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What to See & Do at the LA Zoo—an Insider’s Guide to the 133 Acre Park

Mischievous meerkats? Most definitely. Territorial tigers? Totally. Slithering snakes? Sssssertainly. There’s no better place to turn your own wild animals loose than within the spacious grounds of the Los Angeles Zoo that is home to more than 2,100 mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles representing more than 270 different species, of which more than 58 are endangered. And while the zoo is a wonderful place to explore and observe, you can make your visit even better with our in-the-know tips on everything from which exhibits to see and where to get the best eats . Who knows, maybe your kids will soon be leading zoo tours of their very own!

What’s New at the Los Angeles Zoo

If you haven't visited the Los Angeles Zoo recently, there's been some new animals added to the 133 acre park. 

Two new chimpanzees: 22-year-old, Pu’iwa and 8-year-old, Mshindi have arrived and while they are still getting integrated, guests can catch a peek of them in the penthouse habitat which can be viewed from the perimeter of the Safari Shuttle.

And this past April, Masai giraffes, Zainbu and Phillip, welcomed a healthy male calf that stands 6 ft. and 7in. tall—the tallest calf in LA Zoo history! Visitors are invited to view the new calf bonding with mom and dad along with the rest of the giraffe herd, weather permitting.

Everyone has their favorite animals they’re dying to see and when interests vary between kids, it can feel daunting to make everyone happy. Our recommendation is to create a list of the highest priority animals that each member of your pack wants to visit. If the animal is not out when you stop by, ask a nearby volunteer or docent when the animals may out and about again—they are also full of great info about the animals.

Here’s an itinerary that has worked for us and will help make the most of your time at the zoo.

1. Take a quick peek at Reggie the Alligator sunning himself on his favorite rock.

2. Say hi to the pretty-in-pink flamingos as you walk past—make sure to hold your nose cause they are stinky!

3. Then slither over to the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles) . Housed in two, side-by-side buildings, these 49 beautifully themed exhibits feature snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, lizards, frogs, salamanders and other creepy crawlies are sure to knock the scales off of your tiny tadpoles. For those who are looking for a bigger reptile fix, head to the Australia section and drop in on the world’s largest lizard at the Komodo Dragon exhibit.

4. From there, swing over to the Wasserman Family Thai Pavilion at the Elephants of Asia habitat to check out the zoo’s 7,000-pound pachyderms in action. The exhibit features four spectacular viewing areas to watch beloved elephants: Billy, Tina, Jewel and Shaunzi. In addition to the large demonstration yard and stunning waterfall, zookeepers hide treats throughout the habitat for elephants to discover.

5. After you stop for lunch, we recommend heading over to the gorilla habitat. The shady seats by the window are a lovely spot to digest and kids can spend lots of time watching the gentle giants lumber, eat and play. Much like your own young, the juvenile gorillas get pretty feisty after lunch making them even more fun to observe (and relate to).

Insider Tip: For a few extra bucks, you might want to take the Safari Shuttle to the top of the zoo and then walk back toward the entrance, which is mostly downhill. When you get to the top, stop by the Neil Papiano Play Park—because no matter how much you want to check out the animals, your child’s favorite spot is bound to be the playground (where they can go wild and you can have a moment of zen).

As you begin your descent downhill, swing by the Rainforest of the Americas. This two-story Amazonian stilt house serves as an impressive gateway to this multi-species jungle adventure. Here you'll see all sorts of rainforest creatures like howler monkeys, jaguars, otters and stingrays.

Insider Tip: If you're here on the weekend, before heading home, catch a ride on the the Tom Mankewicz Conservation Carousel. It is a does make for a perfect ending to your zoo adventure. Tickets are $3 per ride.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Los Angeles Zoo (@lazoo)

Where & What to Eat at the Los Angeles Zoo

If you opt to bring food from home, our favorite picnic spot is on the shaded steps in front of the chimpanzee exhibit. Watch the chimps do their thing in a habitat Jane Goodall would be proud, while refueling for the rest of your day.

The Neil Papiano Play Park also has picnic tables and restrooms, making it a convenient eating spot, but be forewarned that this place is busiest from noon to 1 p.m. Next to the play area is an edible garden where volunteers grow certain plants as special treats for the animals such as roses, figs, and beets. Catnip grown in this very space provides hours of play for the Zoo’s resident cat population (hey, tigers just want to have fun!).

If bringing your own food isn’t your thing, there are plenty of places throughout the zoo to purchase lunch and special treats. Check out the newly opened Bean Sprouts Cafe—a kid-friendly dining option that specializes in healthy foods for kids and adults including pizza, smoothies, and sandwiches as well as "Imaginibbles," a signature line of themed, hand-held foods designed to make eating healthy fun. 

The Zoo Grill is also a safe bet with some pretty darn delicious chicken tender baskets, hot and cold sandwiches and a decent variety of healthy kids' meals. Or if you want something with more of an upscale feel, check out the gourmet salad and sandwich options at Reggie’s Bistro at the front of the zoo.

And don't forget dessert! The churro sundae with chocolate sauce and whipping cream from the Churro Factory will give everyone the energy kick they need to get through the day.

Everything You Need to Know Before You Go to the LA Zoo

• Advance online reservations are required, and walk-up tickets are not recommended or guaranteed.
• Last entry to the zoo is 3:45 p.m.
• Pack sunscreen, water, snacks, camera, baby wipes and hand sanitizer.
• Don’t feel like lugging a stroller? Rent one at the zoo for $10 (double strollers are $14).
• Here’s the buzz on bees—they love sweet treats like cotton candy and snow cones so keep an eye out. Also, leave sugary drinks at home.
• Need cash? There’s an ATM located at the front of the zoo, just past the International Marketplace. 
• Small coolers and picnic baskets are welcome on zoo grounds. However, glassware and small plastic items such as straws and cup lids are not.
• The LA Zoo is completely wheelchair accessible. From large print maps and wheelchairs for rent to service dogs and guided tours, kids with special needs will be well accommodated!

The LA Zoo Has Received KultureCity's Sensory Inclusion Certificate This mean the LA Zoo supports and provides an enhanced experience for Angelenos with autism, dementia, PTSD, and other sensory needs. According to the Zoo, "If you need support, head to the International Marketplace where you'll find sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads, available to all guests who may benefit from their use. And prior to visiting the Zoo, families can download the free KultureCity App from the App or Google Play Stores where they can view what sensory features are available at the Zoo and where they can access them. Also, on the app, is the Social Story, which will provide a preview of what to expect while enjoying a day at the L.A. Zoo. Guests interested in knowing more about the new sensory inclusive experience at the L.A. Zoo should visit the Zoo’s website ."

The Best Time to Go to the Los Angeles Zoo

If it jives with your schedule, try to hit up the zoo during the week right after they open when most families are at school or work. Obviously, weekends seem easier for visits, but they’re a total “zoo” people wise.

The earlier in the day you can go, the better as the animals are more active in the mornings, and parking is plentiful! You’ll also get a jump on the heat and avoid those mid-afternoon meltdowns (yours and your kiddos’). Animals start to go inside for the night at 4 p.m., so be sure to allow enough time to see everything before then.

Another great time to visit? Chilly or overcast days often mean that you'll have the zoo all to yourself and you're likely to see animals that hide out on warmer, sunnier days.

Insider Tip: The cycad garden at the front of the zoo contains some of the world’s oldest plant species—so valuable that they contain GPS chips to prevent theft. In fact, these are the exact plants that dinosaurs ate! Be sure to point these incredible specimens out to your little herbivores on the way out of (or into) the zoo.

Good to Know: Want to take your zoo experience on the road? The Los Angeles Zoo sometimes offers travel packages to visit far-flung places where the zoo is making a difference in global wildlife and habitat conservation. Currently on the docket? A 13-day wildlife safari to Botswana. For more information, contact Melissa Grossenbacher at: [email protected] .

Currently Closed Due to COVID-19

As of press time, some of the LA Zoo attractions remain closed due to COVID-19. Out of abundance of caution for the animals, zoo staff and guests, the following activities and exhibits are closed, but please keep checking the LA Zoo website for further updates and possible re-openings.

• Muriel’s Ranch Contact Yard 
• Angela Collier World of Birds Theater & Show
• Talks & Presentations 
• Giraffe Feedings
• Flamingo Mingle
• Treetops Terrace
• California Condor Rescue Zone
• Face Painting
• Caricature Artists
• Australia House
• Various Roundhouses (please refer to signage at those locations for specifics)

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day Cost: Ticket prices run $22 for adults (ages 13 – 61), $17 for children (ages 2 – 12) and infants (ages 0-23 months) are free.

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden 5333 Zoo Dr. Online:  lazoo.org

–Jenifer Scott & Jennifer O’Brien

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Combined Shape .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} region-beach-cities-lax region-downtown region-hollywood region-valley region-westside .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} SMS Main navigation Things to Do Attractions & Tours Arts & Culture Outdoors & Wellness Shopping Family Hidden Gems Luxury Pet-Friendly Eat & Drink Bars Clubs Dine LA Restaurant Week Restaurants Business Spotlight Find Events Itineraries Where to Stay Celebrate LA Heritage AAPI Heritage Black LA Latino Heritage LGBTQ+ Tourist Information Meetings About LA Tourism Travel Trade Membership Business Spotlight Media Research Careers Today's must read The Guide to Outdoor Music in Los Angeles Log in Search Search Things to Do Attractions & Tours The Guide to the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens by Discover Los Angeles   May 10, 2023 Share Been There Login Register My Next Trip Login Register Attractions Opened in November 1966, the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens  is one of the city’s most popular destinations, drawing nearly two millions visitors each year, and for good reason. It is home to more than 2,100 animals representing over 270 species, many rare or endangered. So whatever your favorite - meerkats or mandrills, komodo dragons or kangaroos - chances are you’ll get to see them here. Cool, overcast days offer some of the best viewing opportunities. But even on a hot summer afternoon there's plenty to see and do. The L.A. Zoo is open 10am to 5pm every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (December 25).

Getting Around

The Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens spans 133 acres. There's lots of walking, so comfortable shoes are a must. Strollers, wheelchairs, and scooters are available to rent on a first come, first served basis. Purchases must be made with a credit card. The rentals are sanitized before and after each use.

Another option is the Safari Shuttle , which stops at six different spots along the perimeter of the zoo. There is an additional charge to use the shuttle. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids 2-12. You can ride it as often as you like.

KultureCity

In March 2022, the Los Angeles Zoo was certified by world-renowned non-profit KultureCity as a sensory inclusive venue. The Zoo joins over 900 other KultureCity certified venues in five countries serving those with sensory needs.

At the International Marketplace, sensory bags equipped with noise canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads will be available to all guests who may benefit from their use. Prior to visiting the Zoo, families should download the free KultureCity App from the App or Google Play Stores, where they can view what sensory features are available at the Zoo and where they can access them. Also on the app is the Social Story, which will provide a preview of what to expect while enjoying a day at the L.A. Zoo.

If you are a family of four with school-age kids and you plan to visit the zoo more than once in the coming months, it is well worth becoming a member at the Family level . You’ll enjoy unlimited free visits during your membership, express zoo entry, members' only exhibit previews, docent led tours, discounts at zoo gift shops and restaurants, and free or discounted admission to more than 170 zoos and aquariums, including 15 in California.

Discover LA Newsletter

thirteen things to keep in mind when Visiting  Los angeles zoo

Opening hours

Los Angeles Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day of the year. The last entry is at 3.45 pm, and animals start to go in for the night at 4 pm.

Duration required

Exploring Los Angeles Zoo with kids typically takes three hours, and taking a lunch break can extend the time. However, visitors who want to wrap up soon can cover most animal exhibits within 90 minutes.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Los Angeles Zoo is when they open at 10 am. Visiting at this time can help you participate in giraffe feedings at 11 am and see the World of Birds show at 12 and 2 pm.

Safari shuttle

The zoo shuttle stops at six places where guests can get on and off. The Safari Shuttle starts at 10 am and continues till 5 pm. The last trip departs at 3:30 pm.

Giraffe Feeding

Feeding the Giraffe starts daily from 11 am to 2.30 pm, and you must purchase three acacia stems for $5. A zoo keeper stands nearby to share information about the animal.

Keeper talks

The keepers know everything about their animals and behaviors, which is an excellent opportunity to learn more. Keeper talk happens in different animal habitats, so check the day’s schedule.

Check for Events

The Los Angeles Zoo offers a variety of shows and activities throughout the year. Check the zoo's website or information booth for schedules and information.

Beat the heat

The sun can be strong in Los Angeles, so it's important to bring sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from the sun.

Carry the map

Carrying the Los Angeles Zoo's map is highly recommended for traveling with kids because it will save time finding the various exhibits and helps identify visitor services.

Comfortable shoes

With more than two thousand animals to see, you will be doing a lot of walking, so wearing comfortable clothing and footwear is recommended.

Take a break

The Los Angeles Zoo California has many food and drink sites that offer various dining options. With all the walking, take a break to recharge yourself.

Book in advance

Los Angeles Zoo tickets are timed, so purchasing the ticket at the venue is not recommended or guaranteed. It is wiser to book the Los Angeles Zoo tickets online in advance.

Entry tickets

This Los Angeles Zoo ticket gets access to all exhibits, keeper talks, feeding sessions, and shows. The last entry to the Zoo is at 3:45 p.m.

Atlanta Zoo

Tips to visit.

Best Things To See At The Los Angeles Zoo

by Rina Nehdar | Feb 16, 2016 | Day Trips From Los Angeles , Destinations , Family Adventures , USA , West Coast

(This article may or may not contain affiliate links. What does that mean?)

I’m not really a zoo person. I want to get excited about the animals and the obscure, rare anacondas crawling around the other creepy bugs ~ but I know if I actually encountered those things in the wild, I’d probably step on them. Or throw something at them since I’d probably be too busy screaming to get close enough to do that. Plus, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking about those undercover expose’s of how these poor captive animals get abused. Or maybe that’s the circus but regardless, now I have kids and for them, I’ll pretend to be excited. I want them to be excited about nature and wildlife. I want them to grow up and feel a sense of responsibility to protect and preserve as much of that natural life as possible so the corporations don’t take them all away. So when I got an invitation from LA Parent to attend a private showcase of some exhibits accompanied with behind-the-scenes zookeeper tours, I really did get excited. Excited enough to drive from Agoura Hills to the LA Zoo on a Saturday morning to be there by 8:30. But they were kind enough to feed us breakfast first so that was one thing I could cross off the morning to-do list.

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We started with introductions from the zoo president, Karen B. Winnick, and zoo director, John R. Lewis that talked about the programs we could expect in the near future. Santa and his reindeer came in December, of course, for a Reindeer Romp. It’s actually an excellent opportunity to use your kid’s interest in Christmas to learn tidbits about the real animals who will be visiting the zoo starting December. We’ll have to keep it in mind for next year. There will also be a promising-sounding nighttime event called LA Zoo Lights in December. I’m sure we’ll be schlepping back there for that, too, because animals at night surrounded by lasers and light shows sounds too good to pass up.

