Raanana Park – Ideal place for Families – Visitors Guide

Raanana Park has a variety of attractions, both for adults and children. There is a small zoo, a lake, facilities for children, and more.

Basic Info

Opening Hours	Sunday – Saturday: 06:00 – 23:00
Location	Raanana Park has several entrances. The most common entrances are at Derech HaPark 290 and Derech HaPark 20.
Parking	Raanana residents with parking stickers can park for free. All others have to pay. There is nearby free parking (see below).
Rating on Google	4.6 based on 15,000 reviews
Visit Duration	2 – 6 hours
Walking Trail	1900 meters
Barbeque	Starting a fire and having a BBQ at Raanana Park is forbidden.
Restaurants	Two Kosher dairy restaurants
Restrooms	Four toilets across the park.
Playground for kids	Several complexes

Map

Raanana Park has several entrances, most located on Derech HaPark Street. The most common entrances are at Derech HaPark 290 and Derech HaPark 20.

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

Interactive map of the area:

Here is the map of the park:

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

And here is my photo of the park from a Cessna Plane. For more information, see Aerial Photography.

Parking

As you can see from the following sign, Raanana residents with parking stickers can park for free. All others have to pay.

Note: We parked several times on the other side of the lake entry. There is a big sand field, and parking there is free.

Note: Some construction was started on the sand parking (from the photo above), and a big part of it is closed. But you can still park there.

Opening Hours

The official site does not list opening hours. But according to a sign by the entrance, the opening hours are:

Sunday – Saturday: 06:00 – 23:00

Note: As the photo above shows, starting a fire and having a BBQ at Raanana Park is forbidden. Also, dogs should be on a leash during your visit to the park.

Note: Opening hours and entrance fees for each attraction are listed below in the relevant section.

Entrance Fee

The entrance to Raanana Park is free.

Does the Entrance to Raanana Park Cost Money?

No, entry to Park Raanana is free. Initially, when this park was opened, the entrance was free only for Raanana residents. However, after a lawsuit, access became free for all, but parking is free only for Raanana residents.

Additional activities are at an extra cost. The opening hours and entrance fees for each attraction are listed below in the relevant section.

Restrooms

There are four restrooms in the park. Their locations are:

1. By the animal corner
2. Park of friend children’s playground
3. By the lake
4. In the amphitheater complex

Contact Information

Phone: 09-7713275

And now, let’s go over the different attractions at the park. And we will start with the small zoo.

Animal Corner

The animal corner has two parts. Some cages can be accessed from the outside. In other words, you can see those animals for free regardless of the animal corner opening hours.

The following three photos show what you can see from the outside.

And if you want to enter inside, here are the opening hours of the zoo:

• 10:00 – 13:00
• 16:00 – 17:00 (winter) or 17:00 – 18:00 (summer).

Zoo entrance is free for Raanana residents, and fifteen NIS per family per all others.

Once you pay and enter inside, you will see the following corridor. There are about half a dozen cages with different small animals.

You turn left at the end of the corridor, and there is an open area with different farm animals. Here are several photos from there.

Sport Facilities

There are basketball courts, soccer fields, a roller hockey field, and a beach volleyball court (near the Ninja compound). And there is a fitness complex near the skating surface. Here are several photos:

Note: though the fitness complex was recently renewed, some machines are not working smoothly.

Pump Track and Ninja Compound

In the summer of 2022, a new Pump Track and Ninja Compound was opened near the basketball fields.

There are two pump tracks: a smaller one (shown in the photo above) and a bigger one (next image).

The Pump Track and Ninja Compound are similar to what you can find in Kfar Saba Park.

Raanana Park Train and Sailing at the Lake

The park train costs 20 NIS (15 NIS for Raanana residents) per person. Everybody over one-year-old requires a ticket.

Also, you can purchase a combo ticket for the train and the sailing for 35 NIS.

I did not see anywhere opening hours for the train and the boat. From my experience, on weekdays, they usually operate in the evenings (after 17:00) and full days on vacations. Also, these are seasonal attractions.

The park train goes around the park. It starts not far from the animal corner and goes to the lake, amphitheater, and back. It is a ride without explanations and takes about fifteen minutes.

The Lake

You can see ducks, swans, fish, and other animals at the lake. Several bridges go over the lake, and you can also take boat rides (see the boat in the following photo).

By the lake, you can find a coffee shop and an art gallery (which occasionally holds shows). On the other side of the lake, there are several lovely small parks, like the Music Park and the Seven Species Park.

Amphitheater

The amphitheater area is open only during concerts. I have been to two shows, and the acoustics were good.

Note: though it is called an amphitheater, it is a theater. See “Is Caesarea Amphitheater really an amphitheater?” for additional info.

Playgrounds

There are two playgrounds at the park. The first and the bigger one is around the skating surface.

Note: In 2023, this playground was renovated, and there is no sand now.

The second one is called the Park of Friends (an accessible park).

There is a small Sky Jump complex near the Park of Friends playground. The photos below show you their opening hours, contact information, and price list.

Also there you can find a bicycle rental.

Walking Trail

In 2022, new walking trail markings were added.

It is an accessible trail that starts by the animal corner. Its length is 1900 meters. And here you can see it on the map:

Restaurants

You can find Say – Kiosko Pizza Cafe near the animal area. And near the lake, you can find a dairy restaurant named Mandarin. Also, there are cafes and restaurants around the park.

We covered almost all the attractions at Raanana Park. And to complete the picture, I will mention that there is a dog park and a maze.

Municipal Parks in the Sharon Area

Here are several municipal parks from the Sharon area:

• Raanana Park
• Kfar Saba Park
• Herzliya Park
• Hod HaSharon Park
• Eco Park Hadera

Also, you can find Big Petah Tikva Park, which is a little to the south.

Summary

Raanana Park was the first of its kind in the Sharon area. And it is still one of the best municipal parks. My kids love it, and that is why I keep returning.

Have you ever been to Raanana Park? 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.