One of the most exciting place to see in Hungary is the Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden (Or Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert) which is the biggest and oldest one in Hungary. Located in the middle of the city, in the City Park, close to Széchenyi Thermal Spa, Capital Circus of Budapest and Heroes' Square.
Past, Present and the Future
The Budapest Zoo is among the world's oldest zoological gardens with its 150 years - it opened its gates on 9 August 1866 under the directory of the internationally recognized zoologist, János Xántus. At that time, only a handful of animals were shown, mostly Hungarian species, monkeys, parrots, camels, kangaroos and some other special animals. The first giraffe arrived in 1868 as a gift from Franz Joseph and Queen Elizabeth Austrian monarchs. After years of financial hardships, the zoo was taken over by the city in 1907 and a reconstruction took place in the upcoming years. The renewed park opened in 1912 as one of Europe's most modern zoo at the time. Sadly, the First World War and the economic crisis stopped the developments and almost the whole park was destroyed in the siege of Budapest, during the Second World War - only 15 animal survived and none of the animal houses remained intact. Budapest Zoo opened again in 1945 and a slow restoration began, however, the historical reconstruction took place between 2003 and 2007. In the meantime, the animal habitats have been modernized and enlarged.
Today the Zoo and Botanical Garden has more than 10 000 animals of 1072 species in a 18 ha area. As a result of the breeding programs, visitors can regularly meet with newborns as well. The attractions include The Animal Kingdom with numerous animal houses, the Magic Mountain (or Magical Hill), the Once-Upon-a-Time Castle, the Shark School, the Japanese Garden, three playgrounds, a picnic park and lots of buffets - but do not forget the feeding times and trainings, they are quite spectacular and fun too.
The newest section, the Pannon Park will be a 5 ha exhibit complex reviving the Carpathian Basin's wildlife from the 10-12 million years ago. The main attraction will be the 1.7-hectare Biodome and a huge marine aquarium with sharks and sea cows. Unfortunately, it is still under construction and expected to open only in 2021.
What to See
The Animal Kingdom consist of several animal houses, presenting the species of 7 continent. Americana Tropicana is a huge palm house with six different wings, introducing the flora and fauna of the tropics such as colorful birds, a recently born baby sloth, piranhas, crocodiles and poisonous amphibians. The lower level of the palm house is an aquarium, with numerous exotic fish species, even eels. South America House and Aviary is where capybaras and tapirs live, next to the macaws.
FUN FACT: The oldest animal of the zoo is Samu, a female American alligator, who lives here since 1952 and one of the eldest of its kind!
The Butterfly Garden is a seasonal showroom for the over 100 different species of tropical butterflies and moths. The zoo receives the butterflies in pupa form from tropical butterfly farms in the late spring. These pupas are presented in a cupboard as well. Next to the Komodo Dragon House (where obviously the Komodo dragons live) is the residence of the giant anteaters, where we found our favourite, a recently born baby anteater Guba, who could not let go of his mommy.
In Australia House, visitors can meet cassowaries, kangaroos, reptiles, parrots, bats and small marsupials. You can even take a look at real rarities from Down Under like wombats, echidnae and a cute little platypus!
LOCAL'S TIP: There are quite a few animals who are active at night. To see them, participate a "night walk" in the zoo. You'll not only take part in an exciting adventure but also be able to peek behind the scenes and pet some of the animals! Find the dates and actual prices here.
The Little Rock is intended to show the world of waters: polar bears, harbour seals, sea lions and penguins. On the other side, you can even walk among the vultures! The Great Lake is also part of the world of waters and a nice place to take a rest. Sit in the little benches and watch the life of carps, turtles and flock of water birds, for instance pelicans, cormorants and grey herons. In House of Coastal Wildlife (or House of Wetlands) you can see mainly species from domestic waters and coasts, fish from the Hungarian rivers, as well as some tropical amphibians like the Mexican Axolotl or the poisonous dart frogs. If you would like to know more about traditional fishing and the world of fishermen, visit the Fisherman's Place (Native Fish Species)!
FUN FACT: The Great Lake is one of the oldest exhibiting area in the Zoo, as it already existed when the zoo opened in 1866!
In India Zone you'll find big cats like tigers, a leopard but also a wolverine. The India House is where you can learn about poaching and see the lions. In South East Asia House (or Xantus Janos House), there are plenty of species of exotic birds from Asia, for instance peacocks, pigeons, reptiles and smaller mammals like squirrel monkeys. The upper level of the Venomous House is the site of the biggest exhibition of venomous snakes in Central-Eastern Europe, while you'll find giant reptiles, pythons and giant tortoises downstairs, The babirusas got their terrain here too.
TOP TIP: Check out the YouTube Channel of the Zoo here, for interesting moments from the zoo's everyday life or for videos of the adorable newborns.
The zoo's central area is for the primates. The Madagascar House is for prosimians (many lemur species), colourful birds, Madagascar reptiles, the golden bellied mangabey and African spurred tortoises. The other big animal house is the Great Ape House, which gives home to the apes: the gorillas and the orangutans. Both of the families recently welcomed a baby monkey!
