If you are searching for “Thrissur Zoo entry fee”, “Thrissur Zoo timings”, “Thrissur Zoo and museum”, or “things to do in Thrissur with kids”, this guide will help you plan a smooth holiday.

Thrissur Zoo (Chembukkavu) is one of the oldest zoo complexes in India and it is not just a zoo. Inside the same campus you can cover the Zoological Garden, Snake House, Botanical Garden, Museums (Natural History + Art + Multi-purpose), a Medicinal Plant Garden, and a 3D Theatre. It is a calm, green place right inside the city, so it works well for families, couples, and even solo travellers who want an easy half-day plan.

  • Location: Chembukkavu, Thrissur city

  • Ideal time needed: 2 to 3 hours (comfortable pace)

  • Closed day: Monday

  • Best for: Families, kids, school groups, museums + animals in one campus

🎟️⏰Thrissur Zoo Timings, Closed Day, Ticket Price

Use this as your final reference before you go.

🎟️ Thrissur Zoo Entry Fee + Timings (Official)

Tickets, camera fee, free entry note, visiting hours, and weekly holiday.

🏷️ Category
💵 Fee (₹)
⏰ Timings / Notes
Adult (12+)
₹15
Visit Tue – Sun. Zoo visiting hours: 9:30 AM – 5:15 PM.
Child (Age 5–12)
₹10
Free entry for kids under 15 on Sundays (as per official note).
Family ticket
₹40
Father + Mother + 2 kids under 12.
Still camera
₹25
Camera charges apply.
Hand-held video camera
₹100
Check rules at gate before recording.
Weekly holiday
Closed on Mondays.
💡
Hidden Tip: Reach by 9:30–10:00 AM for active animals and softer light for photos. By afternoon, many animals rest in shade.

🗺️What to See Inside Thrissur Zoo Best Route (Simple plan to cover everything)

Step 1: Start with Big Cats (first 30–45 mins)

Reason: They are more active in the morning, and later they rest in shade.

Hidden tip: Keep your camera ready here. Kids usually lose patience later, so finish this first.

Step 2: Move to Deer & hoofed animals (next 20–30 mins)

Reason: Quick, easy sightings, good for kids to stay excited.

Hidden tip: Stand quietly for 1–2 minutes. You’ll see more natural behaviour (not just “standing deer”).

Step 3: Go to Reptile / Snake House (next 25–40 mins)

Reason: Midday is fine, it’s shaded, and it’s a “high impact” zone.

Hidden tip: Do snakes slowly from smaller tanks to big ones. Kids enjoy it more like a “level-up”.

Step 4: Finish with Birds + Hippo + Bonus animals (last 40–60 mins)

Reason: Birds look great in late afternoon light and the last hour is calmer.

Hidden tip: Pelicans and storks are best when the crowd is low, so take your time here.

✅ Thrissur Zoo Must-See Animals Checklist (Top Sightings)

Use this as a quick tick-off list while walking through the zoo.

🏷️ Category
🐾 Must-See Animals (Tick off)
✨ Quick Notes

🦁 Big Crowd Favorites
✅ Lion
✅ Tiger
✅ Leopard
✅ Jungle cat
Best seen in the morning when they are more active.
🐒 Fun for Kids
✅ Lion-tailed macaque
✅ Bonnet macaque
✅ Rhesus macaque
Kids enjoy watching their movements and expressions.
🦌 Easy to Spot
✅ Spotted deer
✅ Sambar deer
✅ Blackbuck
Quick sightings, good for keeping kids excited.
🐊🐍 “Wow” Section (Reptile House)
✅ King cobra
✅ Indian rock python
✅ Russell’s viper / Common krait
✅ Mugger crocodile / Gharial
Go slow here, and avoid flash if staff instruct.
🦜 Photo-Friendly Birds
✅ Rosy pelican
✅ Painted stork
✅ Peafowl
✅ Owls (fish owl / barn owl)
Late afternoon light is best for photos.
🌟 Bonus (Many people miss these)
✅ Hippopotamus
✅ Malabar giant squirrel
✅ Porcupine
✅ Toddy cat (civet)
These are easier to miss, so keep this list handy.

💡
Hidden Tip: Start with big cats first, then reptiles, and finish with birds. This order usually gives the best sightings with the least crowd stress.

🦁1) Zoological Garden (Main Zoo Area)

This is the core part where most visitors spend time. Thrissur Zoo is known for having many animal and bird enclosures along shaded walking paths. You may spot big cats, deer, bears, monkeys, reptiles, and more. It is also a nice learning experience because you get an “animals + city nature” vibe without travelling far outside Thrissur.

Details

  • Time to spend: 60 to 90 minutes

  • Best for: Families, kids, casual wildlife viewing

  • Caution: Do not feed animals; avoid tapping cages; keep kids close

  • Hidden Tip: Walk slowly and quietly. You see more birds and shy animals when the crowd noise is low.

🐍2) Snake House (Reptile Section)

Most travellers search “Thrissur Zoo snake house” because it is one of the most interesting parts of the campus. You can see different snake species in a safe, controlled area, and it is a strong educational stop for kids and adults.

Details

  • Time to spend: 20 to 30 minutes

  • Best for: Kids (learning), adults (reptile lovers)

  • Caution: No flash photography if instructed

  • Hidden Tip: Go here just after you enter. It gets crowded later, and the viewing becomes difficult.

🦋3) Botanical Garden + Butterflies

Many people do not expect a garden experience inside a zoo, but this campus includes green zones and butterfly presence which makes it feel like a mini nature park inside the city.

Details

  • Time to spend: 20 to 40 minutes

  • Best for: Couples, seniors, photography, calm walking

  • Caution: Wear comfortable walking shoes; some paths can be slippery after rain

  • Hidden Tip: After monsoon, the campus looks extra green and butterfly sightings are better.

