Antwerp Zoo Tickets: Prices, Family Deals & How to Visit Belgium's Oldest Zoo in 2026

Antwerp Zoo houses more than 950 species across themed zones including an African savannah, a tropical greenhouse, a nocturnal house, and a walk-through aviary. The aquarium, built in 1910 in striking Art Deco style, remains one of the most architecturally significant zoo buildings in Europe.

The zoo's compact size works in its favor. Unlike sprawling safari parks that require a car, everything here sits within a 15-minute walk. The layout loops naturally through habitats, starting with the African plains (giraffes, zebras, okapi) and winding past the elephant house, the great ape enclosure, and the reptile building.

Highlights that consistently draw the longest visitor pauses include:

• The Aquarium (Aquatopia): A 1910 Art Deco masterpiece housing coral reef tanks, piranha pools, and jellyfish displays. The building alone is worth the visit.
• Gorilla Valley: A naturalistic outdoor enclosure where western lowland gorillas are visible year-round
• The Nocturnal House: Bats, slow lorises, and other creatures in reverse-light conditions. Allow 15-20 minutes for your eyes to adjust.
• Hippopotamus Building: Underwater viewing windows let you watch hippos glide beneath the surface
• The Egyptian Temple: The original 1856 entrance pavilion, restored to its former glory, now houses ibises and other Egyptian-themed exhibits

The zoo runs daily feeding sessions and keeper talks on a rotating schedule. The penguin feeding at 14:30 is particularly popular with families. Check the daily program board near the main entrance for that day's schedule.

The zoo entrance sits 50 meters from the east exit of Antwerp Centraal Station, making it one of the most accessible zoos in Europe by public transport. From the station platforms, follow signs for "ZOO" and you'll reach the ticket gates in under 2 minutes on foot.

Getting there by train is the most practical option for most visitors. High-speed Thalys and ICE services connect Antwerp Centraal to Amsterdam (1 hour), Brussels (35 minutes), Paris (1 hour 50 minutes), and Cologne (2 hours 30 minutes). Belgian domestic trains run every 10-20 minutes from Brussels on the IC line.

If you're already in the city, trams 2, 6, and 9 all stop at Astrid station (metro/premetro), which is directly beneath the zoo entrance. From the Old Town or Meir shopping district, it's a 10-15 minute walk north.

For a full breakdown of Antwerp's public transport network, tram routes, and visitor passes, see our transportation guide.

Arrive at opening time (10:00 AM, or 9:00 AM with a membership), head straight for the great apes and elephant house while crowds are thin, and plan around the 14:30 penguin feeding as the afternoon highlight. Allow 3-4 hours for a relaxed family visit with lunch breaks.

The zoo is genuinely compact compared to most European counterparts. A full loop without stops takes about 45 minutes, which means young children can manage the walking distance without a stroller (though strollers are available to rent at the entrance for €5).

Practical tips for families:

• Playground: The central playground near the flamingo pond is a good halfway-point rest stop. Children burn off energy while parents sit on shaded benches.
• Dining: The zoo provides three on-site restaurants. The main cafeteria near the entrance serves hot meals from €9-14. Members get 10% off.
• Rainy days: The aquarium, reptile house, and nocturnal house are all fully indoors, so a rainy day doesn't ruin the trip. Budget 60-90 minutes just for indoor exhibits.
• Baby facilities: Changing rooms and nursing areas are located near the main restaurant and at the entrance building.
• Gift shop: Located at the exit. Budget €10-25 for a stuffed animal or souvenir. Members get 10% off here too.

For a full day out with kids in Antwerp beyond the zoo, check our family-friendly itinerary which covers playgrounds, child-friendly restaurants, and interactive museums across the city.

ZOO Antwerp is a compact city-center zoo (10 hectares) with historic architecture and 950+ species, while ZOO Planckendael is a sprawling wildlife park (40 hectares) in Mechelen focused on open habitats and conservation breeding. Both are run by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, and a single annual membership covers both.

