Marwell Zoo
Marwell Zoo
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Marwell zoo is home to hundreds of exotic and endangered animals all within a beautiful, landscaped 140-acre park. Take a stroll around the outdoor attraction with friends and family and enjoy the fresh air while spotting their animal stars which include – Rothchild’s giraffes, white rhinos, Amur tigers, Humboldt penguins, red pandas, snow leopards and all three species of zebra (to name a few)! Marwell Wildlife is a conservation charity established in 1972 which owns and operates Marwell Zoo. The organisation has been given the royal seal of approval for their environmental commitments with a coveted award; The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development. By choosing to donate and Gift Aid your tickets when purchasing, you’ll be supporting the zoo even further! Marwell Zoo is open daily from 10am, 363 days a year. Closing times and admissions prices vary. Please check the Marwell website for full ticket prices and other details.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Georgie FCrowborough, United Kingdom11 contributionsFresh air and animals1st went here in November as on holiday in Portsmouth came back here in January again holiday in Portsmouth, I have fallen in love with this park, the fresh air plus animals, it’s well spaced out, you don’t feel like your walking for ages to see animals. Sometime the animals are not out didn’t bother me at all. This time round in January there was more animals out enjoying the winter sun.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 26 January 2024
- julieHampshire, United Kingdom229 contributionsA little zoo but doesn’t seem very organisedI do like it, it pretty much 20 minutes away from me but even though it’s usual for the car park to be so far away from the zoo when you get to the gates there’s not one for leaving so we had to squeeze through the que of people coming in which was nothing less than annoying. Also it takes a while (a while for tiny 2yr old feet) to get to see any of the animals which discouraged her to go. It’s a nice little zoo. The annual membership I think is alright for its priceVisited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 27 January 2024
- Kerry G1 contributionLovely day out!Me and my daughter had a fantastic day. LOVED the giraffes. Unfortunately the Rhino were sleeping. Info desk staff need to be clearer when asked about the train especially for visitors with mobility issues. Cafe food was lovely but quite expensive. Decent coffee too! Would be nice if there were a total ban on smoking/vaping within the park. Other than that it's a great place to visit.Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 10 February 2024
- SophNorthamptonshire, United Kingdom9 contributionsFantastic!This is an absolutely amazing zoo, it’s huge and has so many animals, and the layout of the zoo is incredible. The staff were lovely and you can get fairly close to the animals, like a long viewing bridge next to the giraffes, absolutely loved the snow leopard! There is also an amazing tropical house you can walk into with free flying birds! Absolutely incredible zoo and will definitely be coming back!Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 March 2024
- NatashaBasingstoke, United Kingdom243 contributionsAlways a great experienceI have been here a few times over the last month due to a promotion that Marwell were running and we have enjoyed it so much. There are plenty of animals to see across a large area of land so you definitely need to plan to stay all day. A couple of times we have bought food at the restaurant and have been pleased with the hot options and the childrens packed lunch boxes. We have also bought lunch from home a few times and there have been places for us to sit and eat this under cover. The play parks are brilliant and we love the new toddler play area by the wallabies. The land train is worth going on as they have a commentary as you go around and can help you to see some animals you may have missed. Bring wellies and puddlesuits on bad weather days. Parking is great and not at extra cost. Gift shop and cafe also good and the toilets around the zoo have always been clean. My toddler son has said the best animals on each of our visits have been: Pygmy hippos, tigers, polecats, meerkats, giraffes. 😂👍🏻 We didn’t see the rhinos this month I think it’s been a bit cold for them! 🦏💙Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 10 March 2024
- Roaf126 contributionsEnchanting LightsMarwell Zoo offers a magical display of Christmas lights that adds a special touch to the festive season. Walking through the zoo adorned with twinkling lights created a warm and enchanting atmosphere. Beautifully lit pathways and festive decorations, the Christmas lights at Marwell Zoo brought joy and wonder to our visit.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 March 2024
- Lesley M1 contributionVisit to ZooWhat a beautiful place animals well looked after, Gift shop well priced and lots to choice from. Great place for kids. A very large wildlife park, Next time il visit on a warmer day.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 14 March 2024
- Michelle GEastbourne, United Kingdom27 contributionsWould definitely recommend a visitWe had a lovely day at Marwell. It has been designed brilliantly, so that you can get really close to the animals. We were lucky with the weather, but there are lots of parts which are under cover so you can dodge the showers. There is a wet weather route on the map. The animals look well cared for and staff were friendly.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2024
- James36 contributionsGood day outWe went to Marwell zoo in the February half term and had a lovely day out. The animals seem to have nice enclosures where they can wander about and be away from humans if they need to. None of the animals looked sad they all seemed happy and healthy. The food and drink was good but they could do with a few more food and drink facilities around the park. Overall a lovely day and will be returning!Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 23 March 2024
- Kathy S1 contributionLovely family day out.We are all members and spent Easter Saturday with you. It was very busy which is good but didn't feel overcrowded. Plenty of places to rest whilst the kids ran around. Saw lots of animals and a few being fed. Lovely lunch in Cafe Graze and the doughnut man was a welcome extra mid afternoon.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 1 April 2024
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4.0
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237
Kathy B
Southampton, UK199 contributions
Dec 2019
We took my two grandaughters to Marwell on New Years Eve as a treat and although the girls enjoyed the visit, as most young children would, we were quite disappointed.
