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Chessington World of Adventures

About Chessington World of Adventures tickets, Zoo & SEA LIFE

Chessington World of Adventures
Unlock a year of fun at Chessington with a Merlin Annual Pass

Chessington World of Adventures is a popular theme park and zoo located in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London. Chessington is an exciting day out if you are located in central London.

Chessington tickets vary in price according to season. There are also always promotions and offers available which we make sure to highlight on this page for you.

You can visit Chessington World of Adventures with day tickets only, or alternatively turn your thrill-seeking experience into a multi-day trip by booking a room in one of the resort's many hotels. Chessington sometimes have offers where you can ride for free on the second day if you book a resort break.

Chessington World of Adventures is owned by Merlin; as such you can get free entry with a Merlin Annual Pass.

The other two theme parks near to London also included with the Merlin Annual Pass are Legoland Windsor Resort and Thorpe Park.

BOOK TICKETS   What tickets include   Staying at Chessington Resort   About Chessington   Opening times & location   About Chessington tickets   Chessington promo 2 for 1   Chessington with Merlin Annual Pass   Chessington with London Pass  

Chessington World of Adventures

CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES TICKETS

Chessington World of Adventures

Entrance to Chessington World of Adventures
& resort hotel options

• SAVE MONEY: cheaper prices when booked online in advance • Day tickets • Short breaks • Annual passes • VIP experiences & extras

Chessington World of Adventures - what do Chessington tickets include?

chessington world of adventures jumanji
Jumanji has come to Chessington

What do I get with my Chessington World of Adventures ticket?

You ticket includes:

  • Theme Park (which includes the rides)
  • Zoo
  • SEA LIFE centre
  • Live Shows & Events

Your ticket to Chessington World of Adventures includes entry to the theme park with over 40 rides and attractions, entry to the Zoo (opened in 1931) with over 1,000 animals and entry to the SEA LIFE centre plus shows and talks each day.

Events

Events run seasonally throughout the year, including a Summer Festival, Halloween, Christmas and Pre-schooler events.

Events are typically included in your normal entry ticket prices unless stated otherwise.

 

Chessington extra experiences

VIP Animal Experiences

You can choose to book extras at Chessington such as VIP Animal Experiences packages - encounters with exotic animals.

GO Ape

Chessington has its own Go Ape - the much loved high-wire climbing adventure for adults and children. To be booked separately from your regular ticket.

Savannah  Splash Pool & Gym for hotel guests

Enjoy a a 15-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa pool, for Resort Hotel and Explorer Glamping guests only.

Staying at Chessington Resort

chessington resort hotel
Stay with the kids in great accommodation at Chessington

You can turn your Chessington World of Adventures experience into a short break easily by staying at one of the Chessington Resort hotels, or alternatively a nearby partner hotel.

Options include:

  • Azteca & Safari Resort Hotels
  • Explorer Glamping
  • Partner hotels (such as Holiday Inn)

All the hotels (including partner hotels) offer options to bundle your Theme Park, Zoo and SEA LIFE centre tickets together with your hotel stay.

Click on the banner above or below to go through to the official Chessington World of Adventures website and see your hotel options.

What you need to know about Chessington World of Adventures

chessington gruffalo ride
People are mesmerized by the Gruffalo ride

Can you buy a 2-day ticket?

At the moment it is not possible to purchase a 2-day ticket, but if you want a second day at Chessington then you might like to book a resort overnight and you will get free entry on day two.

How long will I need at Chessington World of Adventures?

You can easily do Chessington in a full day. But you'll want to get there at opening at 10 to fully make sure you get the most out of your day, including queuing time, time for lunch, and time to properly see the animals in the Zoo and SEA LIFE. An overnight stay at the Chessington Resort or partner hotel will make your whole experience more relaxed and leisurely.

Can you just visit the zoo and/or SEA LIFE centre?

In the main summer season you cannot separate the tickets out; all tickets include the Zoo, SEA LIFE centre and Theme Park.

During the quieter winter season it is possible to visit just the animals on Zoo Only days.

The Return Promise (ex Rainy Day Free scheme)

Chessington have a policy that means should your day out be disrupted (i.e. rides closed) for over an hour by inclement weather (wind, heavy rain, storms, etc), management will typically offer you a Return Promise - meaning you can come back for FREE within 9 months. ​See Chessington World of Adventures website for full details.

What age is Chessington most suitable for?

This is of course a matter of preference, but many people find that there is definitely enough to meet everyone's needs, while children in the age range of around 5-13 might get the most enjoyment out of the theme park.

