If you’re here then you probably want to know… what are the main differences between London Zoo and Sea Life Aquarium? And which London attraction is the best one to visit? Which is best for kids? Hopefully, I can give you enough information and my opinion to help you make that decision right now.
London is fortunately home to several very popular attractions that are ideal for kids but among the top animal attractions London Zoo and Sea Life London Aquarium are up there with the most desired in the city.
At both of these animal attractions, you will see a wide variety of animals up close, but the zoo and the aquarium have very different overall experiences on offer. Here I compare London Zoo and Sea Life Aquarium across a few deciding factors.
First of all, let’s get down to the numbers
| London Zoo | Sea Life London Aquarium | |
| Adult Admission price | £27 to £33 | £19 to £27.50 |
| Number of animals | Approx. 16,000 | Approx. 6,000 |
| Location | North London | Central London, near Big Ben |
So the Sea Life Aquarium wins in the price department if you book in advance, but London Zoo has a lot more animals. That’s not the full story though.
London Zoo
London Zoo is a big city Zoo in both its size and animal selection. It is located next to Camden Town and is part of the huge Regents Park so you can see some zoo animals on a canal walk around the park. It is quite central for a zoo but is also well surrounded by green space. It has well-known, popular animals included and plenty of indoor enclosures. It also has its own aquarium, funnily enough!
Getting to London Zoo
It is easy to get to London Zoo from most places in London via a Northern Line tube to Camden Town Station or via an overground train to Camden Road Station. Alternatively driving is still a good option as London Zoo has a car park and it is not sat inside central London’s congestion charge zone.
What animals are at London Zoo?
The Zoo has a huge number of different worldwide animals. It includes the popular animals that headline most Zoos such as lions, tigers, elephants, and giraffes but also some less common animals such as a pygmy hippo and a Komodo dragon as my son discovered below.
Experiences Offered at the Zoo
London Zoo has the usual zoo indoor enclosures for wet days such as the reptile house, butterfly house, and it actually has its own pretty good-sized aquarium full of underwater creatures, a mini Sea Life if you will. The Zoo is split into 3 zones, orange blue, and pink and you would struggle to get around it all in a day as there’s so much to see.
The best bits
- The central location
- The variety of animals and time that can be spent here
- The areas to sit, rest and eat
- Good staff with entertaining shows and feeds
- It’s surprisingly not that busy for a major London on most days
The worst bits
- The entry fee is high
- There are empty enclosures
- Price of food, variety, and lack of stock
- The reptile house is a bit of a letdown
Sea Life London Aquarium
Sat right on the busy South Bank opposite the houses of parliament, Sea Life London Aquarium is even more central as a London attraction as it literally sits in the heart of the city. The aquarium has over 500 species in 14 themed zones and it was bigger than I thought it’d be. You’re guided through a one-way system of small and very large tanks. If you’re into marine life then this place is an absolute treasure trove.
Getting to Sea Life London Aquarium
The closest tube station is Waterloo, served by the Jubilee, Northern, and Bakerloo lines. From there, it’s only a mere 5-minute walk to the aquarium which is sat alongside Shrek Adventures and the London Eye right on the river Thames..
For those travelling by bus, routes 211, 77, and 381 will get you close to the action. The London Eye and Big Ben are also close if you’re looking to tick off a few things on your sightseeing itinerary!
What animals are at Sea Life Aquarium?
Here you get the usual marine mammals such as tropical fish, stingrays, turtles, and jellyfish etc. But you will also see much bigger animals that the more premium aquariums can fit in such as tiger sharks, nurse sharks, penguins and octopus. You can get around in an average of 2 hours.
Experiences Offered
Ocean Tunnel: It’s pretty early on too but it’s one of the main highlights. You get to walk through a glass tunnel surrounded by a 360-degree view of sea life including sharks, rays, and tropical fish so it feels like you’re in amongst them,.
Penguin Point: Watch the little Gentoo penguins swimming and frolicking. Great for the kids but be prepared for crowds here at weekends, which can make them difficult to see up close.
Rainforest Adventure: You might think it’s just saltwater animals but it’s not just about the sea, there’s a green rainforest section with piranhas and poison dart frogs..
Jellyfish Kingdom: I’m always mesmerised by a bit of jellyfish action. The lights are set up to give them all an illuminous neon glow and there’s plenty of different shapes and sizes.
The best bits
- It’s very big for an aquarium
- The ocean tunnel and that central huge tank is impressive
- The amount of marine life all under one roof
- Large enclosures for an aquarium
The worst bits
- Again a very high entry fee for an aquarium
- Can be cramped getting through some areas with other people
- Not many wide open spaces and food options
- Sometimes crowded windows so needs waiting time to see
London Zoo Vs Sea Life London Aquarium Conclusion
After comparing the zoo and the aquarium as major London family attractions, they both have their own unique offerings. London Zoo is much bigger and located more north of the city, but it has more animals and you will spend a lot more time there. Sea Life London Aquarium is very central but you won’t spend all day here, it’s quite cramped and you will be done in 2-3 hours so not a picnic event.
It depends on what you’re looking for. While London Zoo isn’t one of the best in the world it is a winner to me between these two attractions as you can spend a lot more time here and make a day of it for only £3-5 more in cost, plus there’s tons more animals, you get the outdoor feel and the Zoo has an aquarium anyway. The aquarium is probably better for a wet or cold day though.
London Zoo is best for
Outdoor, more space to move around, more animals to see, good live exhibitions.
My rating 3.5 / 5
Sea Life London Aquarium is best for
Indoor bad weather days, large marine animals, immersive huge tanks, more animals in shorter distances.
My rating 3 / 5