Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden

Visit the Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden (Hungarian: Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert) and get to know the oldest zoo park in Hungary and one of the oldest in the world. Various animals, extraordinary plants and flowers are waiting for you in the heart of  Budapest.

The large park features more than 1000 species of animals and about 2000 plants from all around the globe. You can find various habitats with interactive programs at the different zones of the zoo.

Visit the baby elephant which was born in 2017 or admire the exotic plants in the Botanical Garden.

History of Budapest Zoo

The zoo opened its doors on 9 August 1866 after a long preparation by Ágoston Kubinyi (Director of the National Museum),  geologist József Szabó, József Gerenday, the Director of the Botanical Garden of Budapest, and János Xántus, a zoologist, ethnographer, and the first director of the zoo. The idea of the foundation dates back to 1820-30s.

After the opening the Zoo had mostly Hungarian species and some exotic animals like monkeys, parrots, camels, and kangaroos. Franz Joseph and Queen Elizabeth donated the first giraffe to the zoo in 1868. Later in the 1800s the zoo has received the first elephants and hippopotamus and started to get bigger and bigger.

The development was interrupted by the First World War and it was almost entirely destroyed in the Second World War. At the siege of Budapest, the zoo was bombed as well, so most of the buildings and animals were destroyed. After the siege, the remaining animals were eaten by the starving people of Budapest.

After the war, the Zoo re-opened in 1945 with a few animals and a slow reconstruction has started. There were modernisations since then and the park has became more spacious and modern year by year.

Don’t Miss Out

The most popular animals are the elephants and white rhinos. In 2007, the first rhinoceros ever to be born with artificial insemination was born in the Budapest Zoo.

Opening Hours

Budapest Zoo has various opening hours throughout the year, but it is open every day.

Budapest Zoo Opening Hours

Budapest Zoo Opening Hours – source:

Where to find the Zoo?


As the Budapest Zoo is in the City Park (Varosliget) you can find a lot of attractions nearby, like Vajdahunyad Castle, Szechenyi Spa Baths, the Budapest Circus and Hero’s Square.