IllustrationCome to Heidelberg Zoo to watch young elephant bulls grow into their social roles, then mix animal watching with a farm visit and hands-on science.
Come to Heidelberg Zoo to watch young elephant bulls grow into their social roles, then mix animal watching with a farm visit and hands-on science. The zoo sits in Neuenheimer Feld beside the Neckar, with ponds, aviaries and animal houses connected by a network of visitor paths. Pick up a map before the entrance turnstiles and choose one keeper presentation to build your day around. You can give the animals time without trying to be everywhere at once.
The elephant group is a particular reason to linger. Heidelberg gives young male Asian elephants a place to live together before they move on to breeding groups elsewhere. Play and jostling are part of learning how to deal with other elephants. Watch their trunks as well as their bodies, then try the elephant-house exhibits about communication and circulation. At the neighbouring Africa enclosure, look for the different ways zebras, blesbok and guineafowl share the space.
The smaller encounters deserve just as much attention. At the Küstenpanorama, coastal birds bring bill shapes and feeding movements close enough to compare. The red panda may be resting high in its trees; finding a shape among the branches is half the pleasure. Near the end of the day, the Australien-Wiese gives you a viewing platform for red kangaroos, while the Arche Noah play ship offers tunnels and little chambers for children who still have energy. These are zoo animals in managed enclosures; give them room to rest and come back later when a favourite is out of sight. Eager to name that creature? Identify any animal you find during your visit using the Snappit app.
The zoo opened in November 1934 under its first director, Otto Fehringer, with Nobel laureate Carl Bosch as an important founding supporter. Bombing in March 1945 devastated the grounds; Emmy Strang helped lead the rebuilding. Later changes are easy to connect with a visit: the walk-through Küstenpanorama opened in 1991, the young-elephant-bull programme began in 2010, and the new farm and Zoo-Akademie followed in 2021. The Australien-Wiese opened in May 2025.
For a broad first visit, start with the bears and Küstenpanorama near the entrance, continue to the elephant and Africa area, then follow the map towards the flamingo lake, outdoor big-cat enclosures and sea lions. After that, make time for the farm and Explo-Halle, the primate area, kangaroos and red panda before finishing at the large playground near the exit. This is a flexible order of stops: change it around the day’s presentations and your children’s interests.
For a shorter visit, choose the farm, lemurs and ape house, then the red panda and playground. At the farm, compare sheep, goats and cattle and look at the displays about domestic animals and food. Use only the designated petting area and respect animals that move away. The pigs must not be touched or fed.
Give the Explo-Halle a proper stop rather than saving it for the last few minutes. Its interactive exhibits explore perception, physics and biology, and admission is included in the zoo ticket. It is a useful indoor break in wet weather, alongside the elephant house and open primate houses. The exhibition opens at 11:00. The Raubtierhaus is temporarily closed while a new lioness settles in, so leave it out of your indoor plan. Nouri the lion and the tigers still have access to their outdoor enclosures.
The zoo opens daily at 09: 00. Closing time is 19:00 from April to September, 18:00 in March and October, and 17:00 from November to February; 24 and 31 December finish at 13:00. Check the official opening page before travelling. In winter, plan your outdoor stops early and expect a smaller choice of food outlets.
Check the homepage for the Raubtierhaus reopening before your visit. The giant tortoises are staying in Prague while their Heidelberg house is rebuilt, even though their enclosure appears on the zoo map. Until 30 November 2026, the Explo-Halle also hosts Meer.Natur.Schutz., an exhibition about protected marine areas off Germany’s coast.
The main paths are suitable for wheelchairs and rollators, and pushchairs are permitted. For particular access requirements or a route through individual houses, ask the Service-Center on +49 6221 5845000. Accessible toilets are at the entrance and large playground; the Explo-Halle has a Toilette für alle facility. Do not rely on the toilet inside the temporarily closed Raubtierhaus. Baby-changing facilities are available at the entrance, playground and Explo-Halle. The zoo car park has designated accessible spaces, and there is a short-stay drop-off point directly outside the entrance. Snow and ice can affect paths in winter.
Watch young bulls interact, and use the indoor exhibits to explore how their bodies work.
