ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo
Visit one of the oldest zoos in Europe in the heart of Amsterdam. ARTIS Royal Zoo is a celebration of nature, culture and heritage.
Stepping back in time at Amsterdam's ARTIS Royal Zoo, the Netherlands' oldest, is like entering a living museum. Founded in 1838, ARTIS boasts not just thousands of fascinating animals, but also a stunning botanical garden and a captivating planetarium.
Wander through the 27 historical monuments scattered throughout the grounds, each adding to the zoo's unique character. ARTIS offers a tranquil escape from the city's vibrancy, a place to lose yourself amidst the shade of ancient trees and marvel at the wonders of the natural world.
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See animals from around the world in the city centre
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Fun for the whole family
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Take a trip to space in the Planetarium
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See animals from around the world in the city centre
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Fun for the whole family
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Take a trip to space in the Planetarium
Plantage Kerklaan 38-40
1018 CZ Amsterdam
Plantage Kerklaan 38-40
1018 CZ Amsterdam
The zoo in Amsterdam is commonly simply known as ARTIS, which is part of the institutions official latin name: Natura Artis Magistra. The zoo is situated in the eastern part of the city centre, along with other attractions such as the Botanical garden, the Dutch Resistance Museum and the National Holocaust Museum. This is a part of Amsterdam that should be on everyone's must-visit list.
The zoo offers a haven for over 550 animal species and 700 plant types. You can explore the Savannah, the butterfly pavilion, or learn about insects in the Insectarium. Beyond the animals, historical 19th-century buildings tell stories of Amsterdam's past, while the planetarium takes you on a cosmic adventure.
The zoo in Amsterdam is commonly simply known as ARTIS, which is part of the institutions official latin name: Natura Artis Magistra. The zoo is situated in the eastern part of the city centre, along with other attractions such as the Botanical garden, the Dutch Resistance Museum and the National Holocaust Museum. This is a part of Amsterdam that should be on everyone's must-visit list.
The zoo offers a haven for over 550 animal species and 700 plant types. You can explore the Savannah, the butterfly pavilion, or learn about insects in the Insectarium. Beyond the animals, historical 19th-century buildings tell stories of Amsterdam's past, while the planetarium takes you on a cosmic adventure.
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ChildrenChild ticket for 3-12 year olds
Free entry for 0-2 year olds when accompanied by a paying adult -
Opening hoursMonday - Sunday: 9.00 - 17.00
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Ticket informationTicket directly available on smartphones
Tickets can be rescheduled up to 48 hours in advance, tickets cannot be cancelled -
Wheelchair accessible
Free access to bathroom
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ChildrenChild ticket for 3-12 year olds
Free entry for 0-2 year olds when accompanied by a paying adult -
Opening hoursMonday - Sunday: 9.00 - 17.00
-
Ticket informationTicket directly available on smartphones
Tickets can be rescheduled up to 48 hours in advance, tickets cannot be cancelled -
Wheelchair accessible
Free access to bathroom
- Pets are not permitted inside ARTIS-Park, except for guide dogs who must be registered at the ticket office
- The ARTIS-Aquarium is closed for renovations
- Pets are not permitted inside ARTIS-Park, except for guide dogs who must be registered at the ticket office
- The ARTIS-Aquarium is closed for renovations
Really enjoyed my day at the zoo. The weather was showery but there were lots of exhibits under cover and I was delighted to see species I’d never seen before, such as the walk through Inca Tern exhibit. What a treat! There was a nice cafe, bathrooms and a gift shop.
Brilliant zoo! Big bird walk throughs and butterfly house. Quite large enclosures and information boards explaining improvements such as making the lion enclosure 10x bigger than it was, the elephants have a pool large/ deep enough for them to swim. Wouldn't have gone if we didn't have the i-amsterdam card to make the tram there and entrance "free" but glad we did.
Impressive zoo, was a trip highlight for both of our children! It's a good size to explore for a few hours, with plenty to entertain all ages. Also, the landscaping was beautiful and rivaled some of the landscape at Keukenhof!
