4 October 2021

London in winter

As the nights are drawing in, and the air turning a little colder, while it might be time for scarves and gloves while you’re out and about in London, there’s a HOT secret hidden away in the heart of Regent’s Park, this autumn, to warm your cockles. 

Let us whisk you away - step into the tropics, right in the heart of London this October Half Term.

Our desert island

Enter a land of giants and meet one of our BIGGEST trio in their cosy new home. Dolly, Polly and Priscilla, our whopping Galápagos tortoises, raced their way across the Zoo to new digs, earlier this year. Brand new for October, you’ll find them in their climate-controlled Giants of the Galápagos exhibit, over at Barclay Court. 

Galápagos tortoises Dolly, Polly and Priscilla enjoy some watermelon at their Giants of the Galápagos habitat housewarming

Rainforest Life 

The UK’s largest living rainforest, at the heart of London Zoo, is abuzz with activity and a hot stop on your tropical walking tour. In amongst the lush equatorial vegetation, there’s something to spot at every turn. With snuggly sloths, tree-top tamanduas and primates aplenty hopping about all around you, there’s no better place to bring a ray of sunshine to greyer days.

A tamandua sleeping in a tree in London Zoo's Rainforest Life exhibit

Need a little more? Venture onto our rainforest floor and feed the monkeys with our exclusive Meet The Monkeys experience.

Butterfly Paradise 

Cruise amongst the cutest creatures of the creepy-crawly kingdom with a wander through our steamy Butterfly Paradise. Bursting with colourful flora and fauna at every turn, step in from the cold this Half Term to our heated biome with vibrant butterflies floating through the air all around you.

Family inside a butterfly house

Tiny Giants 

Escape it all and take a dive beneath our tropical seas. Delve into our new and immersive corals exhibit at the heart of Tiny Giants - jam-packed with intriguing invertebrates from around the globe, these mighty miniature heroes are driving our global ecosystem in ways you’d never believe. And all for you to see whilst sheltered from the autumnal gloom. 

London Zoo aquarium with diver inside and boy looking through glass.

So what are you waiting for? With sheltered indoor eateries boasting delicious barista specials for the grown-ups, London Zoo really does have you covered this autumn Half Term. 

Our animals

  • Sumatran tiger Gaysha walking in her Tiger Territory home at London Zoo
    Gorilla gorilla gorilla

    Western lowland gorilla

    Gorillas are the world's largest primate, weighing up to 200kg. They share 98.4% of their DNA with humans, and all four gorilla subspecies are critically endangered.

  • Asiatic lion Bhanu poses surrounded by autumn leaves

    Asiatic lion

    ZSL London Zoo is home to Asiatic lions, Bhanu and Arya

  • Sumatran tiger Gaysha in London Zoo's Tiger Territory
    Tiger Territory

    Tiger Territory

    Come face-to-face with our Sumatran tigers.

  • David Attenborough with Komodo dragon at London Zoo
    Varanus komodoensis

    Komodo dragon

    The largest and heaviest reptile in the world, which can eat up to 80% of its body weight in just one feeding.

  • Squirrel monkey baby at London Zoo
    Saimiri boliviensis

    Black capped squirrel monkeys

    Squirrel monkeys have the largest brain, proportionally, of all primates.

  • ZSL-London-Zoo_Monkey-Valley#3

    Monkey Valley

    Step into Monkey Valley and experience our troop of gravity-defying, 'high-flying' colobus monkeys leaping, lounging, swinging, and snoozing, in their new tree-top inspired habitat.

  • Animals at the Zoo