Slow down in the walk-through coastal aviary and compare the birds’ different bills and movements.
Keeper presentations explain how voluntary training helps with examinations and everyday animal care.
Pair the Explo-Halle’s experiments with the Arche Noah play ship for two very different family breaks.
Use the map to connect the bears and Küstenpanorama, elephants and Africa area, flamingo lake, outdoor cats and sea lions, then the farm, Explo-Halle, primates, kangaroos, red panda and playground. Swap stops around one chosen keeper session.
Main paths are suitable for wheelchairs and rollators. Ask at the entrance about individual exhibit access.
Make the farm and nearby lemur and ape-house area your focus, then visit the red panda and finish at the Arche Noah playground. Let children choose where to linger rather than aiming to see the whole zoo.
Use the accessible toilets at the entrance or playground, or the Toilette für alle in the Explo-Halle.
At the prairie dogs or elephants, each person quietly watches one animal for a minute. Afterwards, describe an action rather than guessing how it felt. Compare your observations before moving on.
In the Küstenpanorama, find two birds with different bill shapes and watch what they do with them. Check the identification labels together, and keep to the visitor path.
Watch how a trunk explores food or reaches towards another elephant. If training is scheduled, the outdoor wall is the place to pause; the keeper can explain how a seemingly simple movement helps with routine care.
Start by scanning the branches above eye level, then look lower down. A resting panda can be easy to overlook. Keep your distance and return later if it is tucked away.
Watch for changes between swimming, resting and responding to a keeper. At a presentation, try to spot a voluntary movement that could help with an examination. The published feeding programme has no Friday sessions.
Give this enclosure a quiet few minutes rather than counting an upright animal and moving on. Compare what different members of the group are doing, and use the enclosure label to distinguish the meerkats from their porcupine neighbours.
The fossa is an easy early stop to miss on the way to larger animals. Find its labelled enclosure beside the Küstenpanorama and watch from the public viewing points. If it is hidden, try again as you return towards the entrance area.
Look for the binturong label by the elephant-house area, which also brings you to the small-clawed otters. Take a patient look through the enclosure before moving on, and let a concealed or resting animal stay undisturbed.
Pause at the prairie-dog enclosure between the sea-lion and farm areas. Let children choose one visible animal to follow quietly for a minute, then compare what each person noticed. The animals here are black-tailed prairie dogs.
Use the aviary’s identification labels to find the oystercatcher among the other coastal birds. Compare its bill and feeding movements with those of its neighbours. Keep the path clear and let birds choose how close they come.
Find the lemur area by the large ape house and look for the ringed tails. Ring-tailed and crowned lemurs are both kept here, so read the labels rather than assuming every lemur is the same kind.
Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.
Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.
Arriving by bus
Use the stop Medizinische Klinik/Chirurgie/Zoo when coming from Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof; the stop in the opposite direction is Zoo. Check your connection with VRN.
Driving
The address is Tiergartenstraße 3, 69120 Heidelberg. The zoo car park has a 2 m height limit. Take its parking ticket to the zoo cashier for the visitor discount.
Tickets
You can buy at the entrance or online. Children under three enter free. Check the selected date carefully: ordinary admission tickets cannot be cancelled or rebooked.
Food breaks
You may bring your own food and drink. The Zoo-Café near the playground offers refreshments year-round; other outlets operate more seasonally.
Family kit
Bring a pushchair if needed, but leave scooters and balance bikes at home. Pull-along wagons can be hired at the cashier, subject to availability, without reservations.
A calmer close look
Stay on visitor paths, keep hands and objects outside enclosures, and avoid calling to animals or tapping glass. Never offer your picnic food.
Photo manners
Respect no-flash signs in houses and marked areas. Private photography is allowed; commercial use needs permission from the zoo.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
North Carolina, US
You might spot American Robin and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
View guide →
Florida, US
You might spot Anhinga, American Alligator, and Wood Duck.
View guide →
New Mexico, US
You might spot Wood Duck, Duck, and Canada Goose.
View guide →
Michigan, US
You might spot African Lion, Komodo Dragon, and Brown Bear.
View guide →
Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.
