Nice, but like every zoo you feel a lot of sympathy towards the animals. Some of them look really sad. Was also concerned as the zookeepers when they looked at the bear enclosure said where are they? . There was also peacocks and some other animals on the loose but you were never in danger.
Had a great time here with my two nieces, lots of fun and healthy exercise lol
Went there with my kids today and had a really enjoyable time. We arrived shortly after 11 and the queue was already really long because of the bank holiday and lovely weather I'd imagine. The zoo itself was very well laid out and a lovely way to spend the day. Easy to get to and good facilities! A great family day out!
Fun day out for kids of all ages. Watching the zookeepers feed the animals is cool, if you are interested the feeding times are on the website.
VERY hilly. gorrilas are cool. not much in the way of food. kids park is good. NO indoor play tho
Lots of hills but amazing views. Very busy on a clear day. Felt bad for some of the animals though
Animals in small enclosures. The whole place was really run down and the food was not great.
A fun day out kids loved it and there's alot more animals now adays which is a pleasure to see. Only thing they should keep shop and cafes open until proper closing time
On a playgroup visit a great day - all areas clean for picnic .Staff very friendly and we had a lovely morning.
Went in winter, a lot of animals missing there were no red pandas or tigers and all monkeys were inside therefore it felt pretty empty however I assume it was due to the weather and it's better in summer
Great day out with the kids. The animals seemed happy and not stuck in stereotype behaviour and the facilities were great, especially the extensive play park
Unfortunately due to coronavirus the zoo exhibitions were very restricted as almost all animal houses were closed
Great day out for the family! Definitely a workout as the zoo is on a hill, bring a picnic as drinks and ice creams are ridiculously over priced!
Has gone downhill a bit but clean and great value for a day out
Enclosures are tiny and more animals seem to be disappearing with every visit. However it's still a decent day out with the family.
Nice little zoo for adults and children. It is quiet away from the urban rush.
It needs a lot of refurbishment. Sad that the old floral hall hasn't been renovated and made new. Doesn't look great upon entry to a dilapidated building. Some of the animal enclosures are just too small. My heart broke walking around. I understand it has been open a long time and you are protecting the animals. The areas just need a bit more tlc is all. Staff were all lovely and the lions den cafe had lovely food for all the family with a really nice coffee.
A great place for a weekend afternoon with children. A lot of attractions and cool mascots in a souvenir shop. However, the food in the restaurant could be of better quality.
Nice and clean place but some of the animal enclosures could do with a bit of TLC, most of the animals were not out and the bird enclosures were over run by pigeons & seagulls
The Zoo is great, in a lovely location. Toilets were clean. The only thing i found wrong at the zoo was the eating places. Not enough choice and the the staff need training in customer service. It's quite hilly so if you have trouble walking it's quite challenging. Overall, i think it's a good zoo and the animals looked well looked after. Would certainly go again.
Very beautiful, so many animals, it offers the possibility to see them both in their park and indoors. Suitable for children and families.
Excellent day out for the family. Reptile house was enjoyed by the kids. Play park is also good. Only downside is that it is all on the hill.
I'm sure all employees work very hard, they were extremely welcoming and the zoo had lots of visitors, but quite honestly as a major Belfast City tourists venue it leaves lot ti be drsired. The animals are beginning to show signs of stress, brown bears pacing around their enclosure, elephants shaking their heads from side to side. Very sad state of enclosures. The Floral Hall should either be demolished ir renovated. Unfortunately a good walk was spoilt by seeing such sad specimens.
Had a great family day out, some parts needing attention and not all animals out. Great park for kids. Entrance staff and entrance tea room staff very friendly. However, cafe at the top of the park on hill was filthy and staff need to be trained in hygiene regards to touching face and hair then cups and food. Overall cafe was so bad we decided to not eat in it. This was disappointing as the rest of the zoo was a great day out.
One of the loveliest places for a day out in Belfast. Set into the Cavehill the Zoo route is well laid out in a winding route upwards past all the animal enclosures.Some enclosures are quite high up the mountain and give the legs a good work out! but so worth it as from up there you also have great views over the city and surrounding area. The zoo has very important breeding conservation and education programs and is an important part of Belfasts Victorian history. You can sponsor an animal as well to help with the important job of keeping their breeding and conservation work alive .
There is a great shop too for good quality souvenirs of your day Highly recommended
Had a great day plenty off animals to see has a great kids park and coffee shop..price reasonable enough...As it's built up cave hill might be a bit hilly for the less mobile but defo worth the visit
Too expensive for what they offer.
Clean and Beautiful inside.
Well laid out the only down side is the hill. Animals are easy to see and the view from the top is stunning
Good walk around, loved it as a kid and as an adult i appreciate the fact we have a zoo here more. Good hike around the back of it as well if you walk up the right side of the zoo.
The animals seem fairly well cared for but there is a lot lacking at this zoo. It s a nice walk, though.
It was a bit of miserable day so we weren't sure what to expect, but it was actually the most active we've seen some of the animals.The Giraffes were actually chasing the ostriches which was hilarious. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had a nice meal in the cafe afterwards.
