Pre-book your free half term tickets for The Donkey Sanctuary

Visitors to The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth will need to pre-book their visit for this October half term.

Entry to The Donkey Sanctuary remains free of charge, but each visitor over the half term period is required to book a ticket in advance.

This measure has been introduced to safely manage visitor numbers during busy times. In line with government regulations, a maximum of six people in any one group will be admitted.

Visitors can choose a 30-minute arrival time between 9:30am and 2:30pm on their chosen day, between 24 October and 1 November. Visitors are then able to stay on site until the sanctuary closes at 4:00pm.

Autumn is the perfect time to get the whole family outdoors and explore the sanctuary grounds. Visitors can meet some of the friendly resident herd, including the giant Poitou donkey Dartanyan, the adoption donkeys and the gorgeous miniature donkeys, as well as viewing the charity’s 2019 award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden.

A number of measures are in place to keep both the public and staff as safe as possible, including a new one-way loop around the sanctuary and extra hand-washing stations. To help minimise contact and encourage responsible social distancing, some areas are not accessible, meaning there are fewer opportunities to interact with the resident donkeys.

Visitors are able to enjoy refreshments from the on-site restaurant, The Kitchen, which features unrivalled views overlooking donkeys in their fields and the valley beyond, and for those who want to purchase a souvenir, or do some early Christmas shopping, The Gift Shop is open and full of unique donkey-themed items, with a one-way system in place to keep everyone safe.

Parking is free and dogs on leads are welcome. Please note, only guide dogs are currently allowed in the restaurant, due to reduced capacity.

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis from The Donkey Sanctuary’s website at thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk.