Worth a Journey

The World’s 100 Best Zoos & Aquariums · 2026

The Best Zoos & Aquariums in Europe

57 of the 100 zoos and aquariums in The World’s 100 Best Zoos & Aquariums 2026 are in Europe, in 15 countries. The highest placed is Zoo Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany, at number 2 in the world. Prague Zoo in Prague, Czechia (number 4) and Zoo Zlín in Zlín, Czechia (number 5) follow.

Zoo Leipzig
N° 2 · Zoo Leipzig, Leipzig

Aquariums and sea life

Oceanário de Lisboa in Lisbon's Parque das Nações is built around one central tank that runs across two floors, with sharks, rays and sunfish. Poema del Mar Aquarium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has three themed areas and a curved glass wall of about 36 metres onto its shark tank. The Orientarium ZOO Łódź in Łódź is built around the Orientarium pavilion, which has an underwater tunnel.

Zoos in cities

Zoo Leipzig sits in the middle of Leipzig and is built around themed areas with large enclosures. Its Gondwanaland tropical house has a boat ride. The zoo in the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna was founded in 1752, and its historic pavilions stand beside newer enclosures. Chester Zoo in Chester has aviaries to walk through, a bat walk, a lemur walk and big cats.

Parks and hillsides

Prague Zoo sits on a hillside on the edge of Prague, with enclosures that run up and down the slope. ZooParc de Beauval in Saint-Aignan is a zoo and safari park with a large equatorial dome. Zoo Târgu Mureș in Târgu Mureș is a forest zoo on the Cornești Plateau that keeps elephants and giraffes.

Zoos and aquariums

98. Parc Animalier d'Auvergne 96. Tierpark Sababurg 94. Zoo de Castellar 91. Kölner Zoo 90. Zoo Gdańsk 89. Parc Animalier et Botanique de Branféré 84. Tierpark Hellabrunn 83. Parc Animalier des Pyrénées 82. Tiergarten Nürnberg 80. Whipsnade Zoo 79. Oceanogràfic 78. Paignton Zoo 77. Dublin Zoo 74. Santillana Zoo 73. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens 70. Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno 68. Zoo La Palmyre 67. Cumberland Wildlife Park 66. Kameltheater Kernhof 65. Rotterdam Zoo 63. Odense Zoo 61. Copenhagen Zoo 57. Wilhelma 56. Exmoor Zoo 55. Kharkiv Zoo 54. Zoo Łączna 53. Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura 52. Tierpark Greifswald 48. Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa 47. GaiaZOO 46. Orientarium ZOO Łódź 42. Oceanário de Lisboa 40. Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz 39. Zoo de Cerza 35. Colchester Zoo 34. Zoo Zürich 33. Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen 32. ZOOM Experience World 30. Zoo Târgu Mureș 29. Zoo Safari Borysew 28. Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover 27. Bioparc València 24. Zoo Berlin 22. Zoo Rostock 21. Chester Zoo 19. Zoo Opole 16. Zoo Wrocław 15. Poema del Mar Aquarium 14. Schönbrunn Zoo 13. Loro Parque 12. ZooParc de Beauval 8. Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine 7. Pairi Daiza 6. Burgers' Zoo 5. Zoo Zlín 4. Prague Zoo 2. Zoo Leipzig 2
98. Parc Animalier d'Auvergne 96. Tierpark Sababurg 94. Zoo de Castellar 91. Kölner Zoo 90. Zoo Gdańsk 89. Parc Animalier et Botanique de Branféré 84. Tierpark Hellabrunn 83. Parc Animalier des Pyrénées 82. Tiergarten Nürnberg 80. Whipsnade Zoo 79. Oceanogràfic 78. Paignton Zoo 77. Dublin Zoo 74. Santillana Zoo 73. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens 70. Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno 68. Zoo La Palmyre 67. Cumberland Wildlife Park 66. Kameltheater Kernhof 65. Rotterdam Zoo 63. Odense Zoo 61. Copenhagen Zoo 57. Wilhelma 56. Exmoor Zoo 55. Kharkiv Zoo 54. Zoo Łączna 53. Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura 52. Tierpark Greifswald 48. Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa 47. GaiaZOO 46. Orientarium ZOO Łódź 42. Oceanário de Lisboa 40. Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz 39. Zoo de Cerza 35. Colchester Zoo 34. Zoo Zürich 33. Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen 32. ZOOM Experience World 30. Zoo Târgu Mureș 29. Zoo Safari Borysew 28. Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover 27. Bioparc València 24. Zoo Berlin 22. Zoo Rostock 21. Chester Zoo 19. Zoo Opole 16. Zoo Wrocław 15. Poema del Mar Aquarium 14. Schönbrunn Zoo 13. Loro Parque 12. ZooParc de Beauval 8. Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine 7. Pairi Daiza 6. Burgers' Zoo 5. Zoo Zlín 4. Prague Zoo 2. Zoo Leipzig 2
  1. Zoo Leipzig N° 2 Zoo Leipzig Leipzig, Germany Zoo
  2. Prague Zoo N° 4 Prague Zoo Prague, Czechia Zoo
  3. Zoo Zlín N° 5 Zoo Zlín Zlín, Czechia Zoo
  4. Burgers' Zoo N° 6 Burgers' Zoo Arnhem, Netherlands Zoo
  5. Pairi Daiza N° 7 Pairi Daiza Brugelette, Belgium Zoo
  6. Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine N° 8 Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine Doué-la-Fontaine, France Zoo
  7. ZooParc de Beauval N° 12 ZooParc de Beauval Saint-Aignan, France Zoo
  8. Loro Parque N° 13 Loro Parque Puerto de la Cruz, Spain Zoo
  9. Schönbrunn Zoo N° 14 Schönbrunn Zoo Vienna, Austria Zoo
  10. Poema del Mar Aquarium N° 15 Poema del Mar Aquarium Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain Aquarium
  11. Zoo Wrocław N° 16 Zoo Wrocław Wrocław, Poland Zoo
  12. Zoo Opole N° 19 Zoo Opole Opole, Poland Zoo
  13. Chester Zoo N° 21 Chester Zoo Chester, United Kingdom Zoo
  14. Zoo Rostock N° 22 Zoo Rostock Rostock, Germany Zoo
  15. Zoo Berlin N° 24 Zoo Berlin Berlin, Germany Zoo
  16. Bioparc València N° 27 Bioparc València Valencia, Spain Zoo
  17. Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover N° 28 Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover Hanover, Germany Zoo
  18. Zoo Safari Borysew N° 29 Zoo Safari Borysew Poddębice, Poland Zoo
