Jerusalem Biblical Zoo – Visitors Guide

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, is Israel’s top-rated zoo focusing on wildlife conservation and education.

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, as the name suggests, is located in Jerusalem. And it is open on Saturday and is one of my favorite zoos in Israel. On this note, let’s go over the essential information.

Note: Check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎ for additional information about animals and wildlife. Also, in Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎, you can see the user ratings of all places. According to it, Jerusalem Biblical Zoo has the highest zoo score in Israel – the best zoo.

Map

The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens is at 1 Derech Aharon Shulov, Jerusalem.

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

Interactive map of the area:

And here is a map of the zoo.

Note: you can click on the map to enlarge it.

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is located on the slopes of a mountain. The entrance and the nearby lake are at the bottom, and you must walk uphill for the rest. Also, on the map, you can see five train stops. Train tickets are available at an additional cost.

Note: the train does not run on Saturdays and holidays.

Directions

The zoo is located at 1 Derech Aharon Shulov, Jerusalem, and you can use the navigation links above the interactive map. There are several free parking lots. But keep in mind that on Saturdays, they are filled quickly. Thus, I would suggest arriving at the opening time.

If you arrive by public transport, here is a link to Moovit, where the endpoint is set. Change the start point to your location, and you will get the updated directions. Also, I want to mention a train station next to the zoo (named after the zoo). The zoo even offers a discount if you use the train. The downside is that it is part of the old line. Hence, getting there using this train line will take more time.

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 – 19:00
Friday and holiday eve: 9:00 – 16:00
Saturday: 09:00 – 18:00

Entry is allowed one hour before closing time. Tickets must be purchased at the cash register at least two hours before closing.

Entrance Fee

You can purchase tickets either on their website or on-site. Here are the prices:
Adult – 71 NIS
Child (ages 3 – 18), police officer, student, soldier, and senior citizen: 54 NIS

Note: you can also purchase an annual membership.

Note: Opening hours and ticket prices were updated in July 2024. In any case, recheck the official site before visiting. Also, the number of tickets per day is limited. Hence, it is better to book in advance.

You can order tickets online here. But before doing so, check out the coupons section.

Coupons

• Matmon Card – 49 NIS per child and 65 NIS per adult
• HTZone – starting from 39 NIS per child and 49 NIS per adult

Contact Information

Phone: 02-675-0111
Email: info@jerusalemzoo.org.il

Feeding Times and Special Activities

Each time we visit the Jerusalem Zoo, we participate in feedings, training, and other activities. Here is the timetable from July 2024:

Note: All the activities we attended were in Hebrew. Contact the zoo for more information if you are interested in other languages.

At Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

I will give a small taste of several of our visits in this section.

We started our visit with the Penguins. Penguins in Israel? When most people think about Penguins, they think of Antarctica. Though most penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are found not only in cold climates. Only a few species of penguins live in the far south. For example, the Galapagos penguin lives near the equator.

Bear Feeding

As I mentioned, one of the activities we attended was bear feeding. It started with a short explanation about the Syrian brown bear, and the guide threw vegetables at them. Thus, the bears were active and searched for where the food landed.

Historically, the Syrian brown bear occurred in the Middle East from Turkey to Turkmenistan. Today, the brown bear is extirpated in Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territory, and survives only in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.

Source: Wikipedia

And after the feast, they started …

Not sure what those parents are telling the toddlers ;)

And when there is no food involved, then there is a high chance that you will find animals in the following state :)

But sometimes they get up for a drink, and then I can get this:

Elephant Workout

Later, we went to an elephant workout. I took the following photos before the training. They let each elephant splash some water and play with a tire.

View from the side:

At this point, they started to show their daily routine. As it turns out, elephants in the wild walk 20-30km a day. And they need to walk such distances to be healthy. Each day before the zoo opens for visitors, the elephants walk around its premises with their trainers.

As it turns out, it is hard for elephants to lie down. Not all elephants can do this:

In the end, some more exercise, like walking and moving weights.

Bible Land Wildlife Preserve And African Savannah

Then we reached the Bible Land Wildlife Preserve And African Savannah. A wooden bridge with viewpoints crosses over this area. The bridge is about 1km long, and you walk above the animals.

Our time was nearly up (it was almost my daughter’s nap time), so we headed towards the exit.