Where to go in Norfolk if you love animals and wildlife

If you love animals and wildlife and are wondering where to go in Norfolk on your holidays, look no further! We’ve found the best places in Norfolk to see both animals in the wild and more exotic animals in reserves and parks. Enjoy!

Blakeney Point Seals

No visit to Norfolk would be complete without a trip to see the super cute seals at Blakeney Point. This wonderful coastal national nature reserve is owned by the National Trust and is located near to the villages of Morston and Cley-next-the-Sea. The reserve is a 3 mile stretch of mostly sand and shingle beach with saltmarsh and mudflats which all provides a paradise for many different types of wildlife. 

Best of all, Blakeney Point is home to a mixed colony of around 500 seals of 2 varieties, the harbour seal and the grey seal. There are a number of excellent companies offering boat trips which is the best way to see the seals without disturbing them and these trips run from nearby Morston Quay or Blakeney Harbour. You will see seals playing gracefully in the water and also see them lying about relaxing on the beach.

There are good facilities at Blakeney Point and nearby villages including very good cafes, pubs and restaurants. There is an information centre and recently refurbished tea room at Morston Quay, where most of the boat trips leave from. Car parking is available at Morston Quay for £3 a day and there are great coastal walks nearby.

Snettisham Nature Reserve

Snettisham RSPB Nature Reserve can be found on the coast near the village of Snettisham, north of King’s Lynn. The reserve offers you the chance to see thousands of wading birds in lagoons, mudflats and the massive wilderness of the Wash, a vast estuary.

The reserve is special as it attracts hundreds of thousands of transitory and migratory birds during autumn and winter, when you can see unique shows of thousands of birds leaving the mudflats of the Wash and landing to their feeding ground in front of the bird hides at Snettisham. You’ll probably never have witnessed so many birds in flight at once!

The reserve is open at all year round and entry is free, although donations are welcome. You may bring your dog along if kept on a lead. The best time to visit is between August and January to see the best show.

Banham Zoo

Banham Zoo is one of Norfolk’s favourite family attractions. The zoo is full of exciting animals, including tigers, giraffes, birds of prey and sea lions. It is particularly noted for its small monkey collection.

There is a ton of things to do here to keep children entertained, including the excellent SkyTrek attraction, for which you must pay extra. This is an adventure play area in the tree tops full of of high wires, rickety bridge crossings and a zip wires for the braver kids. There’s also Junior SkyTrek for the younger children.

The zoo runs events throughout the year, for example at Halloween families can hear tales of animal myths and legends and at Christmas Santa visits the zoo. Open every day from 9.30am with free car parking, tickets start from around £12.50 for adults and £8.50 for kids in off-peak season, under 3’s go free.

Amazona Zoo

This pleasant little zoo in Cromer is an ideal place to spend a sunny afternoon. Amazona Zoo has plenty to offer including over 200 tropical animals from South America, such as lemurs, flamingos, macaws and jaguars.

In the Amazona Hall you can also see a whole variety of reptiles and fish, and try to spot the lizards in the trees. There are good play areas for children, including Jungle Tumbles, an indoor soft play area.

There’s a great café and gift shop on site where you can relax with a cup of tea. The zoo is open daily from 10am and there is free parking and toilets on site. Admission is £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for children, but if you go onto the zoo’s website you can find printable discount tickets which give you a saving of £1 per person.

Sea Life Great Yarmouth

Sea life Centre Great Yarmouth is a wonderful attraction for those who love all things under the sea. Inside you can see a whole host of marine life including sharks, clown fish, lobsters and huge sting rays.

There is an interactive rock pool where kids can have lots of fun getting up close to starfish, crabs and other small creatures. Events throughout the year include ‘Shark Weeks’ and ‘Turtle Fest’ where families can get involved in a range of activities and listen to talks.

If you book online you can get 30% off the standard ticket price which is a massive saving, especially for a larger family. There are good facilities on site and a pay and display car park nearby.

Wroxham Barns

In Hoveton you’ll find the delightful Wroxham Barns, a family-orientated complex full of stylish shops, craft studios, kid’s rides and a wonderful junior farm. Younger children will love getting up close to the farm animals and take part in feeding the lambs and rabbits, grooming the ponies and collecting eggs from the hens.

There’s a great adventure play area for the kids too. To keep the kids safe, remember to make sure they wash their hands thoroughly after being in contact with the animals.

The farm is open every day from 10am to 5pm except in January when the farm is only open on weekends. The site also has mini adventure golf in the children’s funfair for an additional cost. Admission to the barns is free and entry to the junior farm at £5.75 per person. With so much on offer here, there is something to interest everyone and this is a good choice for a family day out.

Get ready for animal adventures in Norfolk

Norfolk is a great place to visit for animal lovers: the brilliant variety of nature reserves, zoos, aquariums and farms will leave you spoilt for choice. And we haven’t even mentioned Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Great Yarmouth or Pettitts Animals Adventure Park in Reedham. The Deer Park at Holkham Hall in Wells-next-the-Sea is also a fantastic attraction for wildlife lovers, and explore the stunning house too. Have fun!