Chester Zoo Lanterns Review
We’re always looking for festive days out that will appeal to all three of our kids. There’s a 6 year age gap between our eldest and youngest so it can be quite tricky.
For the last two years we have taken them to the Chester Zoo Lanterns in Cheshire and it’s quickly becoming one of our favourite Christmas traditions.
The event runs from the end of November to the end of December and it’s a rare chance to visit the zoo at night. While we don’t get to see the real animals, we do get to see some fantastic illuminated creatures.
This is our honest Chester Zoo Lanterns Review
We paid £15 per adult and £12.50 for children aged three and up. We found it to be great value, especially since it’s free for under threes. I usually find if it’s free for my daughter there’s not much for her to do or enjoy but she loved the lantern walk.
When you book you choose an allocated time starting from 4pm. They say it takes around 90 minutes but you can take your time and stay up until the zoo closes.The kids love the novelty of going somewhere when it was dark so this always adds to their excitement.
When you arrive adults are given a large lantern to carry while the children are given little battery operated candles in paper cups (which are much better than they sound!) Along the walk we see illuminated animals that are both static and moving. My son loved the moving reindeer last year that bent down so he could see it properly. He thought it was magical, and really enjoyed being able to get so up close to it.
We found the staff operating the moving animals to be brilliant and always stayed in character. We saw dancing zebras (on a zebra crossing!), flamingos and penguins amongst others.
For me personally though, I loved the static animals. The detailing was fantastic and the displays were so effective.
During the walk the children got to see Santa and his elves who were giving out sweets, which the kids obviously loved!
It’s always a great evening out. There’s a really lovely atmosphere with other families out with their children and it’s a really unique experience. It definitely gets us in the mood for Christmas!
We’ll definitely be booking again for this year!
For more details please see the Chester Zoo website.
If you enjoyed our Chester Zoo lanterns review, you may also be interested in our other days out with kids.
Somewhere between the open days and the endless prospectuses, most families hit the same wall:…
From movie nights to homework help and staying connected with relatives, technology is a big…
Ask a child what they did in PSHE this week and you might get a…
From running the bath for the little ones to washing a mountain of dishes after…
Your home is your family's safe spot, where you make memories and feel secure. But…
Family celebrations, like anniversaries, graduations, weddings, and big birthdays, are those special times we hold…
View Comments
Such a beautiful place The Glowy animals, Night walk and lantern sounds perfect for kids outing. Thanks for sharing this post
We have a place similar to this where we are and we love going every year!
Wow! This looks incredible! I bet my daughter would love this!
Oh wow what an amazing looking walk, those lanterns are so impressive, I love the giraffes.
I personally love to see a static cheetah! I mean mine NEVER stops moving....this looks very charming and looking forward to seeing your trip this year as well...
What a great outing! And the fact that the little ones get to have their own lantern is awesome. Would love to visit one day! Thanks for sharing.
It's funny to see xmas images but the truth is we're coming up on the holidays quicker than we all think. Thank you for sharing images from the Chester Zoo Lanter Walk. I think this is an enjoyable event for all ages :)
Oh that looks like a great way to spend a family day out!
Oh this looks like such a lovely evening! I wish we lived closer!
What a beautiful walk to go on - reminds me Illuminasia in Blackpool.