Tbilisi Zoo
The oldest zoo in the Caucasus (1927), beside Heroes' Square — an easy family stop in the middle of the city, with a token ticket price.
- Time needed
- 2 h
- From Tbilisi
- 3 km · 0:10
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- 4 ₾
The oldest zoo in the Caucasus has survived more drama than all its animals put together. Founded on 10 February 1927 in the valley of the Vere river, beside what is now Heroes' Square, it counted over a thousand animals by the 1970s. On 14 June 2015 the swollen Vere burst through the grounds: nearly half the collection and three keepers died, and lions, tigers and a hippopotamus wandered the streets of Tbilisi — footage that went around the world.
Since then the park has been rebuilt in stages, with new enclosures and proper flood defences, while the long-promised move to a bigger site by the Tbilisi Sea remains a plan on paper. Today you will find:
- Big cats and bears in renovated enclosures
- An exotarium with reptiles and other exotic species
- Shaded walkways that make an easy loop with small children
This is not a world-class zoo and does not pretend to be — but for a family with kids it is a calm two-hour stop right in the city, and the ticket is the cheapest of any Tbilisi attraction. On weekends it fills up with local families.
Practical advice
Tickets are 4 GEL for adults and 2 GEL for children aged 3–12; the exotarium charges a small separate fee. Open daily year-round, but in winter some animals stay in indoor quarters — April to October is the better window. Food options inside are minimal, so bring water and snacks. The grounds climb the Vere valley slope, so some paths are steep for strollers. Feeding the animals is forbidden.
How to get there from Tbilisi
The entrance is off Heroes' Square along Kostava Street — about 10 minutes' drive from Rustaveli. Heroes' Square is the busiest interchange in the city: multiple fast lanes merge, so watch the navigator early or you will miss the exit and loop again. Park in the paid zone along Kostava near the entrance; on weekend afternoons spaces are scarce, so come in the morning. An economy car is entirely sufficient; the Medical University metro station or buses from the centre work as an alternative.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
State Silk Museum
A museum founded in 1887 that has barely changed — the cases, the labels and the collection are all original.
Turtle Lake and Vake Park
The city's green axis — from Vake Park up by cable car to Turtle Lake, where Tbilisi actually relaxes.
Open Air Museum of Ethnography
A village of authentic houses from every Georgian province, rebuilt on the wooded slope below Turtle Lake.
Best car for this trip
Guides
- Driving in Georgia: What the Distances Actually Cost You Georgia is a small country with slow roads. Here is what 267 measured drives from Tbilisi say about how long y
Pickup locations
Car Rental in Tbilisi — 3 km (straight line)