Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, Burford, Gloucestershire
There are no less than 160 acres of glorious parkland to explore at the Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens near Burford, so you don't need us to tell you what a fantastic day out this makes for when you're on your large group holidays in Gloucestershire. Where to start?? Well, if you have the kids with you, no doubt it will be the animals first, so go and work your way round and say hello to them all - the giraffes, camels, lions, wolves, giant tortoises, lemurs, tapir... and then there are the birds and amphibians, so it could take a while. Stop and watch the penguin feeding, or the big cats having their dinner - quite an experience!
You can make friends with the animals in the children's farmyard, take a ride on the narrow gauge railway, even have a go at brass rubbing, it all goes on here. And the gardens are gorgeous, with planting to compliment the diversity of the animal kingdoms; ther are vast lawns, mature trees, a walled garden, and at the heart of it all a Victorian manor house. When your tummies start to rumble, either find a nice spot for a picnic, or tuck into something delicious in the Oak Tree Restaurant, otherwise you'll find refreshment kiosks dotted about the park during the main season. There's also a brilliant adventure playground and Skymaze, which is terrific fun, and last but not least, a gift shop where you can buy a little souvenir to remind you of your holiday.
Dogs are welcome on leads, although certain areas, like the Bat Belfry and the Reptile House are out of bounds.
Open 7 days a week Apr-Oct 10:00am-6:00pm (last admission 4:00pm), and Nov-Mar 10:00am-5:00pm (last admission 3:30pm)
All information correct at the time of writing.