Why are you taking a picture of me eating? © Rina Nehdar

Muffins for breakfast!? Woohoo!  © Rina Nehdar

But back to our zoo day. The first exhibit we visited was the Harbor Seals. These are the guys you see around the ports swimming around the big cargo ships. Apparently, many of them are blind because they get cataracts in the wild…maybe from all the ocean pollution?….and the ones that get injured or are obviously impaired, get brought to zoos and live in the lap of luxury surrounded by admiring children and fed a daily diet of sardines and fried calamari. No. Probably not fried but it sounds yummy to this Russian girl! Not so much to her American hubby. Jessica, the keeper who takes care of these guys said, Alfred the current occupant is blind but uses his whiskers like fingers to “see” what’s around him. Alfred’s offspring were also born with vision problems but because they were lucky enough to have access to the great vets at the zoo, their vision was restored after cataracts surgery. Jessica thinks of these guys as her babies since she doesn’t have any babies of her own. At least she’s not getting up in the middle of the night to change diapers or nurse them, but that’s sweet that she’s so fond of them.

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You can kinda see the sea lions behind these handsome guys if you squint. © Rina Nehdar

Then we visited the Meerkats, who resembled flashers as they warmed their bodies in the morning sun.

Watch out! It’s the police! © Rina Nehdar

Did you know flamingos are born grey and white? I didn’t either. They turn pink from eating shrimp and carrots.

Put another shrimp on the barbie dahling!  © Rina Nehdar

They also lay conical-shaped eggs so they don’t roll out of the nest.

Yep, that’s an egg.  © Rina Nehdar

That seems so practical. I wonder why the other birds don’t do that? Oh wait…… Tomistomas are in the crocodile family so no one is cuddling up with them. I thought the most interesting thing about them is they grow their entire lives. They may not be the perfect pet but I feel the sprinkles of a good children’s story here….maybe something to do with a bathtub…..

I am very big and scary.  © Rina Nehdar

There’s only so much my five and seven-year-olds can take since they’re not picturing bathtubs and catastrophes with runaway animals….so we got to the gorillas just in time.

Gorillas! Cool!  © Rina Nehdar

Turns out gorillas are vegetarians. We arrived at feeding time and got to see their healthy array of leafy greens, fennel, and onion being thrown over the wall to them. They walked around clutching their prizes and sat in the shade to devour their goodies. Their bulbous bellies leave plenty of room for all the gas that is produced by their diet. Momma would be proud of their healthy choices (though she might not be able to sit in the same room for too long!)

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Not much hunting going on here.  © Rina Nehdar

No, you cannot have any!  © Rina Nehdar

One cutie pie walked around with his blanky covering his back. He would stop every so often and cuddle with it like a typical toddler. Such a sweet, little 400 pound marshmallow!

Finally, we visited what promised to be the Elephant Enrichment Center. Now, when I think of elephants, zoos and circuses, I think of abuse. Maybe it’s the over-sensationalized mainstream media looking for stories – but I don’t think so. I think throughout history, those floppy-eared pachyderms have gotten pretty worked by those taking advantage of their sweet natures. Read Water for Elephants if you don’t believe me. But this experience promised to be different. We joined a crowd of people mutely watching what appeared to be an elephant in the midst of getting a pedicure.

Well. I waited and watched and listened to the keeper telling us about how important it was to get the mud out from between the elephant’s hoofs and how the keepers meticulously washed the bottoms of their legs and scrubbed them clean and it reminded me that I hadn’t had a pedicure in quite some time and I put that on my list of things to do in the near future.

These elephants didn’t look like they were being abused so I left feeling reassured and longing for a foot rub. Next, we visited the lions because you can’t go to the zoo and not see the lions.

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Since we were on our own at this point (the tour had ended with the gorillas) there wasn’t anyone telling us any nifty facts about the lions so I tried to read the signs attached to the enclosures to educate my children, who at this point were more concerned with the water guns being sold by the vendors lining the paths around the zoo. Come on! I was trying to make up in volume what they lacked in enthusiasm for lion trivia.  I finally had to use the water pistols as leverage to maintain calm until my wild animals reached the exit. Everyone made it out alive and they wanted to come back. I call that success.

they only look tame

When You Go

Check your traffic app, because, you know. LA!

