Norfolk


<p><em>Always</em> a school holiday saviour (or any day the kids are driving you up the wall!), <a href="https://norfolk.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/banham-zoo-banham-nr-norwich/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banham Zoo</a> has been rescuing frazzled parents for over 50 years. And this summer? It&#8217;s wilder than ever, thanks to the <a href="https://www.banhamzoo.co.uk/at-the-zoo/events/summer-holidays" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer Safari</a> (until Tue 2 Sep) aka your golden ticket to fun, fresh air, furry animals and unforgettable family adventures. Whether it’s your first visit, or your millionth, here’s why you and the fam should don your safari hats and make Banham Zoo part of your summer holiday plans.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lookout-there-s-more-than-ever-to-see">Lookout! There&#8217;s more than ever to see</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/08fef17a-2b11-4cad-ad05-2274c0aca280.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-70066" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/08fef17a-2b11-4cad-ad05-2274c0aca280.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/08fef17a-2b11-4cad-ad05-2274c0aca280-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/08fef17a-2b11-4cad-ad05-2274c0aca280-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/08fef17a-2b11-4cad-ad05-2274c0aca280-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>With over 2,000 animals to discover, Banham Zoo is never short on wow-factor, but this summer, it’s next-level adorable courtesy of a few new additions. Hello maned wolf pups, twin cotton-top tamarins, and (brace yourself) twin red pandas. Cuteness overload? Absolutely. And to make sure you don’t miss a moment, the zoo has added several shiny new lookout towers as part of the Summer Safari. Perfect for spotting animal antics from above, and giving your little explorers the best view in the house.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kids-can-get-in-on-the-animal-action-too">Kids can get in on the animal action too</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="978" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-6.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69344" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-6.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-6-800x522.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-6-1000x652.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-6-768x501.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Got a budding David Attenborough in your midst? This summer, for the first time ever, they can step into the boots of a real-life ranger with&nbsp;not one, but <em>two</em> exciting Junior Ranger activities. First up is the&nbsp;Junior Ranger Pack, stuffed with goodies including a lanyard, official Junior Ranger ID card, and a stamp trail booklet. Available to collect on entry, it encourages kids (ahem, future rangers) to explore the zoo, learn as they go, and earn that all-important Ranger status.</p>



<p>Still hungry for adventure? There’s also the&nbsp;Junior Ranger Experience&nbsp;– a behind-the-scenes peek into the world of zookeeping. Young animal lovers will join Banham’s expert team to learn how they care for the zoo’s residents every day. Neat, right? (It lasts an hour and costs £15 per person.)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-there-s-sooo-much-to-learn">There&#8217;s <em>sooo</em> much to learn</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/BZDOWTK-10.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69353" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/BZDOWTK-10.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/BZDOWTK-10-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/BZDOWTK-10-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/BZDOWTK-10-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Sure, Banham Zoo is a fab day out (hello, baby red pandas!), but they take conservation seriously too &#8211; which is why learning about the animals is now even more fun and accessible. Alongside the popular Amazing Animal talks, new this summer are the&nbsp;Ranger Outposts. Here, you can join the zoo’s passionate keepers for hands-on educational challenges that test your knowledge of animal diets, habitats, and behaviours &#8211; all through one slightly gross (but very fun) method: identifying poo. Gross for you? Maybe. But you know the kids will be&nbsp;<em>obsessed</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-live-entertainment-that-s-anything-but-tame">Live entertainment (that’s anything but tame)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="978" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/bz-4.jpg" alt="Summer Safari at Banham Zoo" class="wp-image-70054" style="aspect-ratio:1.5337423312883436;width:640px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/bz-4.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/bz-4-800x522.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/bz-4-1000x652.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/bz-4-768x501.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>For a mid-adventure breather the whole family will love, make a beeline for the zoo’s live&nbsp;comedy stage, where laugh-out-loud performances and wild animal tales are brought to life in the most entertaining way. Expect larger-than-life characters, plenty of giggles, and just the right blend of fun and facts to keep everyone, from tiny tots to too-cool teens, completely hooked.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fun-never-stops-and-neither-will-they">The fun never stops (and neither will they)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/BZDOWTK-6.jpg" alt="girl with tiger face paint at Banham Zoo" class="wp-image-70055" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/BZDOWTK-6.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/BZDOWTK-6-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/BZDOWTK-6-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/08/BZDOWTK-6-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Have kids with energy still to burn? They’ll be bouncing like kangaroos in Banham Zoo’s brand-new&nbsp;Inflatable Zone, a giant, bouncy obstacle course that’s&nbsp;free&nbsp;with your zoo entry. And if that’s not enough to wear them out, there’s also a fab&nbsp;foam party&nbsp;to dive into. Perfect for cooling off on a hot summer’s day. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-but-when-they-do-need-a-rest-hop-aboard-the-safari-train">But when they do need a rest &#8211; hop aboard the Safari Train</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/DSC_0191.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69352" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/DSC_0191.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/DSC_0191-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/DSC_0191-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/DSC_0191-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>All aboard the Safari Road Train for a fun-filled ride around the zoo, complete with live commentary from the one and only Safari Steve! Sit back, relax, and enjoy spotting animals as Steve shares quirky facts and stories that’ll keep the whole family entertained. Perfect for little legs that need a break (and big smiles all round).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-there-s-plenty-of-places-to-fuel-all-that-fun">There&#8217;s plenty of places to fuel all that fun</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="978" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-8.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69349" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-8.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-8-800x522.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-8-1000x652.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2025/07/bz-8-768x501.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Need to refuel? Grab a quick bite at one of three handy snack shacks around the park &#8211; The Wise Owl, The Woodlands, or Playground Pitstop &#8211; perfect for keeping little energy levels topped up. For a proper sit-down (and that all-important caffeine fix), head to The Glade, or treat yourself to wood-fired Italian-style pizza at Parkside. Yes, please! Prefer to bring your own? There are plenty of lovely picnic spots to kick back and relax.</p>



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<p><strong><em>The <a href="https://www.banhamzoo.co.uk/at-the-zoo/events/summer-holidays" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer Safari</a> is running daily until Tue 2 Sep, for more information and to check out their really wild offering visit <a href="https://www.banhamzoo.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banham Zoo</a>. </em></strong></p>


Go (really) wild! 7 reasons Banham Zoo needs to be on your summer holiday hit list

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