Hai Kef, Rishon LeTsiyon – Visitors Guide

Hai Kef is a small zoo in Rishon LeTsiyon. There are 600 animals of different species, and it can be a lovely place to visit.

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Note: for additional information about animals and wildlife, check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎.

Map

Hai Kef is located at Golda Meir Avenue in Rishon LeTsiyon. Not far from Rishon LeTsiyon interchange (road #4 vs #441). And near the entrance to Hai Kef, you can find free parking.

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

View TripHelp

Interactive map of the area:

Offers:

  • Hotels, hostels, and apartments in this area:
Booking.com

Opening Hours

April – September
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 9:00 – 18:30.
Friday and holiday eve: 9:00 – 15:00.

October – March
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 9:00 – 17:00.
Friday and holiday eve: 9:00 – 15:00.

Hai Kef Opening Hours and Entrance Fee
Hai Kef Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

Entrance Fee

Regular price – 60 NIS
Family ticket (if you buy more than three tickets) – 45 NIS per person
Pensioner, disabled, student, or soldier – 30 NIS per person.

Note: If you are a resident of Rishon LeTsiyon, you can purchase a ticket for 40 NIS. If you are a city resident and a pensioner, disabled person, student, or soldier, you can buy a ticket for 30 NIS.

Note: opening hours and ticket prices were updated in December 2024. In any case, recheck the official site before visiting. Sometimes, they can close the whole compound for a private event. Also, the prices mentioned above are not valid during holidays.

Coupons

Here is what I wrote after my visit in 2014:

I think that 55 NIS is a high price for Hai Kef at Rishon zoo (low value for money). At almost the same price you can visit Jerusalem zoo and at a little higher price you can visit Safari. Thus, only when I saw a coupon offer (25 NIS per person) I decided to purchase tickets.

After upgrading the zoo in 2020, they started offering coupons. Here are the available coupons for 2024:

At Hai Kef

And now let’s visit Hai Kef.

Cactuses at Hai Kef
Cactuses

Hai Kef was closed for renovations in 2020 (there were many complaints about maintenance). And since then, we returned several times.

Sadly, the maintenance is still not the best. For example, during our visit in 2021, the restrooms near the entrance were flooded. And the cleaner lady pointed us to another restroom.

Lemur at Hai Kef
Lemur

There is a new Lemur area. The intention is for you to be able to enter the pavilion and stand within several meters of the lemurs. However, due to the coronavirus, you cannot enter the cages. During our visit in 2024, the Lemur area was still closed.

We received a small bag to feed the animals when we entered Hai Kef. As far as I remember, one small bag per child. You can purchase three extra bags for 10 NIS.

Note: during the latest visit (2024), there were no feeding bags for animals. I’m not sure whether they stopped with this activity or ran out of food that day.

Thus, the first thing we did upon entrance was feed the animals. First, we started with ibexes. And then we headed to kangaroos.

But not all animals were hungry. Thus, if you want to feed them, I suggest arriving early.

Feeding animals in Hai Kef

And if you love feeding kangaroos, then check out Gan Garoo.

When we ran out of animal food, we continued to the area of the monkeys.

And after seeing some birds, we headed to the petting area.

Petting Area

In the petting area, you can find two complexes. You can find different farm animals in the open area, such as goats and sheep. And in the nearby building, you can find small animals like bunnies and guinea pigs.

Notes:

  • When we visited on a Saturday, the petting area was open. But on another visit on a weekday, the petting area was closed. Though the official site does not mention it, the petting area seems to be open only on Saturdays.
  • They stopped with the petting of small animals – no more bunnies and guinea pigs.

On our previous visits, we saw a lioness. Today, there are no big cats in Hai Kef.

Hai Kef at Rishon

Note: All kiosks were closed on our visit on a weekday. Thus, bring food if you plan to visit during the middle of the week.

Summary

Hai Kef is aimed at families with young children. And on average, we spent about two and a half hours at Hai Kef.

If you look at the rating of this place, you will see that it is one of the lowest among zoos in Israel. Overall, we enjoyed our visits, but there are several caveats. The full price is too expensive. To get more value for money, use one of the mentioned coupons. Also, be prepared that the maintenance is not the best. And lastly, if you want to arrive with kids, plan for the weekend or holidays when the petting area is open.

Have you ever visited Hai Kef? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

For additional similar attractions, see Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎.

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:  
Are you looking for additional information? Leave a comment below, and I will do my best to answer your questions.

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