🏛️4) Natural History Museum + Multi-purpose Museum

Thrissur Zoo campus is also a museum campus. Many travellers visit mainly for kids education because museums add a “learning trip” value. The official site highlights multiple museum sections, and Kerala Tourism also lists museums inside the complex.

Details

  • Time to spend: 30 to 45 minutes

  • Best for: School kids, families, history lovers

  • Caution: Follow museum rules, no touching displays

  • Hidden Tip: Do the museum in the hot afternoon. It is cooler indoors and saves your energy.

🎭5) Art Museum

If you like Kerala culture, this stop is a surprise. Kerala Tourism notes the art museum collection (wood carvings, metal sculptures, traditional lamps, Kathakali figurines, etc).

Details

  • Time to spend: 20 to 30 minutes

  • Best for: Adults, culture lovers

  • Hidden Tip: If you plan to visit Kerala Kalamandalam later, this museum becomes a nice “intro” to Kerala art forms.

🎬6) 3D Theatre

A good add-on for kids and adults, especially if the weather is hot or rainy. It is part of the zoo campus attractions listed by Kerala Tourism and the official museum/zoo page.

Details

  • Time to spend: 15 to 25 minutes (depending on show)

  • Best for: Kids + adults who want a short break

  • Hidden Tip: Use this as a mid-trip rest stop before you continue walking.

🌤️Best Time to Visit Thrissur Zoo (Season + Best Hours)

Thrissur has a warm and humid climate, so timing matters a lot.

✅Best season

  • October to February: Pleasant walking weather, best for families and seniors

  • June to September (Monsoon): Green and beautiful, but carry umbrella and expect wet paths

  • March to May (Summer): Hot. Visit only early morning.

🕘Best hours in a day

  • 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM: Animals are more active, photos look better

  • 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM: Cooler light, good for a relaxed final walk
    Official visiting hours are Tue–Sun, 9:30 AM to 5:15 PM.

🚣‍♂️Adventure Activities (In and Around Thrissur)

Inside Thrissur Zoo, it is mostly a calm walking experience, not adventure. For adventure-style fun, Thrissur district has popular nature spots.

  • Athirappilly Waterfalls: One of Kerala’s most famous waterfalls and a strong day trip choice.

  • Vazhachal (near Athirappilly): Often combined on the same route (good for nature lovers)

  • Chimmony Dam area: Quiet nature spot, good for picnic style travel

Hidden Tip: If you are travelling with kids, do Zoo in the morning and a short city attraction in the evening. Keep waterfall trips for a separate full day.

🚻🅿️Thrissur Zoo Parking, Restrooms (What travellers want to know)

Parking

  • You will usually find parking space around the zoo area, but weekends can be tight.

  • Best option: Reach early and park once, then walk.

Restrooms

  • Restrooms are generally available inside public attractions like this campus, but cleanliness can vary on rush days. Carry tissues and sanitizer.

Food Facilities

Inside such city zoo campuses, food options can be limited and basic. Best plan is:

  • Eat a proper meal before entering or after you finish (Thrissur has many restaurants near Swaraj Round area).

  • Carry light snacks for kids (biscuits, fruits, water).

🚌How to Reach Thrissur Zoo

City buses towards Chembukkavu / Museum / Zoo side are frequent during daytime from major points like Swaraj Round and bus stand areas. Instead of searching for an exact “minute-to-minute timetable” (which often changes), ask for:

  • “Chembukkavu” bus

  • “Zoo / Museum stop”
    This is the most reliable local method.

Hidden Tip: If you are with kids or elders, take an auto from the bus stand or railway station. It saves energy for walking inside the zoo.

🟡Thrissur Zoo Traveller Reviews

🟡 The Good

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “Zoo and Picnic Spot”
“Spacious, clean and neat, full of greenery. Not a great collection of animals but satisfactory visit.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “Must see!!”
“An ideal place for kids and families. A well maintained place, which can make your weekends beautiful.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “An old fashioned zoo with three big cats and a king cobra”
“For a small town zoo, there is abundance of wild animals. The star attraction here is a king cobra.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “Best place to visit in Thrissur”
“Good place to visit with children… wide collection of birds, animals and snakes… employees have nice and helpful behavior.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “Good place”
“Very easy to reach and neat wildlife in city.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ “Good for kids”
“Enough animals to attract kids… one day programme for your kids.”

🔷 The Not So Good

⭐⭐☆☆☆ “A Poorly Maintained Zoo With Limited Animals.”
“Least impressive mainly because of size and limited number of different species.”

⭐☆☆☆☆ “Museum”
“The Museum is quite terrible and lacking. Don’t waste your time.”

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ “Very small zoo”
“Very small… you can spend 1 or 2 hrs… if you have surplus time visit or you can avoid.”

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ “Carnivores not easy to spot”
“Visibility of carnivorous animals is less.”

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ “Parking issue”
“There is no car parking area within it… need to park nearby places or road side.”

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ “Toilet concern”
“No proper toilet facilities are provided which is a major concern.”

Thrissur Zoo is a simple, budget-friendly place to spend a relaxed half day in the heart of the city. If you visit with realistic expectations, it feels like a calm green campus where you can enjoy a mix of animals, birds, reptiles, and the museum sections in one stretch. Families with kids will enjoy ticking off the big cats, snake house highlights like the king cobra and python, and the easy-to-spot deer and birds.

To get the best experience, go early on a weekday, keep enough time for the zoo plus museums, and carry water because walking is the main activity here. Even though some travellers feel the zoo is smaller and needs better maintenance in a few areas, it still works well as a short, affordable, and educational stop when you are in Thrissur.