There were very few animals to be seen and a lot of work going on, so some of the enclosures were closed. Unfortunately you aren't told this on arrival and there is nothing on the website about it. They do however still charge full admission price even though the service is considerably reduced.
We arrived around 10.45am, which we felt was ample time for the animals to be out in the paddocks, but this wasn't the case and the girls were very disappointed not to be able to see the giraffes outside. They were still all locked up - by the time we got to them it had to have been 11.30, which seems very late in the day for them to still be inside.
We took a picnic and were pleased that we had as the one cafe was absolutely heaving with queues going righ around the building outside. My partner queued for hot drinks and a bowl of chips and said there was one person dishing up hot food which was why the queues were so long and slow. We later visited the small coffee shop in the shop and found the same problem - one member of staff on duty, tables loaded with debris and the floor was covered with food debris as well. The guy on duty obviously couldn't do everything and the queue was so long he had no alternative but to keep serving. A young lady did eventually come along to help out but only after I had been queueing for 10 minutes.
Because Marwell is so popular you can never find any deals or discounts on line as you can with other attractions all over the country. I understand it relies on visitors for its upkeep, but they could reduce the entrance price in the middle of winter when there is a lack of animals and lack of attractions.
It will be a long time before we go back.
There were very few animals to be seen and a lot of work going on, so some of the enclosures were closed. Unfortunately you aren't told this on arrival and there is nothing on the website about it. They do however still charge full admission price even though the service is considerably reduced.
We arrived around 10.45am, which we felt was ample time for the animals to be out in the paddocks, but this wasn't the case and the girls were very disappointed not to be able to see the giraffes outside. They were still all locked up - by the time we got to them it had to have been 11.30, which seems very late in the day for them to still be inside.
We took a picnic and were pleased that we had as the one cafe was absolutely heaving with queues going righ around the building outside. My partner queued for hot drinks and a bowl of chips and said there was one person dishing up hot food which was why the queues were so long and slow. We later visited the small coffee shop in the shop and found the same problem - one member of staff on duty, tables loaded with debris and the floor was covered with food debris as well. The guy on duty obviously couldn't do everything and the queue was so long he had no alternative but to keep serving. A young lady did eventually come along to help out but only after I had been queueing for 10 minutes.
Because Marwell is so popular you can never find any deals or discounts on line as you can with other attractions all over the country. I understand it relies on visitors for its upkeep, but they could reduce the entrance price in the middle of winter when there is a lack of animals and lack of attractions.
It will be a long time before we go back.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, Kathy B. We’re so pleased to hear that your children enjoyed your recent visit to Marwell. We are disappointed that you did not have as much of an enjoyable experience, however. We have hundreds of animals across 140 acres of parkland and only a few enclosures are currently empty. These would have been signposted accordingly on the day of your visit. We encourage guests to think of the zoo as a walking safari, walking slowly around the zoo with a patient and watchful eye. We’d like to assure you that we give our animals the opportunity to decide where they would like to be throughout the day, whether this is inside or outside. As such, our giraffes would have chosen to stay inside their indoor area and it’s unlikely they would have been forced to do so unless planned works were underway in their paddock. If an animal does choose to stay inside, this may be why parts of their overall enclosure, such as their paddock, may appear empty. Most of our enclosures do enable guests to see the animal wherever it is, inside or outside. Objects such as vegetation or climbing structures could obstruct a guest’s view, so if a guest cannot see an animal on their first attempt, we recommend revisiting that one later in the day when there is a good chance the animal may have moved.
We’re currently in the middle of a decade-long improvement plan to create improved habitats for our resident animals and more immersive experiences for guests. So far this has included Wild Explorers, Lemur Loop and Tropical House; our next exciting development will be Water and Wetlands which we hope will be a highlight for our guests. After receiving a very generous legacy donation, Wallaby Walkthrough is currently under renovation. The homepage and the ‘Planning your visit to Marwell’ page of our website detail this closure and there is also a poster outside of admissions; we’re sorry if you missed this. As well as helping to care for our resident animals, and helping the conservation work we carry out in the UK and abroad, our guests are an important contributor to allowing us to make these improvements to the zoo, so we thank you for your support.
We have plenty of picnic areas throughout the zoo, including two indoor picnic huts so it’s great to hear that you decided to bring a picnic. We have tried to reduce these queues in Café Graze by introducing a line for hot food and a line for cold food. We also recommend that if guests want a quieter, less crowded experience in any of our catering outlets, then it's worth taking the extra hour to look around, perhaps sheltering under one of our many animal houses or picnic areas and coming back after peak lunchtime hours are over. At Café Graze, we maintain a full lunch service until 90 minutes before the park closes. We’re sorry that you were unhappy with the cleanliness of Coffee Corner. We have passed your comments on to our team.
We do indeed have a winter price and standard price of admission to the zoo. Booking and ticket information can be found on our website.
