Khao Kheow Open Zoo from Pattaya: Day Trip Guide (2026)
Khao Kheow Open Zoo sits about 48km north of central Pattaya in Chon Buri province, roughly 45–60 minutes by car. It’s one of the largest open-concept zoos in Asia — 800 hectares, 8,000+ animals across 300+ species — and the best wildlife day trip you can do from Pattaya without a full overnight. There’s no practical direct public transport, so you need a taxi or Grab, but it’s worth the fare if animals are the point of the day.
I’ve done this trip a few times, and the difference between a great day and a wasted one comes down almost entirely to timing. This guide covers how to get there, what it costs, which zones to prioritise, and the cart decision that makes or breaks the afternoon.
The short version
- Get there early — by 8:30am at the latest. The zoo is enormous and the electric cart rentals fill up fast.
- Admission: around ฿300 adults, ฿150 children (90–135 cm height). Under 90 cm free. Verify at the gate — prices change periodically.
- Open 8am–6pm daily — last entry is 5pm.
- No practical direct public transport from Pattaya. Grab, Bolt, or a negotiated taxi is the realistic option — budget around ฿700–฿900 each way, or split with other travellers.
- Giraffe feeding and the African Savannah are the two genuinely unmissable sections. The nocturnal house is worth an hour if you have time.
- The free bus runs circuits inside the park — use it between sections. If you want a private cart, hire one the moment you arrive.
Getting there from Pattaya
There is no practical direct public transport to Khao Kheow from Pattaya — you could piece together a local bus and a songthaew, but it takes most of the day and isn’t worth it. Your real options are Grab, Bolt, a hotel-arranged taxi, or a pre-arranged day tour.
Grab or Bolt is the most flexible choice. From central Pattaya to the zoo runs around ฿700–฿900 each way. The return trip from a rural zoo can be harder to sort — getting a Grab from the zoo entrance at busy times can mean a wait. Ask the driver if they’ll hold and return (negotiate a full-day fare of roughly ฿1,500–฿1,800 return) or confirm your signal is good enough to call a ride back before you let them go.
Day tours from Pattaya bundle the transfer with entry and sometimes a guide. Tours remove the return-taxi problem, which matters if you’re unfamiliar with the area. Operators like Klook and hotel tour desks run these — check current rates and inclusions before booking, as pricing varies.
Solo travellers and couples should try to split the taxi. The fare is the same whether one or four people are in the car — find others at your hotel heading the same direction.
For a broader look at Pattaya transport and getting around the region, the Pattaya getting around guide covers all your options.
Tickets and opening hours
Opening hours: 8am–6pm daily. Last entry at 5pm.
Gate admission (foreign visitors — verify at the gate, prices change periodically):
- Adults: around ฿300
- Children (90–135 cm): around ฿150
- Under 90 cm: free
Online booking platforms add a margin on top of gate price — buying at the gate is cheaper unless you’re getting a packaged tour with transport included. Bring cash for the ticket booth and for spending inside; card acceptance at smaller stalls and feeding stations is not reliable.
Visiting duration: Allow a full day (5–6 hours) if you want to cover the main sections properly. The zoo is genuinely large and you won’t see everything in three hours, especially without a cart. If you’re half-daying it, prioritise the African Savannah and giraffe feeding first.
What to see
The zoo divides into several distinct zones. These are the ones worth prioritising.
African Savannah — start here
The African section holds the zoo’s most impressive residents: Masai giraffes, white rhinoceroses, Grant’s zebras, ostriches, and impalas in open enclosures that feel less like zoo cages and more like a fenced savannah. The giraffe and rhino paddocks feel bigger than most city-zoo enclosures — the animals have room to move and you get a different sense of scale from the viewing areas.
Giraffe feeding happens at scheduled times throughout the day (check the board at the main entrance when you arrive). You buy a small bag of leaves for around ฿40–฿60 and the giraffes come right to the fence. They’re not shy — getting a giraffe tongue wrapped around your hand to take a branch is exactly as close as it sounds. Kids love it; so do most adults. Arrive a few minutes before the session starts to get a good spot at the rail.
Elephant encounters
The elephant area runs both feeding sessions and a scheduled show (the swimming/pool demonstration) — check the daily board at the entrance for times. The shows typically run at 11am and 2pm on weekdays, with additional sessions on weekends. There is also an elephant trekking area on site.
Visitors can hand-feed the elephants grass bundles at the fence during feeding sessions — the animals collect with their trunks and it’s close enough to feel real. The shows and rides sit at the more performative end of Thai elephant tourism; if that’s not for you, the feeding session alone is worth attending and the shows are easy to skip. For dedicated ethical elephant experiences with no shows or rides, the Pattaya elephant sanctuary guide covers the better alternatives.
Elephant feeding sessions at Khao Kheow run throughout the day — keepers supervise and provide the food bundles at the fence.
Nocturnal house
One of the better sections in the zoo. The nocturnal house adjusts lighting to reverse the animals’ day/night cycle, so creatures that would normally be sleeping during a daytime visit are active and visible. Slow lorises, binturongs, civets, and several owl species are among the residents. It’s dark inside, so give your eyes a minute to adjust when you enter. Budget around 45 minutes.
