Chiang Mai Zoo, Thailand: Tickets, Timings & Highlights

Chiang Mai Zoo at a glance

Everything you need to plan the day in one place. Prices are 2026 foreigner rates; Rupee figures use about Rs 2.86 to the baht and are indicative.

About Chiang Mai Zoo

Chiang Mai Zoo has an unusual origin story. It began when the son of an American missionary started taking in and caring for injured animals; as word spread, people came to see the animals he had treated, and in 1977 the site opened officially as the first public zoo in northern Thailand. It now covers about 200 acres on the lower slopes of Doi Suthep and is home to more than 400 animal species, among them penguins, koalas, seals, hippos, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, flamingos, camels, lions, tigers, Barbary sheep and the Malayan tapir.

The zoo is genuinely large, and getting around is part of the visit. You can walk the full loop from the entrance up to the aquarium, ride the shuttle tram if the hills defeat you, or drive your own vehicle along the internal road and watch the animals from the window. Near the entrance, the older Cage Area keeps smaller animals in traditional enclosures, with a run of flowerbeds softening the walkways. Further in, the Open Zoo lets several species roam in larger paddocks, and there are two lakeside picnic spots, the Breeding Area and the Recreational Area, at the back of the grounds if you want a break in the middle of the day.

What happened to the giant pandas?

This is the question we get most, so here is the straight answer. Chiang Mai Zoo was famous across Asia for its two giant pandas, Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui, who arrived from China in 2003 on a long-term loan and even had a cub, Lin Bing, born at the zoo in 2009. Lin Bing was returned to China in 2013. Chuang Chuang died in September 2019, and Lin Hui died in April 2023. That means there are no giant pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo any more, so do not plan your visit around seeing them. The panda house may still be open to walk through as an exhibit, but treat any 'panda' billing you see on older blogs or ticket sites as out of date. If pandas were your main reason to come, that is worth knowing before you buy a ticket.

The aquarium, Snow Town and animal shows

Two of the zoo's headline attractions are separate paid experiences, not part of the base ticket, so budget for them if they matter to you. The Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium is the marquee add-on, built around an underwater walk-through tunnel with freshwater and marine sections; it is a real draw for families, though it has had closure periods, so it is worth checking it is running on the day you go. Snow Town, the zoo's snow dome, is a chilled indoor play area with real snow, a novelty in tropical Thailand that younger kids love and that costs extra on top of entry.

The zoo also runs animal and seal feeding shows at set times through the day, and there are penguins and an aviary among the enclosures. Show and feeding times shift, so check the board at the entrance when you arrive rather than relying on a fixed schedule. The exact prices for each add-on are in the ticket table below.

Chiang Mai Zoo ticket prices in 2026

Entry to the zoo is cheap; the add-ons are where the cost builds up. Foreigners pay more than Thai residents, which is standard for Thai attractions. These are the current foreigner rates, with an approximate Rupee conversion at about Rs 2.86 to the baht.

So a family doing the zoo plus the aquarium and a tram ride is looking at closer to 800 to 930 THB a head, not the 150 THB headline. Decide which add-ons you actually want before you reach the counter, and ignore older guides that quote a single all-in figure. For the full fee breakdown, including combo options and the latest add-on prices, see our Chiang Mai Zoo entry fees page.

Opening hours and show times

The zoo runs daily. The main grounds are open from morning to early evening, while the aquarium keeps shorter hours, so if the aquarium is your priority, go earlier in the day rather than late.

Show and feeding times move with the season and with staffing, so use these as a guide and confirm at the entrance board. For the current day-by-day schedule, check our Chiang Mai Zoo timings page.

Best time to visit and how long you need

Come early. The animals are more active in the cooler morning hours, the tour buses and school groups tend to arrive later, and the middle of a Chiang Mai afternoon is hot work on hilly, open ground. Getting through the gate close to opening and finishing by early afternoon is the comfortable plan. Give yourself 3 to 4 hours if you want to do the aquarium and Snow Town as well as the main loop, or about 2 hours for the animals alone.

"Go on a weekday morning, right at opening, before the school trips and the heat, and take the tram at least one way; the walk up to the aquarium is steeper than people expect," says a Chiang Mai ground partner. The zoo is open year-round, and the cool, dry months from November to February are the most pleasant for a long day outdoors.

How to reach Chiang Mai Zoo

The zoo sits at the top of Huay Kaew Road at the foot of Doi Suthep, next to Chiang Mai University and the Nimman area, about 4 to 5 km north-west of the Old City. It is an easy 15 to 20 minute hop, but there is no city bus, so you have a few options.

Red songthaew. The shared red trucks run up Huay Kaew Road and will drop you at the gate for roughly 30 to 40 THB a head if one is heading that way. The cheapest option, and easy to catch on the way out.

Grab or a private car. A Grab from the Old City costs about 80 to 120 THB and takes 15 to 20 minutes. The simplest choice for a family, and it drops you right at the entrance.

Scooter. If you are already renting one, there is parking at the gate for 50 THB. The ride from the Old City is short and mostly straightforward along Huay Kaew Road.

For the full route breakdown, pickup points and fares, see our how to reach Chiang Mai Zoo guide.

Chiang Mai Zoo vs Chiang Mai Night Safari

These are two different places, and mixing them up is the most common mistake visitors make. Chiang Mai Zoo is the daytime zoo described on this page, up on Huay Kaew Road at the foot of Doi Suthep, with base entry from 150 THB. The Chiang Mai Night Safari is a separate nocturnal park in Hang Dong, about 12 km south-west of the city, where you tour darkened enclosures by open tram after sunset and foreigner tram tickets start at around 1,200 THB. Different venue, different owner, different experience and a very different price.

If it is the after-dark tram, the tiger show and the musical fountain you are picturing, that is the night park; see our Chiang Mai Night Safari guide. If you want a relaxed daytime visit with an aquarium and a snow dome, you are in the right place. For an ethical, no-cage wildlife day out instead, our Elephant Nature Park guide covers the leading sanctuary-style option near Chiang Mai.

Tips for visiting

A few things that make the day easier:

Go early and carry sun protection. Much of the zoo is open ground on a hillside. A hat, sunscreen and water in the hot months, and a small umbrella in the June to October rains, are worth having.

Use the tram at least one way. The climb up to the aquarium is real. The tram is cheap and saves your legs for the animals.

Decide your add-ons first. The aquarium and Snow Town are separate tickets and change the total a lot; pick what you want before the counter.

Do not feed the animals outside the marked feeding points. Feeding is managed by the zoo for the animals' safety; buy the official animal feed only where it is sold and skip it elsewhere.

For the full checklist and what to skip, see our Chiang Mai Zoo tips page, and if you are lining up a wider itinerary, browse our other Thailand zoos and wildlife parks for how it compares.

Planning the rest of your Chiang Mai trip

The zoo is one stop on a full Chiang Mai list. Pair it with the temples, markets and hills in our places to visit in Chiang Mai guide, plan the wider trip with our Chiang Mai travel guide, and if you would rather have it all arranged, browse our customisable Thailand tour packages.