The biggest problem about a trip to London is narrowing down what you want to do – with its fantastic range of family attractions, there’s never enough time to fit in everything so I love the idea of theming your time around your kids’ interests, such as spending one day in London with kids who love animals.
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Because after spending almost all of the last 25 years in London, and visiting as a child to stay with my grandparents who lived here, I still haven’t run out of sights to explore myself.
I’m planning more posts featuring some of the capital’s highlights, all focused around a theme – kids who love animals will start it off, followed by things to do in London with kids who love history.
For each, I’ll pick out the best ideas if you only have one day in London, with suggestions of how long you’ll need – and how much else you might fit in around them without too much frantic travel.
The majority will be in the centre, but there are ideas if you’re staying or exploring outside zones one and two as well, along with suggestions for different budgets.
For more ideas on how to save money on days out in London with kids, check out my top tips
One day in London with kids who love animals
Don’t miss – London Zoo
The world’s third oldest zoo – after Vienna and Paris – London Zoo may not be a hidden gem, but it’s no less tempting for kids who love animals.
With more than 750 different species and thousands of animals to discover, there are special areas for different habitats, from rainforest to penguin beach, as well as the land of the lions, gorilla kingdom, the chance to walk with lemurs plus reptiles and insects.
How long: At least half a day. The zoo covers 15 hectares, there are talks and feeding events, not to mention extra animal experiences to book, depending on the age of your kids. You can even stay overnight at the Gir Lion Lodges on certain family nights.
There’s no re-entry, so plan ahead for lunch (you can take food in, but no alcohol or glass bottles) – or check out The Waterside Cafe by Regent’s Park’s boating lake for drinks and ice cream.
Do: Check what’s happening when on the day you visit, as there are often extra events. And allow time to walk from the nearest tube station – Camden Town and Regent’s Park are closest but still 15-20 minutes away. Or the 274 bus will take you to the doorstep from Baker Street and Marble Arch.
Check out more tips on visiting London Zoo with kids here
Budget? Adult tickets cost from £31.80 and child tickets (age three to 15) from £22.20 and must be prebooked. There are also discounted tickets for £3 if you receive Universal Credit. Entry is also included in the London pass.
For younger kids – Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
This little zoo is great for younger kids – less overwhelming, less far to walk and plenty of animals to delight (plus it’ll cost less than half as much as London Zoo).
Don’t expect bigger creatures but there are monkeys and lemurs, wallabies, farm animals, birds, reptiles and assorted small furry things. There’s also an adventure playground to entertain – as well as the park itself, which is free.
How long? A couple of hours is plenty.
Do: Factor in extra time to get there. You can get trains from Victoria to Battersea Park Station near the south side of the park (the zoo is towards the northern edge), or pick up a bus from the north bank of the Thames at Sloane Square.
Budget? Tickets cost £15.95 for adults, £12.95 for children (age two to 15), with a family pass for £50.
For a rainy day – the Natural History Museum
Although none of the animals you’ll see here are alive, there’s more than just dinosaurs to spot in the Natural History Museum.
The current occupant of the main Hintze Hall is the museum’s skeleton of a blue whale and the regular exhibitions cover different aspects of the natural world, not to mention the impressive mammals room, and weird and wonderful creatures in the marine collection.
How long? A couple of hours, although depending how much of the museum you’re planning to see, you could spend the whole day.
It’s an easy half day visit though with a couple of other museums practically next door and Kensington Gardens nearby – look out for the birds on the lake, as well as the statue of Peter Pan.
Do: Check out my tips for visiting the Natural History Museum with kids, as well as more ideas of things to do in South Kensington with kids.
Budget? Free to enter, although there’s a separate charge for the exhibitions.
For my complete set of tips on visiting London’s museums with toddlers and kids, check out my ultimate guide
For mini marine biologists – Sea Life London Aquarium
If it’s underwater creatures which fascinate your kids, London’s Sea Life aquarium has one of Europe’s largest collections of global marine life.
Three floors are home to over 500 species in 14 themed zones, including a section dedicated to jellyfish, a shark walk, penguins, coral reefs and a lot more, including the Rainforest Adventure area.
How long? A visit takes around 90 minutes to two hours, although there are extra experiences including behind-the-scenes tours and meeting the penguins, feeding the turtles and even snorkelling with sharks (that experience is for kids over 1.3m tall only).
Do: Turn up early… As visitors are funnelled along the same route, and as it’s a popular option during holidays, this is one place where it’s worth getting there bright and early. There’s a discount if you prebook too.
Budget: Adult tickets cost from £28 online, £25 for kids (age three to 15) plus there is an Anytime Entry ticket if you want to guarantee a day rather than a specific time, costing around an extra £5. You’ll get a discount booking online in advance, saving as much as £11 on an adult ticket.
For a bit of everything – Horniman Museum
If you can’t quite decide what your family will enjoy most, it’s worth looking outside central London to the Horniman Museum.
With its own little aquarium, plus a natural history section that’s home to its famous over stuffed walrus (temporarily closed), butterfly house and animal walk – home to alpacas, goats, sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens, it’s another lovely one for younger kids especially.
How long? Although the museum itself, and each area is relatively small, you can happily while away a few hours – we managed to spend five… As it’s outside the centre, it’s not really worth visiting for less than a couple of hours unless you’re nearby for another reason.
Do: Check out public transport links. There are trains to Forest Hill station from London Bridge and Victoria, which take 20-30 minutes, as well as overground trains.
Buses stop even closer but few from central London – and plan for a much longer journey. You can pick up several buses from the museum to Crystal Palace Park with its dinosaur statues for a bonus animal encounter.
Budget: Entry to the museum is free, but you have to pay for the aquarium (from £6.50 adults/£3.25 children) and butterfly house (from £9.75 for adults/£6.50 for children) as well as any special exhibitions.
Best of the rest – London with kids who love animals
- London’s City Farms: there are city farms dotted all around the capital, including Spitalfields, Vauxhall and Islington. Check out some of the best here, among my top free things to do in London with kids
- WWT London Wetland Centre is home to two very cute otters as well as birds galore. It’s a little way from the centre though: take the bus from Hammersmith to Barnes. See our review.
- The Chelsea Physic Garden has animal-themed family activities including hunting for mini beasts. It’s an easy one to team with the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo or the Natural History Museum.
- Spot 67,000 different specimens at Britain’s oldest natural history museum, The Grant Museum of Zoology – get hands on at family-friendly sessions on selected Saturdays and during school holidays, so you could do anything from discovering how sharp a shark’s tooth feels to how heavy an elephant’s tusk is. Otherwise, with its jar of moles and brain collection, it’s better for older kids than squeamish pre-schoolers.
*First published 2018, last updated 2025*
PIN FOR LATER: ONE DAY IN LONDON WITH KIDS WHO LOVE ANIMALS
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Main image and lemur courtesy of Depositphotos, all other images copyright MummyTravels
