Happisburgh Owls
Happisburgh Owls
5
Saturday
10:30 AM - 4:00 AM
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 4:00 AM
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
WE ONLY OFFER PRIVATE PRE-BOOKED VIEWINGS PLEASE IGNORE OUR OPENING TIMES SHOWN BELOW ( we cannot edit the shown times ) Please call or email to arrange your booking . A chance get up close and personal with probably some of the tamest beautiful owls that you are likely to have the privelidge to meet. Well supervised these owls can be handled by all age groups. Enjoy a close up way of understanding a little more of the everyday lives of these beautiful birds and the conservation needs to help them continue their plight for survival. Situated in beautiful north norfolk we are available for all your outside and home venues.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
12 within 5 kms
Attractions
25 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Janine B1 contributionBest day ever!Had a fantastic day. A suprise from my husband on our wedding anniversary. We couldn't have had a better time. Darwin was friendly, informative & it was clear how much he loved the owls. Who can blame him, we fell in love wth them immediately as well. Very well run & owls are happy & well cared for. Highly recommended a visit. You won't be disappointed.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 15, 2023
- Sherpa421020575165 contributionsA privileged and emotional experience, FabulousMy partner bought me this experience as a b'day present, I love birds of prey. We were lucky to handle 8 different owls with care from Darwin & Sandra's experienced advice. I have never been that close to a bird of prey, what a joy. The knowledge and information from the team was excellent and you knew these birds were loved and cared for. £ plus hours of heaven thank you.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 21, 2023
- Ian JBrighton, United Kingdom14 contributionsUnique and memorableGreat time spent with Darwin, Sandra and the owls. A unique, informative and close up experience provided by people clearly passionate and dedicated to the beautiful birds. Good to see how clearly loved and well cared for the owls are, a fantastic experience all round. Nice bit of cake too...Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 22, 2023
- LauraLondon, United Kingdom19 contributionsUnique and uplifting!I had an absolutely amazing time with Sandra, Darwin and the owls! Sandra and Darwin immediately put you at your ease when you arrive, and the owls are quite simply magical. It is genuinely a really therapeutic experience which you will not find anywhere else. We had stacks of time with each owl (the ones who decided to come out - if they don't want to they don't have to) and Sandra took lovely photos. Sandra is the kind of person who you immediately warm to, and makes you feel very safe and cared for. Her bond, and Darwin's bond, with the owls, was really special to behold. And it is very humbling and endearing to be in the owls' gentle company. It is magical to be up close and trusted by these majestic creatures. My favourite owls were Bracken, Laser and Mumbles, but all were an absolute joy. They take part in a lot of animal assisted therapy, and you can really tell, because when they are around humans they simply exude calmness and serenity. They were very endearing: gently preening my hair and glasses and nose! It is clear that Sandra and Darwin take exemplary care of the owls; they were in fantastic condition and the aviaries and grounds are top quality as well as their food. Many many thanks, I will always treasure these memories!Visited October 2023Travelled soloWritten October 9, 2023
- Trevor B5 contributionsAn amazing owl experience.We have been going to see Sandra and Darwin's owls for many years. They make you feel welcome and at home. The Owl's are amazing and well looked after. Would recommend anyone to visit and enjoy the experience.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten October 11, 2023
- Jaydie J1 contributionFalling for owlsI booked this for me and my husband as I’ve always had a soft spot for owls. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but chatting with Darwin on the phone it was clear that we were in for a fun, informative, and hands-on experience. It didn’t disappoint - Sandra and Darwin love and respect their charges and the owls are so relaxed in their environment that even the most nervous of guests will find themselves falling in love. Allow a good three hours (or more) for the experience as nothing is rushed and expect to leave with a newfound respect and love for these amazing birds.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten October 17, 2023
- Climber530104420211 contributionThe best animal / bird experience we have ever been to. Our 2nd visit & will definitely go back.The best animal / bird experience we have ever been to. This was the 2nd time we visited & found it absolutely great value for money. Sandy & Darwin were very informative & such a pleasure to talk to in a really relaxed atmosphere. You get up closer to the owls than any other experience we have been to. Lovely food & drink included. Will definitely go back & highly recommend to anyone.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten October 22, 2023
