We had a fabulous day a Twycross zoo using tickets we had as part of the fantastic stay play and explore package.
Twycross zoo was easy to find and there is a large car park on site offering free parking.
As we had prepaid tickets we made our way past the normal queue which was quite lengthy to the fast track queue at the front. The fast pass lane was well manned and we were through in a few minutes.
As you enter the zoo you walk through the Himalaya centre which offers food and drink, gift shop, soft play, toilets and ant farm.
The zoo is split into a number of different zones featuring a wide range of animals from around the world.
Despite the crowds it never felt crowded and we were able to see the animals in their enclosures as nearly all the sides are open for viewing. Most animals have access to both indoor and outdoor enclosures during the day, and most of the indoor animal houses are open to the public.
Twycross Zoo is famous for having one of the best ape and primate collections with the largest collection of apes and monkeys in the western world with gorillas, orangutans, marmosets, spider monkeys including the UK’s only group of bonobos.
We loved visiting the apes. The noise was incredible. It was fascinating listening to all the different noises from the different species, all determined to win who is the loudest screaming contest.
We actually thought there were police sirens in the zoo but in fact it was the noise that the apes were making. The gibbons were funny and very noisy, swinging from rope to rope and calling on the other monkeys causing mischief.
A famous fact is that Twycross zoo is also still home to the chimpanzees from the famous PG tips adverts.
Twycross is a great zoo to view some of the most endangered animals on the planet such as the Bornean orangutans, Amur leopards, Asian elephants, snow leopards, meerkats, Humboldt penguins, western lowland gorillas, giant Aldabran tortoises and the UK’s only breeding group of bonobos. There were over 18 different species of monkey to see and 5 different species of lemur.
The lemur walkway was a good chance to walk through and see them in their environment and almost face to face. The children loved the lemurs as they were holding their arms out sunbathing.
Our favourite animals were the elephants; there were 3 adult elephants and a baby elephant. Seeing the elephants up close definitely pulled on our heart strings as the baby elephant called out from its trunk to the other elephants and they all took a drink from the water area and blew the water out of their trunks.
The elephant creek area of the zoo looks as though it has been refurbished has been thought out really well with some great vantage points to see these fantastic animals.
This was beside the giraffes; they also have an outdoor enclosure and a great viewing point if they are outside. However on our visit it must have been too cold for them as they didn’t want to venture outside!
The best time to see an animal is when they are being fed, so check out the daily activities and feeding times here.
Although the main attractions of Twycross zoo is its primates there was still plenty of other animals to keep the girls interested such as zebras, leopards, meerkats, otters, South American coyotes, hyenas, penguins, kangaroos, prairie dogs and a large selection of birds and reptiles.
The butterfly forest was a hit with the girls and was on our list of must see attractions and we weren’t disappointed. They loved it in there and this attraction was one of the best we have visited in the UK. It was fascinating to learn the life cycle of a butterfly from egg to pupae, and then caterpillar to butterfly.
Twycross zoo is good for families of all ages as it is all flat and buggy friendly and there is plenty of open space and play areas for children to enjoy along with the animal attractions.
We found a number of play parks areas that the girls loved and we had to coax them away from along with a lovely splash park that looked like great fun especially if you were visiting in the warmer summer months.
The children enjoyed Pets at Twycross where there is a selection of guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, goats, corn snakes, chinchilla, rats, miniature donkeys and a bearded dragon.
We found the food outlets a bit disappointing and expensive. There was a range of eateries on site which were very busy with long queues and no seating available. The eateries on site included a pizza place, Dome Cafe, Twycross Fish Bar, and several open grassy areas and benches for picnics. There is also an indoor picnic area if it is raining or cold.
As you exit through the gift shop there is a selection of gifts and souvenirs including cuddly toys, stationary, books, food and clothing. By purchasing from the gift shop you are helping Twycross Zoo to support conservation projects all over the world.
We went to Twycross zoo as part of a package we booked through Stayplayexplore which is run by Leicestershire County Council. We found it extremely good value for money as we had one night’s accommodation at the Leicester Marriott hotel with breakfast and then the choice of 3 attractions out of a possible 10 to choose from.
The cost of the package was £139 for 2 adults and 2 children inclusive of hotel stay, breakfast and the choice of 3 attractions which we thought was fantastic value.
Our family of four visited Twycross Zoo, King Richard 111 Visitor centre, Leicester and National Space Centre, Leicester. You can read our reviews here.
There is a choice of overnight accommodation including breakfast at a choice of four nearby hotels such as Hinckley Island Hotel, Marriot Leicester, Hilton Leicester, and Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa.
If you are planning a trip to the zoo and have not booked as a package take advantage of booking online and saved 5% on the price of the tickets and also beat the queues at the gate by printing off your ticket in advance.
We highly recommend a trip to Twycross Zoo and is a great day out for families. It’s a fantastic zoo and we had a fun day with lots of animals to see.