By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 13 October 2026
Hellabrunn Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn) is Munich’s zoo and is open 365 days a year, from 9am to 5pm in winter and until 6pm in summer. Since October 2026, a day ticket for adults costs 23 euros, or 24 euros including the voluntary conservation euro. The easiest way to get there is on the MetroBus 52 or the U3.
We run a boarding house with 54 apartments at Ländstraße 6 in Lehel, opening in autumn 2027. From here, the zoo lies around five kilometres upstream along the Isar, and the bus gets you there in about half an hour. This guide covers opening times, prices, the annual pass, getting there and parking, plus our tips for a relaxed day at Munich’s zoo. All information is as of October 2026.
In this article:
- Hellabrunn Zoo at a glance
- Munich Zoo: the world’s first geo-zoo
- Opening times
- Prices, tickets and annual pass
- What you should see
- Feeding times and keeper talks
- Getting there from Lehel
- Visiting the zoo with a dog
- Parking at the zoo
- In rain and bad weather
- How long to allow and tips
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
Hellabrunn Zoo at a glance
The table sums up the key facts about Hellabrunn in Munich. Opening times, prices and parking charges come from hellabrunn.de, supplemented by muenchen.de. Prices may change, so please check them on the official website before your visit.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | Tierparkstraße 30, 81543 München (Thalkirchen) |
| Winter opening times | from 25 October 2026, daily 9am–5pm |
| Summer opening times | 2026: 28 March to 24 October, daily 9am–6pm |
| Adult admission | €23 (€24 with conservation euro) |
| Children aged 4–14 | €9 (€10 with conservation euro) |
| Adult annual pass | €69 (€70 with conservation euro) |
| Entrances | Isar entrance (Tierparkstraße) and Flamingo entrance (Siebenbrunner Straße) |
| Area and animals | 40 hectares, around 500 species |
| Getting there from Lehel | MetroBus 52 from Viktualienmarkt or U3 to Thalkirchen, approx. 30 min |
Munich Zoo: Hellabrunn, the world’s first geo-zoo
Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo opened in 1911 and covers 40 hectares of the Isar meadows in the south of the city. Since 1928 the animals here have been grouped by continent, which is why Hellabrunn describes itself as the world’s first geo-zoo.
For you as a visitor, this means you do not simply walk from enclosure to enclosure but through whole continents. In the African zone you will find giraffes, zebras and lions, in the Polar World penguins and polar bears, and in Asia the elephants. According to hellabrunn.de, the concept, which had loosened somewhat over the decades, is once again being applied consistently. Examples include the 10,000-square-metre giraffe savannah from 2013 and the Mühlendorf (mill village) from 2019.
Anyone searching for Munich Zoo or Tierpark München almost always means Hellabrunn. With more than two million visitors a year, it is one of the most visited places in Munich. Around 500 species from five continents live here, many of them in breeding programmes for endangered species.
Hellabrunn Zoo opening times
The zoo is open all year round, including Sundays and public holidays. There are two seasons, which usually change on the weekend the clocks go forward or back:
- Summer: daily 9am to 6pm (in 2026 from 28 March to 24 October)
- Winter: daily 9am to 5pm (from 25 October 2026)
- Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: 9am to 4pm
According to hellabrunn.de, the service centres at the entrances do not open until 10am. If you arrive earlier, buy your ticket online in advance. Outside the Bavarian school holidays, the service centre at the Flamingo entrance is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
There is no calendar yet for Hellabrunn’s 2027 opening times. We expect the same pattern, but please check the dates shortly before you travel. If you would like to fit the zoo into a city break, we offer accommodation in Munich with a bus connection right to the entrance.
Hellabrunn Zoo prices: tickets, admission and annual pass
New admission prices have applied since 1 October 2026. Every ticket includes the voluntary Artenschutzeuro (conservation euro), which goes entirely to species conservation projects. You can opt out of it when you buy. The table shows the price without it first, then with it.
| Ticket | without / with conservation euro |
|---|---|
| Adults | €23 / €24 |
| Children aged 4 to 14 | €9 / €10 |
| Small family ticket (one parent with children) | €28 / €29 |
| Large family ticket (both parents with children) | €51 / €52 |
| Concessions: seniors 65+, school pupils, students, München-Pass holders | €17 / €18 |
| Severely disabled visitors with a disability rating (GdB) of 90 or more, severely disabled children up to 14 | free |
Pensioners pay the concession price from the age of 65 or with a pensioner’s ID card, so Hellabrunn Zoo prices for pensioners come to 17 euros. According to muenchen.de, day ticket prices will rise again on 1 October 2027, to 25 euros for adults and 10 euros for children.
