Easter at Edinburgh Zoo
Posted 9 Apr 2025 in Edinburgh Zoo
Spring has officially sprung at Edinburgh Zoo and is bursting with fun for all ages!
🐛 From now until Sunday 1 June, you can follow the wiggly, whimsical trail of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ and nibble your way through a magical interactive experience
📱 TikTok sensation Rodney the capybara has moved in, joining Luna and Cali for some serious cuteness overload
🦍 Step into the wild with Gorilla Trek, a virtual reality journey to meet mountain gorillas in Rwanda
☔ Rain or shine, there's loads to explore indoors too, like the chilled-out sloth house and the always-busy Budongo Trail
Add in special events from the Edinburgh Science Festival and tasty treats all around the zoo, and you've got the perfect spring day out!
Visit Edinburgh Zoo this EasterThe Very Hungry Caterpillar™ Trail
From Saturday 5 April – Sunday 1 June, step into the enchanting world of Eric Carle's beloved story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar™, brought to life across the grounds of Edinburgh Zoo!
Trail maps are £3 per child and include a prize at the end! Don’t forget to bring a pencil to complete it. The installations can also be enjoyed free of charge during your visit.
Find out more
New capy on the block
Say hello to Edinburgh Zoo's newest resident, 11-month-old Rodney, the capybara!
Rodney rose to fame on TikTok last year after being the only pup (also affectionately known as a babybara) born to mum Hoodoo at Dartmoor Zoo.
We are slowly introducing Rodney to his roommates, Luna and Cali, in the hopes that they will have babybaras of their own in the future.
Gorilla Trek
Travel to the Rwandan mountains with this brand-new virtual reality experience and witness silverback mountain gorilla's up close in their natural habitat.
Swing by our Budongo Trail exhibit to immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind 360° experience on your next visit to Edinburgh Zoo!
RZSS members can access discounted rates at £6 for one experience and £11 for two experiences.
Quiet Story Time Session
Join us on Sunday 20 April to celebrate The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ trail at Edinburgh Zoo with an interactive storytelling session of the book in a calmer and more controlled environment.
The sessions will take place in our Education building in the lecture theatre space with a maximum capacity of 60 attendees per session.
Tickets are free but booking is essential due to limited capacity.
Hang out indoors at the zoo
If the (un)predictable Scottish weather takes a turn, the zoo is packed with plenty of indoor enclosures and exhibits to keep you warm and dry!
🦥 Hang out with Scotland's only Linne's two-toed sloths, Nico and Feira, in our sloth house. Our sloth house is fully indoors and warm and toasty to mimic Nico and Feira's natural habitat – the rainforest
🐒 Have a mystical meander through Magic Forest – make sure to say hi to Hefty, our Eastern pygmy marmoset, when you're there
🐨 Warm up in our Queensland koala walk-through with Kalari, Talara and Myaree – the UK's only Queensland koalas. Here you can shelter from the weather and watch our koalas munch on eucalyptus in the trees
🍌 Visit our Budongo Trail, home to our troop of chimpanzees. Fully indoors, Budongo Trail allows you to watch these amazing animals and learn about the links between humans and our closest relative
Events worth visiting for
Sunrise Safari Tour
Join us on Saturday 19 April for an Easter themed guided tour to learn amazing new facts about the species’ we care for at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) with an emphasis on eggs!
This cracking one-hour tour begins at 9am starting from our members gate in the car park.
Your ticket includes entry to Edinburgh Zoo for the rest of the day — book now to avoid disappointment!
Edinburgh Science Festival: Spaceship Earth
Grab your lab coat and glasses this Easter for some sensational science! 🔬
Keep curious minds busy with our Edinburgh Science Festival events at the zoo covering creatures big and small for all ages.
Take a tour and discover our wildlife garden, learn about our brand-new solar meadow or pick up a can of Pilot beer and join our conservation experts for a deep dive into species from invertebrates to flapper skates and giant anteaters.
Grab some grub
All of the restaurants and cafés at Edinburgh Zoo are now open for the Easter holiday season.
🦏 Grasslands Restaurant is open every day serving a tasty selection of stone-baked sourdough pizza, hot dogs and loaded fries.
🐟 The Gannet will be open every day during the Easter holidays with a brand-new chippy style menu!
🐧 Penguins Café is open every day offering a selection of breakfast rolls, ciabattas, salads and sweet treats.
Please note, all restaurants and cafés close one hour before the zoo closes.
Find out moreHappy Easter from our hippo family
Visit Haggis and her hippo family this Easter!
Haggis has now been introduced to her dad Otto for the first time. The family are not living together full-time but you might catch them mixing under keeper supervision as part of ongoing efforts to familiarise the hippos.
Have you seen our new line of Haggis merch? You can browse adorable products inspired by our pygmy hippo princess in-store or online.
Shop Haggis merchandise