About Ljubljana Zoo

Much like Ljubljana itself, and even Slovenia as a whole, Ljubljana Zoo succeeds in fitting a lot of interesting, entertaining and educational sights in one small and easily manageable package. Ljubljana Zoo is one of those attractions in Ljubljana which is just too good to be missed. It’s fun for the whole family. The Ljubljana Zoo, part of a protected nature park situated only a 30-minute walk from the centre of Ljubljana, lies on the southern slope of the Rožnik hill, surrounded by a natural forest and meadows. It is reachable by foot, car or by chartered bus. It has a collection of animal species from all continents focusing on animals typical of the area lying at the intersection of the Alpine, Pannonian and Mediterranean worlds. With numerous workshops and activities, Ljubljana zoo is very welcoming to visitors.

Must See

It’s best to visit the zoo at times when zookeepers are feeding the animals.  There are some exciting shows you can see.  Some of them are (some only run in the summer or spring):

  • Asian elephant (her name is Ganga) which is always at 10am and 4pm.
  • Californian sea lion show is every day at 11am and 5pm.
  • Cheetah run is three times a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) at 5.30pm.
  • Capybara agility show is on the air every day at 6.45pm except Monday and Wednesday.

The sea lion show is a big attraction.  The sea lion does all kind of tricks — like juggling a ball on its nose, offering a fin to the zookeeper, touching with its nose the stick the zookeeper is holding up in the air and then jumping back into the water with a big SPLASH!

There are many special things you can do in Ljubljana Zoo, like feeding the animals with the help of zookeepers, night visits, camping, photo tours, being a zookeeper for a day, pet the domestic animals in the mini zoo.

Great playgrounds everywhere with lots amenities and activities. 

  • One of them is The Crocodile. You start with walking up its long tail and then, for bigger kids and adults, you can climb on its back, then jump on its head and finally slide down its long nose. The younger children can go right into the crocodile’s tummy which is made of ropes, safely travel through its body, then climb on crocodile’s head and slide down.
  • Another one is like a big sandbox from the snake’s head the water pours out, and then it flows onto big wooden gutters where the children can play with it.  They put the water in the buckets, mix it with sand and use it to build things in the sandbox. In the summertime kids put off their shoes and enjoy in the creative and fun games while their parents relax on the deck chairs, watch their children play and just have a good time in the shade of the big trees.
  • A few hundred meters away there is another playground, right across the restaurant, overlooking giraffes and ostriches in the enclosure. This one is for children ages 5 and up as it is quite high from the ground.  The ladder and ropes that lead up to the slide is steep, so a caution is needed here.
  • Next to the swing is an African tree house which swings too and best thing for almost any child — the trampolines!

There is one restaurant but it’s quite big and it’s in a good central position (you can have a break and still see your child play on three different playgrounds around the restaurant. This restaurant does not serve gourmet dishes, just some typical fast food snacks and meals.

How to reach

Located 2.6 Kms to the west of the city centre, and surrounded by the natural forests at the edge of Rožnik hill, the zoo is easily reached by public transport (bus 18 & 14), taxi (€3-4) or on foot (25-35 minutes).

Tips

  • You can visit even after the ticket office is closed.
  • Visitors are not allowed to feed animals on their own account. However, they can participate in the feeding session.
  • Free parking areas are available.
  • The zoo is accessible for wheelchair users. However, the upper part of the zoo is not accessible for them.
  • It is recommended that you visit the Zoo on the weekend when guided tours and workshops usually take place.

Visit Time

The zoo is open year round except on December 25. Here are Ljubljana Zoo opening hours:

  • January, February, December: 9 am – 4pm
  • March and November: 9 am – 5 pm
  • April, September, October: 9 am – 7 pm
  • May, June, July, August: 9 am – 7 pm
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Waiting Time

None

 

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Entrance Fee

Yes
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Time you can spend

Guide tour takes – 45 minutes

 

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Weather

Light Rain 14.37°C

 

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