It is worth bearing in mind minimum height requirements for some rides; you will need to be at least 1.3 m tall for many. If you are under 1.1 m then there won't be so many rides open to you but for those at least 0.9 m there are: Jungle Rangers, Tuk Tuk Turmoil bumper cars, Canopy Capers, and the Scorpion Express roller coaster plus of course the Zoo and SEA LIFE included in your ticket.

chessington dragon falls
Dragon Falls

Rides at Chessington

For many people the rides are the main attraction. Chessington have developed their rides over a number of years and now have over 40. As always, the most popular rides typically have the longest queues.

Scariest ride

The scariest ride is thought to be 'Dragon's Fury.'

Upside down ride

Mandrill Mayhem Ride (new in 2023 - Jumanji).

Suitable ride for little kids

The Gruffalo River Ride - an enchanting boat winding through the imaginary forest.

All-time classic

The Vampire ride is not to be missed, a coaster through the 'Wild Woods.'

chessington dragon's fury
Dragon's Fury

What are the queues like at Chessington World of Adventures?

Like any theme park, queues are so variable and depend entirely on season, time of day, day of the week, etc.

If you can get on the most popular rides as soon as you arrive around 10 am you should find them much quieter. By lunchtime they're usually getting pretty busy.

If you get lucky you can have an average wait time of just 20 minutes, on very busy days you could double this or more for the most popular rides. Queue wait times are displayed clearly on the outside before you go in so to some extent you can make your judgement as you go around.

You can pay for the Reserve and Ride Fast Track system if you really want to avoid the worst of the queues.

Food and drink at Chessington World of Adventures

As with all theme parks, you will have a big variety of food on offer - but you'll need to budget for it as it is typically on the pricey side.

The usual burgers, ‘dirty fries’, pizza, BBQ & hot dogs are all available on-site.

Can we take a picnic?

Yes you can. If you want to save a bit of money there are plenty of benches to sit on and picnic areas too.

Is Chessington suitable for disabled visitors?

The whole park is wheelchair and pushchair friendly. You can hire a wheelchair for £10 per day. If wheelchair users need assistance with getting onto rides, that can be requested. There is a full disabled guide for Chessington available online.

Chessington World of Adventures - opening times and location

chessington tiger rock
Tiger Rock

Opening times

Chessington World of Adventures is open all year round, 7 days a week from 10am to 5, 6 or 7pm depending on the time of year (see website for details).

Address and location

Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Leatherhead Road
Chessington
Surrey
KT9 2NE

The Resort is well signposted. It is on the A243, just two miles from the M25 and A3. From the South on the M25, take Junction 9 and from the North, take Junction 10. From London, take the A3 to Hook and follow signs to the Resort.

If you drive there is a parking fee on-site except for Merlin Pass holders.

Chessington from London by train

Chessington is an easy 25-min train ride from central London. The regular South West Railways services run from Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon. You need to get the train to Chessington South Station.

From Chessington South Station the theme park is an easy 10-minute walk.

Chessington South station is within zone 6 of the London travel zones. You can use your Oyster card here. Use the banner below to look up train times.

Trainline

TRAIN TICKETS

Woman in a train

Book in advance and save money on your train journey

• UK buses • Eurostar • Virgin trains

About Chessington World of Adventures tickets

chessington tiger rock fmaily wet ride
Tiger Rock boat ride

You are strongly advised to book tickets in advance for Chessington World of Adventures.

When booking you'll choose a date, all tickets are for individuals and shown as priced, while carers and those under 90cm go free. The website will clearly display by calendar dates, the different prices for different days.

You can add on an unlimited digital photo pass at this stage if you wish.

Beware that some third-party websites can actually offer tickets that are more expensive than the official website, so it is always best to check both if you have found an alternative source.

Tickets are available up to six months ahead.

Adult and child tickets?

There are no longer separate options for adult and child tickets - all tickets now have the same value, so a child over 90cm is the same as an adult. People under 90cm go free.

Pre-schooler term-time offer

Chessington do however have an offer where one adult and pre-schooler over 90cm (4 years and under) can enjoy mid-week, term time entry to the Theme Park, Chessington Zoo and SEA LIFE Aquarium.

Group tickets

Group tickets are available for groups of 10-30 and 31-100, or even 101 with a phone call being required for this option. Savings per ticket can be made.

Chessington World of Adventures tickets - how to save money

chessington safari
Zufari: Ride into Africa
  • Always buy your tickets online in advance to avoid the costly gate prices.
  • Visit off-peak (outside weekends and school holidays) if you can for cheaper ticket prices.
  • Sign up for the WILD Chessington newsletter to receive regular offers and discounts, for subscribers only.
  • Take advantage of regular promo codes with external companies (see below).
  • Consider purchasing a Merlin Annual Pass for free entry to all the Merlin attractions in the UK for a whole year.
  • Students can save money by signing up to 'Student Beans', which is for anyone over the age of 16 and in full-time education including university, college or sixth form. When you sign yo you are given a personal institution email or credit card style student iD.

