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Giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo with the city spread out below the hill.
Edinburgh

Edinburgh Zoo

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's zoo, open since 1913 on the slopes of Corstorphine Hill, with views over the city from the top.

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Welcome

Edinburgh Zoo covers over 80 acres of wooded hillside on Corstorphine Hill, in the west of the city, and has been open since 22 July 1913.

It is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a wildlife conservation charity, and its residents range from giraffes, tigers and red pandas to koalas, sloths and a colony of penguins.

The paths climb the hill, so bring comfortable shoes. At the top you can look out over the city while you visit the giraffes. There are playgrounds and picnic areas around the zoo, and Penguins Café looks over the penguins. The koala walk-through, the sloth house and the chimpanzees' Budongo Trail are all indoors, which suits a wet day. The zoo opens at 10am every day except Christmas Day.

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The Daily for 30 October, from Scotland with love. Aerial view of a teal-coloured lochan cupped in a forested hollow, a scree slope rising on one side and autumn-tinged pines ringing the shore.
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Before you go

Open every day except Christmas Day, from 10am.

Booking online is cheaper than paying on the day.

Where
134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, on Corstorphine Hill in the west of the city.
Open
Every day except Christmas Day. January and February 10am to 4pm; March 10am to 5pm; April to September 10am to 6pm; October 10am to 5pm; November and December 10am to 4pm. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Price
Online: adult £30 (£27.25 without the voluntary donation), child 3 to 15 £22.50 (£20.45), concession £27 (£24.50), under 3 free. On the day: adult £32.50 (£29.50), child £24.50 (£22), concession £29 (£26.30). Prices read 21 October 2026.
Booking
Booking online in advance is cheaper and is recommended for everyone except RZSS members. Tickets are limited and may sell out, especially at weekends and in school holidays.
Parking
£5 for visitors, free for RZSS members. Spaces are limited and first come, first served, and the car park can fill early, especially in school holidays. A limited number of Blue Badge spaces.
Dogs
Not allowed, apart from assistance dogs, which cannot go into indoor or walk-through exhibits or some outdoor areas.
Getting there
Lothian buses 12, 26 and 31 and the 100 Airlink stop outside the front entrance, and can be picked up near Haymarket and Waverley stations. Cycle parking is on the pavement outside.
Access
Many paths can be used by wheelchair, but some routes have steps or steep slopes. A free mobility vehicle runs all year, and wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired. There is a Changing Places toilet, and visitors who need special assistance can bring one carer in free, with proof of entitlement.
Food
The Gannet restaurant and Penguins Café, with kiosks around the zoo and vegetarian, vegan and non-gluten containing choices. Bringing your own is fine: there are picnic areas.

Opening hours

Monday
10am–4pm
Tuesday
10am–4pm
Wednesday
10am–4pm
Thursday
10am–4pm
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

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Where it is

At 134 Corstorphine Road, on Corstorphine Hill in the west of Edinburgh.

Close byCorstorphine Hill and the west of the city.
  1. Stone-clad bar with metal stools, beer taps and chandeliers overheadThe TorfinUnder a mile 2 min by road
  2. Stone tower and wooden bench framed by sunlit woodland leavesCorstorphine HillA wooded ridge 161 metres high on the west of Edinburgh, with Walter Scott's memorial tower on top and the zoo on its southern slopes.2 miles 5 min by road
  3. Wooden bar with glass shelves lined with spirits and beer tapsKinA modern Scottish restaurant of 42 covers in the Roseate hotel near Haymarket, led by Gary Maclean, Scotland's first National Chef.2 miles 4 min by road
  4. Neoclassical mansion with columned entrance reflected in a curved garden pondScottish National Gallery of Modern ArtTwo galleries and two sculpture parks on Belford Road, from Picasso to Tracey Emin, a short walk above the Dean Village, free to enter.2 miles 9 min by road
  5. Dean VillageDean VillageA milling village of the 1100s on the Water of Leith, a few minutes' walk from the West End, now a quiet cluster of old stone houses by the river.3 miles 8 min by road
  6. Round stone tower with battlements standing above open farmlandCammo EstateAn 18th-century estate on the western edge of Edinburgh, now a public park of fields, woods, a walled garden and a castellated water tower.3 miles 9 min by road
Directions
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Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Edinburgh.

From the magazineNew Town Walking TourArticleOctober in EdinburghArticleThe world’s one and only knighted penguin lives at Edinburgh ZooCollectionGreat Things to Do with Kids in Edinburgh
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .