Zoologico de Vallarta
Zoologico de Vallarta
4
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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  • Todd A
    Dublin, Ireland12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a fun day and beautiful zoo
    Having grown up in So Cal I have been to some of the best zoos in the world. This is a very Mexican version and given that most, if not all, these animals are rescues from other zoos around the world this was money well spent to support. You can get much closer to animals and there are a lot less 2 legged animals running around here so it can be more intimate with these animals. Coming here pays for the food for these rescued animals and nobody is getting rich off running a zoo in PV. My wife tired to apply here to volunteer to work with the animals (we live a few km away). She was turned down based on the fact that she was not a credentialed zoo expert. They get lots of volunteers from people that have worked in lots of zoos. Go check it out.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 27, 2023
  • Gregg K
    23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't miss the Zoo in Puerto Vallarta
    Ignore all of the negative posts about this zoo. We spent several hours there today and had a great time. All the animals looked healthy and well-fed. Pay a few pesos extra to buy the treat bag with carrots, corn, and pellets to hand feed many of the animals when you walk by. We didn't anything that would cause alarm or raise red flags. The zoo is unique in that is is set in the middle of a jungle with curved and colorful walls and walkways that lead you through the entire zoo. Just stay on the path and you won't miss any of the animals. We hand-fed the giraffe, which was cool, as well as many of the animals. The zoo was a 20-minute Uber ride from Zona Romantica, but you can also catch a city bus for cheap at the corner of Basilla Badillo and Insurgentes. Once you get off the bus, you do have to walk a few blocks to get to the zoo, but the walk is doable. There is a bus stop right on HWY 200 to catch a bus back to downtown Puerta Vallarta. Admission was only $12 and well worth it. Take your time and enjoy the stroll through the zoo. Some sections are uphill because you are on the side of a mountain while at the zoo. It takes a good 2 to 3 hours to see all the animals and feed them.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 15, 2023
  • Cheryl K
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not a regular zoo
    This isn't a zoo that you may be use to but you can feed the animals. They give you a bag of food with your admission price. Please support them. It was a great experience. From the man at the front all the way though the staff were great. Tried to answer all your questions
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 19, 2023
  • Jessica G
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredible!!!
    Best zoo we’ve ever been to! Please look past the negative comments about the smell (it’s a zoo) and the bugs (in a jungle). Do not miss on the incredible opportunity to interact with animals you’ve only seen from far away or on TV. Our family of 5 made memories that will last a lifetime! My oldest is currently trying to find a way to intern there!
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 13, 2023
  • Jane M
    Everett, Washington13 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    PV Zoo in Mismaloya
    I was able to enjoy a leisurely walk seeing all the wonderful animals, but if you are in a wheelchair, scooter, stroller or have mobility challenges I would avoid this zoo. The cobblestone path is very steep and would make any wheeled device very difficult possibly even dangerous. It is in the jungle so don't forget your bug spray! They do sell it, and food for the animals, if you do forget!
    Visited July 2023
    Written August 4, 2023
  • Melanie K
    Castro Valley, California41 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Once in a lifetime
    We took a 45 minute Uber ride from the Marina neighborhood for the amazing interactive experience opportunity to hold the lion and tiger cubs. That was a once in a lifetime experience and we have some amazing memories. We did wish the cages were larger and that there was more glass than cage wire to see the animals better but it was overall an unforgettable experience. I will say if you aren’t paying for the interaction experience then this may not be the zoo for you. But we most definitely enjoyed our time and would do all over again.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 7, 2023
  • Ryan C
    3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was an experience
    We took many photos here, we paid for the feline experience which is a little pricey but you do get to play with cubs that are available. We got to play with a lion cub and lemur. The pathway of stone is cool, wear comfy shoes if you go, it is steep in spots. Able to feed the animals. It was an experience
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 13, 2023
  • Jordan P
    Nanaimo, Canada81 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Enjoyable Afternoon at the Zoo
    We had a nice time at the zoo. The man at the front desk was helpful and friendly, and we opted not to go for the immersive package because it would have been an additional $300USD for the 3 of us. The entire time we were there we only saw one other group of people and we didn't see a single bug, although I would still recommend bringing bug spray. Feeding the animals is the highlight! My 5 year old son got bit by the ostrich but I don't blame the ostrich, he wasn't holding the carrot properly. And he kept all his fingers, along with a story to tell, but he really doesn't like ostriches now. To address the complaints, people need to understand that this isn't the San Diego Zoo. It's a non-profit in a developing country and houses a lot of animals rescued from other places. Yes, many of the cages are on the smaller side, and everything isn't sparkling and shiny, but the animals are being fed and housed and are likely better off here than where they came from. People are complaining that the asiatic bear and tiger are cruelly kept in the heat when they come from places hotter than Mexico! I suggest people do their research before coming because many of the 1-star reviews seem to be from people who had no idea where they were going! It isn't luxurious but you won't get to interact with these types of animals anywhere else. Overall we walked away with smiles on our faces and even though my son got bit he said he had an awesome time. I would recommend!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 18, 2023
  • NJGurl
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    fun- interactive and a good cause.
    read the reviews. I agree with them for the most part. it is worth the visit for the interactive feeding part. The interactive feline/cub was nice, but I dont see the big deal. My kids did it. They pet a tiger cub and a really little one too. The animals seemed tired, disinterested and just kept growling or wanting to get away from the humans. The trip would have been complete even without the feline interactive, but the $$ went to a good cause. warning- its a crazy bumpy ride getting there!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 2, 2024
  • Yuri J
    Vista, California13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    You can''t miss it & it's near a beach!
    This was the favorite part of my trip. You can get really close to the animals and feed the giraffes, ponies, parrots and monkeys. You can also pay more to hold baby tigers and baby lions, but we didn't. The best part is you can walk down to one of the best blue beaches in the area. My kids loved it here. We've visited 7 different zoos in this has been our 2nd favorite.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 26, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0 of 5 bubbles1,158 reviews
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Very good
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Average
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97harley
Great Falls, MT93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Went yesterday and there are some dramatic differences from Zoo's in big Cities like Calgary, Toronto, Omaha or Minneapolis. First of all cost. It's 200 pesos or $12.00 USD. Pretty darn reasonable. Or 1700 pesos if you want to hold a baby tiger or jaguar. We passed on the holding but bought the $5.00 little feed bags, carrots, corn pellets etc. That was cool. Anyway you are 10" away from some of the cats and able to touch some of the rest of the animals. My Wife fed a carrot to a giraffe by holding it in her teeth. Also very cool slobber and all, it not her. It's not as clean as big zoo's but the are working at it all day. We took a bus to Mismolya, from Puerto Vallarta, then a cab. 70 pesos for the cab. Buy your ticket where the bus stops its the same price and helps her.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kimberley B
8 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
The second we arrived in Puerto vallarta we knew we wanted to visit here. I read some reviews which almost put me off & I am so glad I came too see for myself!

