Zoos are always a good idea for a day out as a family. You can spend the whole day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, where there is so much to see and do.
Address
Hurst Lane
Doncaster
DN9 3QY
Website: https://www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com
Opening times
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is open generally from 9:45am each day, closing at 6pm during the busier times of year. Last entry is at 3pm on these days. Closing times may vary depending on the time of year.
Ticket prices
These ticket prices are for the summer season, 2024!
Parking at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
The car park at Yorkshire Wildlife Park is huge and I doubt there is much chance of struggling to find a parking space. We arrived early (9:20) and were able to park fairly close to the entrance. The later in the day you arrive, the further away you will be.
What is there at Yorkshire Wildlife Park?
Let me start by saying that Yorkshire Wildlife Park is huge! You can pick up maps at the entrance, or you can download the free app. This will help you to plan your routes and figure out what animals you want to see next.
Into Africa
We love to see some of the big animals when we visit a zoo and in the ‘Into Africa’ area, you can see quite a few. This is right near the Masai Coffee House, outdoor play area and ‘Leopard Heights’. Here, you can go up to a viewing area where you’ll be able to see both giraffes and Amur leopards. What a great way to see some amazing animals and what a great experience to have. Obviously, giraffes are really tall so this is the only place you can see them from above.
This area is also just around the corner from Land of the Tiger’, which is definitely worth a visit. The Amur tigers were out while we were visiting so we stopped for a while to watch them. There’s a large bridge you can walk across, which will give you a good view depending on where the animals are. Animal enclosures here mimic their natural habitat and some of them are absolutely huge. Spend some time looking for the animals if they can’t be seen straight away.
Project Polar
One of the areas that I was most excited about was Project Polar. I have been to quite a few zoos in my time but never have I seen a polar bear. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is one of the world’s leading centres for Polar Bear welfare and conservation with one of the largest collection of polar bears in England. The habitats for the polar bears are absolutely huge and copy to kind of landscape that they would be used to elsewhere. I didn’t know this before but polar bears don’t need ice or snow to survive. This reserve features grassy plains, rocky beaches, water pools, and shaded caves, meticulously designed to replicate the Arctic tundra found in North Canada during the summer.
It was really a refreshing change to go somewhere with these beautiful creatures, and to see something a bit different.
Walk-though areas
Something I loved about Yorkshire Wildlife Park is how many walk-through experiences there are. The Wallaby Walkabout was one of my favourites on this occasion though as there were so many out and about.
You can’t always guarantee the animals will be out though, as was our experience in Lemur Woods. Here, none of the animals were out. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to try again later in the day if you have time.
Smaller animals
As well as the big animals, Yorkshire Wildlife Park is also home to a whole variety of smaller animals. There are a lot of different species living here, and it’s nice to see such a wide range of animals. Some of the smaller animals include hunting dogs, sea lions, monkeys, otters, meerkats and wolves.
Food and drink
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has a few different locations where you can get food and drink, including; Masai Coffee House, Safari Café, Tsavo Bakehouse, Caramba and the Monkey Burger Bar (just to name a few). You are also welcome to take your own food and eat at any of the picnic benches you’ll find dotted around.
Play areas
Sometimes children need to do something different when visiting popular destinations like this. You’ll be glad to know that there are a few different adventure playgrounds dotted around. You can find them easily on the interactive map. The play areas are well designed, even with little adventurers in mind. The Oasis Adventure Play Area is close to a cafe as well as having plenty of outdoor seating.
Animal experiences
Ahead of your visit you can book a range of animal experiences online. These were all sold out on the day of our visit, as was advertised at the park entrance. With so many to choose from, you might opt for an amazing experience with the polar bears or maybe an interactive experience with the lemur. There are options for a range of prices as well as ages.
How long should you spend at Yorkshire Wildlife Park?
As a big zoo, there is a lot to see and do here. We arrived ready for opening time and left at roughly 4pm. You could easily stay until the end of the day though, depending what other plans you might have.
What else is there to do here?
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is set on a sort of entertainment complex called the Yorkshire Hive. You can stay in the Hex Hotel, dine at Evolution Experience restaurant or play at the indoor play area Uproar! These come at an additional cost and most need to be booked in advance.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a fantastic day out for the whole family and there is really something for everyone. Whether you find your favourite animals, learn something new about an endangered species or go wild at one of the outdoor play areas, you’ll have a great time.