- Sue I1 contributionBeing immersed in the world of so many owls was simply amazing!What an amazing experience! Spending almost 4 hours in the company of Sandra and Darwin, learning about and handling the most beautiful owls was wonderful. Our son is autistic and I couldn't believe how confident he was around the owls and Sandra was so patient explaining everything to him. This was the highlight of our holiday and we plan to visit again next year as it truly is a special place. Thank you so much Sandra and Darwin for such an interesting, interactive and very special time with you and your beautiful owls.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten November 26, 2023
- Debs W12 contributionsAbsolutely magicalI took my partner here for his birthday and from the moment we arrived we were given the warmest welcome and made to feel completely comfortable. Coffee and cakes were certainly not expected but were a lovely touch. Sandra and Darwin were so knowledgeable and gave a really interesting introduction and loads of fascinating facts throughout the experience. They were happy to answer all our questions and really explained things clearly. The passion and love they have for the owls (well all furries and feathered creatures for that matter!) is clear from the moment you arrive. The owls are their absolute priority, they are never forced to interact if they aren’t wanting to, and their beautiful condition and environment is the result of all the love and dedication Sandra and Darwin provide. It was clear how much the owls adore them and trust them completely. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to see these amazing birds so close up and learn so much about them. We will definitely be back. Thank you so much Sandra and Darwin.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten December 6, 2023
- Steven N1 contributionFabulous and amazing experienceIf you want a fabulous, informative and unique experience then go and visit Sandra & Darwin at Happisburgh Owls. Both Sandra and Darwin were extremely welcoming and accommodating for my mothers 80th birthday treat. We got to experience and connect with different types of owls and learnt so much about them. Their markings, ears and how one owl can transform! Amazing! I would not hesitate to recommend this experience to anyone with an interest in birds of prey! Thank you!Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten December 15, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
722 reviews
Excellent
706
Very good
13
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
liane
Benfleet, UK89 contributions
May 2021 • Family
We spent the most memorable 3 hours with owner Sandra and assistant Darwin. We learned so many fascinating facts that as Owl lovers ourselves we didn’t already know.
The booking was made well in advance and had the benefit of being a private visit so you don’t have to share the owls!!
A presentation of how Happisburgh Owls started and the story to the current day was lightly told with plenty of laughter, owl interaction and tea/ cakes!
Plenty of owl handling and photo opportunities. A must if you are visiting Norfolk!!
The booking was made well in advance and had the benefit of being a private visit so you don’t have to share the owls!!
A presentation of how Happisburgh Owls started and the story to the current day was lightly told with plenty of laughter, owl interaction and tea/ cakes!
Plenty of owl handling and photo opportunities. A must if you are visiting Norfolk!!
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Juliette WS
6 contributions
Jan 2020
We booked Happisburgh Owls to attend a 4th birthday party for our twins and they did not disappoint. Sandra and her assistant were very friendly and helpful, all children got to handle the owls with explanations of each owl. I really cannot recommend them highly enough, we will definitely book again for our children's parties as they went down so well with both the children and their parents and definitely made the party a huge success.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beccy B
Egham, UK1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
My family, including a 9 and 15 year old booked to meet Sandra’s owls and what a good decision that was. Both Sandra and Darwin are hugely knowledgeable and this combined with a genuinely warm and very personal experience will mean this visit is treasured for years. The small numbers booked means you need to book ahead but it is very appropriate for all ages and levels of ability. Really impressed 😊
Beccy, Steve, Roman & Ellen x
Beccy, Steve, Roman & Ellen x
Written August 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sally O
1 contribution
Jul 2021
If you want a totally unique and utterly enchanting owl experience then this is the place to go. Sandra and Darwin provide a very informative and knowledgeable presentation (as well as goodies to eat) before meeting Sandra's beautiful owls. They all have their own amazing characteristics and you can clearly see the amount of love and care that Sandra devotes to her babies! Getting up close and personal to these beautiful owls has been one of the best experiences of my life and I would thoroughly recommend a visit.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steven O
2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
I arranged my visit in advance with Sandra who set everything out clearly and offered us a mutually convenient day. On the day we were met at the gate by Darwin, with a smile and a warm welcome. We then went into the house and met the eight owls, Darwin explained each one and shared a very informative presentation. We then got to the main highlight of being able to hold each Owl in turn and take photos. We had the opportunity to see each of the Owls aviaries. These were large and clean and Sandra and Darwin explained about the other Owls we had not been able to hold.
