Chessington World of Adventures
Theme park and zoo in one
Chessington World of Adventures is in Surrey, about half an hour from London. It's a family theme park with a zoo and an aquarium on the same site. You ride roller coasters, go on safari and see penguins and giraffes.
What is Chessington World of Adventures?
Chessington is a Merlin Entertainments park that calls itself "Britain's Wildest Adventure". Your ticket includes the theme park, the zoo with more than 1,000 animals and the SEA LIFE Centre, an aquarium with sharks, rays and tropical fish.
The park has several themed worlds. World of Jumanji, the world's first Jumanji-themed area, is home to Mandrill Mayhem. In the new World of PAW Patrol, the UK's first PAW Patrol area, young children ride four attractions with Chase, Skye, Marshall and Zuma. Other areas include Wild Woods (with Vampire) and Land of the Tiger (with Tiger Rock). The main season runs from March to October, but the resort is open on some days all year round, with a Christmas village in winter.
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The highlights
These are the best-known attractions, with the minimum height according to the park:
- Mandrill Mayhem (1.20 m): the World of Jumanji roller coaster and the first at Chessington with an inversion, around a 17-metre-high temple.
- Vampire (1.10 m, under 1.30 m with an adult): an inverted coaster in which you fly over the treetops with your legs dangling.
- Dragon's Fury (1.20 m): a roller coaster with cars that keep spinning, so every ride is different.
- Rattlesnake (1.40 m): a roller coaster with sharp turns and sudden drops in an old tin mine.
- Tiger Rock (1.20 m, under 1.30 m with an adult): a log flume that ends with a drop through an enormous head carved into the rock.
- ZUFARI (1.00 m, under 1.30 m with an adult): in a safari truck through the Wanyama Reserve, past giraffes, zebras and ostriches.
With children
Chessington is made for families. With young children, head to The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure (a little boat through the Gruffalo's wood) and Room on the Broom – A Magical Journey. On both, children under 1.10 m must be accompanied by someone aged 16 or over. In World of PAW Patrol you'll find the children's coaster Chase's Mountain Mission, Skye's Helicopter Heroes, Marshall's Firetruck Rescue, Zuma's Hovercraft Adventure and the Rubble and Rocky's Playzone play area. You can also meet the pups there.
In the zoo you'll see Humboldt penguins in Penguin Bay, Rothschild's giraffes and meerkats, among others. Children under 90 cm get in free.
Opening times:
Main season from March to October. In winter the park is open on some days for the Christmas village.
Tickets:
A day ticket for the theme park, zoo and SEA LIFE costs from £ 32 per person online (as of November 2026).
Location:
Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NE. Parking costs from £ 13 online; hotel guests park for free.
Food, shops and accommodation
Places to eat in the park include The Vampire Burger Kitchen, Smokehouse BBQ & Bar, Pizza Pasta, Drop'n Chicken and Captain's Fish & Chips. For coffee and a treat there's Dragon's Lair Cafe, The Coffee Hut, Donut Express and Ben & Jerry's.
There are two resort hotels on site: the Safari Resort Hotel (with the Zafari Bar & Grill) and the Azteca Resort Hotel (with Temple Restaurant). You choose a standard room or a themed room, for example PAW Patrol, Jumanji, the Gruffalo or Room on the Broom. A stay includes a day's admission to the park, breakfast, free parking, entertainment in the hotel and Early Ride Access. A short break costs from £ 73 per person, based on two adults and two children (as of November 2026).
Travelling to Chessington
By car via Calais and the Eurotunnel it takes about 6.5 hours from Utrecht to Chessington and about 5 hours from Antwerp, including the crossing. In England you drive on the left. The park is on the A243, about 3 kilometres from the M25 (junction 9 or 10) and the A3. Please note: all entrances are inside London's ULEZ low-emission zone. If your car doesn't meet the requirements, you pay a daily charge; check this in advance on the Transport for London website.
Without a car, Chessington is easy: trains run from London Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon to Chessington South station (zone 6, Oyster works). From there it's about a 10-minute walk. Heathrow and Gatwick airports are less than 40 kilometres away.
By car you cross by ferry (from Hook of Holland, Rotterdam-Europoort, Dunkirk or Calais) or by Eurotunnel from Calais. By train you travel on the Eurostar from Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Brussels to London St Pancras. For the United Kingdom you need a valid passport and an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). You apply for it online or in the UK ETA app; it costs £ 20 and is valid for two years (as of November 2026). Babies and children need one too.
Measure your children
Measure your children at home. On many rides, children under 1.10 or 1.30 m must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over.
Allow time for the animals
The zoo and SEA LIFE are included in your ticket. Set aside a few hours for them, for example in between rides.
Buy in advance
Online a day ticket is quite a bit cheaper than at the ticket office. Parking is cheaper in advance too.
Plan your visit
Chessington is close to London and Thorpe Park, so it's easy to combine with a city break. Below you'll find the current waiting times and hotels nearby.