London Zoo adds more dates for overnight stays for families and adults

If you’ve ever wanted to sleep in the wild or wake up to a cacophony of animals, here’s your chance.

London Zoo is inviting people to sleep overnight in one of its on-site lodges which are within roaring distance of the lions, slap in the middle of Regent’s Park.  

Due to popular demand, the zoo has added more dates for this one-of-a-kind wild slumber party; some dates are family-friendly while others are child-free stays and all offer after-hour access to explore the zoo away from the crowds on a balmy summer evening.

Discover what London Zoo’s pair of Asiatic lions get up to after hours (Image: London Zoo)

Running Friday to Sunday for the remainder of July, Monday through to Sunday in August and with dates for September too, these overnight stays include three exclusive after-hour tours that take guests past some of the world’s most incredible animals.

Tours include looking at how Bhanu and Arya, two Asiatic lions, spend their time at the zoo once day-trippers go home, as well as a morning tour, before the zoo reopens for the day, that shines a light on the ways London Zoo works to protect threatened species, both in the wild and at the zoo.

Guests can also try their hand at zookeeping, creating enrichment activities for the animals that encourage the beasts natural skills and senses, and go on a sunset tour to meet some of the zoo’s nocturnal creatures and for a behind-the-scenes look at night times at the zoo.

The lodges are right near the lion’s enclosure (Image: London Zoo)

Included in the overnight stay package is a hearty breakfast before the zoo opens, and a two-course dinner, taken before the nighttime tour of the zoo’s rounds.

Overnight stays at the lodges includes two full days zoo entry which can be used at the London Zoo, and at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire as well.

Family stay evenings are suitable for children aged between 5 and 13 years old.

There are double lodges that come with sofa beds for the kids, as well as twin lodges and one accessible lodge available for guests with disabilities and mobility issues.

Funds raised from stays at London Zoo lodges go towards the zoo’s conservation efforts.

Address: The Regent’s Park, NW1 4RY

Website: londonzoo.org