This is a bespoke experience as we were the only one there and we had all day to spend with Sandra, Darwin and the Owls. Sandra and Darwin's passion for the Owls was plainly clearly to see and we all thoroughly enjoyed our day and would recommend it to everyone that likes Owls.
This does need to be booked in advance as there is only one group per day and is not open to just turn up with prior booking.
Thank you Darwin & Sandra for such a fantastic day & Darwin for being a brilliant photographer as well.
Steve, Elizabeth and the children.
This is a bespoke experience as we were the only one there and we had all day to spend with Sandra, Darwin and the Owls. Sandra and Darwin's passion for the Owls was plainly clearly to see and we all thoroughly enjoyed our day and would recommend it to everyone that likes Owls.
This does need to be booked in advance as there is only one group per day and is not open to just turn up with prior booking.
Thank you Darwin & Sandra for such a fantastic day & Darwin for being a brilliant photographer as well.
Steve, Elizabeth and the children.
Written September 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlexMac65
Diss, UK22 contributions
Aug 2020
I chose Happisburgh Owls (pronounced Haze-burrough locally) as my wife is an avid bird-watcher. It's out in the countryside quite a way but is really worth a visit. We visited today in August 2020.
We arrived at about 11am and had Sandra all to ourselves. Sometimes she has two groups together but because of 'social distancing', Sandra has limited it to one party at a time at present. If you're here in Norfolk on holiday, book early. Calling the day before will get you nowhere. She's always booked up and it's worth the effort to book, believe me.
We spent the first hour just learning about how Happisburgh Owls started, how Sandra got into caring for these amazing creatures and why she does it. She is clearly passionate about the care and preservation of these wonderful birds, along with her amazing helper, the wonderful Darwin, a very nice lad from the village who is clearly as dotty about owls as Sandra (and is doing a degree about them to prove it!).
Then we started to be allowed to handle the birds. My personal favourite is the Little Owl, Munchkin, but we met about 10 owls in their presentation room, and were privileged to handle each one, and other bigger ones later.
The session lasted about 3 and a half hours and it felt like barely half an hour. We SHALL return soon. I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone, especially bird-lovers. Informative, interesting and fun.
We loved it and my 13 yr old son did too. A really worthwhile day out and worth every penny.
We arrived at about 11am and had Sandra all to ourselves. Sometimes she has two groups together but because of 'social distancing', Sandra has limited it to one party at a time at present. If you're here in Norfolk on holiday, book early. Calling the day before will get you nowhere. She's always booked up and it's worth the effort to book, believe me.
We spent the first hour just learning about how Happisburgh Owls started, how Sandra got into caring for these amazing creatures and why she does it. She is clearly passionate about the care and preservation of these wonderful birds, along with her amazing helper, the wonderful Darwin, a very nice lad from the village who is clearly as dotty about owls as Sandra (and is doing a degree about them to prove it!).
Then we started to be allowed to handle the birds. My personal favourite is the Little Owl, Munchkin, but we met about 10 owls in their presentation room, and were privileged to handle each one, and other bigger ones later.
The session lasted about 3 and a half hours and it felt like barely half an hour. We SHALL return soon. I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone, especially bird-lovers. Informative, interesting and fun.
