When most people think of Billund, they usually think of Legoland and Lego House, however, one lesser-known family friendly attraction that is absolutely worth adding to your itinerary is Givskud Zoo – Zootopia. We visited in May and had a wonderful time, here is everything you need to know before you book.

Getting to Givskud Zoo

Givskud Zoo is located a little further out from the centre of Billund and it is definitely easier to access if you have a car. It is approximately a 20 minute drive from Lalandia and if you don’t want to hire a car you can always book a taxi, there is also the option to get a bus but this does take about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

If you can hire a car though, even just for the day, then I would recommend this option as not only is it the easiest way to get to there but also because Givskud Zoo it actually half self drive safari park and half traditional walk around zoo, although safari buses are an option too.

The Givskud Zoo experience

This unique mix of safari and walk around is a fantastic idea as it gives visitors two completely different experiences in one day. What’s even more exciting about this approach is that the zoo is essentially split into 6 sections, safari followed by walk, safari, walk you get the idea. This means that you can really make the most out of each section, if the sun is shinning you can enjoy the outside areas and parks for as long as you want with no pressure to move on to the next section of the drive safari and if the weather isn’t great you can easily circle back round the drive though options again.

Our Review

This was our first visit to Givskud Zoo and we were really impressed. We loved the relax feel and the ability to hop from one section to another as and when we liked.

On the drive through sections we were impressed with how wide the roads were as it meant that people were able to pull up and watch the animals if they wanted to without blocking the way for other vehicles that wanted to get past. We’ve been to other safari’s where one car pulling over can cause a mass traffic jam where as the space here was great.

There are three drive through areas, giraffes, rhinos and lions. For us the best one was the lions as they were so close to the car but also really chill just sunbathing and watching us drive past. It felt amazing to be so close to them but also very safe at the same time.

The walk around sections areas are equally as impressive, with beautifully designed habitats, lots of animals and plenty to explore at your own pace, including play parks and interactive activities.

There were a number of standout highlights for us, the first one was seeing the gorillas, something we don’t get the chance to experience in the North West of the UK. Watching them up close was incredible and definitely one of the most memorable parts of the day.

The second was being able to walk through the monkey enclosure and see them running, walking and swinging right next to you. Our six year old particularly loved this part.

Another favourite was the penguin area, probably because they seemed to be loving the attention and putting on quite the display for us with lots of jumping and diving in the water.

One of the most memorable parts of our trip was seeing the adorable baby pygmy hippo, born in March, which completely stole the show. Seeing such a rare and tiny little hippo in person was a real treat and everyone agreed it was adorable.

If all of that isn’t enough then they also have a brilliant dinosaur park where you can see life-size dinosaurs, from the largest herbivore of all, measuring around 40 metres in length, to one of the most deadly carnivores, Tyrannosaurus rex. This is a must see for any dino lovers out there.

Staying at Givskud Zoo

For anyone wanting to extend their adventure, Givskud Zoo has recently introduced safari tents which are located opposite the giraffe enclosure, we saw these as we drove through and they really do look incredible. They would be a fantastic option for families or animal lovers who want to stay on site and make a full evening and morning experience of their visit, waking up opposite the giraffes does sound pretty special!

Overall Givskud Zoo may not be one of the most well know attractions in Billund but it is definitely worth adding to your itinerary. It offers a unique mix of safari adventure and traditional zoo experience, with some unforgettable animal encounters along the way.