Skip to main content
A Day With Us, A Future For Them
Visit Howletts
Experience the wonder of wildlife at Howletts Wild Animal Park. Explore our sanctuary and witness the awe-inspiring beauty of rare and endangered animals, while enjoying a fun-filled and unforgettable day out for the whole family. Every visit supports vital conservation efforts, making your day not only a special family experience but also an important part of a thriving future for wildlife.
OPENING HOURS
| Dates | HOWLETTS WILD ANIMAL PARK | PORT LYMPNE HOTEL & RESERVE |
|---|---|---|
| 4th November to 12th December | Fri/Sat/Sun only 10.00-16.00 | Open all week 09.30-16.00 |
| 13th December to 23rd December | Open all week 10.00-16.00 | Open all week 09.30-16.00 |
| 24th December | 09.30-14.00 | 09.30-14.00 |
| 25th December | CLOSED | CLOSED |
| 26th December | 10.00-16.00 | 10.00-16.00 |
| 27th December to 31st December | 10.00-16.00 | 09.30-16.00 |
| New Years Day | 10.00-16.00 | 10.00-16.00 |
| 2nd to 5th Jan 2025 | 10.00-16.00 | 09.30-16.00 |
| 6th January to 13th February 2025 | Fri/Sat/Sun 10.00-16.00 | 09.30-16.00 |
| 14th Feb to 2nd March 2025 – HALF TERM | 10.00-16.00 | 09.30-16.00 |
| 3rd March to 28th March | Fri/Sat/Sun only 10.00-16.00 | 09.30-16.00 |
| 29th March onwards | 09.30-17.00 | 09.30-17.00 |
VISIT KENT'S AWARD WINNING WILDLIFE ATTRACTION
See conservation in action at Howletts
Visit Howletts, Kent's original wildlife park, it's a unique adventure like no other!
As a dedicated animal conservation charity, your visit directly helps us to protect wildlife here in our sanctuary the UK which, in turn, enables us to send animals back to the wild in conjunction with The Aspinall Foundation. Our commitment to conservation, through captive breeding, education and reintroduction into the wild allows us to gain a greater understanding of some of the world’s most fragile environments and the endangered animals that live there.
Great days out
The animals
Howletts is a wildlife sanctuary and home to over 390 animals, including Kent’s only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, and more gorillas, leopards and monkeys than any zoo in the county! Howletts offers a fun packed, wild day out for a great price.
There are so many rare and endangered animals waiting to meet you. With new babies arriving throughout the year, there’s always something new to see.
Learn more about our animals here.
Your day out
Explore a 90-acre adventure in beautiful ancient parkland that is ideal for great days out in Kent with the entire family. No gimmicks, no nonsense, Howletts Wild Animal Park is a sanctuary committed to one thing, the conservation, breeding and reintroduction of rare and endangered animals.
Over 30 years later, our mission remains the same!
Join in our free animal talks, watch our animals being fed and visit our education centre, all included free with your entry ticket.
Daily talks
10:30 Rhino Talk at The Rhino Paddocks
11:00 Gorilla Talk at New Gorillas (top of park by the gatehouse)
12:00 Big Cat Talk at The Giant Anteater Enclosure
13:30 Elephant Talk at The Elephant Bandstand (Opposite BBQ outlet)
There will be a variety of other talks available daily. You can see today’s talks on the boards located outside the gatehouse and on the side of the BBQ outlet.
Why not pay us a visit and see why we keep winning a TripAdvisor certificate of excellence year after year?
Your visit will directly help our charitable work continue.
Book online to get access to our wet weather policy!
How your visit helps
Your ticket will help to fund not only the care of the animals here at Howletts Wild Animal Park but will also support our partner charity's overseas projects. Thanks to the generosity of visitors like you, we - in conjunction with The Aspinall Foundation (charity number 326567) - have released more than 75 gorillas back to the wild and our released gorillas have had over 35 wild births! In Indonesia, we have released 280 primates including Javan gibbons, Javan grizzled langurs and Javan ebony langurs. The Indonesian primates have over 35 wild births. We have also transferred 8 black rhino from our Kent parks to Africa, who have produced 25 offspring between them. Find out more about these projects and The Aspinall Foundation's ongoing conservation work around the world.
Explore: Animals of the Ice Age!
Discover a world lost in time, as you marvel at the life size prehistoric creatures taking over the Woodland Walk. Wonder at the mighty mammoth, stare at the savage sabre toothed Smilodon and delight at the sheer size of the giant sloth, plus many more. Our mighty outdoor exhibition, is the coolest thing in Canterbury!
Find out more
Walking with Lemurs
You can walk alongside our lively lemurs in their natural leafy enclosure as the playful primates explore the branches overhead. See ring tailed lemurs, crowned and red-bellied lemurs in this ever popular walk-through lemur experience found in the heart of Kent – it’s a must visit!
Extra experiences
Make your day out even more special with a close encounter with your favourite animal, or a guided walk with our expert Rangers!
Annual Passes
Book your Annual Pass online today and enjoy exclusive benefits just for you, while being part of real conservation that makes a huge difference to countless endangered animals from all over the world.
Annual PassTripadvisor
Must visit
Awesome place, just the right size for a wonder and generally level ground with no big hills to contend with. Great selection of animals in good size enclosures and some great animal encounters to be had. We have done a few but we must say our favourite has been the anteaters. Mike - May 2024
Tripadvisor
Thoroughly enjoyable day out
What a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We saw lots of different animals, the keepers were very knowledgeable and keen to share their knowledge. We enjoyed it so much we bought an annual family pass. Disabled access was good and the keeper inputs excellent. All staff were very thoughtful and friendly. Well worth a trip and can’t wait to go back. Jenny - Apr 2024
Tripadvisor
Great experience!
Came here with my grandparents on a weekend and the weather was absolutely lovely. The zoo was full of people and most of the animals were out. A few were missing but they were all nocturnal so it made perfect sense, not an issue. The tigers were amazing to see up close and the lemur walk through was certainly lively and enjoyable. The cafes and restaurants are usually packed but the prices are reasonable and the menu has a wide variety of choices, so it was worth the money. It was lovely to walk around the paths with all the exotic wildlife and its sister zoo (Port Lympne) is also worth the visit! Would one hundred percent recommend it to families of young kids as there are a few mini playgrounds knocking around somewhere. Leia - March 2024