Buying Hellabrunn Zoo tickets online
You can buy tickets for Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo at the ticket desks or in advance from the zoo’s online shop, which you can reach via hellabrunn.de. Online tickets let you skip the queue at the entrance at weekends. Groups of 20 or more pay the concession price and do not need to register.
Hellabrunn annual pass
The annual pass pays for itself from your third visit. It is valid for one year from the date of issue, is non-transferable and is only accepted with photo ID. Download the application form from hellabrunn.de and hand it in at the ticket desk.
| Annual pass | without / with conservation euro |
|---|---|
| Adults | €69 / €70 |
| Children | €34 / €35 |
| Small family | €69 / €70 |
| Large family | €138 / €139 |
| Concessions (seniors, school pupils, students) | €56 / €57 |
For guests staying in the city for a few months, for a project or a move, for example, the Hellabrunn Zoo annual pass is an inexpensive leisure option. If you are looking for furnished apartments in Munich for that kind of stay, you are welcome to enquire with us for several months.
Stay centrally with the family, take the bus to the zoo
Our boarding house at Ländstraße 6 has 54 apartments, including family apartments with their own kitchen. In the morning you take the 52 bus to the zoo; in the evening you cook at your leisure and throw the muddy trousers into the washing machine in the building. We open in autumn 2027 and are already taking enquiries.
Animals at Hellabrunn Zoo: what you should see
With 40 hectares to cover, you will not see everything at a relaxed pace in one day. These are the areas we would not miss on a first visit.
Polar World with penguins and polar bears
Hellabrunn’s Polar World is home to king penguins and rockhopper penguins. The penguin house has been renovated, the birds have been back since autumn 2024, and two king penguin chicks hatched there in 2025. There is a keeper talk at the polar bears in the afternoon.
Elephants and the giraffe savannah
Hellabrunn keeps Asian elephants. According to muenchen.de, the cow elephant Temi is pregnant again, with the calf expected in August 2027. The African zone is home to the giraffe savannah, which opened in 2013 and covers 10,000 square metres.
Hellabrunn Jungle World
The Dschungelwelt (Jungle World) was closed for modernisation and reopened on 25 June 2026. According to muenchen.de, the tropical house is home to 16 species; new arrivals include binturongs and Asian small-clawed otters, alongside fishing cats and lesser mouse-deer. A new underwater viewing window lets you watch the otters diving.
Mühlendorf with petting zoo and beer garden
Hellabrunn’s Mühlendorf (mill village) showcases domestic breeds such as kunekune pigs and Bulgarian long-haired goats. Since March 2026, the goat petting enclosure has only been open at weekends, on public holidays and during the Bavarian school holidays, from 10am to 4pm. According to the zoo’s press release, the Mühlendorf also has a beer garden, so the nearest place for a bite to eat near Hellabrunn Zoo requires no detour.
Playgrounds, flamingos and pandas
For children there are several adventure playgrounds and discovery trails. The zoo map on hellabrunn.de shows exactly where each Hellabrunn playground is. We have gathered more ideas for families, from the Deutsches Museum to the Glockenspiel, in our guide to Munich with kids.
Greater flamingos live by the Flamingo entrance, since 2023 in a 552-square-metre aviary. Many people ask about the Hellabrunn pandas: the zoo is getting a pair of giant pandas, but according to muenchen.de their enclosure will not open until early 2028. Until then, there are no pandas to see at Hellabrunn.
Hellabrunn Zoo feeding times and keeper talks
At set times you can watch the keepers feeding the animals. According to muenchen.de, the pelicans are fed at 10.30am and 2pm, the penguins in the morning and the great apes at 11.45am. In the aquarium, feeding takes place on Wednesdays and Sundays at 3pm.