Guest feedback is very important to us as this helps us to see how we are doing and to keep improving, so thank you for your comments. We hope you will visit us again in the future.
Written 14 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hayley J
Brighton and Hove, UK29 contributions
Apr 2021
After shielding for over a year (vulnerable family members), I was feeling nervous about coming with my father. I was so pleased to see how covid-safe it was. You have to book tickets in advance and there are 2 meter points and signs all over the park to encourage people to keep safe. Although there were a lot of people, the zoo is very big and there are so many routes you can take. If one area is too busy, you can go another way and come back to it later. We saw lots of people started with the penguins and giraffes, so we decided to go there last when it was very quiet!! I was also really pleased with how accessible the zoo was for everyone. There are lots of flat paths everywhere ideal for the families we saw with buggys. We were very lucky with the weather and managed to see all of the animals. The staff we spoke to were friendly too. If anyone is thinking of going to a zoo but is feeling nervous after shielding, I would highly recommend Marwell Zoo. There was not one moment that we didn't feel safe. Thank you very much!
Written 22 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi 22hayleyj, thank you for your 5-star review! We are delighted to hear you chose to visit Marwell after shielding for over a year and felt safe during your time at the park.
We have worked very hard to implement several safety measures during these difficult times. These include operating at a significantly reduced capacity since reopening, painting floor distance markings around the zoo and putting up signage to direct guests. There are also plenty of new hand sanitising stations around the park.
We aim to ensure all areas of the park can be reached by all of our visitors. To ensure this, where possible, we have created pathways for buggies and wheelchairs as an alternative to gravel paths that may be difficult to manoeuvre on.
Guest experience is incredibly important to us, so it’s fantastic to hear that our staff were friendly during your visit.
Thanks again for your review; we look forward to seeing you at the zoo again soon!
Written 20 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chloe1989
UK130 contributions
May 2021
I agree with previous reviews which state the the zoo entrance fee is expensive and to be honest I have previously considered visiting the zoo but could not justify the price. However, we have just been gifted annual passes and so visited for the first time this afternoon. If you are particularly local to the zoo and believe that you will visit 3 or more times throughout the course of the year, then definitely look into this option. Not only do you gain entry at Marwell Zoo for the year, you also get a visit to various other zoos too at no extra cost, including Chester Zoo (which in itself is £26+ for a one day pass). For £64 per adult this is definitely worthwhile looking into if you plan to visit a few times.
Due to Covid restrictions, we booked for the afternoon slot (12pm - 5pm) and arrived just after 1pm. At this time, the zoo entrance was very quiet but the car park was relatively busy and so I assume we had simply missed the 12pm rush.
Again due to Covid, there were restrictions in place, however the majority of the houses were open including the Hippo House and the Giraffe House.
The park is clean and there are plenty of random hand sanitisers placed around the park. Very accessible in terms of buggies (and I assume therefore wheelchairs).
Overall a lovely little park but definitely overpriced for day tickets.
17 month old loved it!
Due to Covid restrictions, we booked for the afternoon slot (12pm - 5pm) and arrived just after 1pm. At this time, the zoo entrance was very quiet but the car park was relatively busy and so I assume we had simply missed the 12pm rush.
Again due to Covid, there were restrictions in place, however the majority of the houses were open including the Hippo House and the Giraffe House.
The park is clean and there are plenty of random hand sanitisers placed around the park. Very accessible in terms of buggies (and I assume therefore wheelchairs).
Overall a lovely little park but definitely overpriced for day tickets.
17 month old loved it!
Written 23 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Chloe1989, thank you for your review! We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your recent visit to Marwell.
We are sorry to hear you did not think the entrance fee was good value for money. Our prices are reviewed regularly to ensure that we stay in line with similar attractions of this type as well as offer good value to guests. By visiting the zoo, you are contributing to our international work, as well as supporting our wonderful resident animals. All surplus goes straight towards the important conservation projects we support in the UK and overseas as we are an action-oriented conservation charity.
It's great to hear you have an annual membership for us! Guests with an annual pass get a huge range of benefits including unlimited entry to the zoo, access to early member mornings, discount in our catering outlets and shop and lots more! Just as you mention, members also get one free entry to a range of participating UK zoos. However due to the coronavirus pandemic, our members should contact the zoo they wish to visit prior to their visit as it is down to the participating zoo’s discretion.
Thanks again for your review; we look forward to seeing you around the zoo again soon!
Written 10 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
den
Southampton, UK5 contributions
Jul 2020
We visited today for a birthday surprise for my daughter and granddaughter. I pre-booked and paid over £90 for a family ticket + 1 adult , however 1 adult and 2 children were unable to come because of illness , we were told on the gate to ring customer services to have the tickets not used transferred to another date but when we phoned a very rude and unhelpful member of staff said that tickets were not transferable so basically tough you have paid for nothing! I’m also sure a zoo is supposed to have animals that you can actually see, many enclosures empty , we saw some zebras in the distance , just awful value for money. Obviously the cafe does not have any seating inside but there is no provision for eating in the dry outside. We purchased sandwiches and had to stand in the rain eating either that or sit on wet benches. We also saw a woman having to feed her baby in the rain, this marwell is unacceptable. Paultons park are able to have a huge covered outside eating area and so should you . Terrible experience I would not recommend anyone to visit as far as I’m concerned I have chucked £90 down the drain .
