You don’t need to fly halfway across the world to feel the thrill of a safari. From drives among lions and rhinos to peaceful canoe trips tracking beavers at dusk, the UK is full of wild encounters that bring you astonishingly close to nature.

Across forests, coastlines and moorlands, these experiences swap savannahs for rolling hills and wetlands – but the sense of discovery is just the same. 

Click through this gallery to discover the family-friendly adventures that prove a taste of the wild is never far from home...

Near Bewdley, West Midlands Safari Park lets families choose their adventure – you can self-drive through the safari to spot lions, rhinos and giraffes at your own pace, or join a guided truck or minibus tour if you’d rather sit back while the experts handle the route and the facts.

For something extra special, there are VIP and Keeper Experiences where you can feed the animals, meet the keepers and explore behind the scenes before the park opens. With options to suit different ages and abilities, plus walk-through areas and play zones, it makes an easy, well-organised family day out.

Basking Shark Scotland’s Seal and Lagoon Tour is a family-friendly marine adventure in sheltered Hebridean waters. Travelling by boat, you’ll visit a calm lagoon where you can snorkel, paddleboard and kayak. Guides weave in stories about local wildlife while helping you spot dolphins, sea eagles and occasionally basking sharks along the way.

It’s a relaxed, low-pressure way for families with older children (ages eight and up for in-water activities) to safely experience Scotland’s marine life up close. There are also multi-day tours focused on snorkelling with basking sharks, best suited to families with adventurous teens.

Set in 600 acres near Hythe, Port Lympne combines a grand country estate with one of the UK’s most immersive safari-style experiences. Families can hop aboard a guided truck safari through open landscapes where giraffes, rhinos and zebras roam, or explore smaller walking trails closer to the tigers and gorillas.

It’s run by the Aspinall Foundation, so conservation is at its heart, and the guides are brilliant at turning facts into stories for younger visitors. Those wanting to stay longer can choose from an impressive range of on-site accommodation, including Lion Lodge, Wolf Lodge and Tiger Lodge (pictured) with floor-to-ceiling views of the big cats.

From Dover Marina, hop aboard a British-built RHIB and trace the chalky coastline on a two-hour 'Secret Seal Safari'. Crews drift quietly near haul-outs for unhurried viewing, and older kids will love the speedier sections.

For something extra, there’s the Goodwin Sands Sea Safari – a unique three-hour boat trip to a vast sandbank off the Kent coast that’s only visible at low tide. Once there, you’ll have an hour to explore the exposed sands, guided by the crew on where it’s safe to roam before the tide returns. 

Set on the stately Longleat Estate near Warminster, this is Britain’s original safari park – with over 120 species to see by car, foot, train, bus and boat. Drive through zones from Monkey Mayhem to Lion Country, then take a safari boat across the lake or hop on the miniature railway.

Families will love the variety: classic safari experiences, animal talks and plenty of non-animal attractions to break up the day. Look out for seasonal events, especially the Festival of Light at Christmas, when the park transforms with spectacular illuminated displays and festive shows.

Led by Exmoor-born guides, these three-hour 4×4 safaris take families deep into the heart of Exmoor National Park along ancient byways and little-used tracks. You’ll search for red deer and free-roaming Exmoor ponies in their natural habitat, with plenty of stops for photos and stories about the area’s history, fauna and flora.

The small-group format keeps things personal, and even well-behaved dogs are welcome for a small fee. A brilliant, low-key way for families to experience a wilder side of the West Country.

South of Horsham, Knepp Wildland is a 3,500-acre rewilding project created to show how nature can recover when land is allowed to return to the wild. Once an intensive farm, it’s now home to 'Britain’s Big Five': free-roaming deer, Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs and a riot of birdlife.

Families can join guided vehicle or walking safaris to learn about rewilding, white stork reintroduction and the return of beavers. It’s less theme park, more living ecology lesson – ideal for curious kids and budding naturalists.

Chessington’s ZUFARI: Ride into Africa attraction blends theme-park theatre with real animals. Board a rugged safari truck for an off-road loop through the Wanyama Reserve, spotting white rhinos, giraffe and zebra, then enjoy a full day of coasters, zoo areas and more.

It’s a neat 'have it all' option for families with mixed interests; the ride gives that safari buzz without the long drive times of bigger parks.

From Padstow Harbour, family-friendly RIBs skim along the rugged North Cornwall coast in search of dolphins, porpoises, seals and seabirds. Skippers balance excitement with comfort, and trip lengths (one or two hours) make timing with naps or tides simple.

