Berlin ZOO

We decided to take a day trip to the Berlin ZOO with our friends. The first idea was to get there with three families, but in the end we went with two.

The zoo is in the western part of central Berlin, right next to Berlin Zoologischer Garten station (S-Bahn S3, S5, S7, S9 and U-Bahn U2, U9). The address is Hardenbergplatz 8, where you will find the Löwentor (Lion Gate) entrance. The zoo has no car park for visitors, so public transport is the easiest way to get there.

We set off from Poznań in the morning. The road to Berlin is fast and convenient (and not cheap!) - you can take the A2 highway. In the center of Berlin traffic is restricted to vehicles with a green environmental sticker - there is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone). Buying this sticker for a single visit is not worth it. We decided to leave the car outside the ring and take the subway to the city center. We found a cheap parking garage - called Car Park Steglitzer Kreisel, it is located at Schloßstr. 74. Leaving the car for one day cost 2.5 euros. This garage is open around the clock. Next to the parking lot was a subway station - simply perfect.

We were 8 stops away from Berlin Zoo on metro line U9. Getting to the place took 10 minutes. In the subway you can buy a family day ticket, so you can save on transportation costs.

At the ZOO we bought tickets that allow admission to both the zoo and the aquarium - the ticket is called Kombi and costs 20 EUR. On entry to the zoo you don't get a map of the area - it can be bought for a few euros. We used a map downloaded from the internet on a phone. If you prefer a printed version, you should print it at home.

The Berlin zoo is very nice. This is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and one of the best in the world. A huge number of animals: today the zoo and the aquarium together have more than 19,500 animals from about 1,000 species. Each species lives in recreated natural conditions. Most of the animals are easy to see.

Fun fact: Berlin Zoo opened on 1 August 1844. It is the oldest zoo still open in Germany. The aquarium has been part of it since 1913.

The park is well maintained and is an ideal place for walking. Many people rest on the premises, not only spending time watching the animals, but also reading a newspaper or talking outdoors. There are numerous statues of animals, fountains, a large playground for children and lots of greenery.

The zoo has a few restaurants. We went to one of them to buy some chips.

Berlin Zoo covers an area of 35 hectares. Together with the huge aquarium, it was far too much to see in one day, especially with children.

We expected to see a panda. Imagine our surprise when we noticed that the panda was gone because it had died a few years earlier. The fact is that we hadn't checked that prior to arrival. The children were thus a little disappointed that in the place where the panda had lived there was just an empty cage and a commemorative plaque.

Good to know: Bao Bao, the panda we missed, died in 2012. Since 2017 giant pandas have been living at Berlin Zoo again: Meng Meng and Jiao Qing. Two pairs of twins have been born here, in 2019 and 2024. We saw giant pandas later in Vienna, which we describe in Vienna with Kids: Giant Pandas at the Zoo and the Long Road Home.

We saw: elephants, tigers, lions, giraffes, crocodiles, nocturnal animals (including bats), gorillas, monkeys, hippos, rhinos, penguins, flamingos, kangaroos, llamas, bears, zebras, owls, antelope and seals. The aquarium also has a large jellyfish exhibit as well as reptiles, amphibians and insects. Here we especially recommend the huge formicarium with ants. One of the interesting attractions for children is Tierkinderzoo. There are goats and sheep that you can pet.

We highly recommend going to the Berlin Zoo. It is easily accessible from Poland. The number of animals is huge - we need to repeat the trip someday in the future.

Practical info

We checked prices, opening times and rules in November 2026.

Tickets

Prices and rules:

• at the till a zoo ticket costs 25 euros for an adult and 12.50 euros for a child aged 4-15, and a combined zoo and aquarium ticket 37 and 17.50 euros,
• online tickets are cheaper: from 16 and 7.50 euros for the zoo, from 24 and 11 euros for the combined ticket,
• you have to visit the zoo and the aquarium on the same day.

We paid 20 euros for the Kombi ticket (when we went in 2014).

Opening hours

In November the zoo is open from 9:00 to 16:30, with last entry at 15:30. Hours change during the year, so check them before you go.

Getting there and parking

The zoo has no car park of its own. There are paid spaces by the Löwentor entrance on Hardenbergplatz and several multi-storey car parks nearby.

You can only drive into the centre inside the S-Bahn ring with a green low-emission sticker, which is why we left the car on the outskirts and took the U9.

Good to know

Dogs are not allowed in the zoo, and a day ticket does not let you leave and come back. There is a large playground and a petting zoo on site.