If you enjoy observing animals, you are going to have a great time in Berlin. Besides the Aquarium Berlin you can visit two separate zoos which are both awesome places to visit. The Berlin Zoo is located in the west of Berlin at Zoologischer Garten and offers more than 20.000 animals for you to enjoy.
Wanna know if you should visit Zoo Berlin or Tierpark Berlin? Click here
The oldest zoo in Germany
The Berlin Zoo is the oldest zoo in Germany. It was opened back in 1844 and with almost 1400 different species it is one of the world’s largest collection of species. Every year between 3 and 4 million people visit the Zoo and this makes it the most visited zoo in Europe.
From Zoologischer Garten you can easily walk to one of the best escape games in Berlin.
A wide range of animals
The most popular animals in the Zoo Berlin are the hippo, the gorilla, the sea lions and the pandas. This zoo does a great job in giving each of these celebrity-animals an impressive accommodation. You can go into the Panda Garden, check the Empire of the Cats and see hippos underwater in the Hippo Bay. All in all the architecture of this zoo in Berlin is impressive for sure.
Fun places for children
Children love animals. They do not wonder about the happiness of the animals yet and just laugh about their behaviour and have a great time. Besides the animals the large playground also makes the Berlin Zoo a great activity for children. A last thing our son loved was the interactive screens which you can find in the indoor animal-houses. They teach the kids something and they also love to play with them.
Should I visit the Berlin Zoo or Tierpark Berlin?
A question we hear quite often is if the Berlin Zoo or Tierpark Berlin is better. It is not often that one city has 2 zoos to offer and therefore people compare them all the time. Both places have their pros and cons and both places are awesome for a daytrip. If we really need to choose between the two zoos we would recommend visiting the Tierpark Berlin. Below we compare Berlin Zoo or Tierpark Berlin:
| Berlin Zoo | Tierpark Berlin | |
| Amount of Species | 1.380 | 634 |
| Opening Year | 1844 | 1955 |
| Size of the zoo | 35.000 m2 | 160.000 m2 |
| Expected time spent | 3 Hours | 4 Hours |
| Playground | Yes | Yes |
| Yearly Visitors | 3,2 Million | 1,5 Million |
| Ticket Price | 17,50€ | 16€ |
| Popular animals | Panda Gorilla Hippo Elephant | Polar Bear Leopard Flamingo Tiger |
Frequently asked questions + Practical Information
When you want to visit this zoo in Berlin, you might have some open questions. Below we have answered some of these questions. If you have additional questions you can always ask them in the comments and we will do our best to answer quickly.
The Zoo Berlin can easily be reached from station Zoologischer Garten (both S-Bahn and U-Bahn). Get out on the side of McDonalds, cross the bus-station and you will already see the first signs. One of the entrances called Löwentor (Lion’s Gate) can be found about 150 meter to your right. There is another entrance on the Budapester Straße which is called Elefantentor (Elephant-Gate)
A ticket to the Berlin Zoo can be bought for 17,50€. Children between 4 and 15 years only have to pay 9€ and younger children are for free. By the way: The Aquarium Berlin is located next to the zoo and a combi-ticket for both attractions can be bought for 23,50€ (children 12€). You can buy tickets here.
If you are planning to visit the Zoo Berlin more than 3 times a year, you might want to consider buying an annual pass. An annual pass for Zoo Berlin costs 57,50€. Combined with the Aquarium it costs 79,50€ and you can even combine it with the Tierpark in the east of Berlin for 101,50€. Very cheap if you ask me!
On average people spend 3 hours and 20 minutes in the Zoo Berlin. People who visit for the first time and also grab some food usually spend a bit more but there are also people who specifically want to see some specific animals and are gone after 1-2 hours again.
In total 233 employees are keeping the Zoo Berlin clean, taking care of the animals, making sure visitors have something to eat and do all the administration (and we are probably forgetting some other tasks).
Summary
Compared to other activities for kids in Berlin, the Berlin Zoo is great value for your money. You can easily spend 3 hours here and you only have to pay 17,50€. Compared to places like Little Big City that is great bargain. We would put this activity on the same level as the Natural History Museum, Legoland and the Holland Park.
Fun for kids? 8/10
Fun for parents? 8/10
Price: Reasonable (17,50€)
Time to be planned: 3 hours
Overall Rating: 8/10
By the way: If you are visiting this zoo in November or December, you should most definitely also visit the Christmas Market at the Gedächtniskirche.
