Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo is the city's favourite family day out and one of the oldest public zoos in the world, opened in 1831 in the south-eastern corner of Phoenix Park, a short walk from the park's main gate. Over almost two centuries it has grown from a small Victorian collection into a modern conservation zoo, and it is now home to more than four hundred animals of around seventy species, many of them part of international breeding programmes for endangered animals. The layout is a loop of habitats rather than cages, and the highlights are big. The African Plains is a wide savanna-style area where giraffes, zebras and southern white rhinos share open grassland. A herd of Asian elephants lives in a forest-themed habitat with a pool. Western lowland gorillas have their own island rainforest, and there are orangutans, Asian lions, sea lions, Humboldt penguins and red pandas. The historic Rainforest House has recently been refurbished and now holds golden lion tamarins and a southern tamandua among its residents, and the zoo also has a Zoorassic World area for dinosaur-mad children. Keeper talks through the day, covering the lions, orangutans, elephants, gorillas, giraffes, rhinos, sea lions and penguins, are the best way to see the animals at their liveliest and to learn about the zoo's conservation work. The zoo is open every day, with the last entry an hour before closing, and buying online in advance is cheaper than paying at the gate. In winter, the Wild Lights festival fills the grounds with giant illuminated lanterns on evenings from mid-November into early January, with separate tickets.

Planning the day: the zoo is big enough for a full morning or afternoon, and with small children a whole day is easy. Arrive at opening for the most active animals and the shortest queues, check the keeper talk times at the entrance, and plan your loop around them. The African Plains closes a little earlier than the rest of the zoo, so see it first or in the early afternoon. There are cafés, kiosks and picnic spots inside, along with toilets and baby-changing facilities, and buggies are easy on the paths. Some areas change as habitats are refurbished: the chimpanzee and mangabey habitats are due for work, so check the website if you have a particular animal in mind. Recent arrivals have included giant anteaters and a six-banded armadillo.

Getting there: the zoo is about a twenty-minute walk from the city centre side of Phoenix Park, or a short walk from the Parkgate Street entrance, and buses run along the park's edge. The Luas red line stops at Heuston, from which it is about fifteen minutes on foot through the park. Parking in Phoenix Park near the zoo is available but fills on fine weekends, so public transport is usually easier.

Making a day of it: the zoo sits inside Phoenix Park, so it combines perfectly with a picnic and a bike ride to see the park's wild fallow deer, or a visit to the People's Flower Gardens and playground nearby. Families staying for a few days can pair it with Dublinia and EPIC on a rainy day and the beach at Howth or Dún Laoghaire on a sunny one. In late October the zoo runs Halloween events, and in December the Wild Lights evenings are a magical winter outing, though they sell out on peak dates, so book well ahead. Wrap up warmly for Wild Lights, as the visit is entirely outdoors after dark, and allow about an hour and a half to walk the lantern trail at a relaxed pace with children.