Written 27 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi denharrod, thank you for your feedback. We are saddened to hear your recent trip to Marwell did not live up to your expectations.
Since our reopening in June, tickets have been released only four days in advance and are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. This is stated on our website, we are sorry if you missed this information. All staff at Marwell have an aim to deliver a warm and welcoming impression to all guests in order to contribute to a great experience. However, we are sorry to hear that you did not feel this was the case on this occasion.
We have hundreds of animals at Marwell, many are detailed on our website. Animal welfare is a priority, so we give them the freedom to choose where they are throughout the day so it may be that they choose to be inside, however most of our enclosures do enable guests to see the animal wherever it is, inside or outside. Objects such as vegetation or climbing structures could also obstruct a guest’s view so we recommend revisiting that one later in the day when there is a good chance the animal may have moved.
As we are following government guidelines, some inside areas had to remain closed upon re-opening this meant the café was only available for take away. Although initially after our reopening there were one or two gazeboes dotted around the park, as well as lots of lush trees to shelter under; we decided not to introduce more shelters in order to discourage crowding in accordance with government guidance.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback; we hope you’ll visit us again in the future.
Written 10 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DerekandMaria
Southampton, UK8 contributions
Dec 2019
This was the third time we have taken our grandaughter to the Christmas Experience at Marwell. It will also be the last.
As others have stated we were caught out by the removal of the free day pass from the package while attending the evening session. We have always attended these, picking her up after school, then visiting the zoo as a second treat in the New Year. This allows the Christmas Experience to be the focus of the trip.
This year however the zoo decided to break with this. My partner made the booking, she is usually far more attentive to detail than I am, and even she missed the fact that the day pass was excluded. So in essence, despite the initial customer advisor response it obviously wasn't stated clearly enough on the web site. The fact others were also caught out bears testimony to that fact, so I feel that the exclusion should have been specifically highlighted.
It should be noted that there was no facility to visit the zoo previously (hence the free day pass as part of the package) when attending the evening sessions. I believe a statement saying that the zoo was not included was not in itself an obvious indicator that there was no pass for entry to the zoo at a later date included.
Following our original complaint the Events Manager stated that those attending the evening session got "extras". We asked what those were and didn't receive a response. She also stated that the day pass had been stopped due to abuse. In this day and age it is not difficult to manage this. I would also point out that we have had a train provided in previous years, so this was also not an extra, nor were the inclusion of refreshments on arrival or lights. In fact typing this I'm not sure she has been involved in previous years events.
To compound the issue, our granddaughter was the last to go through Santa's grotto (not an issue by itself, every visit has a last child through!), so by the time we had bought her a sausage roll at the caterpillar pod (one of the "extras"....) it was time to leave, so she couldn't even use the play area.
I also felt that the activity with the Queen of Hearts was somewhat poor, she basically had a door shaped piece of plywood to colour in. The first time we attended she was able to decorate a plate which could then be "fired" at home.
On a positive though, all the staff were, as always, friendly and welcoming making the visit a joy for the kids. Our grandaughter enjoyed the visit, we just feel it was not the value we have had in previous years.
Now that the zoo visit is not included in the evening session we will look elsewhere for a better value experience this year. There are plenty around, I just feel it is a shame that the unique selling point for this trip has been removed.
As others have stated we were caught out by the removal of the free day pass from the package while attending the evening session. We have always attended these, picking her up after school, then visiting the zoo as a second treat in the New Year. This allows the Christmas Experience to be the focus of the trip.
This year however the zoo decided to break with this. My partner made the booking, she is usually far more attentive to detail than I am, and even she missed the fact that the day pass was excluded. So in essence, despite the initial customer advisor response it obviously wasn't stated clearly enough on the web site. The fact others were also caught out bears testimony to that fact, so I feel that the exclusion should have been specifically highlighted.
It should be noted that there was no facility to visit the zoo previously (hence the free day pass as part of the package) when attending the evening sessions. I believe a statement saying that the zoo was not included was not in itself an obvious indicator that there was no pass for entry to the zoo at a later date included.
Following our original complaint the Events Manager stated that those attending the evening session got "extras". We asked what those were and didn't receive a response. She also stated that the day pass had been stopped due to abuse. In this day and age it is not difficult to manage this. I would also point out that we have had a train provided in previous years, so this was also not an extra, nor were the inclusion of refreshments on arrival or lights. In fact typing this I'm not sure she has been involved in previous years events.
To compound the issue, our granddaughter was the last to go through Santa's grotto (not an issue by itself, every visit has a last child through!), so by the time we had bought her a sausage roll at the caterpillar pod (one of the "extras"....) it was time to leave, so she couldn't even use the play area.
I also felt that the activity with the Queen of Hearts was somewhat poor, she basically had a door shaped piece of plywood to colour in. The first time we attended she was able to decorate a plate which could then be "fired" at home.
