Warminster · Wiltshire BA12 7NW · Safari park, house & grounds
Longleat: we get you there, not round the safari
Longleat is a safari park you drive through, an Elizabethan house, a maze and a large estate. The one thing worth establishing before you book is that the drive-through safari is its own arrangement, and a hired coach or minibus is not the vehicle it happens in.
Is a drive-through, and the estate operates its own safari bus for visitors who arrive without a car. That is the arrangement most of our passengers use, and it is worth knowing about at the planning stage rather than at the gate.
The part people ask about first
Check Longleat's current arrangements when you book tickets, since these do change.
In a vehicle
Longleat sets the rules on which vehicles may enter the enclosures, and hire coaches are not generally among them.
Operated by the estate
Which is how visitors arriving without a car see the animals. Check availability and any additional charge.
On foot
House, maze, gardens, adventure areas and the rest of the estate.
At the estate
And wait, or return at an agreed time. The safari is between you and Longleat.
Kent to Wiltshire
M25 and M3 or M4 then south west. A long day trip.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 118 miles | 2h 25m – 3h 5m |
| Bromley & Orpington | 122 miles | 2h 30m – 3h 10m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 128 miles | 2h 35m – 3h 15m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 133 miles | 2h 40m – 3h 20m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 136 miles | 2h 45m – 3h 25m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 142 miles | 2h 50m – 3h 30m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 166 miles | 3h 15m – 4h |
What else is on the estate
Plenty, and it is what most of the day actually consists of.
| Attraction | Note |
|---|---|
| Longleat House | Elizabethan, and one of the finest in England |
| The hedge maze | Famously large. Allow longer than you expect |
| Gardens and grounds | Capability Brown again, as at Blenheim |
| Adventure and animal areas | Walk-through, and where families spend most of the day |
| Festival of Light | Winter, and a separate proposition entirely |
A day at Longleat
Sort the safari with Longleat, not with us
We are being direct about this because it is the question we are asked most and the answer is genuinely outside our control. The estate decides which vehicles may enter the animal enclosures and operates its own safari bus for visitors arriving without a car. Book that alongside your tickets and the rest of the day is straightforward.
There is a great deal besides the animals
The house is one of the best Elizabethan interiors in England, the maze is enormous and the grounds are Capability Brown's work, as at Blenheim. Families with young children frequently spend most of the day in the walk-through areas and adventure sections rather than on the safari at all.
Three hours each way makes it a long day
A hundred and twenty to a hundred and sixty-five miles means an early start and an evening return, with a proper day in the middle. It is comfortably doable and it is not a casual outing, so it is worth being deliberate about the departure time rather than setting off mid-morning.
The winter Festival of Light is a different trip
Held after dark in the colder months, it is a separate proposition from a summer day out, with different timings and a much later return. Tell us which you are coming for and we will plan the day accordingly.
Longleat questions
The safari, and everything else.
Can you drive us round the safari?
No. Longleat sets the rules on which vehicles may enter the animal enclosures and hire coaches are not generally among them. The estate runs its own safari bus for visitors arriving without a car.
So how do we see the animals?
Book the estate's safari arrangement alongside your tickets. Check their current terms and any additional charge when you book, since these do change.
What else is there?
Longleat House, an enormous hedge maze, Capability Brown grounds, and walk-through animal and adventure areas where families often spend most of the day.
How far is Longleat from Kent?
Around a hundred and twenty to a hundred and sixty-five miles, roughly two and a half to four hours each way.
Is it a full day?
Yes, and a long one with three hours of travel each way. An early departure makes a considerable difference.
What is the Festival of Light?
A winter after-dark event, which is a completely different trip from a summer day out with different timings and a later return.
Do you wait, or come back later?
Either. We can hold nearby for the day or return at an agreed time, and both are priced at booking.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking for the whole day.
Days out and great estates
The west country trips.