Visit London Zoo

Opened in 1847, the London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. Today it houses over 760 different species of animal and is the only zoo in London where you can experience big animals such as gorillas and giraffes.


Explore the “Into Africa” exhibit where you can come face to face with some of Africa's most unusual animals including zebras and hunting dogs, or try “Meet The Monkeys” an exciting walk-through experience. Other top exhibits include the Butterfly Paradise, where you can enjoy myriad species of butterfly as they fly around you.

Make sure you don't miss feeding time at the Penguin enclosure and find out more about these popular creatures from the zoo's experienced keepers. Penguin Beach, with a significantly larger pool complete with underwater viewing areas visitors will be able to close to the Penguins like never before.

New in 2013, Tiger Territory is a multi-sensory experience taking visitors deep into the world of these magnificent and majestic creatures.

With over 12,000 animals to see and incredible animal displays taking place throughout the day (including feeds and keeper talks) no visitor leaves disappointed.


Rainforest Life is London’s only living rainforest, where visitors can meet a variety of beautiful rainforest species including marmosets, tamarins and sloths. In the all-new ‘Night Life’ area you will discover the bats, rats and nocturnal wonders like the Slender Loris, armadillos and Potto the live in these murky conditions.

Learn more about London Zoo in our Interview with a Zoo Keeper on our London Pass Blog.

You can visit the London Zoo for free with a London Pass - a fantastic saving of £23 for adults and over £16 for children.

Note: Children aged 3-4 will be charged on entrance fee for London Zoo.


source-http://www.londonpass.com/

The History of London

People have lived in the London area for more than 5,000 years, but instead of a city, there used to be forests and marshes.

The legend of how London began
Legend says that London was founded not by the Romans of the 1st century AD, but in a far more ancient time by Brutus the Trojan, around 1070 BC, about 1000 years before the Roman invasion.

Brutus was the great-grandson of Aeneas, a Trojan prince who was one of the few survivors after the Greeks burnt Troy to the ground.

Following the destruction of the city of Troy, the inhabitants set off to find new lands. According to a 12th-century monk named Geoffrey of Monmouth, when Brutus lands in Britian it's inhabited by a race of giants led by Gog and Magog. After wrestling them into submission, Brutus chains them to the doors of his palace, he builds on the site where the Guildhall is today.

Drawings of the old wooden statues of Gog and Magog
Wooden statues of Gog and Magog stood guard outside the entrance of the Guidhall until they were destroyed in an air raid in 1940. Today, Gog and Magog are considered as the traditional guardians of the City of London, and images of the two have been carried in the Lord Mayor’s Show since the reign of Henry V (1412-1422).

Effigies of Gog and Magog carried at the 2007 Lord Mayors Show

source-http://www.projectbritain.com/