On a positive though, all the staff were, as always, friendly and welcoming making the visit a joy for the kids. Our grandaughter enjoyed the visit, we just feel it was not the value we have had in previous years.
Now that the zoo visit is not included in the evening session we will look elsewhere for a better value experience this year. There are plenty around, I just feel it is a shame that the unique selling point for this trip has been removed.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, DerekandMaria. We’re pleased to hear that your granddaughter enjoyed her visit to our recent Christmas at Marwell experience. Thank you also for your praise for our Christmas elves; our staff are passionate about what they do so it’s great to hear they were warm and welcoming during your visit.
Guest feedback is very important to us at Marwell as it helps us to see how we are doing and see where we could improve, so thank you for taking the time to leave us your comments. We’re sorry to hear that you did not find the evening Christmas at Marwell experience to be good value for money compared to previous years.
The 60-90-minute experience is designed to give families the opportunity to spend some quality family time in a magical setting, with refreshments, storytelling, craft activity and a visit to Father Christmas. Just as our event team mentioned, we did indeed add more activities for the evening experience. These extras are in comparison to the daytime experience and included a Mad Hatter welcome, train ride up to Marwell Hall, festive food available from our ‘caterpillar caterpod’ and wonderland garden game area. Our website details information on our Christmas event and what is included in the evening and daytime sessions, so we’re sorry that you missed this. We will take your feedback into consideration when organising this year’s event.
Thanks again for your feedback. We will be announcing details of our 2020 Christmas event in summer and we hope that you will reconsider and visit us again this year.
Written 15 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SaraC
1 contribution
Dec 2019 • Family
As we have done the past 4 years, we treated the kids to seeing Santa at Marwell. Unfortunately this year even though the cost per person has gone up again, this time round there are no return tickets to the zoo included! So for the large cost ( even had to pay for a 5 week old baby) way over £100 my kids don’t even get to go to the zoo! Day tickets were able to have the same evening experience ( minus some lights) and a visit to the zoo during the day but evening slots now only get the Santa experience. I have asked Marwell about this and they have failed to reply other than with an automated response. Very disappointed!!!! A family tradition that will now sadly end
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your feedback, SaraCmummaof3. We’re sorry to hear you did not feel our Christmas event was good value for money. Although we did not offer return tickets to the zoo for evening guests, we added more activities for the evening compared to the daytime experience. Extras include a Mad Hatter welcome, train ride up to Marwell Hall, festive food available from our ‘caterpillar caterpod’ and wonderland garden game area. Our website clearly details information on booking our Christmas event, as well as what is included in the evening and daytime sessions, so we’re sorry if you missed this.
Although we do receive a lot of feedback, I’d like to assure you that we do not send automated responses to guests.
Thanks again for taking the time to leave us your feedback; we hope that you will visit us again in the future.
Written 28 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chas M
Stubbington, UK318 contributions
Jun 2021
After waiting for 7 hours in an online queue for tickets, I used another computer to access the zoo website and learned that all available tickets had been sold. At that point over 300 people were waiting in vain online. Once all are sold, an online notice to that effect would be simple to implement. I resumed the search the following morning (for a later date) and obtained tickets for two adults and two children (6 and 4) at around £80 in total.
Having visited Marwell Zoo a few years ago, I was very disappointed by the shabby appearance of the buildings and grounds, the confusing signs (routes changed because of Covid, but some signs not changed), and the fact that there were multiple empty enclosures.
Covid restrictions were enforced from arrival, sometimes a bit over the top (e.g. masks required on open air boardwalks) and Covid signage was in place.
One area where there was no control/supervision in place was the children's playground, where the age restrictions were ignored by many children and parents (each area has minimum and/or maximum ages displayed) with no Marwell staff around, and this led to younger children being unable to enjoy the facilities fully. That was especially annoying because the children with us only had a few animals to see - the two tigers were asleep out of view, there was no sign of a snow leopard, and many enclosures/ homes were empty.
Our visit lasted four hours, including a lot of walking whilst looking for the next attraction (and becoming frustrated by the signposting)
This is the lowest mark I have ever awarded on Trip Advisor, and it is disappointing that after far better visits to Marwell years ago the place is going downhill fast.
Having visited Marwell Zoo a few years ago, I was very disappointed by the shabby appearance of the buildings and grounds, the confusing signs (routes changed because of Covid, but some signs not changed), and the fact that there were multiple empty enclosures.
Covid restrictions were enforced from arrival, sometimes a bit over the top (e.g. masks required on open air boardwalks) and Covid signage was in place.
One area where there was no control/supervision in place was the children's playground, where the age restrictions were ignored by many children and parents (each area has minimum and/or maximum ages displayed) with no Marwell staff around, and this led to younger children being unable to enjoy the facilities fully. That was especially annoying because the children with us only had a few animals to see - the two tigers were asleep out of view, there was no sign of a snow leopard, and many enclosures/ homes were empty.
Our visit lasted four hours, including a lot of walking whilst looking for the next attraction (and becoming frustrated by the signposting)
This is the lowest mark I have ever awarded on Trip Advisor, and it is disappointing that after far better visits to Marwell years ago the place is going downhill fast.
