The entire inspiration for our trip to Edinburgh was seeing the Giant Pandas (among other animals) in Edinburgh Zoo. Having visited our fair share of Zoos and Safari Parks across the UK, and being avid animal lovers, our expectations were pretty high… we were not disappointed.
Getting to the zoo
As we were eager to explore the public transport that Edinburgh has to offer, we chose to travel to the Zoo by a combination of bus and tram – although for those who would prefer to drive there was a large amount of parking available with both accessible bays and electric car chargers. The walk from the tram stop to the Zoo took us on a scenic journey along an old railway alignment (which you can read more about in our upcoming Edinburgh Walks article), this was the perfect way to start our day and only took about 15 minutes.
The main bus you can get from Edinburgh city centre is the 31, you can grab this just outside Edinburgh Waverly Station (to find out more about the costs of buses in Edinburgh check out our post on public transport in the city here). If you want to take the tram, like us, you can pop on one towards the airport from any station in the city centre (use Edinburgh Trams journey planner here to find the most convenient station for you). Once on the tram you need to get off at Balgreen station and then it is as simple as following the signs along the footpath.
The Zoo
We arrived at Edinburgh Zoo at 10:30am and, despite the very long queue, waited only 20 minutes to enter. While this may seem like a long time for some, it was definitely worth the wait. There were several check-in desks available and all of the staff that we spoke with were friendly and polite. Due to the ongoing pandemic, we had to book our tickets in advance on the website here. Although in more normal times we don’t imagine this would be required we definitely advice doing it anyway because it will save you paying on arrival and maximise your time in the zoo.
Entry to the park costs £19.95 (or £21.95 with a donation which we recommend) for an adult over the age of 15. However, if you are a student you can lower that price to £18.10 (or £19.95 with the donation) but don’t forget to bring a valid student ID card with you! Children, between the ages of 3 and 15, get entry at an even smaller cost of £11.35 (or £12.50 with a donation) and those lucky under 3s get to go in for free.
The online tickets get sent to your email and you can print them off or simply save them on your smartphone and scan them on arrival.
There was a one-way system in place which was confusing at times, but luckily all guests were given a map of the zoo (you can view the digital version here) upon check-in which clearly marked the route. As long as you plan your route around from the start, prioritising the animals you want to see, you should have no problems.
After seeing Meerkats, Red Pandas, and Lemurs, we began our pilgrimage across the park to the Giant Pandas. Neither of us had ever seen one before, and it was a real treat getting to observe the two pandas (which were housed separately to reflect their solitary nature) sleeping and eating.
Nearby to the Panda enclosures was a viewpoint area that allowed us to look out upon the whole of Edinburgh city as well as the surrounding countryside. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Some other notable animals that we encountered were the Koalas, whose exhibit was filled with many interesting and informative signs; the Wallabies, where visitors were able to walk through the enclosure and we were treated to a joey’s first hops (check out our Instagram highlights to view it for yourself); and the Giraffes, who were new to the zoo.
Something we were pleased to note during our day at the zoo was how much care and effort seemed to go into creating natural habitats for all of the animals. They were given plenty of space, an abundance of trees and plants to interact with, and some were even housed with other species. There were some research programs taking place, including one that focused on the Capuchin and Spider Monkeys. Unlike many other zoos, there was a lot of information provided to the visitors about the research, and we were even able to look into the rooms where the monkeys were studied. This makes it a great option who those studying animal related courses at university.
Food
Typical of most zoos, the food at Edinburgh Zoo was rather overpriced. One example includes fish and chips costing a whopping £9.95! While we treated ourselves to some Slushies (which only cost £2), we made sure to bring our own food and would recommend that you do the same if you are trying to stick to a budget. If you’re trying to plan a holiday on a budget why not check out our article on how staying at an Airbnb can save you money here.
Facilities and Accessibility
There were several public toilets dotted about the park, all of which were free to access. Do bear in mind that a lot of these were just portable toilets. Although there were many benches, they were often occupied which meant it could be difficult to find a place to rest our legs. Being in Scotland, a country riddled with mountainous terrain, the Zoo was very hilly and often had steep sections of path that had to be walked along to reach certain animals. The steepest sections of path were signposted to alert visitors of this fact, and for people with mobility difficulties there is a dedicated, free mobility van to help provide access. You can also download a specialised accessibility map here.
If you enjoyed this article why not check out our one about the top places to grab a sweet treat in Edinburgh. You can find that here.
Do you like the sound of Edinburgh zoo and do you see yourself going there now or in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Seagull With a Suitcase 
4 thoughts on “A Day in Edinburgh Zoo”