Those of us who have grown up in Delhi will remember the National Zoological Park or the Delhi Zoo, as it is better known, very fondly. It was and continues to be a huge attraction for children and parents of young children. It has a well-mapped out and lovely selection of animals and is located in a beautiful and green part of Delhi. I remember going there as a 3-year-old myself, and we have been taking my son for frequent visits ever since he turned two. So, for his recent 8th birthday, when we asked him what he would like to do to celebrate, he had two requests: take his closest friends for a zoo visit and take the whole family for a weekend staycation to his favourite resort, the Westin Sohna. And of course, we indulged his birthday wishes. Mind you, planning a trip to the zoo with a big group wasn’t easy but it was loads of fun! The kids had an absolute blast. So, I’m here to share tips in case you would like to plan a similar outing with your children’s friends.
Another reason I was keen to write this post was that I recently read an influencer’s post on Instagram completely dissing the Delhi Zoo as being unworthy of a visit because she had such a bad experience. If you go without any idea of what to expect and without even a basic plan in place, you may end up having a tough time. So, be mindful of these tips and you will be sure to enjoy your visit to the Delhi Zoo.
What You Should Know Before Visiting the National Zoological Park or Delhi Zoo
Book your tickets online a day before
Though you can buy tickets on the spot, the Delhi Zoo tends to be very crowded when the weather is as lovely as it currently is. Hence, I recommend booking your tickets a day in advance from their website: https://nzpnewdelhi.gov.in/?ln=en , especially if you are going in a big group. Over the weekends, the tickets tend to sell out fast, so be mindful of that. The tickets only become available one day in advance, so you can’t book them weeks or months in advance.
Avoid weekends unless you go early morning because during season time it’s crazyyyy crowded!
For most of us, weekend visits to the Delhi Zoo are the most convenient. However, if you do go on a weekend, it is best to go as soon as the Zoo opens at (8:30 am in the winters) in order to avoid the crazy crowds. This will ensure you reach in time to avail of the next and most important point.
Book a private buggy
The Delhi Zoo covers a large area and you will have to walk a lot. Most people buy individual buggy tickets, which means you have to wait at the designated pick-up points for a buggy to arrive. This can be very inconvenient as you have to jostle for space with large crowds and you end up wasting a lot of time as you keep waiting for buggies to arrive. Fortunately, there is an option to book private buggies (Rs 800 for a 14-seater and Rs 1100 for a 20-seater), which allows you to minimise walking, and choose the animals you want to see. Most importantly, you won’t have to fight with others for a seat on the public buggies. Unfortunately, this option is only available on weekdays or weekend mornings as when it’s too crowded, they don’t allow private buggy hires.
No food is allowed inside!
Till quite recently, there were a number of food and drink vendors selling their wares inside the Delhi Zoo. However, their contracts ended recently, and so now there is no food available inside. What’s worse is that you aren’t allowed to carry any of your own snacks in because they discourage feeding of animals. Don’t try to sneak any food in because it will be confiscated at the checking point! Hence, if you are visiting with kids, ensure they are well-fed before taking them to the zoo to avoid hunger-related meltdowns.
Carry plenty of water
Fortunately, you are allowed to carry your own water bottles, and I recommend you carry plenty of them because even when you have a private buggy, there is still lots of walking involved! And you can always leave the bottles in the private buggy.
Chart out a map of the important animals you want to see to make the most of your time
It would be time well-spent to study the map of the Delhi Zoo online, so that you know which animals you are particularly keen to see and which ones you can skip to save on time. Fortunately, the buggy drivers also point out all the animals, so you will enjoy your visit even if you have absolutely no knowledge beforehand.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothes
A visit to the Delhi Zoo is an active, outdoor excursion, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothes and carry a pram for your babies. I have seen women hobbling around barefoot holding their uncomfortable heels in their hands, having learnt their lesson the hard way!
The zoo is closed on Fridays
Though Friday is a nice day to visit the Delhi Zoo as an after-school excursion, or perhaps as a nice way to start the weekend, the zoo is actually closed on this day. So don’t turn up on a Friday hoping to get tickets on the spot!
The toilets are very dirty
Please be mindful that the toilets at the National Zoological Park are extremely dirty, so be sure to have every person use the toilet at home before you visit.
An overview of our birthday visit to the Delhi Zoo:
My son’s birthday was on a Tuesday, which was ideal because this meant we could definitely book the private buggies. However, we could only take his friends after school. The Delhi Zoo closes at 4:30 pm in winters, so this meant we had only about 1.5 hours after school to enjoy the zoo. To make the most of our time, we picked all the kids from school (made sure they used the toilet before we left!) and gave them lunch boxes to eat in the car on the way to the zoo. Once there, each one carried their water bottle inside and we booked two private buggies, which themselves were objects of fascination for all the 7-and 8-year-olds! After enjoying the zoo and seeing most of the exciting animals, we left at 4:30 pm and brought the kids back to our home, which is fortunately located close-by. The cake-cutting and birthday party with lots of food, took place at home. So, it was a pretty action-packed birthday celebration, and it ended up being very lovely!
Have you visited the Delhi Zoo with your kids? Do share your experiences in the comments section below!
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.
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*This is not a sponsored post.
**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.
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