We loved it and my 13 yr old son did too. A really worthwhile day out and worth every penny.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Djb
Belper, UK115 contributions
Sept 2022
The event starts at 11am and lasted to about 2.30pm. We were met by a very friendly guide called Darwin who could not have been more helpful. My mother has restricted mobility but managed to access both the building and the garden. The highlight is the opportunity to get up close with the owls; a beautiful barn owl called Hope; a wonderful character called Bracken; a pretty little Indian owl and some larger birds too. The birds are very calm and one or two enjoy a little tickle but generally stroking and touching is considered inappropriate as these are very delicate creatures. visitors should be prepared to look but not touch.
Written September 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WillC-11796
Norwich, England, United Kingdom2 contributions
Aug 2020
This is without a doubt one of the best experiences anyone can do. I purchased a voucher for my wife for her birthday and after the trials of covid we finally got booked in with Sandra and her amazing owls. Sandra, Darwin and her owls are an absolute asset to Norfolk and for any animal or nature lover that wishes for a personel experience should go. This experience personally has re-kindled my dreams when I was younger of the potential of further learning for care and husbandry of owls. They are all kept in beautiful areas where they have Sandra's loverly garden to look out on. This is a 5 Star Owl hotel ! and it is so clear they are all happy to be there. The team at happisburgh owls have a real passion for what they do and the opportunity we had to have this experiance is incredible, I lost count on the day how many times I was lot for words to describe how much we were enjoying the experiance. Thank you Sandra and Darwin for putting on such an incredible experiance. I am sure we will be back soon!
Written August 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer
Bedford, UK2 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
We really loved this experience and feel it was one of the nicest days out we’ve had. It differs from other animal experiences as it’s so personal and tailored to the visitors. We really felt welcomed into Sandra’s home, and found Sandra and Darwin really warm, knowledgeable, and passionate about the owls they keep. There are so many different species of owl here and they are all in a beautiful condition and kept really well in their own lovely large environments. Sandra and Darwin show you how to hold, pet and feed the owls, and it’s a great opportunity for photos. We found this experience really special and will definitely be back again
Written July 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqi C
6 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
What an absolutely incredible owl experience at Happisburgh Owls today. Darwin was not only incredibly knowledgeable about the owls, he was also able to pitch it absolutely right for both adult and child to be totally enthralled.
The place was spotless and owls so relaxed, obviously their welfare is first and foremost, and so it should be.
If you do nothing else, do this! Initially you might think it's expensive, I can assure its will worth it and the girls were chuffed with the feathers they've brought home.
Thank you so much, four happy humans 💕🦉
The place was spotless and owls so relaxed, obviously their welfare is first and foremost, and so it should be.
If you do nothing else, do this! Initially you might think it's expensive, I can assure its will worth it and the girls were chuffed with the feathers they've brought home.
Thank you so much, four happy humans 💕🦉
Written August 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Drive towards the village of Happisburgh along Whimpwell St you will approach a staggered junction turn right into Lighthouse Lane drive to the bottom of the lane and the owl visit is the last bungalow on the left on the corner right in front of the lighthouse
Written October 1, 2018
That should read unsign-posted lane without the interference of spell check:)
Written October 3, 2018
Is it private booking only? And if so how much is it and how do you book?
Written August 19, 2018
It is private booking only. I think the maximum number is 6. It’s not a cheap day out but it is worth every penny. You’ll need to check directly but I think we paid £170 ish for 4 people.
Written August 28, 2018
Although your dogs could be in your vehicle in my drive they could not be around my owls . So in all honesty due to the lenght of your viewing I would say not a good idea.
Written June 10, 2018
Sandra @ Happisburgh Owls is obviously the best person to answer this . Due to the close inter action with the owls I would imagine it best to leave your dogs at home for your visit . Enjoy ! 😊
Written June 7, 2018
Hello, can anyone tell me the cost of this visit?
Thanks
Written September 9, 2016
Hello , our prices can be found on our website Happisburghowls.
Thank you and hope to see you
Written January 12, 2017
where in happisburgh is this place?
Written April 20, 2015
we are approx. 5oo mtrs from the Lighthouse . Only open for pre booked viewings
Written August 27, 2017
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing