Which is best zoo in the UK and 7th best in the world?

best zoo in the UK

Chester Zoo has today been named as the the best zoo in the UK, 4th best in Europe and the 7th best in the world!

Millions of people have voted Chester – home to more than 11,000 animals – NO1 in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Attractions Awards (see lists below).

It’s the second year in a row that the zoo, with 400 species set in 110 acres of gardens, has topped the UK list and appeared in both Europe’s and the world’s best.

Jamie Christon, MD at Chester Zoo, said, “We’re thrilled that the public have named us as the UK’s best zoo for the second year running.

“Every person that walks through our gates helps us to support hugely important worldwide conservation efforts which are working to protect endangered species and educate people about the threats that so many animals and plants face. As a charity, we rely on visitors to enable us to keep on carrying out more and more of this work, so our thanks go to all who come here and supported us.

“Chester Zoo is constantly raising the bar. We’ve just unveiled phase one of a new £40m development, Islands, which will be a real game-changer for zoos in the UK. We have captured the sounds, smells, colours and hustle and bustle of far-flung islands from South East Asia and brought them to the Cheshire countryside. It’s a zoo experience like no other and we hope it’ll further enhance our standing as being one of the world’s best.”

best zoo in the UK

Britain boasts more winning zoos than any other European country, with eight of Europe’s top 25. Chester Zoo in Chester, Colchester Zoo in Essex, Blackpool Zoo in Lancashire, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Oxfordshire, Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo in South Wales, Paignton Zoo, Durrell Wildlife Park in Jersey and Drusillas Park in East Sussex take fourth, sixth, tenth, twelfth, sixteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth and twentieth respectively.

The UK also lays claim to three winners among the world’s top 25 – second only to the US, which boasts the most world winners with eight and tying with Australia which also claims three world winners.

Within the UK, it’s the South that takes the lead with more awards for zoos than anywhere else in the country. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Oxfordshire, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon, Drusillas Park in East Sussex and Axe Valley Wildlife Park in Devon take fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth in the UK respectively.

TripAdvisor spokesperson, James Kay said: “These awards are based on the millions of reviews and opinions written by our global community of travellers and with the schools breaking up for summer in a matter of days, these winners should serve as great inspiration for a fantastic family day out.”

San Diego Zoo in the United States earns the coveted position of No1 zoo in the world.

10 best rated zoos in the UK

  1. Chester Zoo, Chester, Cheshire
  2. Colchester Zoo, Colchester, Essex
  3. Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool, Lancashire
  4. Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, Oxfordshire
  5. Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Begelly, South Wales
  6. Paignton Zoo, Paignton, Devon
  7. Durrell Wildlife Park, Trinity, Jersey
  8. Drusillas Park, Berwick, East Sussex
  9. ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
  10. Axe Valley Wildlife Park, Axminster, Devon

 10 best rated zoos in Europe

  1. Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
  2. Prague Zoo, Prague, Czech Republic
  3. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn – Zoo Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  4. Chester Zoo, Chester, United Kingdom
  5. ZooParc de Beauval, Aignan, France
  6. Colchester Zoo, Colchester, United Kingdom
  7. Bioparc Valencia, Valencia, Spain
  8. Zoologischer Garten (Berlin Zoo), Berlin, Germany
  9. Novosibirsk Zoo, Novosibirsk, Russia
  10. Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool, United Kingdom

 10 best rated zoos in the world

  1. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, United States
  2. Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
  3. Singapore Zoo, Singapore
  4. Prague Zoo, Prague, Czech Republic
  5. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn – Zoo, Vienna, Austria
  6. Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, United States
  7. Chester Zoo, Chester, United Kingdom
  8. St. Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, United States
  9. Zoological Wildlife Foundation, Miami, United States
  10. ZooParc de Beauval, Saint Aignan, France

For more details and full list of winners see TripAdvisor