The London Zoo has long been a favorite with children, but the decision to open the zoo for a series of adult-only nights (“Zoo Lates”) every summer has been a roaring success with big kids too! London Zoo is currently gearing up for another season of Zoo Lates, which will take place between 6 pm-10 pm every Friday night in June and July.
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Spending the evening at the zoo with other adults is one of my favorite evenings out in London. It makes a nice, quirky change from spending your evening in the pub.
Giraffe Eating Leaves at London Zoo © William Warby
If you’re in London this summer be sure to give it a go — and buy your tickets early before it sells out!
When You Get There …
Once you get through the main gate you can choose to visit over 750 species of animal, from hippos and tigers, to butterflies and monkeys. As well as wandering around at your leisure, there are special feeding times throughout the evening so you can catch giraffes having their dinner or admire the lions enjoying a snack.
There are snacks for the adults, too! Mojito, Pimms and Champagne bars are dotted around so you can enjoy a cocktail or two as you travel between wallabies and emus towards bearded pigs and camels.
And once you have your drink, why not head to the “silent disco,” where you can dance the night away without any music upsetting the animals. It’s undoubtedly quite surreal, but totally genius at the same time.
Don’t Miss …
One of the zoo’s newest attractions is the Gorilla Kingdom. Set within a forest, you will walk through an African aviary before reaching the gorilla tracking trail.
Be sure to make it to the Penguin Beach for feeding time! Yes, you read that right, it’s a beach for penguins and probably the most popular attraction at the zoo. Get there early as limited numbers are allowed in at feeding time.
Animal lovers will be in their element at the “Animal Adventure,” where you can actually crawl along tunnels and pop up into the meerkat enclosure.
With only adults around, it’s both acceptable to behave like a kid and quite liberating, too.
How Much?
It’s not the cheapest night out if you pay full whack, with individual tickets priced at £25. However, early birds will be rewarded as there are currently a select number of tickets on sale for £10 each. Visit the website for more information.
Groups of 10 or more also receive big discounts of over 50%.
Address
London Zoo
Regent’s Park
London NW1 4RY
Tube: Camden Town
Website