Facilities
Fota Wildlife Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland and has been awarded ‘Best Family Day Out’ for both Munster and Cork on several occasions. It is also in the Top 25 Zoos/Animal Parks in Europe in the 2015 TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards
Transport and Car Parking
Please note – if you choose to park your car at Fota, this means that your visit to Fota House’s grounds, frame yard garden, walled gardens and arboretum are also included in the €3 car park charge and monies raised from this charge go towards the upkeep of Fota House and Gardens. The Irish Heritage Trust, which owns Fota House and Gardens, is a charitable status organisation like the Wildlife Park.
Alternatively, you may travel to Fota by rail. The Wildlife Park has a station gate entrance adjacent to the Irish Rail stop that facilitates visitors who may not have a car or choose to use public transport. Please visit www.irishrail.ie for the full list of train times and connecting options.
Here at Fota Wildlife Park, we welcome around 15,500 students every year, making us one of the biggest educational tour providers in Ireland. Our Education Team has been developing excellent provision since 1995, and offers programmes for all ages groups, from day trips for Junior Infants to Adult Learner Modules and tours for the over 65s. Our ethos infuses everything we do at Fota, and we aim to promote a greater respect for the natural world and give an insight into the threats that face our world and the incredible habitats and species alive today.
Wild Dining
Savannah Café at the Main Entrance
Oasis Café
The Oasis Café is situated at the opposite end of the Park (near the Irish Rail station) and has a range of hot food options including burgers, chips, and nuggets. There is a large Picnic & Rest area nearby with plenty of benches, trees, and a Marquee for shade when the sun shines.
High-chair loan is not currently available for outdoor dining.
Oasis Café opens daily check seasonal times.
Shopping
Serengeti Gift Store
Looking for a takeaway treasure or a gift to surprise someone? Then venture no further than the Serengeti Gift Store, which is located by the main entrance to the Park. Decorated with trees from the island itself, the shop has items to suit every budget and stocks a huge range of soft toys, carved statues, Fota-branded merchandise, books, jewellery and educational puzzles.
The shop takes payment via Visa, Mastercard, Laser and Eurocard. Please note the Serengeti Gift Store closes 10 minutes before the park closes, please arrive before that time to avoid disappointment.
Apart from duck food, which can be purchased from the Duck Feeder Hut beside the lake (accepts €1 coins only), we ask visitors not to feed any of their own food to the animals as it may make them ill or even cause their death.
Fota Wildlife Park tries to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable day when they visit, so if there’s anything extra we can do (heating baby food or special food requests), please ask a member of staff and we will do everything we can to help. Toilets, disabled toilets and baby-changing facilities are also available.
However, if you would like to purchase from our supplier Nature Planet please do so from our link. We have an online gift card shop here.
Two First Aid stations are located within the Park – one as part of the Main Entrance complex and a second near the Oasis Café.
Wheelchairs and Buggies
Fota Wildlife Park is wheelchair accessible, there are four disabled/wheelchair accessible toilets located within the Park. Two at the Savannah Café, one by the Tiger Forest and one located in the Oasis café which is by the lake. There are 4 manual wheelchairs available for use free of charge, however, these are subject to availability, these are in Reception, just inside the main entry point.
Our tour train can facilitate wheelchairs and buggies (buggies must be folded) – this operates seasonally and is subject to capacity. Please call 021 481 2678 if you have any queries.
Additional Needs & Carers Policy
We have a discount of 50% on the entry ticket for a child or adult with special needs, their accompanying carer will receive entry free of charge, please have your associate members card (such as the Rainbow Club) or lanyard or carers card with you on arrival. Payment will be on arrival at admissions gates, these tickets cannot be pre-booked.
If you have any additional needs gaining access such as but not limited to the points below, please call our team on 021 481 2678:
- Queuing at the main gates
- Queuing in one-way system in the shop
- No dogs are allowed
Support for ASD visitors
Please download or read our social story to help prepare for your visit here.
Please ask for our free Sensory Map to help prepare for the various sensory levels you may encounter on your journey around the Park (such as heat in the Tropical House and the sounds some of the animals make). Please note we can provide a pair of disposable earbuds if you do not have your own ear defenders – just request from our team on entry at the gates.