Chester Zoo, in Cheshire, has been named the UK’s best-rated zoo on Tripadvisor. The park, with 30,000 animals and 500 species, ranked number one in the country based on visitor reviews, with 11,666 excellent ratings.
Chester Zoo also featured among Europe’s top 10 zoos and aquariums for 2026. The park recently expanded and opened Heart of Africa, the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK, with 57 iconic African species. Last year, the zoo unveiled The Reserve, a premium safari experience that allows guests to stay overnight in one of the 51 luxury African-themed lodges, in support of conservation.
One of the most recent reviews on Tripadvisor reads: “Absolutely incredible zoo! Best I’ve ever been to! All the animals look so happy and everything is so clean and well looked after. We stayed in one of the lakeside lodges and went to the zoo over two days as it is massive because all of the enclosures are very spacious. All the staff were happy, helpful, and polite; the food was good. The whole place just had a very positive vibe. Would 1,000% recommend.”
Another visitor told the Express: "It's a very nice zoo, great for a day trip. We saw a baby rhino when we went, which was awesome. We'll be back!"
Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo, said: “We’re over the moon to be named the UK’s top zoo by Tripadvisor. This recognition is built entirely on genuine reviews from our visitors – and that means the world to us. I’m very proud of everyone who makes our national conservation zoo such a special place.
“Every visit to Chester Zoo directly supports our vital conservation work, both here at home and around the world, and the past year alone is a reminder of just how much that work matters. We’ve developed the world’s first vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens Asian elephants globally, we’ve officially pulled a tiny species of snail back from the brink of extinction, and right here on our doorstep we’ve been planting thousands of new trees to create important new woodland habitat. None of that happens without the people who come through our gates – and we’re enormously grateful to every one of them.”