Written 5 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Chas M, thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you had a long wait for tickets on our website. I have passed your comments along to our IT and Communications team.
At Marwell, we have a policy to create ‘wild’ areas good for wildlife in the park and within some animal enclosures. We are looking to develop habitats that will encourage natural animal behaviours. We appreciate it may not be to everyone’s taste, but can assure you no area of the park has been neglected.
We are currently in the middle of a decade long investment programme, creating improved habitats for animals and more immersive experiences for our guests. So far this has included the wonderful Wild Explorers completed in 2015. In 2018 we opened our newest (and biggest ever) exhibit, Energy for Life: Tropical House. The innovative and sustainable exhibit features an energy-from-waste plant where zoo poo will be turned into energy to heat the park’s buildings, helping us to reach our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2022.
We have recently opened our new Okapi adventure playground and revamped our Wallaby Walkthrough and Flamingo habitat. We are also currently completing work to improve a habitat for our serval pair as well as allow wider access for our giraffe. Unfortunately, due to the financial impact of our closures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, some projects have been put on hold.
We’ve worked very hard to implement a number of safety measures during these difficult times to keep staff and guests safe. Although the boardwalks are outside, some only have one entry point which is also used as an exit, meaning guests will pass each other. Therefore, we have asked guests to please wear a face mask whilst on boardwalks.
There are some areas of the zoo which are busier at certain times, but we are kindly asking guests to avoid these areas if they appear busy to explore quieter areas of our 140-acre park and pop back later. We also have several staff members out and about in the zoo every day who regularly monitor areas. They will advise guests if they do not seem to be adhering to social distancing measures, but we do expect guests to take responsibility and follow the health & safety requirements and signage.
We have a number of playgrounds which are designed for various age ranges, we have signage on those playgrounds as an advisory to parents and guardians for the level of difficulty involved in some of the equipment on that site. Some are designed with older children in mind but others are there for the younger children. Younger children are able to use the playgrounds, but they should be supervised if they adult they are with feels the child is able to use the equipment.
We give our animals the freedom to choose where they are throughout the day so it may be that they choose to be inside, which would be why parts of their overall enclosure, such as their paddock, may appear empty. Most of our enclosures do enable guests to see the animal wherever it is, inside or outside. Objects such as vegetation or climbing structures could obstruct a guest’s view so it is advised that if a guest cannot see an animal on their first attempt, we recommend revisiting that one later in the day when there is a good chance the animal may have moved.
Thanks again for your feedback; we hope you’ll visit us again in the future.
Written 16 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jlou
London, UK17 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
It was lovely to have a family day out but the experience is very limited at present. We saw giraffes, rhinos and zebras clearly but many other animals weren’t present or their enclosures had been closed off. It was a little disappointing to look at so many empty enclosures.
Positives were that staff were very welcoming and clear signs were up everywhere and we felt safe enough. Also loads of picnic areas (would strongly recommend taking your own food).
Besides the animals a negative is the toilet situation. Huge queues due to only letting one family in each toilet block at a time. I can understand from safety perspective but waiting 20minutes each time wasn’t fun.
Positives were that staff were very welcoming and clear signs were up everywhere and we felt safe enough. Also loads of picnic areas (would strongly recommend taking your own food).
Besides the animals a negative is the toilet situation. Huge queues due to only letting one family in each toilet block at a time. I can understand from safety perspective but waiting 20minutes each time wasn’t fun.
Written 8 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review, jenny_lou_d. It’s great to hear you felt safe during your recent visit and noticed the safety measures we’ve worked hard to implement in time for re-opening after our 12-week closure. As we are following the guidance provided by the government, some areas were closed for the safety of guests and to ensure social distancing can be carried out everywhere in the park. However, most areas are now accessible in the park.
We give our animals the freedom to choose where they are throughout the day so it may be that they choose to be inside, which would be why parts of their overall enclosure, such as their paddock, may appear empty. Most of our enclosures do enable guests to see the animal wherever it is, inside or outside. Objects such as vegetation or climbing structures could obstruct a guest’s view so it is advised that if a guest cannot see an animal on their first attempt, we recommend revisiting that one later in the day when there is a good chance the animal may have moved.
We take pride in our guest experience here at Marwell, so it’s wonderful to hear you found the staff to be so warm and welcoming.
For the safety of our guests and to be able to follow social distancing guidelines the toilet facilities were one family in at a time. To help reduce queueing times, we added extra toilet blocks.
Thanks again for your comments; we hope to see you around the zoo again soon.
Written 27 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Em240593
Portsmouth, UK298 contributions
Aug 2021
I haven't visited Marwell Zoo since being a child and even then I don't have any memories of it so when I came today it felt brand new to me. It is clear that the Zoo has been hit by the Pandemic and I was told that not everything has reopened and back to the standard it was pre-Covid-Eg. The train isn't currently running and face masks are still required in undercover areas. I have also been informed that the ticket prices have changed and they currently stand at £20.68 for an adult ticket. I was fortunate enough to qualify for a student ticket so I paid £18.44. All visitors are required to book tickets online and choose an entry slot and considering we came during the Summer Holidays and the Car Park was very busy when we first arrived at 11.00, all visitors moved through the park quickly enough so it didn't feel too congested and we were able to view and enjoy the animals without feeling too surrounded by other people.
