Belfast Zoo

Belfast Zoo Reviews

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Can't wait to try Dublin zoo but Belfast zoo isn't...

Can't wait to try Dublin zoo but Belfast zoo isn't bad it had everything here just not the white Tiger. Monkeys/gorillas were great fun. U don't realise how big Lions actually are until ur next to one. Real scarey esp wen there under that red light in the box. All sorts of animals etc here I recommend. We brought pack lunchs, cooler bag n flask for the long walk n cuz it was so cold but the zoo has a cafe n toilets make sure u use so u don't have to go back. The bad thing about the zoo esp for eg young kids, old ppl or even disabled etc it's all up hill n it takes like 2 hours to get around n see everything. Easy to get parked n great exercise. Wen u arrive at the zoo u lose signal on mobile.

This is a great Zoo! I have been coming here since...

This is a great Zoo! I have been coming here since I was a child and I remember the old Zoo. The animals are so well looked after here and the keepers and staff are extremely friendly and helpful. I had a conversation with two of the keepers on my last visit. I hope the Zoo gets more investment as it does require some updating. I would recommend the Zoo to anyone for a fun day out.

Fantastic zoo, all the animals look happy and acti...

Fantastic zoo, all the animals look happy and active even when the weather isn't amazing, the enclosures are great and spacious, spent hours looking around, would not recommend going to the cafes unfortunately they aren't great, overall awesome zoo.

A very pleasant experience at a great price, just ...

A very pleasant experience at a great price, just avoid the Treetop cafe as that will sour the experience. A big sized zoo with lots of animals and a very scenic walk which gives you a good workout let down by a terrible cafe all the way at the top of the zoo which was ill staffed and had silly prices.

Nice

Book and pay in advance, three slots per day - was...

Book and pay in advance, three slots per day - was a very rainy day when we went, but possibly the first time we ever got around every active exhibit!
Long walk to the Hilltop Tea Room, and a steep stride back down. Picnic advisable, you can buy tea or hot and cold beverages at the Tea Room, and enjoy your picnic outside in the fresh air, lovely views over the North shore of Belfast Lough.
Photo taken overlooking the Giraffe and Elephant House, looking up at the Black Mountain.

A great zoo with a cool history. Typical zoo attra...

A great zoo with a cool history. Typical zoo attractions with the added something of it been on a hillside, so wear comfy shoes and clothes.
On site food offering light refreshments and snacks and laid out with good information posters and maps.
Good family day out

Due to Covid restrictions we had to pre book our t...

Due to Covid restrictions we had to pre book our tickets. This ensured the Zoo was very quiet, with few other visitors. You didn't feel crowded at any of the enclosures and could take your time. I wouldn't recommend taking very young children as the one way system in place is almost entirely up hill (except for the lion enclosure on the way out). It is steep and even with push chairs can be challenging, also some of the viewing barriers are not suitable for children unless you hold them up to see the animals. Fun day out, with a fantastic playground too and decent value for money.

A nice and very green zoo with most of the animals...

A nice and very green zoo with most of the animals people want to see like giraffes, lions, elephants and chimpanzees. With tree kangaroo and sifaka the zoo has some zoological highlights. The enclosures are well structured and large enough but a little bit old fashioned.

Good zoo with good, varied selection of animals. T...

Good zoo with good, varied selection of animals. The layout is well done; be aware if you have people with any kind of restricted mobility issues the zoo is essentially sprawled along a hillside area, so there is quite a steep incline, especially if you don't plan what you want to see & have to backtrack a lot! We were lucky enough to bump into the lion keeper who was delighted to tell the kids (& the adults!) all about their habits & origins. Definitely worth a visit.

The animals were all out and about and easily visi...

The animals were all out and about and easily visible, which made it a great day for my two smallies. The penguin enclosure was the best as the penguins swam right up to the glass and blew my toddlers minds. Knocked one star off as the cafe is a bit of a trek and didn't have a great selection and was quite expensive.

We had the best zoo experience ever today... wonde...

We had the best zoo experience ever today... wonderful staff start to finish, from the ticketing desk to the keepers feeding their animals and sharing their knowledge with us. The staff in the eateries in particular were just so incredibly helpful... really went the extra mile.

Took my grandson for the day. It was a very hot a...

Took my grandson for the day. It was a very hot afternoon alot of the animals were sleeping. Of course. Though very expensive in the restaurant I would suggest bringing a packed lunch. All in all an enjoyable day.

fun

Really enjoy going to belfast zoo, thoroughly enjo...

Really enjoy going to belfast zoo, thoroughly enjoy seeing all the animals and spending some family time together outside. Lovely zoo keepers always happy to have a chat. Favourite attraction was the bear!

Pretty decent variety of animals, and they are han...

Pretty decent variety of animals, and they are handling the social distancing rather impressively with good visible guidance.

The elephant/giraffe are is probably the highlight with the rest of the zoo being just okay, lion enclosure is exceptionally disappointing

Nice place to hangout with family. You would get t...

Nice place to hangout with family. You would get to see giraffes, Zebras, ostrich, peacocks, limurs, different monkey species, sea lions, penguins, different beautiful birds, capybara, elephant, etc. Clean and green place with pleasant atmosphere

I would've given 5 but that hill, good coming do...

