A Day at ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo with Young Children

This guide is for families who moved to Amsterdam from abroad and want a relaxed, well-planned day at ARTIS with young children. It is also useful if you don’t have children and are curious about the zoo. You will learn when to go, how to get there with a pushchair, what to see first while small legs still have energy, and whether an annual membership is worth it for your household.

• Planning the day: hours and tickets
• Getting there with a pushchair
• What to see with young children
• Food, payment and access
• Does an annual membership pay off?
• FAQ

Planning the day: hours and tickets

ARTIS opens every day, public holidays included. According to the ARTIS frequently asked questions page, the zoo is open from 9:00 to 18:00 between 1 March and 31 October. From 1 November to 28 February it closes an hour earlier, at 17:00. If you are planning an autumn visit, check which timetable applies on your date.

With toddlers, go early. If you arrive close to opening, you see the animals while everyone is fresh, and you can still be home for a nap. The two museums on Artisplein keep shorter hours. ARTIS-Micropia is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. ARTIS-Groote Museum has the same daytime hours and stays open until 22:00 on Thursday evenings.

Ticket prices vary by day and are always cheaper online. At the ticket office, zoo tickets cost €1 more. You no longer have to make a reservation. An online ticket covers the whole day, although the system assigns each ticket a time slot to spread the crowds. If you want to add Micropia or the Groote Museum, you can book a combination rate online or at the ticket office. ARTIS does not publish a single fixed price, so check its own site for current prices on your chosen day.

Discounts are available with a Museum Pass, a VriendenLoterij VIP card or a CJP card, and students also pay a reduced rate. Refugees get free entry to the park, Micropia and the Groote Museum on presentation of proof of refugee status.

For a short visit after school, the ARTIS Zoo page lists a weekday entry from 16:00 for €15, available from September. In winter the zoo closes at 17:00, which leaves you about an hour. That is long enough to visit one or two favourite animals but not enough for a full outing.

Getting there with a pushchair

The zoo is at Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 1018 CZ Amsterdam. With a pushchair, tram 14 is the easiest option. It runs from Amsterdam Centraal to the ARTIS stop, which is just around the corner from the Main Entrance. Trams 7 and 19 stop at Alexanderplein, about ten minutes’ walk away. By metro, take line 51, 53 or 54 from Centraal to Waterlooplein, then walk for about ten minutes. Buses 22 and 43 run from Centraal to Kadijksplein, also a ten-minute walk.

If you drive, the car park is past the Main Entrance at Plantage Kerklaan 40, a 150-metre walk from the gate. You can’t reserve a space, and on busy days it fills up. If it’s full, ARTIS suggests the Markenhoven car park or a P+R location with public transport for the rest of the trip. An all-day parking ticket from the ticket office costs €17.00, or €14.50 for members. Without one, you pay the hourly rate of €6.73 at the machine in the car park.

A more scenic option in summer is the Culture Ferry, which sails on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from April to October between 11:00 and 16:00. Get off at Entrepotdok or Plantage Muidergracht.

What to see with young children

ARTIS has around 300 animal species, 800 trees and 26 national monuments spread over more than 185 years of history. You won’t see everything in one visit with a three-year-old, and you don’t need to. Download the free ARTIS app or pick up the map, choose a handful of animals, and let the rest of the day happen.

Start with the elephants. Sanuk’s calf was born on Wednesday 4 February, and for the first time in ARTIS history two calves are growing up in the herd. Young children can watch small elephants copy the adults for a surprisingly long time.

The Aquarium and the Planetarium are both included in a zoo ticket, which is handy when it rains. The Planetarium shows run every day in the large dome and take you from planet Earth out through the solar system. Check the daily schedule for show times, because these fix the shape of your day. ARTIS Talks, where zookeepers explain how they feed, train and care for the animals, work well for children who ask a lot of questions. On Saturdays and Sundays, a guided tour is included in the ticket price.

Adults get plenty from the day as well. The historic botanical garden, the old buildings and the Japanese Garden reward a slower walk, ideally while a small child sleeps in the pushchair. For an evening without the children, the Groote Museum’s late Thursday opening is worth keeping in mind.

Food, payment and access

You are welcome to bring your own food, which keeps costs down and helps with picky eaters. Just make sure your children understand that the animals get their own food and must not be fed. There are several restaurants and cafés on site, but you can’t reserve a table. If your child has a serious allergy, take note: ARTIS warns that its kitchens handle many products, so traces of allergens are possible, and it advises bringing your own food if that risk is too high.

ARTIS accepts card payments only, with no cash. Pushchairs are allowed, as are walking bikes and scooters for children up to 3 years old. Most of the grounds are accessible by wheelchair, walker and mobility scooter, apart from the entrance to the Japanese Garden. Dogs and other pets are not allowed, though registered assistance dogs are welcome.

Does an annual membership pay off?

According to the ARTIS membership page, membership costs €96 a year for anyone aged 18 and over and €72 for children aged 3 to 17. Children aged 0 to 2 are free. Households get €25 off from the third member onwards. Membership gives unlimited access to the zoo, ARTIS-Micropia and ARTIS-Groote Museum. It also includes 25% off additional tickets, 10% off in the restaurants and shop, the ARTIS Magazine twice a year, and discounts on parking, events and some other zoos.

ARTIS says membership pays for itself in three visits. For families living in Amsterdam, that is easy to reach. The zoo makes a reliable plan for a grey Sunday, a quick Wednesday afternoon or a visit from relatives. Members also get three Bring-a-Friend coupons per household per year, each valid for all three locations, which helps when grandparents come over from abroad.

You don’t have to decide in advance. If you take out a membership within three weeks of a visit, ARTIS deducts what you paid for those tickets. If you bought tickets online, you will receive a discount code by email a few days after your visit. Your card arrives by post within two weeks, or you can have it printed at the ticket office on your first visit as a member.

FAQ

Do I need to book a time slot for ARTIS?

No, reservations are no longer compulsory. An online ticket is valid for the whole day, and the system assigns it a time slot automatically to help spread visitors. If you already have a museum ticket or a Museum Pass, you don’t need to reserve an extra slot.

Can I pay with cash at ARTIS?

No. ARTIS accepts card payments only, so bring a bank card. Buying zoo tickets online also saves money, because they cost €1 more at the ticket office.

What happens to our tickets if a child falls ill?

Tickets can’t be refunded. You can reschedule once to a new date within one year of purchase by calling the public service department on +31 (0)20 5233 670.

Are pushchairs and children’s scooters allowed?

Yes. Pushchairs are welcome, and so are walking bikes and scooters for children up to 3 years old. Most paths are accessible with wheels, apart from the entrance to the Japanese Garden.

Official sources: artis.nl · artis.nl · artis.nl

Last checked: 10 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.