Tisch Zoological Gardens

Jerusalem


Spare your kids the agony of visiting another treasure of antiquity and let them loose in the Biblical Zoo, a 25-hectare park in the southwest of the city. The biblical theme begins at the 'Noah's Ark' visitors centre, continuing with enclosures holding animals mentioned in the Bible, including lions, bears and crocodiles. Other parts of the zoo have worldwide wildlife, from penguins to grey kangaroos. It's generally not crowded and attracts Jerusalem families.

Animals appear well cared for, and the zoo invests in wildlife-conservation programs, but visitors may consider the enclosures of larger animals to be small.

First thing in the morning and late afternoon offer the best chances of seeing active animals who aren't snoozing in the shade. Tickets are sold until an hour before closing time.

Lots of walking is involved so it's best to have pushchairs for little ones.

Transportation

  • bus: א26

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Jerusalem attractions

1. Ein Yael Living Museum

0.18 MILES

At the outdoor interactive and kid-centric Ein Yael Living Museum, you can try your best at biblical-era themed handicrafts like making your own olive oil…

2. Gottesman Aquarium

0.64 MILES

This aquarium, opened in 2017, focuses on regional aquatic life, primarily from the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. Kids of all ages will ooh and aah…

3. Church of the Visitation

1.62 MILES

This modern Franciscan church (c 1939–40) is built over what is said to have been the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth; it's named for Mary’s visit to…

4. Church of St John the Baptist

1.71 MILES

The blue-and-white tiled interior of the Franciscan-owned Church of St John is reminiscent of European churches – not surprising, as it was funded by the…

5. Herzl Museum

1.78 MILES

The history of the Zionist dream is detailed in the Herzl Museum, an idiosyncratic multimedia journey into the life of Theodor Herzl, the father of modern…

6. Yad Vashem

1.87 MILES

Israel's official memorial to the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis is powerful, poignant and a masterpiece of design. The museum's name…

7. Chagall Windows

2.07 MILES

Intended as a gift of love and peace to the Jewish people, modernist artist Marc Chagall created 12 stained-glass panels for the synagogue of the Hadassah…

8. Al Rowwad Centre

2.21 MILES

Al Rowwad is buried in the narrow streets of Aida refugee camp and is best visited as part of an organised tour. The centre is a wealth of information on…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "israel-and-the-palestinian-territories/jerusalem/attractions/tisch-zoological-gardens/a/poi-sig/1081959/361047",
      "destination": "Jerusalem",
      "continent": "Middle-East",
      "city": "Jerusalem",
      "position": "superzone"
    }