Make your evenings merry and bright this festive season!
Find out more
We want visitors to enjoy themselves at the zoo this winter which means safety comes first, and it is important everyone follows the government guidance to protect themselves and others.
There are a wide range of safety measures in place to protect you, our staff, and our animals. We have reduced the capacity of each time slot, created one-way routes, added hand-sanitising stations and will be asking everyone to wear face coverings in indoor areas.
Please bear with us (pun always intended) - we are receiving LOTS of messages and emails and will try to get back to everyone as quickly as we can.
We really appreciate your support and patience and kindly ask that you read the information below before getting in touch (you can find contact details at the bottom of this page).
Hopefully you can visit us soon – we look forward to seeing you!
Edinburgh Zoo's Christmas Nights are a magical journey to the North Pole and back.
A spectacular light trail around the zoo will take you and your family on an incredible voyage, passing through Penguins Rock by moonlight and exploring an enchanted ice forest on your way to visit Santa’s workshop.
Christmas Night consist of a one-mile long route and will take approximately an hour and a half to complete depending on walking speed.
From Friday 20 November until Sunday 3 January, you can glow all the way to the Arctic with stunning projections, twinkling fairy lights, candy canes, nutcrackers and much more.
Tickets start at £12 for children, £18 for adults and RZSS members receive a 20% discount.
Entry slots are available every 15 minutes from 4.45pm with the last available entry time at 7.30pm for a 9pm finish.
Please book online in advance to secure your preferred date and time.
We may run ticketing promotions or discount offers in the lead up to the event through our own channels or with wider partners.
EVERYONE is required to book online in advance.
This is important so we can manage our restricted visitor numbers safely.
There are allocated time slots for entry available every 15 minutes from 4.45pm with the last available entry time at 7.30pm – we will only admit visitors during or after their booked time slot, if they have advanced online booking confirmation.
No matter what time slot you arrive in, everyone can stay until the event ends at 9pm.
Due to high demand and limited visitor numbers, exchanging tickets for an alternative date may not be possible - please email events@rzss.org.uk with your request and the team will do everything they can to help.
The event is suitable for all ages, families and couples alike and is designed so that wheelchairs and buggies can get around.
We do have some wheelchairs available for hire on arrival. These are available at a first come, first served basis. They must only be used by one visitor per evening, as such will be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Mobility scooters are also permitted during the event.
Please be aware that the zoo is located on a hill and no zoo led mobility vehicle is available during the event. You’re welcome to bring your own mobility scooters and wheelchairs.
Yes, children under the age of three go free and you can purchase their ticket online through Eventbrite.
Meet Santa at his grotto, which has magically appeared in the zoo’s mansion house!
Here you can hear about his tales from the North Pole and receive an early festive surprise…
Please note this is an add-on to your tickets for Christmas Nights. You must purchase your tickets for the evening event along with your tickets to Santa's Grotto. Each ticket purchased for Santa’s Grotto is per child.
Santa's Grotto Christmas Night slots are now SOLD OUT
All grotto slots must be booked in advance with groups no larger than six. The maximum number of adults per group is two.
The Grotto is available to book on event evenings from 20 November – 24 December.
11 December is an ‘Adult Only’ night, and as such our Grotto will not be running.
Santa's Grotto Christmas Night slots are now SOLD OUT
Visit Mrs Claus and enjoy a warming hot chocolate and Christmas cookie while she tells the story of the time Father Christmas crashed his sleigh at Edinburgh Zoo and how the animals helped him on his way!
Please note this is an add-on to your tickets for Christmas Nights. You must purchase your tickets for the evening event along with your tickets to Storytime with Mrs Claus. Each ticket purchased is per child.
All Storytime with Mrs Claus slots must be booked in advance with groups no larger than six. The maximum number of adults per group is two.
Storytime with Mrs Claus is available to book on event evenings from 20 November – 24 December.
11 December is an ‘Adult Only’ night, and as such Storytime with Mrs Claus will not be running.
This fabulous VIP package include entry into Edinburgh Zoo for the day, supper at Grasslands Restaurant and a head start on your voyage to the North Pole on our Christmas Nights light trail!
After a day at the zoo, you can enjoy an early two course supper at 3.30pm and afterwards be one of the first to head back into the park to see Edinburgh Zoo transformed into a magical light adventure.
Please note, Santa's Grotto and Storytime with Mrs Claus are separate add-on experiences and are not included in the VIP package.
Safety comes first and it is important everyone follows the government guidance to protect themselves and others. This means taking responsible decisions, including when it comes to travel.
Scottish government guidance states there is no restriction on travel within Scotland if individuals are acting in line with all other guidance - read more at transport.scotland.gov.uk
For example, Scottish government guidance requires face coverings to be worn by anyone over five years old in all indoor areas, including our admissions building and gift shop.
Exceptions can be made for people with breathing difficulties and those with disabilities where the use of masks would be distressing or make communication difficult.
Masks are not provided so please do bring one along with you.
Current guidance asks everyone to avoid public transport where possible and especially at peak times.
With this in mind, you can park free of charge in the zoo car park until further notice.