There are also keeper talks, where the keepers tell you about their animals, for example at the lions, tigers, zebras, elephants and polar bears. Training sessions for the South American sea lions are currently suspended. Weather and animal management can lead to feedings being cancelled at short notice; current feeding times are listed on hellabrunn.de.
You are not allowed to feed the animals yourself. The zoo rules state an absolute feeding ban, which also applies to grass and leaves.
Getting to Hellabrunn Zoo from Lehel
The zoo has two entrances. The Isar entrance on Tierparkstraße is near Thalkirchen U-Bahn station, while the Flamingo entrance on Siebenbrunner Straße is at the final stop of the MetroBus 52.
By 52 bus from Viktualienmarkt
From Ländstraße it is about a nine-minute walk to the Viktualienmarkt. There you can catch the MetroBus 52, which runs from Sendlinger Tor via Viktualienmarkt, Gärtnerplatz and Candidplatz to its final stop, “Tierpark (Alemannenstraße)”, right by the Flamingo entrance. Including the walk, we reckon on around 30 to 35 minutes door to door; departures are shown in the MVG app.
Which U-Bahn goes to Hellabrunn Zoo?
The U3 runs to “Thalkirchen (Tierpark)”, from where it is about five minutes on foot to the Isar entrance. From Lehel, walk to the Isartor S-Bahn station, travel one stop to Marienplatz and change to the U3 there. Please note: according to hellabrunn.de, due to renovation work at Poccistraße and Goetheplatz stations, the U3 is not running between Sendlinger Tor and Implerstraße until 28 November 2026, with replacement buses in operation. Until then, the 52 bus is the easier option.
To get from Munich Hauptbahnhof (central station) to Hellabrunn Zoo, take the S-Bahn to Marienplatz and then the U3. Until the end of November 2026, because of the U3 closure, you are better off taking the U1 or U2 to Sendlinger Tor and changing to the 52 bus. Otherwise the zoo recommends the U-Bahn if you have a pushchair, as the buses have only limited space for them.
By bike or on foot along the Isar
The most attractive route is along the Isar. From Lehel, follow the river past the Deutsches Museum and the Flaucher to Thalkirchen; by bike that takes around 25 to 30 minutes. On foot, allow a good hour to the Flaucher and roughly another 20 minutes to the Isar entrance. You will find more about riverside paths, gravel banks and bathing spots in our guide to the Isar in Munich.
Bicycles, scooters and e-scooters are not allowed inside the zoo; only balance bikes for small children are permitted. Parking spaces for bikes at the entrances are limited and fill up on sunny weekends.
Visiting Hellabrunn Zoo with a dog
Unlike many zoos, Hellabrunn allows dogs. According to the zoo rules (as of July 2024), the following applies:
- Dogs must be kept on a short lead.
- Only one dog is allowed per visitor; groups of dog owners such as dog training classes are not admitted.
- Dogs are not allowed in the animal houses, not even when carried. Assistance dogs and guide dogs are exempt.
In rainy weather this is a real limitation, as the Polar World, Jungle World and aquarium are then off limits for one of your party. On the other hand, the walk along the Isar to the zoo is all the more enjoyable with a dog. If you are travelling with your four-legged friend, you will find our apartments on our page about dog-friendly apartments in Munich; whether your dog can come along depends on the apartment category.
Parking at Hellabrunn Zoo: car parks P1 and P2
There are two car parks at the zoo, both for cars only. On sunny weekends and during the school holidays they often fill up early.
- P1, Tierparkstraße (Isar entrance): 1 to a maximum of 5 euros depending on how long you stay, run by the Bavarian Red Cross, payment by coins or debit card.
- P2, Siebenbrunner Straße (Flamingo entrance): according to hellabrunn.de a flat daily rate of 8 euros, number-plate recognition, payment at the machine or via app.
Free parking at Hellabrunn Zoo is only available on P1 with a disabled parking card. At weekends and on public holidays, the zoo recommends Park & Ride along the U3, for example at Fürstenried West or Aidenbachstraße, which are eight and two minutes respectively from Thalkirchen. If you are staying in Lehel, it is better to leave the car behind. Our guide to parking in Munich sums up the rates and rules for P+R and parking tickets.
