Midbarium, Beersheba – Visitors Guide
Midbarium is an experiential animal park in Beersheba. It perfectly suits families with young kids who enjoy this zoo.
Notes:
- NegevZoo (Zoological Garden of Beersheba) closed in 2022. After an upgrade, it reopened and is today known as Midbarium.
- Check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel for additional information about animals and wildlife.
Table of Contents
Map
Midbarium is located by Beersheba’s western entrance (near road #25). Use the links below for directions.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Offers:
- Hotels, hostels, and apartments in this area:
- Buy photos of Israel and support this blog.
- Get 10% off for your next tour at Bein Harim with coupon code LEV10#12306.
And here is a map of the zoo.
When we entered the park in the morning, I asked one of the guides if there was a recommended path. He suggested starting with the Crocodiles and the Savanna area (green background) since there is little shade. And afterward, head to the other area.
Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 – 18:00
Friday and holiday eve: 9:00 – 15:00
Saturday: 09:00 – 18:00
Notes:
- Entry is allowed two hours before closing time.
- There is a free parking lot by the entrance.
Entrance Fee
Adult: 75 NIS
Child (ages 2 – 18): 62 NIS
Senior citizen/soldier/student: 62 NIS
Beersheba resident/handicapped: 49 NIS
Notes:
- Tickets must be purchased online at the official website.
- You can also buy an annual membership.
- Opening hours and ticket prices were updated in July 2024. In any case, recheck the official site before visiting.
Coupons
The availability of coupons changes over time. Here are the currently available offers:
Contact Information
WhatsApp: 054-585-5681
Email: moran.l@midbarium.co.il
When to Visit Midbarium?
Midbarium is located in Beersheba, the largest city in the Negev desert. There is little rain, and it is very hot in the summer. We visited at the beginning of June 2024, and it was very hot. Therefore, I would advise visiting in the winter, spring, or autumn and not during the hot hours of the day.
How Much Time Does a Visit to Midbarium Take?
Our most recent visit took 4 hours. It was a slow-paced family visit. Hence, a typical visit will be 3 – 4 hours.
Experiential Animal Park
Midbarium is called an experiential animal park because one of its main goals is to allow kids to experience different things that animals do. For example, you can hunt as a crocodile, use your senses (smell and touch) to understand what is in the box, go on an elevator to see the world from the same height as a giraffe, keep the same pace as the herd, and more.
Oasis
We started our visit by seeing the crocodiles and other animals in the oasis. Here are several photos:
If you love crocodiles, see Crocoloco Crocodile Farm. Did you know pelicans are the biggest migrating bird you can see in Israel? For more info, see Pelican Migration At Emek Hefer.
Savanna
In the Savvana area, we went up in the giraffe’s lift, walked the crocodile bridge, played at the group-individual playground, and visited the white lions, who were sleeping in the shade at that time.
Desert Plains and Khan
It was already hot when we reached the desert plains, and most predators were hiding in the shade. Hence, we did not see many of them. In the Khan, we saw camels and snakes and played a video game in which we learned how to crawl like a snake. Also, there is an area where you can pet goats. Here are several photos:
Canyon
The last area is the canyon. We met a pair of leopards and Nubian ibexes, and there is a complex where you can practice climbing. Also, there is a big area with birds of prey where you can see Griffon vultures, owls, and other birds.
Summary
Midbarium is a lovely place. Both my kids and my parents enjoyed the visit. Moreover, my youngest daughter (4 years old) gets bored in a regular zoo after several hours. But she did not lose interest here due to all their activities and experiences.
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, we loved our visit. But there are two downsides. The first one is the hot weather in Beersheba. Hence, visit in the appropriate season and time of day. The second downside is the entrance fee. It is higher than other zoos in Israel, and the number of species in Midbarium is smaller. To fix that, I waited until there were coupons online.
Have you ever been to the Midbarium? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!
Stay Tuned!
Additional Resources
Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:- Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
- What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
- Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
- Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
- If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.
Hi,
Do they have an animal that doesn't have any big zoo except the white lions?
The tiger they have is Persian isn't it? Where can you see the classic tiger?
Hi,
The white lions are unique to this zoo. I don’t remember any other unique animals, but there are many special activities for kids.
According to their website, this is a Leopard (https://midbarium.co.il/animals/%d7%a0%d7%9e%d7%a8/). I do not have a photo of the sign, but it looks that you are right.
You can find white tigers in Haifa Educational Zoo (https://www.israel-in-photos.com/haifa-educational-zoo.html). And regular tigers in Jerusalem Biblical Zoo (https://www.israel-in-photos.com/jerusalem-biblical-zoo.html) – you can see them at the end of the video.