If you or anyone in your household are showing Covid-19 symptoms or have been identified as high risk, please stay at home.
No. You can park free of charge in the zoo car park until further notice.
Please note that spaces are limited in our car park and in the local area due to the residential nature of our location.
We want visitors to enjoy themselves at the zoo this winter which means safety comes first, and it is important everyone follows the government guidance to protect themselves and others.
There are a wide range of safety measures in place to protect you, our staff, and our animals.
We have reduced the capacity of each time slot, created one-way routes, added hand-sanitising stations and will be asking everyone to wear face coverings in indoor areas.
If you or anyone in your household are showing Covid-19 symptoms, please stay at home.
In line with government guidance, face coverings are mandatory in all indoor areas, including our admissions building and gift shop.
Exceptions can be made for children under five years old, people with breathing difficulties and those with disabilities where the use of masks would be distressing or make communication difficult.
Masks are not provided so please do bring one along with you.
A small selection of face coverings along with ‘go-safe packs' are available to purchase at the entrance.
Part of the route of Christmas Nights at Edinburgh Zoo will include a moonlit walk through the Penguin enclosure. However, it’s very unlikely you’ll see any other animals as they’ll mostly be in their indoor areas where it’s warm!
If you’d like to visit the zoo, you can purchase a reduced-price day ticket on the same day as your Christmas Nights visit.
Please select a 'pre-paid' zoo ticket for the same day as your Christmas Nights booking. When you arrive, present your daytime ticket confirmation and Eventbrite Christmas Nights ticket to receive a discounted zoo ticket (£10 for adults and £5 per child). The zoo will close at 4pm and you will be required to leave and re-enter for the evening event at your chosen slot.
We also have an exciting VIP package which includes day entry to the zoo, a meal in our Grasslands Restaurant and early bird access into the light event. Find out more.
A variety of food and drink offers will be available throughout the event, including hot and cold food, drinks and snacks.
Yes – our gift shop is open for anyone wishing to purchase zoovenirs with card payments only.
We are also maintaining a clear pathway for those wishing to exit without shopping.
We have a member of staff on the door to control the volume of visitors entering the shop area and floor stickers will mark out 2m distancing.
In line with government guidance, face coverings are mandatory in all indoor areas, including our admissions building and gift shop.
Exceptions can be made for children under five years old, people with breathing difficulties and those with disabilities where the use of masks would be distressing or make communication difficult.
Masks are not provided so please do bring one along with you.
A small selection of face coverings along with ‘go-safe packs’, picnic items and some food and drink are available to purchase at the entrance.
If it’s raining the event will still go ahead.
We would only cancel the event if the weather is deemed unsafe due to high winds or extreme conditions.
Edinburgh Zoo will only cancel an event if it is deemed unsafe to attendees, for example, in high winds.
If we decide to cancel the event, attendees will be notified by email with as much notice as possible and a full refund will automatically be issued.
An email will be sent to the email address used to book the tickets. Attendees will be able to rebook another date subject to availability.
It is the responsibility of the attendees to check their emails before arriving at the event to check for any updates, and to make sure email addresses are correctly entered when booking tickets. Updates will also be made on our website and social media sites.
Tickets purchased through third party sellers such as Groupon and Itison are refundable however, this needs to be approved, please email events@rzss.org.uk with your request.
Please be aware that this is an outdoor winter event in Scotland, so please dress appropriately.
With the exception of guide-dogs for the visually impaired, dogs and other pets are not permitted into Edinburgh Zoo for the Christmas Nights events. We also do not permit dogs to be left unattended in the car park.
Please note, only fully trained and accredited assistance dogs, who are assisting a visitor, are permitted to enter.
Please bring relevant proof of accreditation as this may be asked for on arrival. All registered assistance dogs must be up-to-date with all inoculations.
Carers tickets are available through Eventbrite, but you must provide proof on arrival.
A maximum of one carer is permitted to enter Edinburgh Zoo free of charge when accompanying someone with additional needs.
You should have received an email from Eventbrite directly after booking with your ticket information.
If you have not received this, have a look in your junk email folder. You can also log into Eventbrite to find your ticket details.
If you’re still having difficulties, email events@rzss.org.uk listing the date you booked, the name and email address you used to book and a contact telephone number.
No, we don’t require you to print your tickets. We can scan them from a mobile device.
Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, we are unfortunately unable to put on our Giant Lanterns event this year. This is following Government guidance which deems non-essential travel a risk in the global pandemic. As such, we are sadly unable to invite our event partners (DDM & VYA) to Edinburgh from Canada and China for installation.
As this is a special event, we do not accept standard entry discounts such as Blue Peter Badges, ASVA cards, gift vouchers, Young Scot Cards, RZSS complimentary tickets, daytime corporate tickets or Scotrail Kids go free.
Other discounts may also not be redeemed during this event.
Please contact us on events@rzss.org.uk if you have any discount enquiries.
Please bear with us (pun always intended) - we are receiving LOTS of messages and emails and will try to get back to everyone as quickly as we can.
Like many other charities, we are working with a smaller team at the moment and will not be able to answer phone calls at this time.
We really appreciate your support and patience and kindly ask that you read all of the information available before getting in touch.
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