There are a few reviews on here complaining that there weren't enough animals but this is almost down to luck with the day and time as sometimes they may be sleeping somewhere you may not be able to see them. It states on the website that it might be a good idea to pop back to an enclosure later in the day as they may be more visible then, especially if it is an animal you would really like to see. The only thing I would say is that it was a little bit sad walking past the empty Cheetah enclosure knowing that their Cheetah had passed away earlier this year.
There were plenty of picnic areas which were well spaced out and tidy and a good way to keep costs down as I could imagine it costing a fair bit to bring a family out to Marwell for the day but there were also places to buy food too, including a Bbq. Like with all attractions, the Gift Shop was really quite pricey but a huge range of souvenirs if you did want a momento from the day.
All in all I think Marwell was a good day out for all members of the family with a good range of exotic animals. We were there for about 4.5hours and fun for all.
There are a few reviews on here complaining that there weren't enough animals but this is almost down to luck with the day and time as sometimes they may be sleeping somewhere you may not be able to see them. It states on the website that it might be a good idea to pop back to an enclosure later in the day as they may be more visible then, especially if it is an animal you would really like to see. The only thing I would say is that it was a little bit sad walking past the empty Cheetah enclosure knowing that their Cheetah had passed away earlier this year.
There were plenty of picnic areas which were well spaced out and tidy and a good way to keep costs down as I could imagine it costing a fair bit to bring a family out to Marwell for the day but there were also places to buy food too, including a Bbq. Like with all attractions, the Gift Shop was really quite pricey but a huge range of souvenirs if you did want a momento from the day.
All in all I think Marwell was a good day out for all members of the family with a good range of exotic animals. We were there for about 4.5hours and fun for all.
Written 16 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Em240593, thank you for your review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed your recent visit to Marwell!
We encourage guests to imagine Marwell Zoo as a walking safari. We advise taking a stroll around with a patient and watchful eye and imagine that they are trying to see our animals in the wild. With 140 acres of beautiful parkland to explore, and hundreds of animals to see, we suggest allowing 4-5 hours for your visit.
While we had hoped to reintroduce the road train in a new format in time for the school summer holidays, unfortunately this is no longer viable, therefore we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the reintroduction until later in the year. In order to ensure we are able to provide a safe and reliable service along with a great guest experience for all of our guests higher staffing levels than normal are needed, along with lengthy training to maintain our high health and safety standards. However due to unforeseen circumstances it would not have been possible to achieve this before the school summer holidays while still ensuring other vital daily functions would not have been affected. Therefore when considering this alongside the uncertainty surrounding the easing of government restrictions we felt it was the responsible decision to prioritise ensuring other operational functions are not compromised and our guests continue to have a safe and enjoyable visit. We have included this in our detailed guest guidance and FAQ’s which we encourage all of our guests to read before booking which can be found on our website. We’re sorry if you missed this information.
Unfortunately, our last remaining cheetah, Tano, recently died after he had some ongoing health issues. We have since renovated the enclosure for our serval pair, Jinx and Hex, as well as allow wider access for our giraffe.
Our gift shop offers a wide range of responsibly-sourced, good quality products from trusted suppliers. We believe our prices are in line with other, similar attractions but this is something we review regularly. The shop is operated by Marwell Wildlife and all profits are returned back to the charity. We are disappointed that on this occasion you were not satisfied with the prices and we appreciate your feedback.
Guest feedback is very important to us as this allows us to see how we are doing and to make improvements so thanks again for your comments. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Written 31 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sarah
69 contributions
May 2021 • Family
Some good bits, some poor.
I was impressed that I managed to get on a manual guest list because the online site showed fully booked, so I called on the of chance and was really pleased I did.
On arrival the price I was asked to pay automatically included the contribution to their upkeep charity. I was told this could be taken off but you feel obliged to pay this by then. This should be offered to you not just added (that said after a year of closure due to covid, I was happy to pay this). The toilets were very clean and well stocked with soap, tissue and towels. The park/zoo is clean and well maintained and everyone is very friendly.
On a very hot day it was a shame not all the ice cream venues were open which meant huge ques for those open. The cafe was nice food at a reasonable price but very slow service and outside tables could have been slightly cleaner. The bbq was very very disappointing. The cumberland sausage bap with side salad was a very thin sausage in an over sized bap with one slice of tomato and a few pieces of chopped iceburg lettuce. That was classed as a side salad!!??
Most enclosures were open and we saw most animals. Think they are a bit shy after a year of no visitors. No feeding times advertised to watch, which was a shame. But good signs for social distancing and one way routes. Overall a nice day but at £45 for 2 it's quite pricey I think.
But I'm pleased they got through the pandemic and reopened.
I was impressed that I managed to get on a manual guest list because the online site showed fully booked, so I called on the of chance and was really pleased I did.
