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family · Friday 24 July 2026 · 9:30am 
Belfast Zoo Explorers Club Summer 2026
At Belfast Zoo · Antrim Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT36 7PN
At Belfast Zoo · Antrim Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT36 7PN
Belfast Zoo’s Explorers Club is a structured week-long summer programme that gives children aged 7 to 11 genuine behind-the-scenes access to one of Ireland’s best-known zoos. This is not a standard day camp with craft tables tucked into a community hall - it runs inside the zoo itself, with zookeepers as part of the experience. The week suits curious children who want to know how animals actually live and behave, and parents who want more than a glorified babysitting service during the school holidays.
The 2026 programme runs on the theme “Noses and Toes,” using animal senses as the lens through which children explore wildlife and conservation. Over the five days - Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3:30pm - participants take part in guided zoo trails, animal encounters, and sessions led by keepers. One of the highlights is creating enrichment items for the animals: objects and activities designed to stimulate the animals and encourage natural behaviour, something you rarely see as an ordinary visitor.
There are arts and crafts sessions, team challenges, and games woven throughout the week alongside the more structured learning. The programme is intentionally small - places are limited and fill on a first-come, first-served basis - so children get real attention from staff rather than moving through in large, anonymous groups.
Belfast Zoo itself sits on the slopes of Cave Hill in north Belfast, home to around 140 species including red pandas, Barbary lions, California sea lions, and Rothschild’s giraffes. The zoo has been in operation since 1934 and is managed by Belfast City Council.
Belfast Zoo is on Antrim Road in north Belfast, about 5km north of the city centre. By public transport, Translink Metro routes 1A and 1B run regularly from Donegall Square in the city centre directly to the zoo - the journey takes around 20 minutes. By car, the zoo is well signposted from the M2 motorway; on-site parking is available. Drop-off for the Explorers Club is at the main zoo entrance.
Cave Hill Country Park, directly adjacent to the zoo, is worth exploring after pick-up on one of the days - the cliff-top walk above the zoo gives a remarkable view over Belfast Lough. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Belfast Zoo in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.