LOCATION – 📍Edinburgh Zoo -134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS
It’s time to share just how amazing our day out at Edinburgh Zoo was.
We planned a complete trip, visiting the Scottish Borders, and we didn’t actually have the zoo on the plan. The original plan was to visit Edinburgh town centre, but we decided it wasn’t all that child-friendly. And we do struggle with certain days out, public places and transport – with a child with SEN needs. We decided the zoo won based on the fact that it was much more child-friendly. And it was the best family decision we’ve ever made. As adults, we had a wonderful day out, and we will never forget the memories made that day!
Let’s dive into the juicy bits
***before you even set off to Edinburgh Zoo
Try to find a discount code. There was a recent ScotRail card discount if you had a child ticket with an adult one. I bought a Kids Pass for £1 and ended up getting 23% off the total cost of 2 adult tickets and 1 child (I will cancel the kids pass now, but every little helps)
Want to read about our other day out adventures? Check out all my posts here
The practical bits – Edinburgh Zoo
Dress accordingly as the zoo is mostly open and on the side of a very steep hill. And in Edinburgh, which means you need to bear in mind the weather. You may need sun cream, good walking shoes, jackets, hats, layers – depending on the time of year you visit.
❤️ Hire the pushchair. Although we have a six-year-old, there is no way she could have done the hills on the day. Hiring the double buggy also allowed us to push our bags around rather than carry them! It was also great to park her up and have somewhere for her to sit, out of the wind! So practical and worth every penny. I miss the pushchair days for the convenience.
Take lunch and snacks with you – although we purchased some coffees, chips and a hot dog (more because it was a chilly day & we needed warmth), we also frequently stopped for snacks and drinks. If the restaurants are busy, you want to have many refuel stops! We needed at least 4-5 stops over our 4-5 hour visit. We packed loads of drinks and needed all of them.
NICE TOUCHES
Take your kids’ fave animal teddy – I don’t know how we did it, but we kept the zoo trip a secret from our little one. We packed her fave red panda teddy and she was over the moon when she got a picture with her teddy and the ACTUAL red panda – #corememory created
MYTH BUSTING
I will be honest, I watched a lot of TikTok reviews before we decided to book the zoo. The TikToks definitely contained lots of varying opinions. But I wouldn’t listen to every opinion out there.
Visiting at busy times VS quieter times – Edinburgh Zoo
❤️ Don’t be put off by busy times. We went at a quiet time. At the time we travelled, schools in Scotland were back at school, and we managed to get a cheap week on the Scottish Borders, with English school holidays differing by a week. BUT lots of sections of the zoo were closed off, and face painting wasn’t there, which we would have loved. There are many wide open parts, so don’t be put off booking in the 6 weeks hols. I imagine the Zoo isn’t that overcrowded, because people can spread out. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
Transport to Edinburgh Zoo
❤️ Look at The Holiday Inn – next time we visit, I’m staying in the hotel, which is right on top of the zoo and you get free parking (usually £4)
- Availability: Parking is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The car park can fill up early on busy days.
- Cost for Visitors: The current parking fee for general visitors is £4.00. You must take a ticket at the barrier upon arrival and have it validated at the admissions desk or pay station to exit.
WHAT WE LOVED the most about Edinburgh Zoo
The staff were friendly, right from check in, to selecting some special gifts on the way out.
