Woburn Safari Park

• Drive around Woburn Safari Park’s Road Safari, seeing animals from all over the world, and some new additions to the park.
• Walk among the animals on the Foot Safari, and dip into a talk by a keeper.
• Play or relax at one of the playgrounds or experiences dotted around the park.
• Get a VIP experience up close to the animals.

If you’re looking for things to do in Bedfordshire, Woburn Safari Park is a great choice. Opened in 1970, the park is part of the estates of the Duke of Bedford and covers 360 acres, as well as being next to a 3,000-acre deer park. The safari park is home to over 1,000 different animal species, and also works on breeding programmes. It has been one of the most successful breeders of the Rothschild giraffe in Europe, and also breeds the East African Mountain bongo. It also is the only zoo in the UK that has the extinct-in-the-wild species Vietnamese Sika deer, so it is as much an animal sanctuary as a wildlife park. If you’ve been to Whipsnade, you might enjoy this zoo, but we can help you pick a favourite here.

Your day in the animal park will begin on the Road Safari, a one-way route passing a variety of species. You’ll pass the main entrance, saying hello to animals like the North American bison and Bactrian camel. Next, you’ll pass by Savannah House; try and spot an ostrich or Sable antelope. Driving further, you’ll enter the home of Canadian Timber wolves, Amur tigers, and American black bears in the Kingdom of the Carnivores, before reaching the pride of African lions. See if you can see the five new tiny paws born during lockdown to Dakota and Joco; with four boys and one girl, you should see plenty of play. Now to go somewhere a little greener, you’ll pass by Giraffe House and can wave to the herd of Rothschild’s giraffes that live there. A little drive past is the African Forest, with zebras and naughty Barbary macaques. Wave goodbye to the East African mountain bongo as you’ve now reached the Foot Safari.

The park is split into 36 different areas, from attractions to restaurants to the animals themselves. See the penguins at Penguin World, enjoy the new Alpaca Outpost, and enjoy the stunning birds of prey. There are keeper talks and demonstrations throughout the day. Watch the mongoose feed, the parrots put on a display, or hear all about the tortoises, and many more animals.

If the kids want to play, there are places for that too! The Jungle Jamboree is a brand new adventure playground with a variety of obstacles and climbing equipment themed to match the animals. The Bobcat Run is a giant, brightly coloured astro slide, with a height minimum of 1.3m, and open from February to October. The Giraffe Trail High Ropes take you above the park to help you see the animals from a new perspective. You can pedal around the lake on a Swan or Dragon Boat or enjoy a ride on the Great Woburn Railway. All of these are accessible as part of your ticket too, so no need to add any extra to the budget. If it’s raining, the Indoor Mammoth Play Ark for children 11 years and under is available for pre-booking with a £2 charge. Play for 20 minutes on slides, obstacles, bridges and climbing areas.

If all the playing has made you hungry, then not to worry, Woburn has two great places to eat. The Safari Restaurant is open from 10am to 5.15pm and serves hot food until 4.30pm. It’s a great place to get a proper meal if you’re visiting for a special occasion. If you’d prefer something lighter, like a hot drink and a sandwich, or want to enjoy a delicious pie, Pieminster at the Lookout Cafe has you covered. They are open from 11.30am to 5pm, with hot pies cooked until 3.30pm.

If you’re looking for something extra-special to add to your day at the zoo, then the Woburn VIP experiences could be it. Come face-to-face with the female Asian elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions or tigers, or get even closer to the animals on a Safari Off Road Adventure. If you’d rather pretend to be an animal, the Park is also home to Go Ape, a two to three hour adventure swinging, flying and walking from tree to tree.

What to know before you go

• Woburn Safari opens at 9.30am every day, with the Road Safari closing at 4.30pm and the Park closing at 5.30pm.
• Book tickets online in advance. Tickets are for the Road Safari and Foot Safari; you must do the Road Safari in order to get to the Foot Safari.
• The Foot Safari is almost entirely accessible for wheelchairs. Currently, the only animal exhibit not accessible is the Australian Walkabout. There may be some steep gradients in places.
• Buggies can be used on the Foot Safari, but in some cases may need to be left outside of enclosures in buggy sections. There may also be some stairs you will need to carry the buggies up or down.
• Assistance dogs are only allowed to enter very limited areas of the Safari Park.
• Toilets can be found in the Leisure Area main courtyard or Safari Restaurant.
• Disabled toilets can be found at the main entrance to the park, in the Safari Restaurant, and in the courtyard block by Junglies gift shop.
• Changing facilities for older children and adults are available in the first aid room.

Getting there

• Woburn Safari Park's postcode is MK43 0TU.
• It is only accessible by car, and signs can be seen for the park from J13 of the M1 and from the A5. It's approximately one hour's drive from London, Oxford, Cambridge and Birmingham.
• Parking is free after the Road Safari. There are 19 parking bays for blue badge holders.