The lion sleeps tonight

Spend a night with the lions at Gir Lion Lodge, at ZSL London Zoo 

New overnight experience opens 25 May 2016

Fancy falling asleep to tropical birdsong, and waking up to a lion’s roar instead of your alarm clock? Then ZSL London Zoo has the experience for you, right in the heart of the Capital.

Adventurous animal lovers are just four weeks away from being able to spend a night within a whisker of the lions at the Zoo’s eagerly anticipated Gir Lion Lodge overnight experience, opening on Wednesday 25 May.

Guests will be welcomed to nine colourful cabins nestled in the heart of new exhibit Land of the Lions. Beautifully decorated with a bespoke, hand-painted mural, each lodge has been named after an animal from the Gir Forest, home to the only wild population of Asiatic lions.

ZSL London Zoo’s dedicated hosts will guide guests around the Zoo on exclusive evening and morning tours, sharing their insider tips on spotting species and fascinating facts about some of the Zoo’s 17,000 residents. Guests will also discover more about the work ZSL is doing with local communities and rangers in India’s Gir Forest to protect these endangered big cats.

Sleeping within roaring distance of the pride of majestic Asiatic lions, guests will be treated to an evening meal and breakfast, and each private lodge comes fully equipped with home comforts, including cosy beds and an en-suite.

The Gir Lion Lodge experience will be open six nights a week from May 25 until December in 2016, with designated family and adult-only nights to ensure each stay is specially tailored to its guests. The nine lodges provide accommodation for up to two adults and two children.

Helping to support ZSL’s global work for wildlife, prices start from £378 per couple, with each additional child place at the year-round fixed price of £50, including entry to ZSL’s Zoos on both days of the experience. With places already selling fast, visit www.zsl.org/girlionlodge to book a night at the wildest overnight stay in London.