Berlin Zoo Planning for a trip

tigris115

tigris115

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Ok so I'm hoping to visit the city of Berlin on the week of the 22nd for my Spring break and am quite eager to see both zoos. Just got some quick questions

What's the weather usually like?

In general, what are some of the major zoo rarities I should keep an eye out for?

Do either of the zoos require more than 1 full day?

How easy is it to navigate for an English speaker?

I'm mostly a big mammal/hoofstock sorta guy, just for reference.
 
Have never been to Berlin, but can help with this - if you would like to see what offerings zoos have for particular groups of animals, the Expert Search feature on Zootierliste is very useful. For example, you say you are interested in hoofstock, then you can select 'Even-toed Ungulates' as your order, and then either Berlin zoo (or you could even search for both by just typing in 'Berlin,' but this will also give results for smaller collections in the city), and it will show you all of the results. Now that Zootierliste is global, you can also use it to see how common species are in zoos local to you, so it should make it obvious what rarities to look out for.

Although I have never visited Berlin, I do know of one must-see rarity - the last Bearded Pig in captivity outside of Asia, a male at Zoo Berlin who is kept in (I believe) the Pig House. If you are in to ungulates as you say, this is a must-see. Another good resource is this thread from @amur leopard which is a brilliant way to see what species held are considered rarities as far as Europe goes and should offer a good idea of what to look out for.

Regarding the weather, I visited Germany (Hamburg and Magdeburg, which should have fairly similar weather to Berlin) in April as well (assuming that is when your spring break is) and had delightful weather with sun on all but one day of an eleven day trip, so although I cannot guarantee it will be good, I won't worry about it all that much.
 
As far as Critically Endangered species are concerned
Berlin Zoo and Berlin Tierpark are two of 4 ZT:L collections with a Bavarian pine vole

Berlin Tierpark is one of 15 ZT:L collections with a Coquerel's sifaka
8 ZT:L collections with a Bawean deer
 
tigris115 said:
What's the weather usually like?

In general, what are some of the major zoo rarities I should keep an eye out for?

Do either of the zoos require more than 1 full day?

How easy is it to navigate for an English speaker?

I'm mostly a big mammal/hoofstock sorta guy, just for reference.
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1. Berlin is very cold in winter and fairly warm in summer, so spring should be a nice in-between sort of temperature. Check the forecast before leaving though as these things are liable to greater fluctuations as of late.

2. Far too many to list. It'd be like me asking for a rarities list for Shedd. If you're a hoofstock sort of guy, you've chosen the right city.

3. Most would say they are both double day zoos. I managed fine with one day apiece in the summer but in general I think most would advise two days for each. If you can only double up on one, my vote would be the tierpark as it is substantially larger and, in my opinion, better. You'd have to be on the ball at the zoo in that case though, as seeing it in one day, even as a revisit (which is was for me) is tough.

4. Berlin as a whole or the zoos? Zoos totally fine of course, Berlin more generally depending on where you go should also be fine. Most of it is fairly self-explanatory as long as you've been on public transport before.

If you really want I can PM you a rough list of species that might interest you particularly from each but honestly just looking at ZTL would probably save time for us both.
 
tigris115 said:
Ok so I'm hoping to visit the city of Berlin on the week of the 22nd for my Spring break and am quite eager to see both zoos. Just got some quick questions

What's the weather usually like?
Click to expand...
The 22nd of which month?
 
tigris115 said:
Do either of the zoos require more than 1 full day?
Click to expand...
When I went to Berlin I spent 1 full day at tierpark and almost 2 full days at the zoo. Tierpark is huge and includes a lot walking, so if your a slow walker it may be difficult to do in a day without skipping parts.
At the zoo it depends on how long you want to spend looking at animals. It is easy to spend a long time in the aquarium and bird house etc. but if you walk though quickly this will save alot of time.
Of course two days at both would be ideal but it is definitely not impossible to see the entirety of both zoos in a day each.
 
I've been informed that we're spending 6 full days in Berlin (minus travel days). I'd ideally like to be able to fit in a few extra things like the East German museum so that's the guide for my schedule.
 
