EMBRACE the wonder of wildlife this winter, with a festive day out for the whole family to enjoy at Whipsnade Zoo.
On selected dates from the 22 November to 24 December, merry visitors can dash through nature’s very own winter wonderland, with events including festive animal talks, with the chance to bag a festive goodie, post their letters to Father Christmas at the conservation zoo’s Elf Express post boxes and follow the 12 animals of Christmas trail – where visitors will discover fun facts about Whipsnade’s animals and make their own version of the classic Christmas tune.

Free with standard Whipsnade Zoo entry, visitors can also learn how Santa trains his reindeer for the big flight on Christmas eve, as well as visit the conservation zoo’s own reindeer. Events with an additional charge include Christmas ceramic-painting crafts, indulging in mulled wine and toasted marshmallows, and Meet Santa*.
For those wanting to make their winter day out extra magical, Whipsnade Zoo offers a range of amazing animal experiences, including meeting the Zoo’s herd of five Asian elephants, or feeding the colony of African black footed penguins their lunch.**
With 2025 proving to be a bumper year for animal births at the conservation zoo, visitors can look out for Ivor the baby camel, Hattie the red panda cub, and seven rambunctious African lion cubs who’ll be celebrating Christmas for the first time this year at the UK’s largest zoo.
With over 600 acres to explore, a visit to Whipsnade Zoo and the 11,000 animals that call the wild wonderland home is the perfect day out this December. Every festive visit helps to support ZSL’s science and conservation work to protect and restore wildlife around the world. To find out more and book, visit: Christmas at Whipsnade Zoo | Whipsnade Zoo
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