I would've given 5 but that hill, good coming down, in all a great family day out, but the shop should bring their prices down a bit spend more in it than paying the family into the zoo but the animals have to eat as their not all vegetarian, so bring the kids u'll have fun and bring a carama.

Peacock is proud of Belfast Zoo.

Peacock is proud of Belfast Zoo.

The peacock walked round the tree top restaurant, like he owned the place.
Full to capacity, on a sunny bank holiday, it was a great day for everyone

Awesome place for a family weekend out. Kids would...

Awesome place for a family weekend out. Kids would definitely enjoy a day out here amidst all the wonderful animals. Meerkats, Otters, Giraffes, Elephants and of course lions and tigers too... peacocks run freely around..

Great small zoo - nice selection of (what appear ...

Great small zoo - nice selection of (what appear to be happy) animals, very good playpark for the kids. Very hilly (but I didn't really care) and the coffee shop was only ok but I thoroughly enjoyed our time there!

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This Zoo is a workout! Be prepared for a hike as t...

This Zoo is a workout! Be prepared for a hike as the zoo is located on Cavehill and has some steep paved trails. Very beautiful location and a great variety of the usual suspects, i.e. Zebras, Giraffes, Elephants.

They also have some animals I have never seen at zoos on my travels around the US, and Central America, i.e. Red Pandas, Red Fox.

We arrived early in the day and in January, so many animals were still staying warm in their hay beds. Id recommend coming a little later when it has warmed up.

One downside was most the glass was very dirty making it difficult to see the animals with any sort of glare.

One positive note about the off season visit, is within 2 hours of walking around the entire zoo, we only saw 2 other groups of people. Very peaceful and the animals seemed to be more alert to our presence versus normal zoo situations with too many people and kids tapping on the glass.

Good day out... good selection of animals... but a...

Good day out... good selection of animals... but and BIG BUT... its seriously hilly... and there aren't a lot of restrooms for little ones about place... unless I'm mistaken the toilets are back at the entrance or cafe... Cafe was poor too... and inflated charges... but the zoo elements are good if you can handle the the mountain climbing with a stroller... lol

Didn't get a chance to see the tapirs which disapp...

Didn't get a chance to see the tapirs which disappointed my sister but the extent of the zoo surprised us (it's a long way up that hill). The rainforest house captivated the family while the sloth was being fed

Belfast zoo seems to gets poorer every time I go. ...

Belfast zoo seems to gets poorer every time I go. I love animals but it's difficult to see them through the often dirty glass windows. Missed out on the tigers due to covid & the elephant house was closed. Nice walk up the mountain with some lovely animals. Not a very thrilling or interactive zoo.

A large zoo with around 50 different species of an...

A large zoo with around 50 different species of animal - not including the various species of birds within the bird enclosure! There is a small gift shop and a couple of shops/restaurants within the Zoo. It has a few steep inclines as it's built on a hill but otherwise an easy walk around . A great day out for the family!

Not worth the money you pay. The place is run down...

Not worth the money you pay. The place is run down and needs improvement and it doesn't have a good lay out.
The kids were very disappointed as a lot of animals were still inside and they look very sad.
The play area was what the kids enjoyed the most.
Staff was friendly but we won't go back again.

Went to the zoo today 17.10.2020 all animal housin...

Went to the zoo today 17.10.2020 all animal housing were closed also bottom cafe closed top cafe only selling a few things at very expensive prices 2 pounds for a disgusting sausage roll and 2.80 for watered-down coffee hardly any animals on display and they charged us FULL PRICE absolute disgrace will never be back what a waste of time and money grandchildren we're very disappointed cant believe they get away with this service no wonder anyone wants to go to belfast zoo its a mickey mouse joke

Terrible place. They allegedly care about our saf...

Terrible place. They allegedly care about our safety because of the covid, but at the same time they cannot even clean up in their zoo, garbage in animal enclosures, garbage on the paths, old dirt on the windows, because of this it is difficult to observe the animals. You will not find more than half of the animals in this zoo, they are not in the enclosures or in their houses. And those animals that you will see are in small enclosures, most of them are behind the cage, and not behind natural barriers as in good zoos. The terrarium was also closed. We arrived there at 10:30, many of the animals were not even released into the enclosures. Why sell tickets for this time if the animals cannot be seen. Tickets are very expensive for such a sight. It is difficult to climb the slope for women with strollers and the elderly. The prices in the cafe are expensive and the dishes are not tasty. Also, the staff works without gloves with food. The woman in front of me took a spoon with her bare hands and placed it in my drink. This zoo is just a mockery. I do not advise you to visit it. Of the 50 species represented in the zoo, we saw a maximum of 20. And those were either behind dirty glass or behind bars.

We went on quite a chilly morning and a small perc...

We went on quite a chilly morning and a small percentage of the animals weren't visible, which is understandable. But, there are loads of opportunities to see into the houses of where the animals sleep and get a nice view of them enjoying their slumber. My complaints lie with the TreeTop Cafe. While the view of the city is stunning, the prices and quality of the food and drinks are not. My boyfriend and I each got a hot chocolate ( 3.95 each) and honestly, they were quite disgusting. It was essentially watered down chocolate milk with no milk. It comes out of what appears to be some sort of Kuerig machine, which depletes the quality immensely. Would recommend bringing your own food and enjoying the food while not breaking your bank!