Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎ – Overview of 30+ places

In this review, we go over zoos and aquariums in Israel. Then we will list the top ten. Also, we will talk about wildlife.

Zoos in Israel

Let’s start with a comparison table of the biggest zoos in Israel.

Notes:

• I visited most of the sites in this guide more than once, and the links are to my reviews. Thus if you are interested in finding out additional details about a place, check the relevant guide.
• Some places offer coupons. And you can find additional details in the linked guides.

Name	Location	Entrance Fee	Estimated Visit Duration	Rating on Google
Jerusalem Biblical Zoo	Jerusalem	58 NIS per adult and 44 NIS per child	2 – 5 hours	4.6 based on 10,453 reviews
Ramat Gan Safari	Ramat Gan	74 NIS per person	2 – 5 hours	4.4 based on 13,684 reviews
Haifa Educational Zoo	Haifa	38 NIS per person	2 – 4 hours	4.4 based on 2,548 reviews
Hay Park	Kiryat Motzkin	55 NIS per adult and 50 NIS per child	2 – 4 hours	4.2 based on 206 reviews
Hai Kef Zoo	Rishon LeTsiyon	39 during weekdays and 55 on Saturdays NIS per person	1 – 3 hours	3.8 based on 2,004 reviews
Negev Zoo	Beersheba	35 NIS per person	1 – 3 hours	4.5 based on 1,926 reviews

As you can see, most places have similar ratings. And my own experience is pretty much aligned with these scores. So which one should you visit?

I would suggest considering one of the first three options for most people.

Among the first three, if you are looking for a big zoo or an attraction in Jerusalem (open on Saturday), go with Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. And if you are in Tel Aviv, or you want to drive through the African zone, then consider Ramat Gan Safari. And lastly, if you are visiting Haifa, or looking for a more budget option, check out Haifa Educational Zoo.

After visiting a big zoo, visiting another one might feel like more of the same. But attending an animal attraction specializing in a species, for example, crocodiles can be an exciting experience. Thus in the next section, we will go over animal attractions.

Animal Attractions

So far, we have covered the largest zoos in Israel. But there are also many smaller places. And in this section, we will go over the most popular ones.

Note: the table is ordered by the number of reviews.

Name	Location	Entrance Fee	Estimated Visit Duration	Rating on Google
Dolphin Reef	Eilat	69 NIS per adult and 48 NIS per child	one hour to a full day	4.6 based on 7,601 reviews
Monkey Forest	Yodfat	44 during weekdays and 48 on weekends NIS per person	2 – 4 hours	4.5 based on 2,080 reviews
Gan Garoo – Australian-themed park	Nir David	59 NIS per person	2 – 3 hours	4.5 based on 1,983 reviews
Lachish Park – mostly deer, Nubian ibex, and zebras	Ashdod	free	1 – 2 hours	4.4 based on 1,406 reviews
Deer forest	Odem	25 NIS per adult and 50 NIS per child	2 – 3 hours	4.4 based on 1,378 reviews
Monkey Park (Israeli Primate Sanctuary Foundation)	Kfar Daniel	48 NIS per person	1 – 2 hours	3.8 based on 1,318 reviews
Gan Hai – a small zoo with a petting corner	Petah Tikva	30 NIS per adult and 24 NIS per child	2 – 3 hours	4.2 based on 912 reviews
Parrot Farm	Kfar Hess	35 NIS per adult and 45 NIS per child	1 – 2 hours	3.9 based on 746 reviews
Crocoloco Crocodile Farm	Ir Ovot	30 NIS per person	1 hour	4.4 based on 542 reviews
Hamat Gader – hot springs with an animal world	Hamat Gader	at least 89 NIS per person	one hour to a full day	4 based on 486 reviews (Tripadvisor)
Camel Ride – one of the places for camel rides	Mamshit Camel Ranch	at least 65 NIS per peson	1 – 4 hours	4.6 based on 464 reviews
Alpaca Farm	Mitzpe Ramon	30 NIS per person	1 – 2 hours	4.6 based on 210 reviews
Antelope Ranch	Mahane Zofar	30 NIS per person	1 – 2 hours	4.7 based on 360 reviews
Ostrich Farm	Merhavim Regional Council	30 NIS per person	1 hour	4.3 based on 270 reviews

I agree with most of the ratings. And I would draw the line at around 4. Meaning, I would probably not visit places that got a rating below 4. But remember that some of these places might get a low rating because of a restaurant or a hotel on their premises. On the other hand, a site can get a high score due to its attractions for young kids, which might not be relevant to you. Thus, in any case, I would suggest checking the guides to the desired animal attractions before visiting them.

Aquariums in Israel

There are two big aquariums in Israel. One in Eilat and the second in Jerusalem.

We enjoyed visiting both of them. And according to the rating, we were not the only ones.

Name	Location	Entrance Fee	Estimated Visit Duration	Rating on Google
Israel Aquarium	Jerusalem	54 NIS per adult and 45 NIS per child	1.5 – 2.5 hours	4.6 based on 6,461 reviews
Underwater Observatory Marine Park	Eilat	at least 79 NIS per peson	2 – 5 hours	4.5 based on 10,808 reviews

Top Ten

We get the following top ten list if we take the ten places with the highest ratings from the tables above.