CMP said:
This is funny to me as a Midwesterner, most of us from the northern third of the country wouldn't consider Berlin winters to be too cold at all.
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How cold a place feels is dependent on many more factors than just temperature. The water vapour in British winter air makes it feel chillier at temperatures that would appear far higher than, say, in Toronto. Germany has a similar situation. Either way, going off track.
 
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tigris115 said:
Ok so I'm hoping to visit the city of Berlin on the week of the 22nd of April for my Spring break and am quite eager to see both zoos. Just got some quick questions

What's the weather usually like?

Do either of the zoos require more than 1 full day?

How easy is it to navigate for an English speaker?
Click to expand...

If you stay about a week in late April, you should hopefully have at least a day or two with fairly nice weather (usually, May is the nicest month of the year if you don't like it too cold or hot).
My advise would be to pick the Tierpark for one of those really nice days. Other than that, I would focus on the main attractions in the Tierpark like Himalaya, Savannah + vultures, penguins and cheetahs as well as Brehm building, monkey building and lemur forest. These are easy to find and you'll discover some nice enclosures and great species there. Also, the new Asia exhibit will be open by then (it's on the main way coming from the old castle, passing the main restaurant and going up to monkey building and Himalaya region).
If you do plan to see all exhibits, I would recommend using one of the old maps still available online (just search for "Tierpark Berlin map"). Many species named/depicted of course won't be correct (and you can forget about the lower left corner) but this way you won't miss much.

As for the zoo you shouldn't have much of a problem to find your way and the exhibits and even mediocre weather shouldn't be (as) much of a problem.

Now a highly subjective matter:
For both zoos I would say you can either fully enjoy your visit or really try and see everything on just one day (including returning to not-showing animals). To me, the greater beauty lies in immersing in the beautiful park landscapes, staying open and curious as to what the animals are going to do etc. If I miss some exhibits this way, I don't really care. Of course, in this case I could revisit these particular zoos any month (in theory). But I go about it the same way wherever I go.
When I went to Zoo Munich, I think I did all important bits in a day and I loved it (and I never really checked, if I missed a bit). The same applies to other visits as well.
However, in Cologne we did try to see most parts, were a bit unlucky with the official highlights like Hippodom and elephant park (former: glass and water were bad, latter: no active life, no green), also didn't enjoy the rest of the zoo very much and still didn't have time for the aquarium part
(in both cases I wasn't alone, though but I think it wouldn't have been much different on my own).

So I think you could have the same experience in Berlin, try and see everything in a very short but miss the beauty and magic of these places (if you have a similar attitude like mine). This potential is far bigger for the Tierpark, though. So if you want to see it all and possibly get to divide 3 days for it, I would rather take 2 complete days for the Tierpark (even though it may seem unfair for the Aquarium, bird house, carnivore building with night/nocturnal section, sea shore aviary etc in the zoo)...
 
Ok big change of plans

My dad found a train that goes from Berlin to Prague so it's 3 full days in Berlin and I think a full day or two in Prague. Def gonna spend 1 full day a the Prague Zoo.

I'm a decently fast walker when I wanna be so I think I can do the two Berlin zoos in 1 full day each
 
tigris115 said:
Ok big change of plans

My dad found a train that goes from Berlin to Prague so it's 3 full days in Berlin and I think a full day or two in Prague. Def gonna spend 1 full day a the Prague Zoo.

I'm a decently fast walker when I wanna be so I think I can do the two Berlin zoos in 1 full day each
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Based on past experiences that’s a long enough train journey but 100% worth it for Prague Zoo. I’ve done both Berlin collections twice with a full day in either both times. As a solo visitor (2019) I found it easier to do them in a single day than when I returned with non zoo nerd friends (2023). Definitely prioritise your must sees for the start of the day, for me this was the carnivore houses and hoofstock collections in both whilst I left the aquarium until last. I definitely recommend as @markmeier suggested using older maps of tierpark Berlin to help you plan routes and throughout your day as there is lots of exhibits hidden away. I would also recommend reading the excellent ‘German adventures of a @TeaLovingDave ’ thread to familiarise yourself a bit more with either collection albeit 10 years ago.
 
