Antalya Zoo (Antalya Hayvanat Bahçesi) is one of the largest zoos in Turkey by land area, covering approximately 400 acres within the Kepezalti Picnic Area on the northern inland edge of Kepez district. Run by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality since 1989, the zoo houses nearly 1,000 animals from 104 species in naturalistic enclosures designed to resemble their natural habitats. The collection includes lions, tigers, pumas, bears, zebras, Nile crocodiles, anacondas, flamingos, and pelicans, as well as a dedicated reptile house and an extensive bird section. Educational guided tours and scheduled feeding events are available throughout the day.
The zoo's location within a large green picnic area makes it popular with Turkish families as a combined outing — the Kepezalti Picnic Site itself is a significant green space where many visitors arrive for the day. For resort tourists, the inland Kepez location means this is a purposeful destination rather than a beach-day add-on, and reaching it without private transport requires navigating trams and a considerable walk. Arrive early: the 400-acre site cannot be covered at speed, and the naturalistic enclosures reward the time taken to explore them properly.
Practical Information for Your Visit
- Best Time to Visit
- Morning arrivals at opening (09:00) are best — animals are more active in the cooler early hours and the site is quieter before the mid-morning family rush. Avoid midday in July and August when temperatures exceed 38°C on the open paths between enclosures. Weekday visits are noticeably less crowded than weekends. Note: the zoo is closed every Monday.
- Time Needed
- The standard MovXtra waiting time of 5 hours is appropriate for the 400-acre site — families with children exploring methodically will fill that time easily. If you want a more focused visit covering the main predator, reptile, and bird sections without the full perimeter, 3–4 hours is realistic. Extra waiting time is flexible and can be arranged at booking if you want to combine the zoo with time in the surrounding picnic area.
- What to Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes — the site is large with natural ground surfaces throughout. Sun protection and water for summer visits (July–August temperatures are extreme by midday). Snacks if travelling with young children. A map of the zoo sections from the entrance helps with route planning across 400 acres.
- Opening Hours
- Summer (15 May – 15 November): 09:00–19:00. Winter (15 November – 15 May): 09:00–17:30. Closed every Monday. Open all other days year-round. Confirm hours on the official Antalya Metropolitan Municipality zoo website before travelling.
Private Transfer vs Hotel Shuttle to Antalya Zoo
Hotel shuttles to Antalya Zoo are not a standard product — the zoo is a municipal attraction in a residential park, not a commercial theme park with organised resort partnerships. Unlike Land of Legends (which has hotel shuttle arrangements with some Rixos properties) or the Aquarium (where tour operators run group packages), the zoo is primarily reached independently. For resort tourists, that means the choice is between self-driving with the navigation and parking considerations, taxi with the return uncertainty, or private transfer.
Self-driving from a Belek or Side hotel is a practical option for tourists with rental cars, but the picnic area navigation and car entry fee add friction. For those without a car, the taxi-each-way model works for the outbound journey but leaves the return unresolved — taxis are not queuing in the Kepezalti Picnic Area at 18:00 when the zoo closes.
A private transfer solves the full round trip cleanly, which matters most for guests travelling the furthest. For Kemer guests crossing the entire city at 55–60 km each way, and for Alanya guests making a 300 km round trip, a confirmed vehicle on both legs is the only arrangement that makes the zoo day trip genuinely stress-free.
