Your Afternoon Adventure Itinerary
Have you ever found yourself looking for the perfect evening activity outdoors on a warm summer day? Whether it's an evening out with the kids, a stroll with a loved one, or a great place to take a special someone on a date, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is home to fuzzy friends and an unforgettable time. To help guide your adventure we put together an itinerary to keep your mind off the planning and connected to the memories you’re making.
2:00 PM- Ice cream
It’s the peak of heat with hours of fun ahead of you. Why not start the day off right with a waffle cone of soft serve ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, or a swirl? Cool cubs ice cream is located right next to the entrance and sets you up perfectly to explore the rest of the zoo with a cool head.
2:15 PM – Roll Out on a Critter Cruiser or Safari Cycle
Higher temperatures can be difficult on a multi-hour walk, so why not take a drive with the windows down instead? Our beloved Critter Cruisers are electric, animal‑themed carts that will have you beating the heat and feeling the wind in your hair. Prefer pedal power? Two and four‑seater Safari Cycles let the whole crew ride together. These are a hot commodity so catch them if you can to keep cool and cruise through the zoo.
2:30 PM – Time‑Travel in the Mesozoic Adventure
Travel back 250 million years as dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods surround you with moving tails, blinking eyes, and spine‑tingling sound effects. Move through time while stomping beside Stegosaurs, and roaring with a T-Rex.
3:00 - North American Pellet Parade
Take some time to enjoy the shade and watch our animal care team become Disney royalty. While providing the big horn sheep, mountain goats, and white tailed deer their evening meals the animal care team will create a prancing parade of hooves throughout their enclosures. Sit back and enjoy as even the youngest sheep get into the spirit of the Pellet Parade.
3:30 PM - Inflatables
While returning your critter cruiser you might be wondering, “Why didn’t we use the inflatables on the way into the zoo? We walked right past them!” Well, simply put, they’re very hot during the peak of the day. Now that they’ve had some time to cool off and you’ve gone to see some animals, you are in prime territory to run, jump, and scramble through the inflatable adventure parks before they close up for the day.
4:00 PM - Curiosity Cart
When your bodies need a bit of a break from the madness of the inflatables, you can exercise your mind at the curiosity cart. Filled with biofacts and manned by knowledgeable education staff, this is your perfect opportunity to have all the questions of the day answered.
4:30 PM - Dinner at Oasis Kitchen
After a full day exercising your mind and muscles, and some time to settle after all the jumping, it's time to refuel for the evening. From pizza and hotdogs to perogies and caesar salads, we have something for everyone. Enjoy a refreshing meal and a blue raspberry slush at our very own Oasis Kitchen to cool off.
5:00 - Rhino Spotlight
Say hello and goodnight to Theo(dorable), the Southern White Rhino. Keepers will bring Theo close for some special goodnight enrichment while our educators talk about rhino conservation, care, and curiosities. Ask questions because our team loves a curious crowd!
5:30 - Flamingo Bedtime
What better way to end a day than with a bedtime story? You have been out having fun for hours, enjoyed a full meal, and now you can enjoy watching the flamingos make their way inside for the night. Our education staff will read you, and the flamingos, a bedtime story to set the mood and prepare everyone for bed (or a nice car ride nap).
It's been a jam packed adventure and it's time to head home. We have travelled around the world and across millions of years. We met rhinos, flew high on inflatable adventure parks, and enjoyed a bedtime story with the flamingos. By the time you get home, you’ll have a heart full of adventure, a phone full of photos, and a list of friends you can’t wait to bring along next time.
