Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Northern Ireland
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Northern Ireland that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Guided tourOn-site diningParking
Belfast Zoo
Zoo in Belfast
The 55-acre site occupies the north-eastern flank of Cavehill above the Antrim Road and holds more than 1,200 animals across 140 species. With over 300,000 visitors a year, it is among the region's leading paid attractions.
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Touch poolBehind-the-scenes tourGuided tour
Exploris Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Newtownards
This is Northern Ireland's only public aquarium, standing on the Strangford Lough marine nature reserve, a major wintering spot for waders and seabirds. The lough holds close to 75% of Northern Ireland's marine species, among them common seals, basking sharks and brent geese.
More in Northern Ireland
View all Northern Ireland listingsZoos nearby
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 2 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.