Zoo Tours
There are so many ways to experience the Zoo! Embark on an exclusive Zoo tour and even add VIP access to this year’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.
Insider Tours
Join a zoo professional for this special experience and discover fun insider knowledge that only zoo staff can provide. You will first explore our newest exhibit, The Faces of the Rainforest. Between the playful monkeys and the giant river otters, there is always lots of action! From there, your private safari will continue through World of Adaptations, Marco Polo Trail and North America. After that, pack your trunks and venture to the Textron Elephant & Giraffe Pavilion to catch a glimpse of the world’s largest and tallest land animals! Before departing, visitors will swing by the Alex and Ani Farmyard for an encounter with our beloved goats. All along the way your personal guide will be there to answer your questions and share stories from across our zoo’s rich history and fun animal facts. Like, did you know our oldest resident is 170 years old!
Insider Tour Options:
Tour a portion of the zoo with your own personal guide at the end of the zoo day.
Date Availability: Sundays at 4:00 pm
Cost:
- Members: $50 per person
- Non-Members: $55 per person
- *Guests under the age of two are admitted free of charge
Duration: 1.5 hours
Capacity: Tours can accommodate up to 10 people. Groups with fewer than 10 people may be combined with other parties. Timeslots that do not have at least two registrants will be cancelled/rescheduled. Tours are not guaranteed to be private unless you purchase all 10 available spots.
Register Here >
Please note: Not all animals will be visible and species availability can change daily depending on their needs and weather forecasts. We cannot guarantee any specific animal will be viewable on the tour. All tours are rain or shine, except for instances of severe weather or lightning.
See our FAQs below. Still have questions? You can reach us at programs@rwpzoo.org or (401)-785-3510 ext. 352.
Book our popular RWPZ Insider tour experience for a private after-hours guided tour that includes visits to our state-of-the-art rainforest exhibit, our World of Adaptations building, a goat encounter, and more! After your Insider Tour concludes, say goodbye to your guide and skip the line as you enjoy VIP access to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular with thousands of expertly carved pumpkins, dazzling displays, and dramatic storytelling. More information on the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular can be found here: www.rwpzoo.org/jols
Date Availability: Select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays September 30-October 29 at 4:00 pm.
**This package includes the Insider Tour AND VIP access to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. These sell out quickly and we recommend you purchase in advance.
Cost:
- Members: $70 per person
- Non-Members: $75 per person
- *Guests under the age of two are admitted free of charge
Duration: 2 hours + Access to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
Capacity: Tours can accommodate up to 10 people. Groups with fewer than 10 people may be combined with other parties. Timeslots that do not have at least two registrants will be cancelled/rescheduled. Tours are not guaranteed to be private unless you purchase all 10 available spots.
Register Here >
Please note: Not all animals will be visible and species availability can change daily depending on their needs and weather forecasts. We cannot guarantee any specific animal will be viewable on the tour. All tours are rain or shine, except for instances of severe weather or lightning.
See our FAQs below. Still have questions? You can reach us at programs@rwpzoo.org or (401)-785-3510 ext. 352.
Book our popular RWPZ Insider Tour experience for a private after-hours guided tour that includes visits to our state-of-the-art rainforest exhibit our World of Adaptations building a goat encounter and more! After your Insider Tour concludes, say goodbye to your guide and explore our Holiday Lights Spectacular. More information on the Holiday Lights Spectacular can be found here: www.rwpzoo.org/holidaylights
Date Availability: Keep a lookout for 2023 dates!
* This package includes the RWPZ Insider Tour AND admissions to the Holiday Lights Spectacular. Guests under the age of one are admitted free of charge.
Duration: 1.5 hour tour + Access to the Holiday Lights Spectacular
Please note: Not all animals will be visible and species availability can change daily depending on their needs and weather forecasts. We cannot guarantee any specific animal will be viewable on the tour. All tours are rain or shine, except for instances of severe weather or lightning.
To book or for more information, contact us at programs@rwpzoo.org or (401)-785-3510 ext. 358.
VIP Golf Cart ZUUber Tours
You’ve seen our keepers driving golf carts around the zoo and now its your chance to see the zoo from this rolling perspective! Ride in style with your very own professional guide on this all-new riding tour! Guests will be chauffeured around the zoo stopping at various exhibits along the way. Guests can expect the following during their tour:
- Professional knowledgeable guide throughout your entire visit answering all your questions about the zoo and our resident animals.
- Private access to Faces of the Rainforest, World of Adaptations, The Textron Elephant and Giraffe Pavilion, and many other outdoor exhibits.
- A Behind-The-Scenes Tour of our Animal Ambassadors Facility where you could end up meeting an Armadillo, a tortoise, a snake, a porcupine or even a red-tailed hawk! *
*We cannot guarantee that any specific animal will be present or available during our tour time. Special considerations will be made for participants that are pregnant, immunocompromised or are under the age of 5.
PLEASE NOTE: This seasonal experience returns fall 2023. Stay tuned for dates. To guarantee availability, we recommend booking at least 2 weeks in advance of your desired tour date. All participants must be at least 2 years old to attend. All children must be accompanied by a paid adult and one adult must be present for every two children under the age of 11. Strollers cannot be accommodated.
5-seater VIP Golf Cart ZUUber Tour
Accommodates tour guide and up to 5 attendees. Tours are priced per cart, not per person.
