The guide to visiting Ljubljana Zoo

by Inga Batur

If you are visiting the capital of Slovenia with kids, your itinerary should definitely include a few fun hours spent at the lovely Ljubljana Zoo.

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It offers a variety of animals, a small petting zoo and great playgrounds, where kids will have a chance to make friends with the local youngsters. As locals, we go to the zoo often and here are our tips to get the most out of your experience.

1. Plan at least a couple of hours

In our opinion, you will definitely need a couple of hours to leisurely walk around the zoo. But if you want to make your kids happy and let them enjoy both learning about animals, as well as playing at playgrounds, plan to spend the entire afternoon at the zoo. You certainly don’t want to rush them.

2. Make the most of it

The zoo is located in the beautiful city park called Tivoli and it’s only about 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. But it seems kilometers away. It’s quiet and being in the woods, it offers plenty of shade.
It’s the perfect place to escape the sunshine and high temperatures. There’s also a nice playground with lots of water and sand, which will make your kids believe you took them to the beach.

3. No need to do it all

Even though the zoo is not huge, it still takes time if you want to see and experience it all. Total length of walking paths is 6.5 kilometers.

So, my advice would be don’t see it all. It’s not necessary. This is the place, where kids can take control and set the pace. They can choose, which animals are a must-see and what can possibly be left out.

To make the decisions easier, take the plan of the zoo – available at the ticket office.

4. But don’t miss

Our favorite place is definitely the petting zoo, where kids have a chance to pet sheep, goats and pigs. My kids love the chance and experience to be in close contact with the animals.

Also, uniquely Slovenian, are the native Slovenian farm yard animals and the farmer’s house. You actually can’t miss seeing them, as they are located right next to the entrance.

5. Think about trying special experiences

The zoo offers plenty of unique experiences – one of them, the one we are thinking of trying out is a chance to spend a night at a tent set up in the zoo.

Equally exciting is the opportunity to help feed certain animals at the zoo. You will notice a feeding schedule right next to the zoo maps. For 5 Euros you could help feed the elephant for example. Just check at the ticket office.

6. Avoid the crowds

Ljubljana zoo is fairly small and it has both the animals and playgrounds – things kids love most, so it comes as no surprise that it gets crowded fast.

My advice to avoid being stuck in crowds is, to plan a visit during the week. But then again most of the workshops happen on weekends. So, decide what suits you best.

7. Spring brings babies

While you can visit the zoo anytime of the year, except on Christmas day, when the zoo is closed, try visiting during Spring time, when you get to see plenty of animals with their cute little offspring. It’s a special treat, even for us adults. Also the zoo is open longer come March. Check the opening times on their website.

8. Have water with you

I would recommend bringing a bottle of water with you – you can refill it at certain places throughout the zoo. But plan to have some ice-cream or snacks at the one restaurant located inside. You could also have a more substantial meal there, if kids get hungry and you don’t want to rush out.