Chester Zoo

We went during the Dino exhibition and ds loved it, especially the spitting dinosaurs, its is easy to get lost though, and take your picnic round with you!

Chester zoo is very big, there's a lot of walking, so take a pushchair or be prepared to carry children under 5 at some point. These's loads of animals - the spectacle bears and porcupines are really fab and not as popular as the elephants and tigers etc. There are indoor exhibits for rainy days. Try and either arrive early or stay late to have a bit quieter time. Consider a season pass so you can linger a bit longer on then animals you like, and come back again to see the others.

We went on a Sunday hoping it wouldnt be too packed but it was heaving. Hired car type buggy things for the 2 and 4 year old and thought that they were worth the £6 fee each as the kids loved them and it is a large area to walk around. Attractions are good but you need to go on a quiet day or you just end up queuing and they get bored. We do love this zoo but think a smaller one would be better to be honest with kids this age. Going to try Blackpool which I have heard good reviews about. Lastly went to the main restaurant, it was cold and we needed something hot. 2 x adult fish n chips (to share with kids) 2 x drinks and 4 x muffins came to just under £20! The fish and chips were foul, totally inedible and we had to give them crisps instead so they would last until we got home. BE WARNED, it can be lovely but too many people and V expensive!

We loved Chester zoo and having been to a LOT of zoos this is our favourite!
The enclosures are large and really well designed for the animals, particulary for the elephants and ape enclosure. The place is massive and you'll need a whole day to explore the whole site but I think it's well worth the entrance fee.
There's a massive variety of animals there not just the usual lions, tigers, monkeys etc.... The penguin enclosure is fab and my little 15 month old was entranced by watching them swim underwater.
There are some beautiful gardens to walk around in, there's loads of places to stop and eat dotted around so when those little legs get tired you don't have to hunt far for a rest stop.
The main restaurant has a good variety of fast food, hot healthy meals and cold snacks. We didn't eat there but I've heard the pub does even better food.
Baby changing facilities are good, toilets are kept clean and fresh and again, there's plenty of them dotted around.
I'm sure there's plenty of stuff I've missed but feel free to email me if you'd like x

Not happy. Quite an expensive day out for a family. Then asked to donate on top and Gift Aid! Far too large an area to walk around. You're exhausted! Our local zoo but not keen to go again if pressure is put on us to donate at the ticket booths.

Chester Zoo has an an amazing variety of animals, you can easily spend the whole day looking around, and still not see every animal. There is also a good choice of food and snack's around the zoo, which you will need when touring the huge grounds.