Walk-through aviary
A large netted enclosure with 80+ bird species — hornbills, flamingos, various Southeast Asian species you won’t see easily in the wild. You walk among them on a raised path. Some of the hornbills are bold enough to approach if you’re quiet. Worth 30 minutes.
Penguin Cove
Humboldt penguins in a dedicated air-conditioned enclosure — a relief from the heat and surprisingly engaging. The penguin parade runs at 10am and 3pm — the penguins walk a short path guided by a keeper, and it’s more entertaining than it sounds. Aim for the 10am session to avoid midday heat and larger crowds. Good for kids.
Moo Deng and the hippo area
Moo Deng — the pygmy hippopotamus born in July 2024 who went viral worldwide — is now past baby stage and won’t look like the videos from 2024, but she still lives at the zoo. The hippo enclosure draws larger crowds than it used to, particularly on weekends when queues can be slow — visit on a weekday if you want a quieter look. The zoo also houses Mae Mali, one of Thailand’s longest-lived hippos.
Cats Complex Park
48 species of wild cats across a dedicated 40-acre section — lions, tigers, leopards, clouded leopards, and smaller species. The clouded leopard is part of a zoo breeding programme for the species. This section is at the far end of the park, which is why a cart or the free bus helps.
Getting around inside the zoo
Free bus: A hop-on-hop-off bus runs circuits through the main zones. It’s free with admission. This is the sensible choice for families and anyone without a full day — the sections are too spread out to walk comfortably in the heat, especially by midday.
Electric cart rental: Available at the entrance. Faster and more convenient than the bus, but there’s often a queue first thing in the morning — hire one the moment you arrive or you’ll wait 30+ minutes. Costs vary by vehicle size but expect around ฿200–฿400 per hour. Get the cart early and do the far sections first, working back towards the entrance.
Walking: Manageable for the first half of the day if you arrive early and the temperature is below 30°C. By noon in the hot season (March–May) it gets punishing. Pack water, sunscreen, and a hat.
Watch: Khao Kheow Open Zoo full walking tour
4K walkthrough of the zoo covering the main sections — useful for planning which areas to prioritise before you arrive.
Practical tips
Arrive before 9am. Animal feeding sessions for giraffes and elephants run in the morning. The free bus is less crowded. Electric carts are available. By 11am, the main sections fill with school groups and tour buses.
Carry Thai baht in cash. The giraffe feeding bags, snacks inside the zoo, and some smaller rides are cash-only. ฿1,000–฿1,500 covers a comfortable day including food from the zoo’s restaurants (expect ฿150–฿250 for a meal at the canteen).
Wear covered shoes. Sandals work for the paved sections, but several of the enclosure walkways are unpaved gravel. Sneakers are more comfortable for a full day.
Check the show schedule at the entrance gate. Feeding sessions, the penguin parade, and animal presentations run at set times and aren’t always well signposted inside the park. As a rough guide: the Animal Show runs weekdays at 11am, 2pm and 3pm, and weekends at 10:15am, 12:15pm, 2:15pm and 4pm; the Penguin Parade is at 10am and 3pm. Schedules change — confirm at the board when you arrive before planning your route around one event.
Light rain is manageable here. Most animal enclosures have covered viewing sections, and the nocturnal house and aviary are fully enclosed. A wet afternoon doesn’t kill a zoo day the way it would a beach day. In the wet season (June–October), showers tend to be short and heavy — the morning is usually dry.
The zoo is a half-day or full-day, not a morning stop. Don’t combine it with another major destination on the same day. It’s 50km from Pattaya, and by the time you’ve done the main sections properly it’ll be mid-afternoon.
For wider planning on what to do across multiple days in Pattaya, the Pattaya day trips guide has context on how Khao Kheow compares to other options. For families with younger children, the Pattaya family guide covers which activities suit different ages.
FAQ: Khao Kheow Open Zoo from Pattaya
How do you get from Pattaya to Khao Kheow Open Zoo?
No public buses go there. Take a Grab or taxi — around ฿700–฿900 each way from central Pattaya — or book a day tour that includes the transfer. Agree the return fare with the driver before you let them go, because getting a Grab from the zoo entrance at busy times can be slow.
How much does it cost?
Gate price: around ฿300 for foreign adults, ฿150 for children (90–135 cm), free under 90 cm — verify at the gate as prices change. Online booking platforms charge a small premium. Electric cart hire inside adds roughly ฿200–฿400 per hour; the internal bus is free with your ticket.
What are the opening hours?
8am–6pm daily, last entry 5pm. Open every day of the year.
Is it worth the trip from Pattaya?
Yes — if wildlife is on the agenda. The giraffe feeding alone is worth the drive for families with kids. Add the taxi cost to your budget (฿1,400–฿1,800 return for a car, or split it) and arrive early to make the most of the cooler morning hours and feeding sessions.
Can you feed the giraffes?
Yes. Feeding sessions run throughout the day — a bag of leaves costs around ฿40–฿60 and the giraffes lean right over the fence. One of the best hands-on wildlife moments in the Pattaya region.
