5 January 2026
Top tips for visiting London Zoo over the winter months
It may be cold outside, but there's a HOT secret hidden away in the heart of Regent’s Park. With tropical habitats to explore, ZooTown - a brand new indoor role play adventure, plus plenty of sheltered animal viewing areas, there's lots to do at London Zoo in the winter.
Book for our brand new ZooTown
Our indoor role play experience, ZooTown, is now open and there's so much fun to be had, with 2,000 toys, 300 costumes, and 50 play activities!
There are so many different jobs that make the zooniverse go round, and kids can step into the shoes of zookeepers, conservationists, scientists, vets, posties, presenters and more. Some of their favourite activities include:
- Donning hard hats and hi-vis jackets to build a habitat for one of our animals.
- Putting scrubs on to perform an ultrasound on a life-size African wild dog in our vet hospital.
- Mucking out time! Getting stuck in and clearing up all of the zebra poo balls in their wheelbarrow.
The ZooTown vet hospital
All ZooTown tickets are bookable online in advance, up to three days ahead of your visit, so you can guarantee your slot and plan your Zoo day around it. And it's all in a large indoor space so is perfect no matter the weather. Just don't forget to book your London Zoo tickets too if you're not already a member!
Step inside Rainforest Life
The UK’s largest living rainforest is a abuzz with activity and a hot stop on your tropical walking tour around London Zoo. In amongst the lush equatorial vegetation, there’s something to see at every turn in this indoor walk through. With snuggly sloths and primates aplenty all around you - sometimes right above your head - there’s no better place to bring some warmth to a winter's day.
Plus, you can walk downstairs into the darkness and find our Night Life area. See if you can spot our nocturnal animals like our pottos, bush babies, and mouse lemurs hiding in the shadows.
Want to make your visit extra special? Book an animal experience! Venture onto our rainforest floor and Meet the Monkeys where you'll learn about the inquisitive monkeys that call Rainforest Life home as you feed them some tasty snacks. Book in advance of your visit, and remember that Gold members get 10% off.
Discover our desert island
Woolly hats off, it's time for a humid habitat. Follow in Charles Darwin's footsteps and be transported to a land of giants, which is a balmy 27 degrees! Meet Dolly, Polly and Priscilla, our giant Galápagos tortoises, in the climate-controlled Giants of the Galápagos habitat.
These amazing reptiles are like living dinosaurs - they can live for over 150 years! Watch them move with calm, steady steps, take a bath in one of two lagoon pools, or munch on leaves in their tropical forest.
Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians
If you can bring yourself to leave the warmth of the Giants of the Galápagos, slither just next door into the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians. Another indoor, atmospheric habitat, it's full of hidden creatures waiting to be spotted.
Uncover some of the planet’s most fascinating yet threatened species. Many of them are masters of camouflage and staying very still, so you'll find them blending in against rocks and branches, or just beneath the water's surface.
From a Philippine crocodile and Chinese giant salamander, to turquoise dwarf geckos and mountain chicken frogs, there are some incredible reptiles and amphibians to discover when you look closely.
Warm up in Butterfly Paradise
Next, enter into our steamy Butterfly Paradise, bursting with colourful flora and fauna at every turn. As you step in from the cold to our heated biome, you'll see vibrant butterflies flying freely through the the tropical garden all around you. Use our spotters guide to identify species from around the world, and learn more about life cycles, biodiversity and climate change as you move through the giant caterpillar-inspired habitat.
Discover Tiny Giants
Just a short walk away from our butterfly house and buzzing with biodiversity, Tiny Giants is a showcase of nature’s smallest architects. The building is jam-packed with intriguing invertebrates, and the paths are lined with glass terrariums mimicking the natural habitat of the creepy crawlies.
Wander through this colourful indoor area and be amazed by miniature marvels from around the world as we celebrate the species we quite literally couldn't live without.
Then take a dive beneath our tropical seas and delve into our coral reef aquarium, home to colourful corals like the candycane and staghorn, and schools of fish including clownfish and blue tangs (Nemo and Dory).
Tiny Giants is also home to spiders. You'll discover some of the coolest, creepiest, and most amazing creatures on eight legs, from tiny jumping spiders to big hairy tarantulas. Watch how spiders spin silky webs to catch their dinner and discover spider super powers in our spider walkthrough, and get up close and personal with orb spiders within touching distance!
Join our family
Want to visit us all year round? Join us as a member and enjoy unlimited visits for a whole year!
Take flight to the Blackburn Pavilion
Our final tropical paradise is the Blackburn Pavilion bird walk-through - a vibrant, immersive experience filled with free-flying exotic birds.
Bursting with colour, sound, and movement, birds soar freely overhead and perch within arm’s reach, or often step across the paths right in front of you. The air is warm and humid, filled with the songs of exotic species - it's the perfect place to relax in and escape the winter chill.
Go shopping
No Zoo visit is complete without a visit to our award-winning gift shop, home to a huge selection of sustainably sourced items for animal lovers. Whether you're looking for a zoo-venir from your visit, or hoping to stumble across the perfect gift, there's something to suit all budgets and ages.
Our shop is more than just a store, it's a treasure trove of wildlife-themed wonders. There are animal gifts to discover all around you, including cuddly soft toys, games and puzzles, stationery and books, cosy home accessories, and so much more.
If you don't want to impulse buy, or can't carry everything home with you, we also have an online shop for you to browse at your leisure.
And remember, that Gold Members get a 10% discount both in store and online, and every purchase helps us to protect wildlife and restore habitats around the world.