Here on holiday with the family and decided to visit the zoo after it was recommended to me by a couple of my uni tutors. ARTIS is probably the best zoo I’ve ever been to. It feels like you are a part of the animals’ world as their enclosures are so well done and natural. The staff are really friendly and knowledgeable on the animals they are talking about.
Really nice zoo , very clean and there’s sea lot of animals that I really like like the sea lines , chimps and the gorillas . Altogether it was a really nice experience.
Expect a good 2 to 3 hours of walking. And that's with the aquarium closed. Massive complex that has renovations ongoing all over. Big open spaces, non cramped habitats for the animals. Did a good deed and handed in a dropped bank card and other things to reception yesterday. Hopefully the lady got her items back. Staff and maintenance are everywhere. The planetarium is for children and all in Dutch.
We loved the zoo! Including a lunch break we were there from 11am till about 5pm. I didn’t care that aquarium and a bunch of exhibits were out of order, it’s just part of a big place like that that some things might not be available to be viewed at times. Certainly plenty to see. The cafes had a good selection of meals as well. Gift shop had many cool souvenirs there. Our only 2 criticisms was that the puma and leopard enclosures which looked so tight and small. I mean the puma was very unhappy and walked in circles :( We really hope they get an upgrade soon, just like the other animals have! Second, the walkthrough bird area (the black body/ red beak birds) - rocks could do with a frequent wash down. It reeked and looked so bad. Otherwise, beautiful inner city zoo!!
Bigger than it looks on the map. Absolutely stunning. So much nature everywhere. The bird house and butterfly house was my favourite. Lovely to see so many herons everywhere nesting in the trees with the storks and rose-ringed parakeets. I noticed that the animals all looked happy, except the wolves who could do with a bigger enclosure. Also funny how some of the animals seem to come to see you. This is definitely a place where you need to take your time to enjoy everything the zoo has to offer. Wish there was an English map.
Artis "Zoo" is a fantastic day out. All animals in a conservation setting to help their wild counterparts. A baby black jaguar had been born late 2024. An incredible sight cuddled up with it's mum. There's plenty to see from butterfly, insect, reptiles and big elephants giraffe and zebras. Cafes are dotted about for rest breaks and lots of helpful and knowledgeable staff on hand to explain things. Your ticket also gets you a discount into Micropia the microbe experience which is all indoors and fascinating with interactive exhibits for everyone old and young. Two tram stops get you either 5 mins walk or right outside the main gate. Well worth the visit we got lost in the adventure for 5 hours.
This is the best Zoo I have ever been too. This zoo has a planetarium that I had to record and post it on my YouTube channel. We learned about animals with the following characteristics and descriptions. I learned about planets and stars with the planetarium video with information and comparing the inner and outer solar system including Pluto, also known as the dwarf planet. I would recommend on watching the planetarium
Amazing zoo! They have so many animals and everything you would want to see/do. Lots of cafes and friendly staff if you need anything. Would definitely go again!
I went to ARTIS after visiting the National Holocaust Museum, which was pretty heavy, so I wanted to chill and watch some animals, on entyry to the zoo a chimp ran above me between tree's making a racket, which was just what I needed !!!! I went in quite late and most of the big animals were already in their houses and out of sight, like lions, Elephants, Giraffes etc, so abit disappouiting, but was a good walk around to clear my head. White wolves were cool, Ape & Bird house were interesting. It is quite a small zoo these days, being old and in a city centre, but animals look well looked after. I went to this as I had the Iamsterdam card which gave free access, so worth checking out the Iamsterdam card, as I saved allot of money by using the card and tried a few things I would not have paid for, like this one, which turned out to be a highlight of my trip.
Good attraction. There is more than one cafe on site. Lots of animals to see. Worth a trip. We used out "I Amsterdam City tourist card". when we visited on a Saturday, wasnt too busy. East to get to from Amsterdam Central station. The ARTIS-Groote Museum is located on site too. Very interesting museum.