Planckendael is roughly 20 km south of Antwerp, near the town of Mechelen. Where Antwerp Zoo packs its exhibits into a tight city block with ornate 19th-century buildings, Planckendael spreads animals across wide open grasslands organized by continent: an African savannah, an Asian forest, a South American zone.

If you're choosing between the two for a single visit:

• Choose ZOO Antwerp if: You're short on time (2-3 hours is enough), traveling by train, want architectural beauty alongside animals, or have very young children who can't walk far
• Choose Planckendael if: You have a full day, prefer spacious open-air habitats, want a picnic-in-the-park atmosphere, or are traveling by car
• Do both if: You're staying multiple days. Members get a free shuttle (ZOO Planckendael Express) between the parks.

Planckendael day tickets are priced similarly to ZOO Antwerp, so the annual membership at €112 (individual) or €249 (family) makes strong financial sense if you plan to visit both parks even once each.

Mechelen itself is worth a half-day trip. It's a pleasant Flemish town with its own brewery scene and the famous St. Rumbold's Tower. For ideas on combining the zoo with nearby destinations, see our Mechelen and Lier day trip guide.

Weekday mornings between 10:00-11:30 AM outside school holidays give you the shortest queues and the most active animals. The zoo is open 365 days a year, but summer weekends and Belgian school holidays (mid-July to August, Christmas week, Carnival in February) bring the largest crowds.

Seasonally, spring (April-May) and early autumn (September-October) strike the best balance between pleasant weather and manageable attendance. Many outdoor animals are more active in cooler temperatures, and the gardens are particularly photogenic when the flowering borders peak in late April.

Winter visits have their own appeal. The zoo sometimes hosts seasonal light festivals and themed events during the Christmas period. The indoor exhibits (aquarium, reptile house, nocturnal house) are just as good on a grey December afternoon as they are in July, and you'll have them largely to yourself on a Tuesday morning.

For a broader view of what's happening across the city month by month, our seasonal travel guide covers weather patterns, festivals, and the best activities for each period of the year.

Yes. The Antwerp City Card includes free entry to ZOO Antwerp along with 20+ other museums and attractions. The 48-hour card costs €35 and the 72-hour card costs €42, so if you plan to visit the zoo plus at least two museums, the card saves money compared to buying individual tickets.

The card also covers free public transport on De Lijn trams and buses within Antwerp, which means your tram ride to the zoo entrance is included. Other major attractions covered include KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts), the Plantin-Moretus Museum (UNESCO World Heritage), MAS, and the Red Star Line Museum.

The breakeven calculation works like this: Zoo entry (€29) plus KMSKA (€12) plus one more museum (€8-12) already exceeds the €42 cost of the 72-hour card. If you're spending 2-3 days in Antwerp, the card is almost always the better deal.

For a detailed breakdown of whether the card pays off for your specific itinerary, see our Antwerp City Card analysis.

Founded on 21 July 1843 by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, ZOO Antwerp is the oldest animal park in Belgium and one of the ten oldest zoos in the world. The society purchased a 1.4-hectare plot adjacent to what would become Centraal Station and opened with a modest collection of native European animals.

The zoo expanded rapidly through the 19th century as colonial trade routes brought exotic species to the port of Antwerp. By the 1860s, the collection included elephants, big cats, and primates. The Egyptian Temple entrance, still standing today, was built in 1856 and remains one of the most recognized zoo buildings in Europe.

Two World Wars tested the zoo's survival. During World War I, many animals were evacuated or lost. In World War II, Antwerp's proximity to the front lines meant the zoo suffered bomb damage and severe supply shortages. The zoo's staff managed to keep many animals alive through personal sacrifice and community support.

Today, the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp operates both ZOO Antwerp and ZOO Planckendael, with a combined focus on conservation breeding programs for endangered species. The society participates in over 60 European Endangered Species Programmes (EEP), breeding animals that may eventually be reintroduced to their natural habitats.

For more on Antwerp's architectural heritage, including the zoo's landmark buildings, see our architecture and history guide.