SAT–SUN · all day, talks timetabled
Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
3–45–78–1112+
— minadd postcode
📍 Burford
Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
Large zoo and gardens near Burford with lions, rhinos, giraffes and a narrow-gauge railway.
✦ We visited
Grab a map and head for the giraffes and rhinos first before it gets busy, then loop back via the railway and playground. The picnic lawns by the manor are the nicest spot for lunch.
Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford is one of the best big days out in the area, set in 160 acres of parkland and gardens around a Victorian manor. The collection is genuinely impressive for a regional zoo, with lions, white rhinos, giraffes, red pandas, lemurs, penguins, meerkats and a walk-through reptile and invertebrate house. Animals are spread across spacious enclosures and themed gardens, so there is a lot of walking and a lot to see.
Families will find a narrow-gauge railway that runs in the warmer months, an adventure playground, a children's farmyard with animals to meet, and daily keeper talks and feeds dotted across the day. The lawns around the manor are made for picnics and the planting is a draw for grown-ups. It is large, so allow a full day and plan a route.
It suits all ages, from babies in buggies to teenagers. The flat, paved main paths make it manageable with prams, and there is enough variety to keep older children interested.
Good for: animals, outdoors. Ages: 0–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.
Good to know
Is Cotswold Wildlife Park good for toddlers?
Yes, the flat paths suit buggies and the farmyard, playground and railway keep toddlers happy alongside the big animals.
How long do you need at Cotswold Wildlife Park?
Allow a full day, as the 160-acre site has a large collection and a lot of walking.
Is there parking at Cotswold Wildlife Park?
Yes, there is free on-site parking right by the entrance.