Myself and my partner booked the feline cub package and we got to hold a lemur & a bengal tiger cub at 6 weeks old that itself was a phenomenal experience! It worked out around £190 for both us and we also got to explore the zoo which was wonderful and feed the animals!! We also got x2 gifts from the shop included in our package which was amazing.

Overall we had a fantastic time. It would have been nice to have more holding time with the animals which is why we’ve said 4* - however we understand they need their mama’s!

I would also recommend getting the bug spray, we were on cloud 9 about the cubs we forgot to buy it and I ended up covered in around 30 bites! It’s my own fault 😂

Anyway we definitely recommend this to anyone in Puerto vallarta!
Written February 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alisah
St. Lucia22 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
So i was very skeptical to writing my review. I wanted to find out more information about the zoo b4 rating it poorly, hoping I'd find some information to help ease my mind for these poor animal's. But my searches were unsuccessful. I wanted to know if the small concrete enclosures were just for show casing. I wanted to know where these animal's were rescued from. I feel they might just say they rescue these animal's to make us feel better. (It certainly did not) I feel these animals need to be rescued from this zoo. The poor black bears, all the big cats just pacing back and forth is truly heartbreaking/depressing to see. But this will definitely be the last time i ever visit a zoo. And I hope ppl reading the reviews trust us all and dont go and support it.
Praying this place gets shut down sooner then later.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

barbara g
King City39 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
On my visit on 9 November 21, at 9 a.m., the facility was clean, withou trash an no mal odor. ground staff kind and professional.
The majority of the enclosures are larger than those in many US zoos. Others however are much too small. For example one small enclosure contained several juvenial tigers for example 4 walls and nothing else.
The most disturbing, to me, is the lack of stimulation in the form of enrichment for these animals. An empty enclosure with nothing for them to do. Literally 4 walls and water.
In addition one enclosure had a domesticated Mexican hairless dog. Alone. No toys and according to the staff never came out of the enclosure. Dogs are social animals not zoo animals and although Mexican hairless may be rare I'm not sure a zoo is where a dog belongs.
There is much controversey about human contact with handling wild life-cubs.
I was told the cubs were sold to zoos. How many zoos need lions?
There were dozens of rabbits, young and old, and dozens of guiane pigs? Spay - neuter?
The spider monkey area was nice, with trees and a moat to keep them contained. Yet, another monkey was alone, again without any stimulation. Some enclosures did have hanging branches for them to climb.
The panther and 2 of the tigers had great enclosures, integrated into the jungle landscape plenty of room to roan as did the Leopards.
If there is one thing I would encourage is to provide all these animals with enrichment activities to stimulate their minds and find a forever home for the Mexican hairless dog.
The café is spotlessly clean , great view of the zoo and lush forest. I recommend bug spray if you are suseptable.
One must take care not to transfer human emotion onto an animal, anthromorphisim. instead look at the life through the eyes of the animal, their habitat and what makes them, them.
Written November 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jordan P
Nanaimo, Canada81 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We had a nice time at the zoo. The man at the front desk was helpful and friendly, and we opted not to go for the immersive package because it would have been an additional $300USD for the 3 of us. The entire time we were there we only saw one other group of people and we didn't see a single bug, although I would still recommend bringing bug spray. Feeding the animals is the highlight! My 5 year old son got bit by the ostrich but I don't blame the ostrich, he wasn't holding the carrot properly. And he kept all his fingers, along with a story to tell, but he really doesn't like ostriches now.