We spent the best part of a day at the Artis Zoo. There were a good variety of animals to see even in the cold weather. Easy to get to, just jump on the number 14 Tram and get off at the Artis stop and the Zoo is across the road. A variety of snack places are available and also a good gift shop. Kids will love it here with all the animals to see and play areas for them to jump around. Al i all, good value for money and a good day out.
A beautiful spot in Amsterdam. surrounding the zoo and inside the zoo it feels like a magical place. the food is really good in the restaurant even though it is vegetarian and vegan, i was pleasantly surprised how good it tasted. lovely elephants and giraffes who seem to be very happy and very curious of the guests
Good visit to this zoo. Animals are well cared for and staff informative. Quite a few cafes within the zoo. This was a return visit as we were here in 2018.
Highlight of our trip. This zoo was fantastic and so reasonably priced! You can literally walk through animal enclosures and could get much closer to some of the bigger animals compared to any other zoo I’ve been to. Yes some enclosures could be slightly bigger but it reassured me that these animals were all rescued. The staff we interacted with were so friendly and I would recommend this zoo to anyone
My girlfriend and I bought ticktets for the whole thing, but sadly we only had time for the ZOO and Micropia. Both were delightful experiences! The Micropia center is very interesting and fun - they give you stuff to do and you can interact with basically everything. And the ZOO is just huge and amazing! All of the people who work there are very helpful and you can practically ask them anything about the animals. Loved it❤️
I normally get sad about zoos, because animals are in cages but this wasn’t like it. They got their own areas, not small cages, and clearly they enjoyed their life - or almost all others than couple wallabies, who looked like they are annoyed and hate everyone. Paths were clear, there were benches and staff was super helpful. Definately recommend! Ticket was quite expensive.
Me and my partner had amazing time at artis Amsterdam zoo first the staff was very nice and welcoming and the animals habitat was so clean and they seem so happy and so much space to move around and enjoy a natural life so wanted to share my thoughts. Best zoo I been to so far.
Our group had free entry to the zoo with our IAmsterdam cards, and I’m glad we went. It was a super zoo and you got some good looks at the animals, particularly the elephants and the cute baby giraffe currently there! The enclosures are quite small as it’s a city zoo but it seems well managed. We also visited Micropia (separate entry fee but also free with our cards) which was a brilliant museum and far exceeded our expectations as a last day of the holiday activity.
I was looking for someone else to see and do in Amsterdam, so I did this zoo trip, and what a great experience I had there, The animals all looked very well kept and healthy plus going round it was all very clean so easy to just walk around, beautiful animals inside and the elephants looked amazing big healthy and well looked after.
Enjoyed this zoo on my previous trip to Amsterdam so decided to visit again this time (I actually ended up going twice!). The zoo it situated in a quieter area of Amsterdam and it easily accessible by tram or walking. Staff were all really friendly and the zoo was easy to navigate. I'd highly recommend visiting the cafe situated over the left side of the park, near the giraffe and zebra enclosure. There is a great terrace where you can sit and watch the animals. Overall a great activity if you're looking for something different to do while in Amsterdam!
Found by walking from my Hotel The Lancaster across the road. What an amazing surprise to see flamingos dancing in their pond. The wonderful layout of this incredible area is just like finding a jewel in the jungle. The panther and its chilling call. The beautiful trees as you stroll from animal to animal the elephants the giraffes, the new and beautiful lions den. Enjoy their space. I spent the day just absorbing it all.
Amazed at the amount if space and animals there were here. Definitly worth a visit. Loads to see and do for adults and kids. Loads of restaurants and cafes as well.
I have been to this zoo many times and every time was a brilliant experience. I asked my friend what animal do you want to see. He said elephants and literally less than 30 minutes later we saw 4 beautiful elephants, one large male, 2 large females and 2 lovely babies. They were less than 5 meters away so we got a great view of their size and behaviour. It was such a lovely experience to be able to show my friend and enjoy the up close and personal experience myself. My favourite part is the walk in enclosure where you are up close to the sloths, marmosets and lizards with absolutely no fence or cage in between. You walk into their world, you see what they see with nothing in between. The cafes and food courts are very reasonably priced. With the view of giraffes and zebras walking by as you eat your meal is just next world worthy. I have been to many zoos all over Europe and this zoo is by far the best. Every time I visit it has been updated and improved upon so you see where your entrance fee is being spent. Overall if you like animals and want to see them in a minimal enclosure that is safe but lets the animals roam free then this is the zoo for you.
This is the best zoo we’ve ever visited - you can get so close to the animals and they have so much more space. There are a lot of different areas that overlap above and below ground, it feels very natural and flowy
An enjoyable day out for our family. We booked the zoo as a space filler between other bookings and thought we’d pop in for a couple of hours. We didn’t have high hopes but we were wrong. We got round the zoo and saw everything in about 1.5 hours but we could have easily stayed twice as long. Even our teen daughters enjoyed it which is really saying something!
Very impressed with ARTIS, especially for a city zoo. Very well maintained and looked after throughout, with well thought out and enriched enclosures. Wide range of animals with excellent displays. Very rare to see so many captive animals so relaxed and displaying so many normal behaviours. Would highly recommend and love to come back.
I’m never sure with zoos. Are they protecting example of a species with programmes to rewind offspring or have they just ‘acquired’ animals (how?) from their natural habitat? Some zoos tell you all about their animal programs. I didn’t see much of this. There were a couple of programs mentioned for people which is something. If you put the potential cruelty aside it is a lovely place to visit. Well laid out to spread the people. Lots of greenery including beautiful edible gardens everywhere. Loads of animals to see. On a downside there was a dead bird in with some grass eating mammals, the elephants didn’t look like they had much greenery and the chimps were having lots of fights, could be natural behaviour, could be stress or lack of space.
ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo - 28/06/2024 A really enjoyable zoo we went to on our trip to Amsterdam. I have not been to a zoo in a while and I forgot how fun they are! We were there for 2-3 hours, really good fun!
This zoo is huge the enclosures are large and it’s relatively easy to navigate your way around! They have good facilities although we brought our own food from the local shop! We didn’t do the aquarium but we spent the whole day at the zoo alone so we wouldn’t have had time to do both! Luckily we were able to see the majority of the animals who were all lying around or enjoying the enrichment in their environments I would definitely recommend this place if you want a fun day out and it is family friendly too
I would definitely recommend paying a visit to this zoo. They have a wide variety of animals to look at. The admission fee was 15€ each (students) which we found to be very affordable. The zoo itself is clean and easy to walk around and staff were friendly . There is a small gift shop on site and a large place to eat . Overall if you’re looking for something to do in Amsterdam this is worth the visit !
Wonderful day lovely zoo in beautiful setting: I would highly recommend it. Also very interesting to read up on its history especially during ww2 see Google ! Entry isn’t cheap But 2 euros for z map was worth it for the children to navigate their visit independently! Nice little outdoor cafe good coffee and cakes As a disabled visitor the park is Accessible we only hit one set of steps which stopped us visiting a very small section.parking I believe was 16 euros but easy to find and right outside the entrance perfect for disabled guests and little people and the end of the day! We’re we’re there all day and covered most of it leisurely but would go back to see what we missed because the kids were in charge and prioritised their favourites! Vegans catered very well for in one restaurant kids didn’t notice their nuggets weren’t chicken. They were really nice! Highlights: our a beautifully planted green space Stand still in the butterfly house and znd they come to you. Nice playgrounds around the zoo to burn off excited energy Our kids loved the large reptile house Gift shop was beautiful high quality otoys but with high prices a few pocket money items but not many.
The zoo's size I'd very impressive! Some of the enclosures are not the best size. The makaaks only have a tiny enclosure and the penguins didn't have deep enough water to swim in. The overall experience was very good and the gyro pizza that the restaurant offers was brilliant!
