Zoo Zagreb — Attraction in City of Zagreb

I visited Zagreb Zoo in early June and overall had a decent experience — especially considering the low price of only 4 euros. That’s incredibly cheap compared to Copenhagen Zoo (where I usually go), which costs 33 euros and feels similar in size, if not smaller.

🛠️ Renovation in progress: There were a lot of areas under renovation or completely closed off. Some enclosures like the leopard’s were totally overgrown and clearly hadn’t been used in a long time. It gave the impression that the zoo had been shut down for winter and was only just now starting to prepare for summer.

🦁 Animals & Enclosures: Most animals were in standard-sized enclosures, and while some looked outdated or a bit worn, others were fine. The turtle area reminded me of a freshwater turtle pond. Many enclosures looked like they were in transition — not bad, just not at their best. There was a good mix of animals, and I still enjoyed walking around even though some highlights were missing or closed.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Visitors: There were a lot of school kids, but nothing compared to the chaos in Copenhagen Zoo, where it’s often flooded with kindergarten groups. Despite being busy, it didn’t feel crowded or overwhelming.

💶 Value for money: At 4 euros, I absolutely got what I paid for — and probably more. If I lived here, I’d visit almost every day just to walk through the park and see the animals. The price makes it a great casual visit, even in its current state. I’d honestly be willing to pay more if it helps with the restoration work.

📷 Additional info: The entrance is inside Maksimir Park, and the overall area is beautiful. The zoo isn’t too commercialized either — there are fewer shops and signs than in Copenhagen Zoo, which I personally liked. It felt more relaxed and natural.

📊 Compared to CPH Zoo:

Price: 4€ vs. 33€

Size: Roughly similar

Condition: CPH Zoo is more modern and polished, but Zagreb Zoo has strong potential

Experience: Zagreb Zoo is simpler but quieter and more peaceful

Would I...

To start off with good things first: zoo is very well organized and modern. Nice walking areas with almost all flat surfaces makes it easy for wheelchair or baby stroller to move. There are plenty of benches to sit around while watching animals. Visitor areas are clean and tidy. Several playground areas for kids is a nice addition. Lakes, rivers and bridges, are everywhere. Lots and lots of information is provided for each animal (ie latin names, lifespan, origin, size...) with nice graphical details and text in Croatian + English language (some names also in other languages). Zoo is open every day, 365 days a year. Now for the bad things: not so many "exotic" animals are on display. I guess zoo is not too big to accommodate all of them. Lions are there with very nice display area in glass and a rock to climb and see as much as possible. There are no tigers, elephants, rhinos, giraffe, hippos... There is a hippo habitat but it was empty during our visit. Many cages and display areas are empty or under construction. Also inside areas where animals live are not well trimmed. I am not sure if this is a zoo policy or the fact it was rainy season at the time, but a lot of grass inside was too tall. Some where even blocking the view of animals.

Prices are more than fair. Kids enter free of charge and for adults it is about 2,5 EUR for a ticket. Staff is nice and friendly. There is a souvenir shop also with reasonable prices and interesting...

Zagreb Zoo (Croatian: Zološki vrt grada Zagreba) is a 7-hectare (17-acre) zoo located within Maksimir Park in Zagreb, Croatia and is literally across the street from Zagreb's Stadion Maksimir (Dinamo Home Place), where major football matches are played and rock concerts take place. It is one of three zoo parks in the country.

Zagreb Zoo is a member of both the European and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a participant in the European Endangered Species Programme.

Zoološki vrt grada Zagreba je jedan od 3 zoološka vrta u Hrvatskoj. Prostire se na površini od 7 hektara, a smješten je u južnom dijelu parka Maksimira. Ima 275 vrsta životinja i 2 225 jedinki sa gotovo svih kontinenata. Zastupljeni su sisavci, ptice, gmazovi, vodozemci, ribe i beskralježnjaci.

Zagrebački zoo-vrt član je slijedećih međunarodnih organizacija, čime je priznata njegova kvaliteta: Europskog udruženja zoo-vrtova i akvarija (EAZA - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), Svjetskog udruženja zoo-vrtova i akvarija (WAZA - World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), Međunarodnog udruženja zoo edukatora (IZE - International Zoo Educators Association) i Međunarodnog informacijskog sustava o životinjama u zatočeništvu (ISIS - International Species...