If you’re here then you probably want to know… what’s the difference between London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo? And which zoo is the best one to visit in this region of England? I can give you enough information you need right here to make that decision.
The South East of England is fortunately home to several very popular zoos including London Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo, Chessington Zoo, and Colchester Zoo but for this purpose, we’ll be looking just at London and Whipsnade which are both owned by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
At both of these Zoos, you will see a wide variety of animals up close, but the animals differ in terms of their size, animal collection, and the overall experiences on offer. Here I compare London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo across a few different deciding factors.
First of all, let’s get down to the numbers
| London Zoo | Whipsnade Zoo | |
| Size | 36 acres | 600 acres |
| Adult Admission price | £27 to £33 | £27 to £30 |
| Number of animals | Approx. 16,000 | Approx. 10,000 |
| Location | North London | Whipsnade (35 miles from Central London) |
So Whipsnade easily wins in the size department but London Zoo has a lot more animals compressed into a smaller space. That’s not the full story though.
London Zoo
London Zoo is a big city type of Zoo in its size and animal selection and it is located next to Camden Town and is part of Regents Park so you can see some zoo animals on a canal walk nearby. It is central for a zoo but is well surrounded by green space. It has the main popular animals included and plenty of indoor enclosures.
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 an overground train to Camden Road Station. Alternatively driving is still a good option as it has a car park and is not in central London’s congestion charge zone.
What animals are at London Zoo?
The Zoo has a great range of different worldwide animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians. It includes the popular animals that everyone will want to see 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 enjoyed below.
Experiences Offered
London Zoo has the usual zoo indoor enclosures for wet days such as the reptile house, butterfly house, and an aquarium full of underwater creatures. It is split into 3 zones, orange blue, and pink
The best bits
- The variety of animals
- The location
- The areas to sit, rest and eat
- Good staff with entertaining shows and feeds
- It’s surprisingly not that busy for London on the right days
The worst bits
- The entry fee is high
- Empty cages/enclosures
- Less space for people and animals
- Price, variety, and not-so-well-stocked food
- The reptile house is a bit of a letdown
Whipsnade Zoo
Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable (near Luton) is the UK’s largest zoo and safari park that is spread over a huge 600 acres of land that is also surrounded by lush green countryside. Due to its size, visitors can walk, use the zoo’s bus service, or drive their own cars between the animal enclosures. Additionally, there is an ‘Asian’ area where animals can roam free around the cars.
Getting to Whipsnade Zoo
It’s a more difficult zoo to get to if you don’t live nearby but you can drive to the zoo which is just off the M1 near Dunstable. You can then drive inside the zoo to the different areas. For those not travelling by car from London there is a train and bus service operated by Thameslink, East Midlands Railways, Centrebus South and others, the London to Whipsnade Zoo service departs from London St Pancras International and arrives in Whipsnade Zoo.
What animals are at Whipsnade zoo?
Whipsnade zoo has the popular animals similar to London Zoo in tigers, lions, giraffes, elephants and monkeys but with some slightly different additions including Red Pandas, White Rhinos, Brown Bear, and a Cheetah.
Experiences Offered
Whipsnade has a different layout from most zoos in that it is arranged in geographical order of where the animals are from, so there are the Asian, African, and European animal zones. There are driving areas where you can drive a car through free-roaming animals or take a tour.
There is a railway tour in the zoo, which offers similar views of a savannah-type landscape of animals. You will feel like the animals are in a more natural setting when compared to London Zoo. Similar to London Zoo, Whipsnade has an aquarium and butterfly house with added indoor play areas.
The best bits
- A much larger zoo with wider spaces
- The walking, rail and safari tours available
- Not so busy
- Enclosures are more animal friendly
- Larger animals that they can’t fit in London zoo
The worst bits
- Again similarly high entry fee for a zoo
- Located further out of London and harder to get to, especially for non-drivers
- More spread out inside so harder to get around in quick time
- Many quiet areas where you may not see much
London Zoo Vs Whipsnade Zoo Conclusion
After comparing the two zoos, even though they are owned by the same organisation they both have their own unique offerings. London Zoo is smaller and located within the city, but it has a more efficient rate of ‘animals seen per hour’. Whipsnade Zoo, on the other hand, is larger, more open range and offers visitors a more natural setting to see animals via tours. It also has a range of safari experiences that are not available at London Zoo.
Comparison articles usually end with the line… ‘It depends on what you’re looking for’. And while it is hard to deny that, I’m going for Whipsnade Zoo as my winner due to it being a better all-round zoo. I found London Zoo underwhelming, perhaps as it’s London I was expecting one of the best zoos in the world, but for the price it wasn’t in my top 5.
London Zoo is best for
Convenience, time-saving, more animals, good live exhibitions
My rating 3.5 / 5
Whipsnade Zoo is best for
Open range feel, safari experience, wider space, less busy, more scenic setting
My rating 4 / 5