Member Pricing: $350.00/cart with up to five participants
Non-Member Pricing: $427.00/cart with up to five participants
Time: 12:30 – 3:00 pm

3-seater VIP Golf Cart ZUUber Tour
Accommodates tour guide and up to 3 attendees. Tours are priced per cart, not per person.
Member Pricing: $230.00/cart with up to 3 attendees
Non-Member Pricing: $270.00/ cart with up to 3 attendees
Time: 12:30 – 3:00 pm

Insider Tour Frequently Asked Questions
Insider Tours provide special after-hours access to the zoo after the crowds of the day have dissipated. You will also have a trained guide to answer your questions and provide you with all of the insider knowledge. This tour does not go into behind-the-scenes animal areas.
Animal Ambassadors are the animals that are frequently seen with our interpretive team and trained docents during a visit to the zoo. These animals have also made appearances on “The Rhode Show” “PBS”, and other television programs. They also travel outside of the zoo to inspire scouts and school children all over New England. Animal Ambassadors include: Armadillo, Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Rabbit, Skunk, Hedgehog, Tenrec Macaw, Turtle, Snake, Hornbill, Red-Tailed Hawk, Frog, Salamander, Skink, Tegu and more! Because these animals have already busy schedules including regular visits to their doctor, we cannot guarantee that any specific animal will be available during your tour.
All tours are rain or shine; you should dress for the weather. Closed toe shoes are required, and comfortable walking shoes are strongly encouraged.
This is your experience, so every effort will be made to prioritize specific exhibits that are of interest to you. We will for sure be visiting Faces of the Rainforest, World of Adaptations, Marco Polo’s Adventure Trek, The Textron Elephant and Giraffe Pavilion, and the Alex and Ani Farmyard! While we don’t usually see every exhibit, we see most exhibits that might afford some quality animal viewing.
Cancellations made at least 2 weeks in advance of your original tour date are eligible for a full refund.
Cancellation requests made less than 2 weeks in advance of your originally scheduled tour date are not eligible for a refund unless the experience is cancelled by the zoo.
Yes, well, probably! Weather permitting, you will have an opportunity to visit with and feed our herd of goats at the Alex and Ani Farmyard. This experience also includes a separate behind-the scenes-tour with our animal ambassadors. Touch opportunities are never guaranteed and are not available for every animal.
We ask that any guests that feel unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19 (including cough, fever, or shortness of breath), they kindly stay home.
VIP ZUUber Tour Frequently Asked Questions
No. At this time our VIP ZUUber Tour guests must be able to safely fit on the provided transport. The registering party is responsible for ensuring that they bring no more than the permitted number of guests and that they meet all age and child/adult ratio requirements. Check out our Insider Tours as an option for larger groups.
No. This special private experience is priced per cart, not per person. The registering party is responsible for ensuring that they bring no more than the permitted number of guests and that they meet all age and child/adult ratio requirements.
Yes! This experience provides private access to the zoo when it is closed and even includes a behind-the-scenes visit to our Ambassador Animals. You will meet with one of our Animal Ambassador Specialists who will introduce you to some of the animals and how they work with them every day.
Animal Ambassadors are the animals that are frequently seen with our interpretive team and trained docents during a visit to the zoo. These animals have also made appearances on “The Rhode Show” “PBS”, and other television programs. They also travel outside of the zoo to inspire scouts and school children all over New England. Animal Ambassadors include: Armadillo, Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Rabbit, Skunk, Hedgehog, Tenrec Macaw, Turtle, Snake, Hornbill, Red-Tailed Hawk, Frog, Salamander, Skink, Tegu and more! Because these animals have already busy schedules including regular visits to their doctor, we cannot guarantee that any specific animal will be available during your tour.
Because the zoo is closed to the public on the day of your visit, the Discover the Wild Gift Shop and our concessions will be closed for the day. We recommend you have lunch prior to arriving for your tour.
All tours are rain or shine; you should dress for the weather. Closed toe shoes are required, and comfortable walking shoes are strongly encouraged. Keep in mind that VIP ZUUber Tour carts are open air.
Maybe! This is your experience, so every effort will be made to prioritize specific exhibits that are of interest to you. We will for sure be visiting Faces of the Rainforest, World of Adaptations, The Textron Elephant and Giraffe Pavilion, and the Alex and Ani Farmyard! The VIP ZUUber Tour carts cannot access the Marco Polo region’s boardwalks, but we can access that area with a short walk. Your guide will prioritize exhibits based on your interests.
Cancellations made at least 2 weeks in advance of your original tour date are eligible for a full refund.
Cancellation requests made less than 2 weeks in advance of your originally scheduled tour date are not eligible for a refund unless the experience is cancelled by the zoo.
Yes, well, probably! Weather permitting, you will have an opportunity to visit with and feed our herd of goats at the Alex and Ani Farmyard. VIP ZUUber Tours also include a separate behind-the scenes-tour with our animal ambassadors. Touch opportunities are never guaranteed and are not available for every animal.
There will be some walking as guests will be disembarking from the golf cart to explore each of the indoor exhibits. Other exhibits around the zoo may also require short bits of walking for optimal animal viewing. Please contact us if you have specific accessibility questions or needs, we may be able to address before booking your tour.