Saddle up for a Boris Bike cycling tour of London Zoo

Fancy waking up with the birds, some lemurs and a mob of meerkats? Because Santander's Summer of Cycling initiative is making this a very real possibility for 30 lucky Londoners. Last month they took intimate after-hours bike tours around the Science Museum and now they're taking over ZSL London Zoo. For three mornings from September 11 to September 13 groups of ten will be ushered onto Boris Bikes and led around a few select exhibits at the animal haven.

We had a preview of the tour, which kicks off at 9am, so it feels like you have the place to yourselves as doors don't open to the public until 10am. The first stop is the new 'spider walk', which is full of creepy crawlies, followed by a peek at the meerkats and a stop into the recently opened lemur enclosure. Our guide Liv enthusiastically talks us through the animals' origins and habits, as well as the zoo's history and charity conservation work before leading us – by Santander Cycle of course – past 'Elton John' the spectacled owl to penguin beach, just in time for the feeding frenzy.

Money can't buy this frivolous adventure, so those keen to go should enter the ballot on Santander's website, which closes on September 1, and keep all human paws crossed.

Take a post-ride pit-stop at one of London's best cycle cafés.