Twilight at London Zoo – Adults-Only Late Opening
WHAT: Twilight at London Zoo — Adults Only
WHEN: 30 June — 22 July 2022 (Thursdays & Fridays)
WHERE: ZSL London Zoo, Regents Park, Outer Cir, London NW1 4RY
PRICE: £21.50-£36.50
OUTDOORS: Yes
OUR RATING: Do It!
Looking for a laid-back but adventurous night out in London? Look no further than ZSL London Zoo’s late-night experience for adults only. Take this amazing opportunity to unwind and explore the world’s oldest scientific zoo where the usual crowds and kids are replaced with a super chill atmosphere complete with a wide array of street food, music, pop-up bars, keeper talks, and fairy-lights galore.
ZSL London Zoo is massive and you’ll want to arrive early to experience it all. The world’s oldest (scientific) zoo established all the way back in 1828, the truly remarkable collection spans all the major continents and species, from ferocious lions, to tropical rainforest-dwellers, and even the tiniest of leaf-cutter ants. And you’re not just here for the animals: an array of other entertainments are on offer, including street food, cocktails, and live music. Once you have your drink in hand, why not take a wander and listen to the fascinating animals talks, including for more elusive creatures such as the mysterious Komodo dragon.
Upon entering the zoo, we were immediately presented with an array of choices, from animal talks to meeting the keepers, to a variety of entertainment options. While a majority of attractions we’ve been to lately have converted to a more digital lifestyle of QR codes and apps, ZSL London Zoo is still pretty old school, asking guests to take photos of the zoo map and programme. While we honestly do have issues with all the apps these days, we thought this way of navigating around the zoo by constantly referencing a photo on our phones was also a small annoyance, but we just decided to put our phones away and see where the zoo’s paths took us!
Perhaps a highlight for us was the sheer activity the animals were displaying. These crepuscular behaviours (twilight-activated) meant that the lions were roaring away, bats were ducking over us, and monkeys were more playful than we’d seen before. Aside from the animal antics, live performance pervaded the night, with an acoustic set in the since repurposed and historic Lubetkin Penguin Pool. If you’re even more adventurous, an upgrade is available to spend the night at the zoo amongst the plentiful wildlife in one of the lodges.
One of the only grievances we had at the zoo was the limited supply of free water throughout the park. We weren’t allowed any of our water bottles going in, and once we were inside the park we had to pay to fill our bottles with cold fizzy water — very strange. It wasn’t until a few hours into the event that we finally came across a free water fountain. Since we were there in the evening and only for a few hours this wasn’t a huge problem, but we can see this being difficult for those braving the odd London heatwave during the daytime while trekking hours through the park. However there’s always plenty of shelter — we got caught in a bit of a downpour but visited the indoor birds, nightlife, and creepy creatures exhibits while we waited it out!
Final Thoughts: It’s been awhile since we’ve been to a zoo, but we were constantly awed at how quiet everything was without the crowds and kids, and instead with the sights and sounds of nature fully immersing us all evening. If you want to come to the zoo and don’t have a child, this is the ultimate way of experiencing it, with very affordable tickets and a lovely atmosphere. And if you want to upgrade, you can add a private guided tour or even a champagne experience! After our evening with thousands of animals, we can’t see ourselves going back to a zoo any other way!