch!!
Written February 18, 2019
It's very good Zoo with excelent breeding programme for endagered breeds . and it's good fun too. We didn't eat there so I can't comment about the cafe .
Written February 19, 2019
It is a very good zoo however why can't the lions be moved up to wildplace where they can feel grass under their feet and have more space ? It seems so cruel to keep them in such a confined space?
Written November 14, 2018
Wildplace is still very much under development so I am not sure what the end intention is for the lions but I volunteered at Bristol Zoo for 17 years, up until recently, so I will ask!
Written November 15, 2018
how much of it is indoors? would it be suitable for a family day out on a rainy day?
Written November 9, 2018
I remember taking my children with my mother it rained all day. The kids had a wonderful day and I remember it with great fondness.
I'm sure you will all enjoy it rain or shine.
Written November 10, 2018
how much of it is indoors? would it be suitable for a family day out on a rainy day?
Written November 9, 2018
There isnt cover for everything, so I would recommend taking a brolly :)
Written November 10, 2018
Is the lion okay I’m worried never saw him only siting up high.
Written August 14, 2018
I m not sure you should ring the zoo and ask 😬
Written August 15, 2018
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