Wildlife is, of course, wild, but sightings are frequent, and the scenery carries the show either way. Wrap up (trips run in all weather), secure the phones and let knowledgeable crews share local natural history without overwhelming younger passengers.

Knowsley’s five-mile (8km) drive is the UK’s longest, with African lions, white rhinos, camels and the (in)famous baboons, followed by a compact Foot Safari. Families can choose the safe-route around the monkey mayhem, or brave it if your car has seen worse (which, if you have young children, it probably has). 

Talks, animal shows and play areas make it easy to plan breaks between the safari zones, while the mix of drive-through and walk-through areas keeps the day varied for families.

Cruises thread through the Walton Backwaters to Hamford Water Nature Reserve, home to a large resident seal population. Operators here are confident enough to offer a free trip if you don’t get close-up views, which says a lot about sightings.

Boats have toilets and binoculars, and trips commonly run at weekends and school holidays. It’s an educational outing that suits mixed-age groups, with seals lounging obligingly on the mudbanks.

Tucked away in the countryside near King’s Lynn, Watatunga is a 170-acre reserve where rare antelope, deer and exotic birds roam freely through wetlands and woodland. Families explore in self-drive electric buggies, following radio commentary and stopping often for photos, stories and close encounters.

Twilight safaris run in summer, and a wheelchair-accessible trailer ensures everyone can join the adventure. For those who want to linger, on-site lodges and cottages overlook the reserve itself, so you can wake up to wildlife on your doorstep.

From Portree Harbour on the Isle of Skye, choose relaxed sailings or zippy RIB outings to spot seals, sea eagles, dolphins and seasonal visitors in the Sound of Raasay. The Cuillin backdrop does the heavy lifting between sightings, and operators keep the tone informative without being dry.

Families can pick trip styles and durations to match attention spans, then refuel with ice cream on the pier. It’s Scotland at its cinematic best, with genuine wildlife chances.

Blair Drummond brings the safari experience north of the border. Drive through spacious enclosures of lions, rhinos and deer before parking up to explore walk-through areas with lemurs, sea lions and birds of prey.

There’s also a funfair, petting farm and adventure playground – perfect for keeping the youngest family members entertained. This is a Scottish favourite for good reason: accessible, affordable and packed with variety.

Set within 50 acres of woodland and meadow on the edge of Bristol, the Bristol Zoo Project offers a relaxed, walk-through take on the safari experience. Rather than driving, families follow open trails through vast, themed habitats like Benoué National Park, where giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and baboons roam together; and Bear Wood, home to native lynx, wolves and brown bears.

The emphasis is on space, conservation and discovery rather than spectacle, making it ideal for curious families who prefer to explore on foot. Daily talks and activity trails help younger visitors connect with the animals, while the natural setting keeps it feeling calm and genuinely wild.

Set in the Kent countryside near Ashford, The Big Cat Sanctuary feels more like a private safari reserve than a zoo. Visits are by pre-booked experience only, meaning small groups explore with expert guides who share the animals’ stories and conservation work up close.

Guests can join Big Cat Encounters, photography days, or overnight stays in luxury lodges beside the enclosures, with lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs just a few feet away. The sanctuary also cares for rescued cats, including a lioness brought to safety from Ukraine (pictured). 

Launching from Ballycastle Harbour, the Causeway Sea Safari cruises the rugged Antrim coastline, weaving past sites like Kinbane Castle, Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge (pictured) and the dramatic cliffs near the Giant’s Causeway.

On good days, dolphins or seals accompany the boat, marine birds soar overhead and the sea caves offer up unexpected angles on the coastline – ideal for families who want nature and drama in one outing.

Woburn’s drive-through reserves deliver classic safari drama: you’ll cruise past rhinos, giraffe, tigers, bears and lions, and can loop the route as many times as you like. After the car-based thrills, stretch little legs in the Foot Safari and play areas, with scheduled keeper talks throughout the walk-through habitats.

For those wanting a deeper experience, Woburn offers Off-Road VIP Safari tours in a Land Rover, where a guide drives you off the standard track through the Savannah Grasslands, Carnivore zones and African Forest reserves.

As the sun dips over the River Tay, Beyond Adventure’s Beaver Safari offers a calm but quietly thrilling way to meet one of Scotland’s great conservation success stories.

Families paddle canoes along a peaceful stretch of river near Aberfeldy, guided by wildlife experts who help you spot gnawed tree trunks, hidden lodges and – with luck – the beavers themselves as they emerge at dusk.

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