  19. Zoo Târgu Mureș N° 30 Zoo Târgu Mureș Târgu Mureș, Romania Zoo
  20. ZOOM Experience World N° 32 ZOOM Experience World Gelsenkirchen, Germany Zoo
  21. Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen N° 33 Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen Emmen, Netherlands Zoo
  22. Zoo Zürich N° 34 Zoo Zürich Zurich, Switzerland Zoo
  23. Colchester Zoo N° 35 Colchester Zoo Colchester, United Kingdom Zoo
  24. Zoo de Cerza N° 39 Zoo de Cerza Hermival-les-Vaux, France Zoo
  25. Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz N° 40 Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz Görlitz, Germany Zoo
  26. Oceanário de Lisboa N° 42 Oceanário de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal Aquarium
  27. Orientarium ZOO Łódź N° 46 Orientarium ZOO Łódź Łódź, Poland Zoo
  28. GaiaZOO N° 47 GaiaZOO Kerkrade, Netherlands Zoo
  29. Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa N° 48 Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal Zoo
  30. Tierpark Greifswald N° 52 Tierpark Greifswald Greifswald, Germany Zoo
  31. Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura N° 53 Oasis Wildlife Fuerteventura La Lajita, Spain Zoo
  32. Zoo Łączna N° 54 Zoo Łączna Łączna, Poland Zoo
  33. Kharkiv Zoo N° 55 Kharkiv Zoo Kharkiv, Ukraine Zoo
  34. Exmoor Zoo N° 56 Exmoor Zoo Barnstaple, United Kingdom Zoo
  35. Wilhelma N° 57 Wilhelma Stuttgart, Germany Zoo
  36. Copenhagen Zoo N° 61 Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen, Denmark Zoo
  37. Odense Zoo N° 63 Odense Zoo Odense, Denmark Zoo
  38. Rotterdam Zoo N° 65 Rotterdam Zoo Rotterdam, Netherlands Zoo
  39. Kameltheater Kernhof N° 66 Kameltheater Kernhof Kernhof, Austria Zoo
  40. Cumberland Wildlife Park N° 67 Cumberland Wildlife Park Grünau im Almtal, Austria Wildlife park
  41. Zoo La Palmyre N° 68 Zoo La Palmyre Les Mathes, France Zoo
  42. Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno N° 70 Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno Obregón, Spain Safari park
  43. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens N° 73 Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens Burford, United Kingdom Wildlife park
  44. Santillana Zoo N° 74 Santillana Zoo Santillana del Mar, Spain Zoo
  45. Dublin Zoo N° 77 Dublin Zoo Dublin, Ireland Zoo
  46. Paignton Zoo N° 78 Paignton Zoo Paignton, United Kingdom Zoo
  47. Oceanogràfic N° 79 Oceanogràfic Valencia, Spain Aquarium
  48. Whipsnade Zoo N° 80 Whipsnade Zoo Dunstable, United Kingdom Zoo
  49. Tiergarten Nürnberg N° 82 Tiergarten Nürnberg Nuremberg, Germany Zoo
  50. Parc Animalier des Pyrénées N° 83 Parc Animalier des Pyrénées Argelès-Gazost, France Wildlife park
  51. Tierpark Hellabrunn N° 84 Tierpark Hellabrunn Munich, Germany Zoo
  52. Parc Animalier et Botanique de Branféré N° 89 Parc Animalier et Botanique de Branféré Le Guerno, France Zoo
  53. Zoo Gdańsk N° 90 Zoo Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland Zoo
  54. Kölner Zoo N° 91 Kölner Zoo Cologne, Germany Zoo
  55. Zoo de Castellar N° 94 Zoo de Castellar Castellar de la Frontera, Spain Zoo
  56. Tierpark Sababurg N° 96 Tierpark Sababurg Hofgeismar, Germany Wildlife park
  57. Parc Animalier d'Auvergne N° 98 Parc Animalier d'Auvergne Ardes, France Wildlife park

Best by region

  1. The NordicsCopenhagen ZooCopenhagen, DenmarkN° 61
  2. EuropeZoo LeipzigLeipzig, GermanyN° 2
  3. AsiaShanghai Wild Animal ParkShanghai, ChinaN° 38
  4. North AmericaHenry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, United StatesN° 1
  5. The CaribbeanZoo de Guadeloupe au Parc des MamellesBouillante, GuadeloupeN° 41
  6. Latin AmericaZoológico La AuroraGuatemala City, GuatemalaN° 44
  7. OceaniaAustralia ZooBeerwah, AustraliaN° 3

Best by kind

  1. AquariumsPoema del Mar AquariumLas Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainN° 15

Best by country

  1. United StatesHenry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmahaN° 1
  2. GermanyZoo LeipzigLeipzigN° 2
  3. SpainLoro ParquePuerto de la CruzN° 13
  4. FranceBioparc de Doué-la-FontaineDoué-la-FontaineN° 8
  5. PolandZoo WrocławWrocławN° 16
  6. United KingdomChester ZooChesterN° 21
  7. AustraliaAustralia ZooBeerwahN° 3