Becca, like me, loves animals. When we would go out for a walk, she would be pointing to cats, dogs, birds flying over head, bees, etc. So adding Dublin Zoo to our itinerary was a no-brainer.
Tobi and I have been here before, but it was winter time, so some of the animals were not in their natural habitat. So it was a refreshing treat for us to see all the animals again.
Dublin for Kids: Dublin Zoo
We reserved a whole day for the zoo. It was important to us to take time and enjoy the animals.
We took the bus from our hotel and got a bit lost walking through Phoenix Park. But it was a worthwhile detour as we happened upon a pond with ducks and swans. We even saw a mama swan with her cygnets.
Becca scrambled to get out of her stroller to walk up to the ducks. She loved it!
Finally at the zoo!
The animals
When we finally arrived at the zoo, she was in her element! She kept pointing to the animals and saying “Look! Look!”
We saw macaques, gorillas, orangutans and chimps. Below is an orangutan climbing up the ropes and showing off his skills!
We saw a very beautiful snow leopard and lions. There was a group of school kids so excited to see the lions I couldn’t get close enough for a picture! Thankfully Tobi is tall so Becca had a nice view.
Different types of lemurs. The ones pictured below are ring-tailed lemurs.
A beautiful flock of flamingos.
African animals – giraffes, zebras, rhinos and elephants. Oh, and some ostriches as well.
There were also seals and penguins, and lots of other birds.
And a farm animal area. These animals were familiar to Becca, so this she liked. Sadly we didn’t see the rabbits in their tiny grove.
Late afternoon, Becca was so tired and took a nap. Therefore she missed seeing the elephants and the penguins! By the time we reached them, it was nearing closing time so we weren’t able to go back when she woke up. Luckily there was a peacock strutting around and entertained Becca for a while.
Play areas
There were a few play areas around the zoo. Some were designed for older kids, but we found one that she enjoyed.
For all our pics see here.
Where to eat?
There is a Meerkat café near the entrance/exit of the zoo, a fast-food open-air restaurant in the middle, and different small kiosks selling ice cream, drinks and snacks around the zoo. Also there are many vending machines around the zoo for drinks and quick snacks.
We got hungry when we were in the middle of the zoo, so we ate at the fast-food restaurant. I got the fried chicken and I was surprised at how good it was. Nice and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Tobi had a burger and it was ok. Becca had chicken strips, and she loved them as well.
If you want, you can also bring a picnic. There are a lot of different spots where you can eat.
How to get to Dublin Zoo?
Dublin Zoo is located within Phoenix Park. Please see here on how to get there.
What else can you do in Dublin for kids?
I wrote an earlier post on Imaginosity, see here.