Great experience. Big zoo, took us a long time to walk around and experience everything. Animals appear well looked after and mostly happy in their habitats. We had a pizza and a couple of bottles of beer whilst walking around and these were tasty and a reasonable price. Lots of places to explore and interesting facts littered around to read as you do so. Would deffo return if ever back in Amsterdam!
We came here as part of our day in Amsterdam. All the animals were out doing things and clearly well cared for. So much to see and staff really nice. Such a massive place, could definitely make here a whole day thing. Animals and surroundings were amazing and it’s not that far from main city centre. Half an hour walk or get the tram right outside takes 10 minutes if that.
Probably the best zoo i have visited in europe. Besides all the amazing animals and variety of species, this zoo was truly amazing as a place aswell, the nature was relaxing and everything was beautiful.
Fantastic place. My personal favourite was the butterfly House. Lots to see. Gift shop was nice however I didn't see anything I liked unfortunately so could possibly do with more options. They serve vegan food which was great for me and decent value
Nice zoo, great playground for the kids. The staff is really helpful and friendly. The animals seems to be well treated and happy
Great zoo with a really nice spread out set up, the habitats are all well kept. Would definitely recommend going, we were there over 2 hours!
We walked here for something to do for a few hours and it didn’t disappoint! We got there for around 11ish and left around 1-1:30ish. We saw everything apart from the jaguars as they weren’t out. It has lots of offer and plenty of opportunities throughout the park for a sit down. Lots of animals, birds, insects, flowers too see. Id recommend
I loved this zoo, one of the best I've been to. Lots of interactive stuff, animal houses and places to eat/drink. A smaller zoo due to being in the center of the city but still seemed to have more animals than the bigger zoos.
Really nice zoo, enclosures didn’t actually feel like enclosures. Animals seem well cared for. Not busy at every area, some parts you had all to yourself which was great. Only downside is the aquarium section was shut due to construction which we were not made aware of plus tickets were still full price. Slightly disappointed by this.
An excellent collection of animals, insects, etc. All housed in interesting and suitable conditions. Overall the collection was in well kept and historic parkland. Choice of eating facilities, enjoyed both lunch and a final cup of tea and cake. The zoo particularly appeared to cater for families, discovery activities, etc. A playground for children within the zoo offered relaxing fun.
This is probably the best zoo I've visited, beautiful grounds and buildings and the way it's set up makes you feel much closer to the animals than other zoos allow although it helped that it was quiet when we visited.
A great range of animals, some of which are not on display in many other zoos. Some areas looked a little neglected or not overly-friendly to the actual animals on display (time to make it more about the animals and less about the visitors). We went in winter and the selection of food available was somewhat disappointing (not all cafes were open).
We spent a couple of hours walking round the zoo and it really was a delight. There are lots of animals, all in a fabulous setting. We enjoyed watching the gorilla’s, they were content in eating their way into their enrichment. It must have been some kind of sweet/savoury liquid, it was encased in a flat tube and they had to use a piece of stick to get to their reward. The jaguar gave us a right fright as we walked down a dark passageway to see it walking towards us! We couldn’t see the glass, but were very happy when we did! We would have stayed longer but it absolutely chucked it down. Definitely recommend. And what a great idea of the little pull along trucks for little ones to sit in whilst going round the zoo! Genius!
Going in the winter isn't brilliant. Also went not long after opening time which was probably a mistake. A lot of the animals still indoors and there's no access to the public for most of the enclosures. Spent a couple of hours there and was only able to see about 50% of the animals. But most importantly, they all looked well cared for and had a good amount of space to move around.
I'm glad we visited this zoo. It's small but well laid out. On the day we visited it was raining rather heavily, so it wasn't too busy. There are lots of animals to see, and the ones we saw all looked well cared for and happy. Because of the weather there were some 'no shows' but who can blame them for not wanting to come outside in the rain! The aquarium is undergoing renovation atm, so that wasn't open. We took shelter in the small mammals walk through, which didn't disappoint. We had lunch too, which was reasonable and filling. All in all I would definitely recommend this zoo for a visit. Good value for money.
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