Nice! Berlin sounds like a blast for your spring break. The weather at the end of March may change a lot, but it is often not very warm and sometimes rains. It's good to bring clothes you can wear in layers and also something waterproof like a raincoat if needed.

Make sure to see the big pandas at Berlin Zoo and also the polar bears at Tierpark in Berlin. They are very well-known animals. If you're into big mammals, you'll love them.

You can surely visit each zoo in one day with good planning and knowing what you wish to see. Tierpark Berlin is very big, so if your goal is to look at every corner, it could require more time.

Getting around should not be very difficult. The signs are mostly in German and English, and the people working there often speak English too. Plus, Berlin is pretty tourist-friendly, so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting around.

Have a fantastic time and enjoy hanging out with those big mammals!
 
tigris115 said:
Ok big change of plans

My dad found a train that goes from Berlin to Prague so it's 3 full days in Berlin and I think a full day or two in Prague. Def gonna spend 1 full day a the Prague Zoo.

I'm a decently fast walker when I wanna be so I think I can do the two Berlin zoos in 1 full day each
Click to expand...

You can quite easily reach Prague both via train and bus. Normally, it's about 4 hours either way but ticket prices probably will already be or soon go up, if you pick Deutsche Bahn (there may also be a cheaper Flixtrain but they don't run so offen and may be sold out or at inconvenient times). So if you buy tickets now or even later, I'd consider buses as well. Other than that it would mostly depend on where you plan to stay at both cities and which transport is closer/more convenient this way.

If you stick with one day for each complete zoo, I'd definitely plan ahead for the Tierpark (the same goes for sightseeing on the third day in Berlin, especially if you visit the city for the first time). There have been some good suggestions for completely exploring the zoos in a short time. It's doable and I hope you'll also have a great time. You'll definitely see plenty of animals and rare species, if you visit Prague and both zoos in Berlin.
 
markmeier said:
You can quite easily reach Prague both via train and bus. Normally, it's about 4 hours either way but ticket prices probably will already be or soon go up, if you pick Deutsche Bahn (there may also be a cheaper Flixtrain but they don't run so offen and may be sold out or at inconvenient times). So if you buy tickets now or even later, I'd consider buses as well. Other than that it would mostly depend on where you plan to stay at both cities and which transport is closer/more convenient this way.

If you stick with one day for each complete zoo, I'd definitely plan ahead for the Tierpark (the same goes for sightseeing on the third day in Berlin, especially if you visit the city for the first time). There have been some good suggestions for completely exploring the zoos in a short time. It's doable and I hope you'll also have a great time. You'll definitely see plenty of animals and rare species, if you visit Prague and both zoos in Berlin.
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Generally speaking, do you think you could provide a route for the 2 Berlin Zoos?

As well, I'd appreciate if someone could provide a route for the Prague Zoo as it looks nightmarishly labyrinthine
 
To do 3 large collections while on jetlag and with long train ride inbetween sounds exhausting.

TP Berlin covers pretty large area and Prague zoo is hilly - I hope you have good stamina.

Give me a list of your target species at Prague and I might suggest a route. (However March is still a bit early, antelopes and some tropical birds would still be locked away for winter.)
 
tigris115 said:
Generally speaking, do you think you could provide a route for the 2 Berlin Zoos?
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Well, I have spent an entire day and walked more than 10 miles at the Tierpark but I have never done a "complete tour". Nor at Berlin Zoo or any other zoo. And apart from the old "Wegweiser durch den Tierpark" literature, which had many, many, many now outdated pages, I also have never come across an official or inofficial complete round tour for either one like some other zoos might still have.

But as someone pointed out, you could just use the approach of Tea Loving Dave and you would see everything.

Just sth to mark, which also goes for using the old maps: They knocked down the two major reptile buildings at the lower left corner and they fenced off some other stuff like the former Sun Bear exhibit or parts of the mountain area as well as the construction site of the to-be-again elephant building. You would recognize this quite easily, however, if you also look at the new map.

Other than that they merged and expanded some stuff and of course changed various species. But overall the approach of Tea Loving Dave and old map should still serve you well and also help build up some anticipation or Vorfreude. It is some well-written stuff.
 
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