Amsterdam Zoo

Discover Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo in heart of the city

Amsterdam Zoo is a popular day out in Amsterdam. Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo to give it its full name is vast, you can easily spend a whole day here and still want to come back and see more.

Artis Amsterdam Zoo founded in 1838 is the oldest Zoo in the Netherlands. It is situated right in the centre of Amsterdam and there are over 900 species of animals living there. 

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What animals does Amsterdam Zoo have

There are so many different animals you can see at Artis Zoo. Artis Zoo has African Elephants, gorillas, giraffes, penguins, monkeys, turtles, a jaguar, lions and many more.

When visiting the zoo you’ll discover an aquarium, a planetarium and a popular micropia attraction which opened in 2014. This focuses on the world of microbes which being so small (and perhaps not as exciting on paper as a Jaguar) are often overlooked, but are fascinating in their own right. There is also a Gorilla House, Lemur Land, Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion.

In October 2023, a new lion enclosure was officially opened. This habitat is inspired by the African savannah and designed to give them much more space (10x more than the previous enclosure). It also has much more varied terrain, dry and vegetated areas, as well as other sub-areas.

Artisplein is a nice open space with seats where visitors can sit and relax and enjoy the fountain. Visitors are permitted to bring in their own food or there are a number of restaurants and cafes as well as a pancake house. These are all take-away at present due to the coronavirus.

Amsterdam Zoo Tickets

You can now book tickets for Artis Zoo online or you can walk up on the day. We do recommend that you book online before your visit because it is much cheaper, especially if you are a family group, As this is a very popular Amsterdam attraction at peak times you might also be disappointed on the door.

You book for the entire day and can enter from 9am-6pm. You can use our link below to reserve your tickets.

There is also the opportunity to register and join the zoo separately by registering for a Mijn Artis account, this is how you get your bring a friend tickets too.

Artis Zoo start times and tickets

If booking a ticket online in advance, entry starts from 9am and lasts until 6pm. This includes any children and infants 0-2 years of age. If you have a ‘bring a friend’ coupon, you still need to book them into the date to guarantee entry. You can also use your I Amsterdam City Card for entry but again need to book in advance using the card details.

Ticket prices for Amsterdam Zoo 2024

Amsterdam Family Fun Pass

A new pass that focusses on families includes three of Amsterdam’s most popular family friendly attractions.

The Amsterdam family Fun Bundle includes tickets to Artis Zoo, Moco Museum and a 1-hr Canal Cruise.

When choosing this pass you can select which dates you want to visit the attractions on, so it is very flexible and easy to plan your trips with the family over your visit to Amsterdam. You’ll also save money on buying individually too.

Where is the Amsterdam Zoo

The Zoo is situated in Central Amsterdam and close to Hortus Botanicus. Although it would be possible to walk there from Centraal Station it would be quite a long walk, so the recommendation is to use public transport.

From Amsterdam Central Station, Tram 14 stops at the Zoo. Tram 7 and Tram 19 stop within walking distance from Artis Zoo (a few minutes walk). The nearest metro station is Waterlooplein. The Artis Royal Zoo is around a 10-minute walk from there.

You can view our specialist page on Amsterdam Trams to learn about using the iconic blue and white trams whilst in Amsterdam or if you would like to learn more about all the public transport options in Amsterdam and the various ticket options, you can visit our public transport in Amsterdam page.

Amsterdam Zoo address:

Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo, Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 1018 CZ Amsterdam

Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo Map

Perhaps the best way to get a sense of scale of the zoo and to see all the attractions and animals you’ll see on your visit is to download the map of the zoo.

Download and view Amsterdam Zoo Map

Artis Groote Museum

The Groote Museum is not a museum dedicated to the cute Marvel character from Guardians of the Galaxy, but it does ask some of the big questions in the universe.

It is a place to explore connections, with yourself and other life on Earth. Why do you exist? What makes you, you?

An interactive and thought provoking exploration of lifes big questions.

Where can you find the Groote Museum

Located on Artisplein, next to the Chilean Flamingos (bit more exciting than saying turn left at the next junction).