How long is a Guided Tour?
Group Guided Tours run for 1 and a half hours and begin at 1:30pm.
How many people can I book on to a Guided Tour?
Group Guided Tours can accommodate up to 10 guests.
How long do I get at the Sanctuary?
Access to the Sanctuary is from 9.30am and you are more than welcome to stay until 4pm. Please sign in on arrival.
What do I learn on a Guided Tour?
During your experience, you will learn about the individual cats at the Sanctuary, species facts and adaptations, and the day-to-day care and welfare of our animals. Guests will also explore the threats facing wild cats in the wild, conservation projects helping to protect them, and how we support global wild cat conservation through our work at The Big Cat Sanctuary.
Who will be taking my Guided Tour?
Your experience may be led by a member of our animal care team, conservation education team, or one of our trained volunteers. All of our guides are highly knowledgeable about our cats, their care and welfare, and the conservation work carried out at The Big Cat Sanctuary.
If I do a Group Guided Tour will I see all the cats?
The Group Guided Tour focuses on a selection of our cats, including both big and small cat species. Throughout the experience, guests will learn about important conservation issues, the individual animals at the sanctuary, and how we put our Five Pillars of ethos into practice through welfare, conservation, education, breeding, and rescue.
Before and after the guided tour, guests are welcome to free wander the Sanctuary to see the other cats not included on the tour route at their leisure.
If you would like to learn more in depth about additional species and individual cats, why not book a Lodge Stay or Big Cat Encounter, as each of our experiences offers something unique.
Why do you only do Group Guided Tours on a Saturday or Sunday?
As this is a brand new experience, we are initially offering Group Guided Tours on Saturdays while we monitor demand and gather feedback from guests. We hope to expand to additional days in the future as the experience grows in popularity.
Can I book on for lunch or afternoon tea with my GGT or BCE?
You are welcome to book a table for lunch or an afternoon tea to enjoy whilst you are with us. Paul Hollywood Afternoon teas must be pre booked and our lunch service is subject to availability on the day. You are welcome to speak to our guest services team to pre book a table for lunch before the day.
Can I bolt on a BCE feed to a Group Guided Tour?
Yes, you can book both experiences on the same day, however they must be booked separately. Unfortunately, hand-feeding experiences cannot be added onto a Group Guided Tour itself, as our Big Cat Encounters are carefully managed with limited guest numbers to support the welfare and feeding plans of our cats.
What is the difference between a Guided Tour and a BCE?
Big Cat Encounters are designed to provide a more in-depth experience focused on one individual cat and their species. Currently, available species for Big Cat Encounters include lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, and cheetahs. These experiences are smaller and more exclusive, with up to two hand-feeding guests and three additional spectators. Guests will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at our ARC facilities while learning more about animal welfare, behaviour, and conservation.
Group Guided Tours are designed to give guests an engaging introduction to a wider selection of our cats, both big and small. Led by an expert member of the team, tours can accommodate up to ten guests and focus on species facts, conservation messaging, and the work of the Sanctuary. These tours do not include a hand-feeding experience.
Can I bring a child on a Big Cat Encounter?
Children are welcome to attend however they are included as a guest and therefore counted in the maximum group size. Under 2’s can attend free of charge. Any children over the age of two are charged as a guest.
Children are very welcome to attend our experiences, however they are included within the maximum group size for both Big Cat Encounters and Group Guided Tours.
Children under the age of 2 can attend free of charge. Any child over the age of 2 will be charged at the standard guest rate.
Please note that accompanying parents or guardians remain responsible for the behaviour and supervision of children at all times. During Big Cat Encounter hand-feeding experiences, children are not permitted within the stand-off feeding areas and must remain on the pathway with a supervising adult or guardian. Our staff are unable to supervise children during the experience.
We also kindly ask that children attending Group Guided Tours are respectful of other guests wishing to enjoy the experience.