Chester Zoo named UK’s top-rated zoo by Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor has named Chester Zoo the best-rated zoo in the UK and one of the top three in Europe, based on over 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from visitors.

Chester Zoo has been named the UK’s best-rated zoo and one of the top three in Europe, according to new rankings released by Tripadvisor.

The popular Cheshire attraction, which draws thousands of visitors every year, received over 11,000 ‘excellent’ ratings on the travel platform, making it the highest-rated zoo in the UK and third best across the continent.

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, bases its rankings on millions of reviews submitted by travellers from around the globe. Chester Zoo’s strong showing reflects not only its visitor experience, but also its commitment to wildlife conservation.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be named the UK’s top zoo,” said Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo. “This recognition, based on thousands upon thousands of genuine visitor reviews, is a huge testament to our incredible team and everything they do to make Chester Zoo such a special place.”

The accolade comes as a major boost to the zoo’s profile, placing it alongside Europe’s elite wildlife attractions and recognising its growing role as a leader in global conservation.

“Every visit helps support our vital conservation work, both here in the UK and around the world,” Christon continued. “As a charity and a national conservation zoo, it means the world to know our efforts are being so warmly received by our guests. It’s people coming through our gates who enable us to do what we do, lead the charge to save wildlife, protect and restore habitats, and safeguard ecosystems. Together, we’re securing the long-term future of some of the world’s most endangered species.”

This latest recognition comes as Chester Zoo opens the largest zoo habitat ever built in the UK.

The 22.5-acre development, named Heart of Africa, opened to the public on Saturday 5 April and is home to 57 species from across the African continent.

Designed to replicate the central African grasslands, the new habitat stretches across an area equivalent to 17 football pitches and is being described as one of the most ambitious zoo developments ever seen in Europe.

At its heart is a vast savannah landscape where giraffes, zebras, roan antelope and ostriches roam together for the first time at Chester Zoo, giving visitors a rare glimpse of African wildlife as it behaves in the wild.

The development also includes a new indoor zone called the Hidden Savannah, where visitors can meet some of Africa’s lesser-known desert species, including naked mole rats, pygmy mice and short-eared sengis, as well as venomous reptiles like the red spitting cobra.

A standout attraction sees visitors placed in a stationary Land Rover surrounded by thousands of live locusts, bringing them face to face with the realities of African desert life.

Birdlife is a strong focus throughout the new area. Rare species including white-headed, African white-backed and hooded vultures – all listed as critically endangered – will be housed alongside flamingos, black-cheeked lovebirds and the Verreaux’s eagle owl.

Other highlights include meerkats, aardvarks, yellow mongooses, African wild dogs and the critically endangered eastern black rhino. The new space not only introduces many species new to the zoo but also offers modern, expanded habitats for familiar favourites.