To address the complaints, people need to understand that this isn't the San Diego Zoo. It's a non-profit in a developing country and houses a lot of animals rescued from other places. Yes, many of the cages are on the smaller side, and everything isn't sparkling and shiny, but the animals are being fed and housed and are likely better off here than where they came from. People are complaining that the asiatic bear and tiger are cruelly kept in the heat when they come from places hotter than Mexico! I suggest people do their research before coming because many of the 1-star reviews seem to be from people who had no idea where they were going! It isn't luxurious but you won't get to interact with these types of animals anywhere else.

Overall we walked away with smiles on our faces and even though my son got bit he said he had an awesome time. I would recommend!
Written December 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gregg K
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Ignore all of the negative posts about this zoo. We spent several hours there today and had a great time. All the animals looked healthy and well-fed. Pay a few pesos extra to buy the treat bag with carrots, corn, and pellets to hand feed many of the animals when you walk by. We didn't anything that would cause alarm or raise red flags. The zoo is unique in that is is set in the middle of a jungle with curved and colorful walls and walkways that lead you through the entire zoo. Just stay on the path and you won't miss any of the animals. We hand-fed the giraffe, which was cool, as well as many of the animals. The zoo was a 20-minute Uber ride from Zona Romantica, but you can also catch a city bus for cheap at the corner of Basilla Badillo and Insurgentes. Once you get off the bus, you do have to walk a few blocks to get to the zoo, but the walk is doable. There is a bus stop right on HWY 200 to catch a bus back to downtown Puerta Vallarta. Admission was only $12 and well worth it. Take your time and enjoy the stroll through the zoo. Some sections are uphill because you are on the side of a mountain while at the zoo. It takes a good 2 to 3 hours to see all the animals and feed them.
Written May 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lacey
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Couples
Despite the negative reviews we had an amazing time! Yes the cages are small and there isn’t much grass however it’s Mexico. It’s super hot and it’s in the mountains it’s to be expected. We paid $90 for the interactive package and was able to hold a baby tiger, lion, snake and raccoon and it was amazing! We recommend purchasing extra bags of food (they’re cheap!) and also bringing inspect repellant as we got bitten so much!!! The zoo wasn’t very busy (4 other families around) but it was very clean and well kept and we would deffo return!!
Written February 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

andycoldham
Crawley, UK908 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
I was in the are and decided despite mixed reviews to give this zoo a chance. I call it the Marmite zoo as you either love it or hate it, I am somewhere in the middle. The entrance fee is US $ 12 which includes a pack of food or US $ 90 if you want the photo package with 5 animals at the end. Extra food can be purchased for US $5 a bag.

Visitors will love the place as you are actively encouraged to feed the animals and its quite rewarding, I have never been to a zoo that allows this before. Feeding the Giraffe and Ostrich in particular was great fun. Visitors follow a well defined route throughout the zoo and right at the end is where the photo session if chosen takes place and this is usually with a boa, a lemur and lion and tiger cubs.

All of the animals seemed to be in good condition and well cared for but some of the cages were a bit on the small side and those animals that lived alone, deed look very bored indeed.

There are toilets at the end and about half way round, but on the day of my visit neither had any paper so my top tip is to bring your own. On the question of tips, the Zoo is sited in a forest and bugs were plentiful, so bring a decent repellent and wear long trousers ( not shorts, my ankles were bitten badly).
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stacy Chris B
Los Angeles, CA25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
One of the best Zoo’s we’ve visited. You can choose to pay the interactive package and pet all kind of exotic animals. The package includes a bag with food to feed the animals while weakling through the Zoo.
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BacardiMan66
Marple, UK404 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Yes, the place looks a little run down, but when you observe closely, the enclosures are large, only a few exceptions to this (Brown Bear for one). The animals have great surroundings and appear to be in good healthy condition.
Ensure you purchase the food bags at the start, it adds to the experience.
Be prepared for to walk both up and down hill, but its worth it.
If you look at my reviews, we always visit the local zoo and this one didnt disappoint.
We took an Uber there and back, which takes you through a local village which is an experience in itself (in a good way).
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Zoologico de Vallarta - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Zoologico de Vallarta

Zoologico de Vallarta is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM