About Oradea Zoo
At a glance: Zoos and aquariums in Oradea, Bihor County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Ticket: 32 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 9 October 2026.
Oradea Zoo began on the site of a small English-style park laid out by Count Rhedey Lajos. In 1804 the count gave the city the land and the chapel in the middle of it, and both he and his wife were later laid to rest in the chapel. The first animals arrived in 1960 and the public was admitted from 1962, on 3.2 hectares. The enclosures were too cramped for the animals, however: in 2007 the zoo lost its environmental permit and was closed.
Rebuilding began in December 2010 and ended in May 2013. According to the official website it cost almost 19.5 million lei, 75% of it from the Ministry of the Environment. The zoo grew from 3.5 to 7.5 hectares and gained 42 new enclosures, a veterinary clinic, and quarantine and education spaces. It reopened on 1 June 2013. Under the crowns of old trees, visitors find a shady place that is quiet rather than spectacular, on the scale of a medium-sized city.
What you can see
The collection has carnivorous and herbivorous mammals, native and exotic birds, reptiles and aquarium fish. Wikimedia Commons has photos of, among others, wolves, brown bears, tigers, zebras, llamas, lechwe and blackbuck antelopes, baboons, tamarins, large snakes and peafowl; the press in 2017 also mentions lions, lynxes, deer and axolotls. Roe deer and red deer can be seen near the Rhedey chapel, which escaped the demolition ordered in the 1980s because it had become a shelter for deer. Children can take pony rides, for a fee.
Good to know
The opening hours change three times a year, and the ticket office closes an hour before the zoo does. The figures for the number of species differ by source and year; the most recent I found (press, 2017) speaks of more than 140 species and more than 650 animals, so take them as an order of magnitude.
- The Rhedey chapel, from the noble park of the beginnings, in the middle of the zoo.
- The tigers, wolves and brown bear, in the enclosures built during the 2010–2013 modernisation.
- The zebras, llamas and African antelopes, easy to watch up close from the paths.
- The old trees, more than 40 species, which give shade along almost the whole route.
- Pony rides for children, for a fee.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the zoo is in the south-west of Oradea, on Calea Matei Basarab, a few kilometres from the centre. Cluj-Napoca is ~150 km away, and the Hungarian border at Borș ~15 km.
Public transport: I found no confirmed line to the gate; look up the route in Oradea's local transport app.
- Fees & discounts
Adult ticket: 32 lei. Children aged 3 to 14, pensioners with a pension under 3,000 lei and people with disabilities: 16 lei. Pupils aged 14 to 18 and pensioners with a pension over 2,000 lei: 30 lei (the rates overlap on the website, so ask at the ticket office). Free: children under 3 and people over 75. Groups of at least 15: 30 lei adults, 14 lei children, 28 lei pupils. The annual adult pass costs 300 lei. Pony ride: 25 lei for 10 minutes. Adopting an animal for a year: 250 lei for individuals. For concessions you need documents: birth certificate, identity card with pension slip or student card, disability card.
- Rules
Do not feed the animals food brought from home and do not frighten them. Do not enter the enclosures and do not climb on the fences. Children stay under adult supervision. Follow the signs at each enclosure.
- Facilities
toilets · souvenir shop · conference room · no information on wheelchair access
Frequently asked questions about Oradea Zoo
- How much is a ticket to Oradea Zoo?
- A ticket to Oradea Zoo costs 32 lei (children 3–14: 16 lei). Adult ticket: 32 lei. Children aged 3 to 14, pensioners with a pension under 3,000 lei and people with disabilities: 16 lei. Pupils aged 14 to 18 and pensioners with a pension over 2,000 lei: 30 lei (the rates overlap on the website, so ask at the ticket office). Free: children under 3 and people over 75. Groups of at least 15: 30 lei adults, 14 lei children, 28 lei pupils. The annual adult pass costs 300 lei. Pony ride: 25 lei for 10 minutes. Adopting an animal for a year: 250 lei for individuals. For concessions you need documents: birth certificate, identity card with pension slip or student card, disability card.
- What are the opening hours of Oradea Zoo?
- Opening hours at Oradea Zoo: daily 09:00 – 19:00. Summer hours (April–August): 9:00–19:00, ticket office until 18:00. September–October: 9:00–18:00, ticket office until 17:00. November–March: 9:00–17:00, ticket office until 16:00 (official website, October 2026). The website says nothing about days off; check the zoo's Facebook page before you go.
- How long does a visit to Oradea Zoo take?
- A visit to Oradea Zoo takes about 1½ – 2 hours (an estimate; longer with children).
- Can you visit Oradea Zoo with kids?
- Yes, Oradea Zoo is suitable for children (animals, pony rides).
- How do I get to Oradea Zoo?
- Oradea Zoo is located at Calea Matei Basarab nr. 1, Oradea, Bihor County. By car: the zoo is in the south-west of Oradea, on Calea Matei Basarab, a few kilometres from the centre. Cluj-Napoca is ~150 km away, and the Hungarian border at Borș ~15 km. Public transport: I found no confirmed line to the gate; look up the route in Oradea's local transport app.
- When is the best time to visit Oradea Zoo?
- The best season for Oradea Zoo: April – October (longer hours from April).
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