Amazing place ive never been to a zoo were you can be so close to the animals before my 2 year old was amazed when a small chimp was right in front of her behind glass playing hidey boo with her it made my day i will definatly be visiting again next time i visit belfast x
Out for a walk, didn't see many animals as the weather was bad, really sad that it is so run down, needs a lot of work.
A fantastic and affordable family visit with well kept animals and park. Staff were friendly and approachable and we had a great time. Be prepared for lots of walking!!!
Loved this zoo really beautiful to walk around. I had been warned about the uphill but its not actually that bad and I was pushing a twin buggy! The only issue I had was the food and drink situation! There is a 'resturant' at the bottom of More
I have mixed feelings about the zoo. I like to see the animals but hate that they are in prison. Ethics aside, they do seem well cared for. The zoo is located on a hill so the route can be steep and the walk would not suit everyone. The is More
Perfect place for a family day out especially if you have curious small childrens but not necessarily, we all love animals no matter what age we are !
This was a great experience for.my two children but its open til six g
Although there were a few areas not open, I am still giving 5 Star's. It's not the fault of the zoo; measures are put in place to keep customers and staff safe due to the current Covid situation.
To make sure the zoo is not too crowded and to prevent people being turned away if it does, you do have to book in advance before your visit; we booked the day before. You have time slots in which to arrive so they don't have everybody turning up at the same time and a crowd of people walking around together! The one way system ensures you don't miss anything (they should keep it for those who want to see everything and not accidentally miss anything out!)
We had a super day.
A bit of a hike around some of the upper animal enclosures but good fun.
Visited as a group of 6 ranging from a 5 year old to an 86 year old. Thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Absolutely loved it had 5 kids with us ranging from 8-13 and all we heard was 'wow ' staff were very friendly and helpful too thanks
Great place for a day out. There is an amazing new play park just past the farm area.
It was nice day out but please maintain the pens better there is weeds all over the wee monkeys cage most of the animals looked like they were depressed the elephant was stretching over to get grass as there was no hay/food for them. Then one of the elephants was shaking it s head apparently that s cus of stress idk could be wrong. The wee pony was literally froze and didn t react at all to anything I walked around the zoo for 2 hours came back to the horse and it was in the exact same spot these animals need attention it s not fair it s really upsetting to see them like this.
Avoid the hill-top cafe, it's ridiculously expensive.
Had a great day with the kids a lot to do and see thanks to all staff at the zoo
Very impressed by the Zoo, it is small in comparison to Dublin Zoo but a lovely homely feeling while walking around. All staff were very polite and helpful. There are a lot of hills however this did not hinder our day out. 29/12/17
Booking is currently required prior to arrival. Well laid out with a 1 way system currently in place by way of arrows painted on the ground. There is an icecream and drinks kiosk at the start and then no further coffee stops until the top at the treetop cafe. Plenty of outdoor seating - and serving hot drinks, sandwiches, icecream and a small selection of hot food. All of the indoor enclosures are currently closed however this did not impact on our visit at all - we were able to see these animals outdoors. All in all an excellent experience as always! Well done Belfast Zoo.
Visited the zoo yesterday with 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren. It was one of the best days out we've had in ages. The hill was a bit if a climb at times but the scenery was pretty spectacular and the animals were l on show. I'll definitely take others back there for a trip
A decent zoo. A wide variety of animals that seem to be happy. Very good price. It could do with a bit of an update, most of the signs around the zoo are out of date and give incorrect directions, they could at least remove them. Also the prairie dogs had escaped by tunneling out of their enclosure. Perhaps they need a new enclosure built!
Nice little zoo and very reasonable price too. We arrived at 10am for the doors opening and had to zoo practically to ourselves for a good hour. Everywhere is either up hill or down hill so be prepare to get a work out.
OK, so it was a miserable, wet, cold day when we arrived with a baby and toddler, so it was not going to be a picnic day out. Positives were very friendly staff all round the zoo who stopped to explain what was happening to the various animals. Kids enjoyed seeing a wide variety of animals close up despite the winter weather. 3 year old walked most of the way, though the hillside sight is steepish for toddlers at times.
Parking is free. Entry costs are not too bad for a whole day's outing.
This zoo is very run down.all the animals are really old and alot of the places you walk to down and up very steep hills there aren't any animals .all the kids and ofcoarse adults are busted because of the walking.it's not worth the money you paid to walk around it . Dublin zoo is by far better
Good exercise going up and down the hill, lots of animals to see, the sea lions were the best because they were constantly talking, plenty of places to eat
Unfortunately, the animals are kept in much too small cages or enclosures, which are also still unkempt. The entry with 13 pounds is ok. The opening times are ok too. But you can hardly stay longer than 3 hours. The bus goes almost to the door, you have to run up the hill for a while. The zoo itself is built on a hill, for wheelchair users may be a bit difficult.
Very uphill so can be a difficult walk but totally worth it . Plenty of animals to see and good picnicking areas x
belfastzoo.co.uk