Hellabrunn Zoo in rain and bad weather
Many families check the weather forecast for Hellabrunn Zoo in the morning. In our experience, a grey day is no reason to cancel. The paths are quieter, and many animals are often more active in cool weather than in the midday heat.
When it rains, plan your route around the animal houses: Jungle World with its underwater window, Polar World, the Urwaldhaus (rainforest house) with the great apes and the aquarium. In between there are longer stretches outdoors, so pack a rain jacket and waterproof shoes. Umbrellas tend to get in the way on the narrow paths.
If it pours all day, you are better off heading to a museum and saving the zoo for another day. For a dry day with a view, the Olympiapark in Munich, with the Olympic Tower and Sea Life, also fits nicely into your plans.
How long do you need at Hellabrunn Zoo? Time and tips
For a tour of all the zones, allow four to five hours; with small children, rather a whole day with breaks. That is our own estimate, not an official figure. Download the zoo map as a PDF from hellabrunn.de beforehand; it helps you plan your route.
- Arrive early: at 9am it is quiet; from midday it gets busy at weekends.
- Choose your entrance: with the 52 bus you start at the Flamingo entrance, with the U3 at the Isar entrance. You can use the other entrance as your exit.
- Food and drink: barbecues and open fires are prohibited under the zoo rules. There are places to eat on site, such as the beer garden in the Mühlendorf.
- Photos: drones and selfie sticks are not allowed under the zoo rules.
With several children or grandparents in tow, it is worth choosing accommodation where everyone sleeps under one roof yet still has their own space. At an aparthotel in Munich you can simply book two apartments in the same building. There are hotels near Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo too, but from Lehel you are there in half an hour and back in the old town for the evening.
Conclusion: Hellabrunn Zoo is worth a visit in every season
With its geo-zoo concept, the new Jungle World and the Polar World, Hellabrunn Zoo is one of the most rewarding family days out within the city, from October 2026 at 23 euros per adult and open daily from 9am. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Munich with a bus link right to the Flamingo entrance, you will find our apartments in Lehel from autumn 2027.
Frequently asked questions about Hellabrunn Zoo
When is Hellabrunn Zoo open?
Hellabrunn Zoo is open every day: in winter, from 25 October 2026, from 9am to 5pm, and in summer from 9am to 6pm. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve it closes at 4pm.
How much does admission to Hellabrunn Zoo cost?
Since 1 October 2026, admission to Hellabrunn Zoo costs 23 euros for adults and 9 euros for children aged 4 to 14. With the voluntary conservation euro, each ticket costs one euro more.
How much is the annual pass for Hellabrunn Zoo?
The annual pass costs 69 euros for adults, 34 euros for children and 138 euros for a large family, in each case without the conservation euro. It is valid for one year from issue and only with photo ID.
Is there a discount for pensioners at Hellabrunn Zoo?
Yes, seniors aged 65 and over or with a pensioner’s ID card pay the concession price of 17 euros, or 18 euros with the conservation euro. The concession annual pass costs 56 euros.
Which U-Bahn goes to Hellabrunn Zoo?
The U3 runs to Thalkirchen (Tierpark), from where it is about five minutes on foot to the Isar entrance. Until 28 November 2026 the U3 is suspended between Sendlinger Tor and Implerstraße, so the MetroBus 52 to the Flamingo entrance is the better choice.
Can you take a dog to Hellabrunn Zoo?
Yes, dogs are allowed at Hellabrunn Zoo on a short lead, one dog per visitor. Dogs are not permitted in the animal houses, with the exception of assistance and guide dogs.
How much does parking at Hellabrunn Zoo cost?
At car park P1 by the Isar entrance you pay 1 to 5 euros depending on how long you stay; at P2 by the Flamingo entrance, according to hellabrunn.de, a flat rate of 8 euros. At weekends both often fill up early.
Are there pandas at Hellabrunn Zoo?
Not yet. Hellabrunn is getting a pair of giant pandas, and according to muenchen.de their enclosure is due to open in early 2028.
Daniel Schulz · Managing Director of residir GmbH
He has eight years’ experience in letting and managing serviced apartments and has looked after more than 80,000 guest stays. More about Daniel Schulz