Book a Donkey Experience
"I had a wonderful experience being hands on with feeding, mucking out, grooming and walking the donkeys. Sam was a superb mentor."
Take part in our extra special Donkey Experience!
Gain a unique, first hand understanding of the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary with our Donkey Experience.
Spend two unforgettable hours with a member of our dedicated team and our beloved donkeys. Dive into the heart of sanctuary life with exclusive behind-the-scenes access.
During your experience, you'll have the chance to:
- Feed and interact with our adorable animals
- Roll up your sleeves for some mucking out or poo picking (a genuine farm experience!)
- Groom, cuddle, and care for our gentle donkeys
- And more..
What you need to know about the Donkey Experience
The Donkey Experience is for ages 11 and over
Maximum group size 2 - it's the perfect thing to do with a friend or family member
Please wear sensible footwear and clothing; no open toe sandals
You'll need to book at least 48 hours in advance
If you're aged under 16 a parent or care giver will need to stay on site while you do the experience
Do you adopt with us?
If you've already adopted a donkey, let us know and we'll do our best to include your special friend in your experience.
A special Donkey Experience
We offer a Donkey Experience tailored for people with limited mobility or who can’t stand for long periods or access rough ground. You’ll still get the chance to spend time with our donkeys, help behind the scenes working with our team, making feeds for our Special Care herd and caring for our donkeys. Please contact us for more information about this experience.
Gift vouchers
Our Donkey Experiences make great gifts. Buy a Donkey Experience gift voucher online.
View our terms and conditions.
Looking for a perfect gift for any animal lover? Gift them with a voucher for a Donkey Experience.
You can also purchase vouchers for our online shop or for an adoption.
Contact us about a tailored Donkey Experience
Contact us about a tailored Donkey Experience
Testimonials
Hannah really enjoyed spending the day looking after the animals, and getting the opportunity to speak to members of staff about care and the stories behind the donkeys was very enjoyable. We would both recommend doing the experience, as it was informal but educational, while also being fun.
Josh
The two guides were great. They clearly know their stuff and could confidently answer all questions we had about donkeys. The up-close experience with the donkeys was lovely. The icing on the cake was that we were asked was there a donkey in particular that we wanted to meet. We had just adopted Hovis, so the opportunity to meet him was perfect… the perfect end to a perfect day (even though we had been shovelling poo!) What particularly impressed me was that you could see every donkey was cared for and given what they needed. Their coats were glistening and their eyes bright. They are clearly loved and cared for. Thank you for a lovely day.
Liz
Staff were really friendly, from the Meet and Greet to staff at cafe and shop. I booked the 2 hour donkey experience, big thank you to Sam who showed me around and was very knowledgeable and spent a bit of extra time with me. I felt part of the Donkey Sanctuary family as I completed a few tasks, from poop picking to preparing feeds and grooming a few of the Jennies. Sam was very approachable and answered every question I had. This experience is really worth it as you can support the Sanctuary directly, not only financially, but also the donkeys' welfare. Thank you very much for the fantastic experience and keep up the good work!
