Kyiv Zoo. 34 hectares of wildlife a step away from the metro

An elephant in its enclosure at the Kyiv Zoo
Giant tortoises at the Kyiv Zoo
Horses in the shade of trees at the Kyiv Zoo
A snake on a rock in the Kyiv Zoo terrarium
A yellow-patterned snake in the Kyiv Zoo terrarium
An elephant in its enclosure at the Kyiv ZooGiant tortoises at the Kyiv ZooHorses in the shade of trees at the Kyiv ZooA snake on a rock in the Kyiv Zoo terrariumA yellow-patterned snake in the Kyiv Zoo terrarium

The largest zoo in Ukraine: 34 hectares, about 300 animal species and a shady arboretum just a few minutes from Politekhnichnyi Instytut metro station.

Why visit

  • About 300 animal species live on 34 hectares: elephants, giraffes, a hippo, lions, tigers
  • Tony is the only gorilla in Ukraine and one of the oldest gorillas in Europe; he is already 52
  • Animal Island and Bear Continent give big predators room to roam and give you long open views
  • The new Birds of Ukrainian Polissia exhibit: an aviary of more than 600 square meters with a pond and a fountain
  • The zoo’s arboretum has shady alleys, ponds and age-old trees, so a walk is pleasant even on a hot day
  • The zoo breeds rare animals and returns them to the wild: hamsters from KyivZoo have settled in the Tarutyne steppe

Good to know

One entry per ticket
An admission ticket is valid for a single entry to the zoo. Keep it until the end of your visit: re-entry on the same ticket is not possible.
Box office and visiting hours
The box office is open on Monday from 12:00 to 16:00 and Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00. Entry to the zoo is until 16:00, and you can stay on the grounds until 17:30.
Visitor Day every Wednesday
Every Wednesday admission costs UAH 225 online and UAH 250 at the box office, for any visitor, with no supporting documents.
Reduced tickets: box office only, with a document
UAH 250: full-time students, retirement-age pensioners, people with Group II disabilities, Category I Chornobyl cleanup workers and holders of the Kyiv Resident Card. UAH 200 for combat veterans, UAH 100 for large families. You need to show the relevant ID on site.
Free entry
Children under 6, children with disabilities under 18, orphans under 18 and people with Group I disabilities enter free (with a document).
Photos without flash
Flash photography of the animals is not allowed because it frightens them. Amateur photos without flash are fine.
Rules on the grounds
Do not feed or disturb the animals, climb over fences, sit children on barriers, throw anything into enclosures, make loud noise, drink alcohol or smoke outside designated areas. Children must not be left without adult supervision.
No pets and nothing on wheels
Pets are not allowed. Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, roller skates and any electric vehicles are not permitted on the grounds (except service vehicles and wheelchairs).
Parking
The parking lot is open 24/7: up to 20 minutes free; from 08:00 to 20:00 a one-time fee of UAH 180 on weekdays and UAH 220 on weekends and holidays; from 20:00 to 08:00, UAH 15 per hour.
Guided tours
General and themed tours, including on the fairy-tale train, are booked in advance by phone at +38 (067) 322-24-16.

This is home to Tony, the only gorilla in Ukraine and one of the oldest gorillas in Europe: in 2026 he turned 52, which in human terms is over ninety. Nearby, in the elephant house, lives Horace the Indian elephant, the zoo’s biggest star, whose enclosure and summer area with a shade canopy are prepared separately every day. The KyivZoo collection is built on conservation principles, so alongside children’s classic favorites (giraffes, a hippo, lions and tigers) you can see species that are disappearing in the wild: Przewalski’s horse, the European bison, the white rhino and rare owls of Ukraine’s fauna. The zoo not only keeps animals but also returns them to the wild: this year common hamsters born in Kyiv were released in the Tarutyne steppe in the Odesa region. The grounds are divided into several large zones. Animal Island and Bear Continent are spacious open enclosures where big predators can be seen from long viewing panoramas rather than through fine mesh. The aviary under a glass dome and the new Birds of Ukrainian Polissia exhibit, an aviary of more than 600 square meters with a pond, a fountain and living shrubs, are home to the common crane, the stock dove, the common pheasant and other birds. The arboretum is a treasure of its own: old alleys, ponds with pelicans and flamingos and age-old trees that keep a walk pleasant even on a hot day. The zoo was founded in the early 20th century (the official website gives 1907, Wikipedia an opening in 1909) and since 1972 it has had the status of a park and monument of landscape art of national importance. A phased renovation has been under way since 2017, so new enclosures and exhibits appear every season while the zoo stays open as usual. Throughout the year there are general and themed tours, including on a fairy-tale train, holidays dedicated to particular animal groups, and a young naturalists’ club.