Zoos & Wildlife in London

The list splits fairly cleanly. London Zoo in Regent's Park is the full-day option: reviewers regularly spend six hours or more, praise the species variety and keeper experiences, and warn that food variety on site is sparse, so snacks are worth packing. The Best Zoos In And Around London guide names it among the city's best and highlights Penguin Beach, where reviewers buy fish packets at the kiosk to join feeding and watch penguins swim at eye level. Hanwell Zoo is the smaller paid alternative, with lovebirds and flamingos as highlights; animals stay indoors in cold weather, so summer suits it best.

Most of the rest are free city farms built around feeding and stroking animals rather than viewing them. Mudchute Park and Farm covers 32 acres and gets muddy; Hackney City Farm and Spitalfields City Farm are calmer and toddler-scale, near Victoria Park and Brick Lane respectively; Stepney City Farm is larger than it looks and adds a Saturday farmers market; Surrey Docks Farm runs weekend small animal handling sessions; Vauxhall City Farm sells a bookable Meet and Greet with a specific animal.

Others work better as add-ons. Queen's Park Children's Farm takes 10 to 15 minutes, Crystal Palace Park Farm belongs inside a park day, and Golders Hill Park Zoo pairs a small free zoo with a playground and woodland trails, best reached by tube given the tight car park. Battersea Park Children's Zoo, inside Battersea Park, suits under-sevens and is rated for its keeper talks. Coda Falconry Ltd offers hands-on flying for children who can follow a safety briefing. Deen City Farm and Kentish Town City Farm both suffer in wet weather, when paths turn muddy and animals stay indoors.