Longleat is fantastic – one of the best days out I’ve had with children. We had an action-packed day full of fun, adventure and wonder, during which we hand-fed beautiful animals, safaried by land and water and conquered an adventure castle and splash pad.
Longleat can be divided into two main areas – the Safari and the Main Square. The Safari Safari On Foot – The African Village Safari By Car – The Drive-Through East African Reserve Monkeys Big Game Park The Carnivores The Main Square The Bat Cave Jungle Cruise We sailed past gorillas, colobus monkeys, lots of birds They splash around the boat and make a lot of noise, jumping up out of the water to catch the fish you throw them (which you must buy). Animal Adventure Adventure Castle Play Area There is also an indoor soft play area for small children. The Splash Pad The perfect end to an adventure-filled day.
This has an African Village to explore on foot and a Safari Drive-Through to explore from a vehicle – either your own or the Longleat bus. 
Here you can see lemurs, wallabies and tortoises
zebra, warthogs and goats and hand feed giraffes. 
The Drive-Through has a commentary app, which is a fab idea that turns your drive into a live action, Kate Humble guided documentary.
In the first section you can see ostriches, giraffes and tapirs
zebra, flamingos, pelicans and vultures. 
Next up are the monkeys. Signs warn that the monkeys may damage your car.
As the gates open, Kate Humble chirps, “You have been warned…”. 
The monkeys maraud along the lines of cars. We have seen them take cars apart. 
You can choose to skip this enclosure if you like. 
This has animals including Anne the elephant
a caravan of camels, a herd of Ankole cattle with horns of up to 2m long
a crash of rhinos and the Deer Park, where you can feed deer from your car.
When we visited the big carnivore enclosures – tigers, lions, cheetahs and wolves – the tension from the back seat was palpable. 
The second part of Longleat is the Main Square, which has the house, cafes and refreshments and more animals. 
This is a bat roost and the bats fly freely around your head. 
On the Jungle Cruise, you take a large boat that wouldn’t have been out of place in The African Queen – a sort of jungle steamer. 
and two hippos, who were being used as an island by some cheeky ducks.
But our favourite part of the cruise is feeding the sea lions. 
This is home to animals like meerkats, anteaters and porcupines
binturong, fennec fox and a sloth
lorikeets you can hand feed 
crocodiles, giant otters and koalas. 
There is also a farmyard with animals including reindeer, wallabies and goats. 
Adventure Castle is a fantastic, castle-themed adventure play area. 
The play area’s centrepiece is a huge wooden castle with ramparts, walkways, nets and slides galore.
It has almost everything you can imagine for children of all ages – huge slides, climbing frames, swings and an obstacle course.
Jets of water activate when you press discs in the floor – some sprayed up, some sprayed down and some formed tunnels to run through.
Further Information
Nearest Town: Warminster Adult Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. Opens: Daily during the summer but with seasonal closures. Where to Eat: There are various cafes and you can bring a picnic. How Long We Spent There: A full day. Parking: Large car park. Wildlife You Might See: Zoo and safari park animals, including zebra, giraffes, camels, vultures, monkeys, an elephant, rhinos, deer, lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, insects and spiders, hippos, seals, gorillas, bats, anteaters, giant otters, meerkats and wallabies. Information Written: July 2017
County: Wiltshire
Nearest Postcode: BA12 7NW
Child Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details.
Free if: Under 3
Facilities: Snacks, ice cream, cafes, picnic areas, toilets and accessible toilets.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.
Cost of Parking: Free.
Information Checked: January 2024
Ratings
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Before taking part in any activities or visiting any places listed, you should make appropriate checks to ensure high quality provision, a safe environment is provided and to check all these details are up to date before you visit and/or take part. We accept no liability (to the fullest extent permitted by law) for the quality of the activities provided or places listed or for the accuracy of any information given.
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