Name	Rating on Google
Antelope Ranch	4.7 based on 360 reviews
Jerusalem Biblical Zoo	4.6 based on 10,453 reviews
Dolphin Reef	4.6 based on 7,601 reviews
Camel Ride	4.6 based on 464 reviews
Alpaca Farm	4.6 based on 210 reviews
Israel Aquarium	4.6 based on 6,461 reviews
Negev Zoo	4.5 based on 1,926 reviews
Monkey Forest	4.5 based on 2,080 reviews
Gan Garoo	4.5 based on 1,983 reviews
Underwater Observatory Marine Park	4.5 based on 10,808 reviews

And here are the top 10 according to Tripadvisor:

1. Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
2. Underwater Observatory Marine Park
3. Gan Garoo
4. Ramat Gan Safari
5. Israel Aquarium
6. Haifa Educational Zoo
7. Hay Park
8. Monkey Forest
9. Antelope Ranch
10. The Biblical Museum of Natural History

As you can see, both these ratings are pretty similar. But as I mentioned above, the rating is not the only factor. If a site has other points of interest beyond animals, then the scores can be less representative. Moreover, some places are aimed at families with young kids, while others are suitable for various ages. Therefore, check my reviews before visiting a site.

Wildlife

Till now, we covered animal attractions, Zoos, and Aquariums. And in this section, we will talk about wildlife.

Nubian ibex

We will start our overview with the Nubian ibex. This desert-dwelling goat is a threatened species around the world. And the reason we begin with it is Artzi. If you visited any of the National Parks And Nature Reserves in Israel, you probably met him. Artzi is the Nubian ibex that appears on the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority emblem.

In Israel, the historically dense ibex population, described in the Bible (Psalm 104:18), was decimated in the wake of the First World War when the sudden availability of rifles enabled Bedouin to hunt them to near extinction. After the establishment of the state, when hunting was outlawed, and nature reserves were created in which they were protected, the ibex population rebounded. Three ibex populations have been discovered in Israel: in the Judean Desert, the Negev mountains, and Eilat.

Source: Wikipedia

Following the 1955 nature protection law and the explanation activity, the population of the Nubian ibexes has grown over the years. This success story is one of the reasons for integrating the Nubian ibex into the symbol of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The best way to find wildlife, especially Nubian ibex, is to look for food or water. So, here are the best places to see Nubian ibexes in Israel:

• Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is the largest oasis in Israel. Many different species visit it all year round. At this nature reserve, you can find Nubian ibexes, rock hyraxes, foxes, wolves, birds of prey, reptiles, and many other species. And since I mentioned rock hyraxes, you can also see them at Rosh HaNikra and Banias Nature Reserve.
• There is a population of Nubian ibex at Makhtesh Ramon, and they are coming to Mitzpe Ramon in search of food.
• Ein Avdat National Park, like Ein Gedi, is also a water source in the middle of the desert. And the water attracts songbirds, rock doves, birds of prey, and ibexes.

Birds

As I told you in Bird Ringing at Ein Afek Nature Reserve, there are two routes for birds that migrate to Africa. One goes through Spain, and the second through Israel. Thus, Israel is one of the best places to see migrating birds.

Around 500 million birds fly above Israel twice a year, and the numbers are growing yearly. The best place to see migrating birds are:

• Agamon Hula is the most popular site. It is like a bed and breakfast for birds. There are ponds where birds can spend the night, and they also receive food. During the peak of the migration season, more than 50,000 cranes can stay for a night. And, of course, there are other species as well.
• Near Agamon Hula you can find Hula Nature Reserve. Since many people confuse between those two places, see Agamon Hula versus Hula Nature Reserve – Which one is Better? for a comparison of the two places.
• Pelican Migration At Emek Hefer is my favorite place to see the biggest migrating bird, the pelican. In the pelican guide, I will take you to the Viker lookout and Agamon Hefer.
• Did you know that there are Nile softshell turtles in Israel? See Turtle Bridge at Alexander River for additional details.
• Eilat Ornithological Park is also one of the more popular spots for birdwatching. It is especially impressive while thousands of flamingos stay there. See Flamingo Migration.

And in general, the best time to see bird migration is either fall or spring (usually March – April and October – November).

Other Places

And finally, I will list several honorable mentions:

• Though at Taninim Stream Nature Reserve, you will not find crocodiles, you will see many birds.
• Ein Afek Nature Reserve is a wetland in northern Israel. And it offers a wide variety of animals, including buffalos, mongoose, Nutrias, and many birds and fish.
• Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve is a safari with a small zoo near Eilat.

Summary

This guide covered the most popular places to see wildlife, the best animal attractions, zoos, and aquariums. And I hope it will be helpful and give you ideas about where to go next.

What are your favorite Zoos and Aquariums in Israel? Tell us 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:

• Israel Trip Planner is the page that will help you to create your perfect travel route.
• National Parks And Nature Reserves page lists and put all national parks on the map. There is also a top list, information about ticket types and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, and Makhtesh Ramon.
• Wondering what events are there in Israel? Here is the Events And Festivals By Season guide.

And if you have any questions then check out Useful Information For Tourists To Israel.