Zoo Berlin has so much more to offer than just the Giant Pandas – they have many species from big to small, there’s something for everyone! Within Berlin the zoo is very central, which means there are expansion limits, however it’s still a pretty large zoo and there seems to be constant work going on to bring new additions – for example there is an incredible new aviary building (World of Birds) with so many bird species from all over the world, and the current project is a new area for the big cats. I have also included some pictures from my previous trips in February 2018 and September 2019.
Giraffe’s are one of my favourite animals to see, they share an outdoor space with several deer species around this fantastic yellow building. Inside this building, you can also view an interesting exhibition about the history of the zoo, from its founding through wartime Berlin and to the present time – I really like this in the zoo, and it’s worth a stop by if you are interested in history. This is also very close to the panda enclosure.
The elephants are another popular animal at the zoo – they’re right by the main gate, so are the first stop for many visitors. This is the first time I’ve seen more than 1 or 2 outside at the same time. This trio were enjoying this pile of greenery for ages, and the little one had a great time sneaking between the other two and stealing the food right from their trunks! When I visited in September 2019 there was a keeper in with the elephants and giving them a brush with a broom, which I assume was to keep the dust from the ground off of them.
There are a lot of cool buildings around – I love the style of this one where the zebras live, there’s another one which looks like an old cottage, and then around the edges are several bird enclosures, including what looks like the fluffiest chickens I’ve ever seen!
There are several talks and feeding session times. The most popular I’ve seen is at the Sea Lions. For these the keeper/trainer is in the pool and goes through a series of different activities, which I’m sure include a range of health checks to keep an eye on the animals. And there was a fish reward when the activity had been completed. The sea lions are directed all over the pool space, using the different areas and surfaces that the enclosure offers. For the public there is a wide viewing area, although on a weekend in the Summer it was pretty packed, so you would need to get there early to get a prime viewing position.
There is a pretty good mix of indoor and outdoor viewing space for the animals, and even though it was Winter, most of the animals with outdoor access were outside. There were a couple I saw in September but not today, like the Giant Anteater and the young Rhino who was adorable running around the enclosure after his mum!
The Aquarium is also located at the Zoo – you can access it either on its own, or if you buy the combination ticket, through the entrance in the Zoo (and you can re-enter the Zoo by showing your ticket). I was there on a Saturday and the Aquarium was very busy (and the weather was pretty nice outside as well!), so if you’re really interested at getting a closer look at some of the fish (or snakes or spiders, they have a great range here!) then I would recommend a weekday visit if possible.
Your Visit
Getting to Zoo Berlin
This is an easy one – the Zoo is fairly central in the city, and is located at one of the main travel hubs. You can easily get there by U-Bahn, S-Bahn or bus – and it’s also on a direct bus route to Tegel Airport (the public transport is very affordable and easy to use for non-German speakers).
In Zoo Berlin
I mentioned the Aquarium before, you can either buy a ticket for each the Zoo and the Aquarium alone or a combination ticket – the adult price is 16€ for the Zoo alone, or 22€ for the combination ticket. We thought it was definitely worth the extra few € to visit the Aquarium as well.
The Zoo is open every day of the year from 9AM, with a range of closing times (4:30-6:30PM) depending on time of the year – plenty of time to see all of the animals. I arrived around 9:30AM, and stayed until around 3:30PM, which was more than enough time to see all the animals that I wanted to at least a couple of times.
I had no problems getting around as a non-German speaker – the map is available in English and there are plenty of signs to direct you around the Zoo. And as far as I remember most of the signage at the animals were in both German and English.
There are a couple of options for food – I’ve only eaten in the main restaurant, which had a good range of hot and cold meals and snacks, it was pretty good. This time I went in after the main lunchtime rush, so it was easy to get a good look at the options and find a place to sit.
The Zoo also has 2 gift shops if that’s something that you like. There’s toys, books, alongside a good range of postcards and fridge magnets – and a huge range of panda-related items!