On arrival the price I was asked to pay automatically included the contribution to their upkeep charity. I was told this could be taken off but you feel obliged to pay this by then. This should be offered to you not just added (that said after a year of closure due to covid, I was happy to pay this). The toilets were very clean and well stocked with soap, tissue and towels. The park/zoo is clean and well maintained and everyone is very friendly.
On a very hot day it was a shame not all the ice cream venues were open which meant huge ques for those open. The cafe was nice food at a reasonable price but very slow service and outside tables could have been slightly cleaner. The bbq was very very disappointing. The cumberland sausage bap with side salad was a very thin sausage in an over sized bap with one slice of tomato and a few pieces of chopped iceburg lettuce. That was classed as a side salad!!??
Most enclosures were open and we saw most animals. Think they are a bit shy after a year of no visitors. No feeding times advertised to watch, which was a shame. But good signs for social distancing and one way routes. Overall a nice day but at £45 for 2 it's quite pricey I think.
But I'm pleased they got through the pandemic and reopened.
Written 30 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi sarahphillips15, thank you for your feedback. Our admissions team are expected to ask guests if they are happy to include the 10% voluntary donation and it is completely up to the guest what they would like to do next. Including this small amount allow us to treat your whole ticket purchase as a donation and reclaim 25p tax for every pound spent. This makes a huge difference to the charity, but it is completely optional. The donation price, as well as the non-donation price are both advertised on the gate as well as online. We apologise if this was not made clear to you upon purchasing your tickets.
Our Environmental Services team do a wonderful job of keeping the zoo clean and tidy for our guests, so we’re glad you appreciated this during your visit.
Café Graze is a popular location for eating out, so we advise guests to head there after the lunchtime rush and take advantage of our extended dining service. However, we do understand your frustrations with regards to slow service. We are looking into this in the future, so that we can provide the space and environment for our guests to enjoy the atmosphere at Café Graze even more.
We’re sorry to hear our bbq did not live up to your expectations, our food is freshly prepared on the day of purchase with quality, local ingredients and we hope that this reflects in the price. We hope that you spoke with a member of the catering team on the day who would have been more than happy to assist you, and ensured you had a fantastic experience.
Thanks again for taking the time to leave your feedback; we hope you’ll visit us again soon!
Written 10 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hello David, from what I could ascertain it seems to be, as there are ramps and the ground is mainly all flat anyway.
There are some stairs that can be circumvented and the Zoo itself provides a FREE carer who can be admitted with a guest who has accessibility needs throughout the journey. Just check "Marwell Zoo wheelchair friendly" and the first link will explain all.
From what i've read they provide a free manual wheelchair "if needed" and a carer who can help during part or all of the trip for inclines etc. Hope this helps!
Written 18 September 2024
No dogs allowed. Only assistance dogs are allowed. Never seen a dog in the park to be honest -so don’t know which areas the assistance dog would be allowed in. Perhaps you need to contact them to clarify- always found the staff to be very friendly and helpful.
Written 2 April 2023
Can you leave your picnic in the car and go and get it later.i are you allowed back in if you go out to your car.
Thanks in advance
Written 12 August 2020
Yes you can. They just ask that you come back in via the exit lane
Written 14 August 2020
How many hours should we plan to spend in the zoo? We are going next week and although the forecast is for storm and rain we have no choice as we prebooked everything over a month ago
Written 12 August 2020
I would suggest 2-3 hours walking around the zoo & extra time for a picnic if weather allows.
Hope it stays dry & you have a good day x
Written 12 August 2020
Hi is it a different price on the gate to online ease
Written 14 August 2019
Only by about £1 per person. But I always buy online
Written 14 August 2019
Hi, I was wondering is there much to do if it’s raining?
Written 14 August 2019
Sorry Sally Ann I didn’t see this question. It’s probably not relevant now so apologies but the answer in any case is there isn’t a huge amount to do as with most zoos the majority of things are outside. There are some inside exhibits like the tropical house or giraffe and lemurs but 90% of it is outside. It’s fine to go in the rain just make sure you dress appropriately so it doesn’t spoil your day but preferably try and go on a dry day for the best experience x
Written 9 October 2019
Marwell Wildlife is a lovely place, I do wish you had ore Primates they are such an interesting species, and crowd pleasers!
Another puzzle ...the website says people usually spend 45 MINS at the zoo! ??? Surely this should read 4-5 HRs!
Please introduce some more PRIMATES🐒🐒🦍. Real Animals and less LEGO!
Written 21 April 2019
We spent about 4 hours there , you would have to be super fit and very quick to get round in 45mins.
Written 22 April 2019
Hi we are looking at visiting on 27th December and wondered if all wil still be open?
Written 4 November 2018
Marvellous Marwell is open every day from 10 am except Christmas and Boxing Days.
Written 1 December 2018
Hi, trescomania. What would you like to know about this attraction?
hi - were there reindeer there please (real ones!)?
Written 16 September 2018
No Reindeer at Marwell zoo check zoo website and there is a list. would post link but not allowed to by this site.
Written 16 September 2018
Is there a free car parking?
Written 19 July 2018
yes it’s a large free car park
make a note of what area your car is in as it’s large
Written 21 July 2018
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