Chessington - who goes free?

chessington family boat
Rides for all ages at Chessington
  • Carers go free.
  • People under 90cm go free.
  • Merlin Annual Pass-holders go free on the day, after purchasing their pass.

On the day walk-up (on the gate) ticket

Yes, you can buy tickets on the gate, but you will pay more for this; actually a lot more.

Be prepared that this option could cost up to 48% more than purchasing in advance online.

Standard 1-day ticket online in advance

What does 'advance' mean? Well, actually it is possible to book Chessington World of Adventures tickets on the same day; 'in advance' simply means before you turn up at the gate.

Online in advance prices will vary, according to whether you book mid week or at the weekend or school holidays (weekends & holidays are higher in price), but will always be much cheaper than waiting until you get to the gate.

Reserve & Ride (fast track system) tickets

You can pay extra to jump the queues (for up to 26 of the 40 rides) with Chessington's Reserve & Ride.

For this you'll need a smartphone, Reserve & Ride waits the queue time for your ride virtually, so you can go off and rides other rides or grab something to eat, rather than queuing.

There are three tiers of Reserve & Ride - the higher the level, the less time you have to wait between making a reservation and riding the ride.

Promos for Chessington World of Adventures - 2 for 1 & savings

chessington world of adventures coaster
Enjoy thrill seeking rides at Chessington

Long-running options for 2 for 1 at Chessington that have now been around for many years include:

Kellogg's long-standing Merlin attractions - adults go free

One adult or child goes free when you buy an online ticket (there are no longer separate adult and child tickets, all tickets are the same price).

Simply buy one of the qualifying cereal boxes with the offer printed on, then use the unique 10 digit code to select your chosen attraction and pre-book at the discounted price. Once you have booked you can then download or print the tickets to take with you on the day.

These offers usually run for a couple of months during the summer, but run our typically before the school holidays.

Also valid at LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, SEA LIFE, Alton Towers, Madame Tussauds, Shrek's Adventure! London, The London Dungeon (and other UK Dungeons), and the London Eye, amongst others.

2for1 theme parks and attractions with National Rail

See our page Railways 2 for 1 offer for more information about this excellent permanent offer when you travel by train.

Tesco Clubcard offers

You can convert Tesco Clubcard points into vouchers to get money off theme parks such as Chessington World of Adventures. Typically £5 in points will equate to £10-worth of vouchers.

Other vouchers

Other promotional vouchers for Chessington can be found by searching around, both on and off line such as 50% off deals, just check the expiry dates.

Chessington World of Adventures with Merlin Annual Pass

You can get free entry for an entire year to Chessington World of Adventures alongside many other Merlin attractions, including other theme parks, LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, when you purchase a Merlin Annual Pass.

For full details on getting a pass see our page Merlin Annual Pass - will it save you money?

Chessington World of Adventures with The London Pass

Chessington World of Adventures is supported by London's most popular attraction pass: The London Pass.

In addition you gain free entry to over 90 top London attractions, including the London Zoo, Westminster Abbey, St, Paul's, View from the Shard and the Tower of London.

The London Pass

LONDON PASS BY GO CITY

The Londpon Pass

The more you visit, the more you save

• Access 90+ London attractions including Tower of London, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures, London Bridge Experience, Thames River Cruise, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, The View from Shard, Windsor Castle, Big Bus, and many more...
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 day passes available.

Chessington World of Adventures

CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES TICKETS

Chessington World of Adventures

Entrance to Chessington World of Adventures
& resort hotel options

• SAVE MONEY: cheaper prices when booked online in advance • Day tickets • Short breaks • Annual passes • VIP experiences & extras

POPULAR LONDON ATTRACTIONS - ADVANCE PURCHASE AND/OR FAST TRACK TICKETS

London Eye Amazing panoramic flight on the world's highest observation wheel. » Fast track tickets available.
The Shard Tallest building in Western Europe with viewing of London from the top. » Fast track tickets available.
St Paul's Cathedral Cathedral of the Diocese of London, venue for royal weddings. » Pre-book to guarantee entry.
Westminster Abbey Along with St Paul's, England's main religious building.» Pre-book to guarantee entry.
Tower of London Home of the Crown Jewels and a rich thousand year history. » Fast track tickets available.
Madame Tussauds See wax statues of the most famous people in the world. » Fast track tickets available.
London Dungeon The creepiest attraction in town, the London Dungeon. » Fast track tickets available.
Hampton Court Palace Henry VIII Medieval Palace set in vast grounds. » Pre-book to save money.
The London Zoo World class zoo in the centre of London. » Flexi tickets available.

Every effort is made to keep all our information correct and the advertised prices up to date. We endeavour to be as accurate a source of information as possible but Travellers Toolkits cannot be held responsible for any price differential between our stated prices and those of the companies supplying the product or accuracy of information provided on our sites.