Worth a Journey

The World’s 100 Best Zoos & Aquariums · 2026

The Best Zoos & Aquariums in the United Kingdom

6 of the 100 zoos and aquariums in The World’s 100 Best Zoos & Aquariums 2026 are in the United Kingdom. The highest placed is Chester Zoo in Chester, at number 21 in the world. Colchester Zoo in Colchester (number 35) and Exmoor Zoo in Barnstaple (number 56) follow.

Chester Zoo
N° 21 · Chester Zoo, Chester

Paignton and Barnstaple

Paignton Zoo in Paignton is under new owners who are rebuilding enclosures and adding animals, and its grounds are split into themed zones with planted enclosures. Exmoor Zoo near Barnstaple is a charity zoo with many cat species and a shoebill, and an encounter zone with keepers.

Hillside zoos

Colchester Zoo in Colchester sits on a hillside, with giraffes, elephants and rhinos among its animals. Animal encounters run through the day, and a land train runs to the lemur enclosure. Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, is a hillside zoo run by ZSL, with large enclosures across open parkland.

Open enclosures

Chester Zoo in Chester has aviaries to walk through, a bat walk, a lemur walk and big cats. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens near Burford in Oxfordshire has animals in large open enclosures and a walled garden.

Zoos and aquariums

80. Whipsnade Zoo 78. Paignton Zoo 73. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens 56. Exmoor Zoo 35. Colchester Zoo 21. Chester Zoo
80. Whipsnade Zoo 78. Paignton Zoo 73. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens 56. Exmoor Zoo 35. Colchester Zoo 21. Chester Zoo
  1. Chester Zoo N° 21 Chester Zoo Chester Zoo
  2. Colchester Zoo N° 35 Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo
  3. Exmoor Zoo N° 56 Exmoor Zoo Barnstaple Zoo
  4. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens N° 73 Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens Burford Wildlife park
  5. Paignton Zoo N° 78 Paignton Zoo Paignton Zoo
  6. Whipsnade Zoo N° 80 Whipsnade Zoo Dunstable Zoo

Best by region

  1. The NordicsCopenhagen ZooCopenhagen, DenmarkN° 61
  2. EuropeZoo LeipzigLeipzig, GermanyN° 2
  3. AsiaShanghai Wild Animal ParkShanghai, ChinaN° 38
  4. North AmericaHenry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, United StatesN° 1
  5. The CaribbeanZoo de Guadeloupe au Parc des MamellesBouillante, GuadeloupeN° 41
  6. Latin AmericaZoológico La AuroraGuatemala City, GuatemalaN° 44
  7. OceaniaAustralia ZooBeerwah, AustraliaN° 3

Best by kind

  1. AquariumsPoema del Mar AquariumLas Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainN° 15

Best by country

  1. United StatesHenry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmahaN° 1
  2. GermanyZoo LeipzigLeipzigN° 2
  3. SpainLoro ParquePuerto de la CruzN° 13
  4. FranceBioparc de Doué-la-FontaineDoué-la-FontaineN° 8
  5. PolandZoo WrocławWrocławN° 16
  6. United KingdomChester ZooChesterN° 21
  7. AustraliaAustralia ZooBeerwahN° 3