TOP TIP: On the walkway towards the Madagascar House, you'll find statues of the Zoo's former directors.
Savannah Zone is where you can meet the residents of Africa, from giraffes, camels and gazelles to different species of birds, insects and small mammals. This is where you'll find the rhinoceroses and the meerkats as well, while flamingos and zebras live next door. Then there's the Elephant House - which is not only a beautiful architectural piece but also home to the elephant family and the hippos.
FUN FACT: This is the home of Tücsök, the oldest animal born in Budapest! The hippo was born in 1973 and lives in the zoo for almost 50 years!
As Budapest Zoo is also a botanical garden, it has a rich collection of plants. For instance there is the Japanese Garden, the Palmhouse, the Rock Garden or the Citrus Garden, but there are unique species all over the area.
The Great Rock is home to the red panda couple, hyenas, a grizzly bear, baboons and ungulates, such as zebus or blackbucks. A part of the Great Rock is called Magic Mountain (or Varázshegy in Hungarian) as there is an interactive exhibition area inside the mountain. In 16 showrooms on 4 levels the diversity of flora and fauna is represented in a very interesting and engaging way, also there are several smaller animals here as well, mainly insects (lots of spiders!) and reptiles. We can understand how the relationship developed between humankind and nature throughout history, what did we learn from the animals. From "The Cradle of Life" through the "School of Life" to the "Mars Airbase". There is a passage to the ape house as well, as a part of a "Human Trail", the evolution of men.
The Once Upon a Time Castle is an entertainment complex for families with smaller children, built on site of the former amusement park. Some of the vintage rides are still in place - kids still can ride the funfair or the carousel, but unfortunately the wooden roller coaster doesn't operate. The main attraction of the area is the Kids' Palace, a four-storey indoor playground. The seven rooms are based on Hungarian Fairytales: Vuk, Süsü, Dr. Bubó, Pom-pom, Mekk Elek, A Nagy Ho-ho-ho Horgász, Brekk Berek. Children can feed and pet deer and goats in Hoofy Yard, while they can meet domestic animals in the Farmyard, such as chickens, pigs, cows or the Hungarian racka sheep. There are interesting animals here as well, for instance llamas, guinea pigs or smaller sharks at the Shark School. The area also has a riding stable, arts and crafts workshops, a fish pont, and the Hedgehog Hospital, the zoo's emergency veterinary centre. Due to the construction of Pannon Project, The Once Upon a Time Castle is temporary closed.
This wildlife park is also well known for its architecture. The Art Nouveau styled buildings were designed by famous Hungarian architects such as Kornél Neuschloss, Károly Kós, Dezső Zrumeczky and Gyula Végh. The buildings are enriched with decorative sculptures, bronze and wooden statues, Zsolnay ceramic figures and mosaics.
Services
There are many toilets and catering facilities in the zoo area, an information point where you can get a free map, a luggage storage and a gift shop at the entrance. For the children, there are three big playgrounds (Energy, Coral and Australia), plenty of interactive games and photo walls, even special lookouts and tunnels to see the animals up close.
How to Get Here
The zoo is located at the City Park in the middle of Budapest and easily accessible by public transport. Hop on the yellow metro line (M1) to Széchenyi Fürdő station or take Trolley 72 to Állatkert stop. Find more option here and the ticket prices here.
Arriving by car is also possible, though we do not recommend it as finding a parking spot is quite impossible on busy days and will cost you a lot.
Admission
The adult ticket costs 3300 HUF, the supporter ticket is 5000 HUF, while the Student and Senior tickets are 2500 HUF. Seasonal and annual passes, as well as group discounts and Budapest card discounts are available to the zoo. Find out more about them here.
Tickets to the zoo are valid for the Once Upon a Time Castle, but separate tickets are also available for 1000 HUF if you want to visit only that part of the complex. The attractions costs separately, buy chips for 200 HUF.
Support
There are plenty of ways to support the zoo: work as a volunteer, help as a sponsor or buy the Supporter ticket. In addition, you can even adopt an animal! For 10 000 HUF you'll be a foster parent of the chosen animal, get a parent certificate and other souvenirs. Read more about it here (fortunately, it's in Hungarian only, but if you'll visit the Foundation by the Zoo, they surely can inform you about the adoption).
As we were walking around, we noticed that the animals are well fed and clearly taken care of. The caretakers clean the habitations regularly and pay attention to the animal's health. This is a very important factor for us, and this is the reason why we highly recommend the Budapest Zoo.
If you're interested, explore the other animal parks of Hungary as well! Here's a quick list of zoos from the country we suggest:
Nyíregyháza: Sóstó Zoo for extreme lodging and the coziest zoo experience
Veszprém: Kittenberger Kálmán Zoo & Botanical Garden for a zoo and a dino park
Budakeszi: Budakeszi Vadaspark for European forest wildlife and natural escape
Szeged: Szeged Zoo for exotic encounters and species conservation
Hortobágy: Hortobágy Wild Animal Park for ancient wildlife of the Hungarian Puszta
Veresegyház: Veresegyáz Bear Farm for bears, wolves and reindeers
Szada: Szada Szafari Park for a safari feeling and petting animals from your car
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