This is an excellent discount site for rental cars ! We’ve literally saved hundreds using it.

To get discounts on tours in the area, we recommend Get Your Guide or Viator (which offers 51% off last-minute tours!).

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Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Visiting the  LA Zoo at Griffith Park is one of the Top Things to Do in LA with Kids . It is not as well known as the San Diego Zoo to the south, although it occupies a little bit bigger footprint at 133 acres. It only has about a third the number of animals, giving both the animals and the people more space. It can seem rather sparse on a hot or rainy day when the animals are all taking shelter.

I'm not a huge fan of keeping animals confined, and I find it especially hard to look at the monkeys behind bars, but I realize that for most Angelenos and visitors, it will be their only opportunity to see these animals in person.

Many of the 1100+ individual animals at the LA Zoo are endangered species, and the Zoo's successful breeding programs have helped to increase their numbers, including helping to bring the California Condor back from the brink of extinction. Breeding partnerships with other zoos help keep up the genetic diversity of animals born in the zoo.

How Long Does It Take to Visit the LA Zoo

If your kids don't want to hang out for a half hour in front of each exhibit, play on the playground and see all the shows, you can see pretty much everything in two or three hours. If your kids will want to sit in front of the chimpanzees and watch them like a TV show and participate in all the interactive activities, you could spend the full 7 open hours from 10 to 5 with lunch and playground breaks.

Highlights of the LA Zoo

• Elephants of Asia , which opened in 2010, is the largest exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo. Three Asian elephants, a bull, and two cows have access to six acres of habitat incorporating plants from China, Thailand, Cambodia, and India as well as a bathing pool and waterfall. The interpretive areas incorporate sculptures and buildings that reflect these cultures and tell the story of the role of elephants in these countries. There's also a sculptural comparison of Asian and African elephants in Elephant Plaza. More on the Elephants of Asia exhibit.
• Campo Gorilla Reserve is a West African jungle habitat that is home to seven gorillas. There's an area where the gorillas can come right up to a thick plexiglass wall and hang out with you and another open area where you can observe them unobstructed in a hilly area.​
• Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains features a troop of 17 African chimps including four generations born at the zoo. It's one of the largest troops in any American zoo, housed in two habitat areas which divide the family units from the bachelor chimps. In the lower habitat, chimps can come and hang out right next to a glass wall, giving you a nice close-up view.​
• LAIR - Living Amphibians, Invertebrates and Reptiles is an indoor exhibit featuring some of the rarest species, many that can not be found at any other zoo in the world. Outside the building, Oak Woodland Pond is designed to draw local species from Griffith Park to make their homes there. Inside 60 species from snakes and iguanas to poison dart frogs are hosted in 49 exhibit environments from desert to swamp.​
• More Favorites: Other popular individuals and groups scattered throughout the zoo are the Indian rhino, zebras, giraffes, meerkats, koalas, wallabies, snow leopards, Nubian ibex, the golden lion tamarin, the regal Tajik Markhor, the rare Mountain Tapir and Reggie the Alligator who greets you near the front gate, just to name a few. But there's no hippopotamus unless you count the one on the carousel.

Botanical Gardens

Not every plant at the Los Angeles Zoo is considered part of the Botanical Gardens. Only the 800 or so labeled species are officially part of the database. There are several native California gardens, but many of the plants in the collection are part of the native habitats for the different world regions represented and provide food and shade for the animals. Other rare plants have been transferred to the zoo permanently or temporarily from US Customs, who confiscated them from travelers illegally bringing them into the country.

LA Zoo Activities

Winnick Family Zoo is a section of the zoo which includes

• Muriel's Ranch Animal Contact is a petting zoo with sheep and goats, including tiny miniature goats.
• Animals and You - 15-minute animal encounters scheduled 2 or 3 times a day
• Additional animal and bird exhibits

Elephant Training Demonstrations are offered daily at 11 am at the Wasserman Family Thai Pavilion at the Elephants of Asia habitat.​

Neil Papiano Play Park is an animal-themed playground for kids to climb on all the way at the back of the zoo. There's also a picnic area.

The Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carrousel near the Treetop Terrace Cafe is not your traditional horse carousel. A wide variety of real and mythical creatures from a sea lion and a praying mantis to a unicorn are at your merry disposal for a small fee.

The California Condor Rescue Zone is a supervised activity area for kids 6 and up that's only open Friday through Sunday and on holidays. It's located in the Children's Discover Center to the right of the entrance as you're entering from the parking lot.

The Indian Rhino VIP Tour is offered weekends and holidays for an additional fee for guests 4-years-old and older.​

Cell Phone Audio Tour - call (866) 933-4005 for English or call (866) 933-4006 for Spanish from your cell phone when you're at the zoo to follow the audio tour. You can also download the audio to your iPod or MP3 player here before you go.​

Guided Tours are available by reservation.

Dining at the LA Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo has a variety of eating options, from nice sit-down restaurants to snack carts.

Zoo Grill , at the entry to the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, serves hot carved sandwiches, chicken tenders, healthy kid’s meals, specialty salads, ice cream and cold drinks. This is the only spot with indoor searing if you need to get out of the summer heat or winter chill, as well as an outdoor patio.

Reggie’s Bistro is LA Zoo’s gourmet quick service restaurant serving unique salads, burgers and sandwiches in a trendy setting with ample outdoor seating next to the gift shops and the American alligator, Reggie.

Café Pico is a counter snack bar with Mexican food favorites, including beef, chicken, or carnitas sopes, burritos, and tacos, Mexican beers, aguas frescas, and ice cold soda. Outdoor seating on a tree-shaded patio.

The Gorilla Grill , across from the gorilla exhibit, serves Philly sandwiches, Jodi Maroni sausage, onion rings, kid’s meals, french fries and hot dogs.​

Mahale Café , near the chimpanzee and giraffe exhibits, features hand-tossed pizza, draft beer, grilled chicken and burger baskets, kids meals, hot dogs, salads and deli sandwiches.​

Sweet Treats has two locations, one next to Zoo Grill and the other near the Mahale Café. They serve ice cream, Icees, cotton candy, popcorn, and sodas.​

Churro Factory serves hot churros filled with caramel, Bavarian cream, strawberry or plain, as well as the churro sundae with chocolate sauce and whipping cream. They also serve pretzels, popcorn, and soft drinks.​

La Casita is at the crossroads near the tram station and features fresh-popped popcorn, cotton candy, cookies and soft drinks.

Photo Tips for the LA Zoo

Taking photos of the animals at the Los Angeles Zoo can be a challenge, since the Zoo is only open during the harshest lighting hours of the day, and many of the animals like to hide from the mid-day sun. Here are a few tips to improve your chances of getting good photos. Cloudy days can make nice portrait lighting for close-ups of the animals, but it can also be very drab if the background doesn't have enough contrast to the animal. Try to get some greenery or flowers behind your subject, or a background that is a couple stops lighter or darker than the animal to make them stand out. Zoom in close to crop out distracting backgrounds for animal portraits. Use fill flash. Especially in contrasting sunshine, using fill flash to open up the shadows and add a little eye light can save a challenging photo situation. Include people in the shot to give a sense of scale. Try different views. There are a variety of different vantage points to view many of the exhibits, so don't stop with one. Move around to change your view and the context of the photo. Try different lenses. A long zoom is great for getting close up portraits and blurring backgrounds. A wide angle lets you stand next to the giraffe exhibit and get the whole giraffe, as well as being right up close with your friends and family and including them in the shot. After three PM the light starts getting a little less harsh but it can also be extra hot in summer, so the animals may still seek shade. When there's no special event, they start putting the animals inside at 4 pm. Bring your patience. Getting a precious moment with the animals or people may happen in your first frame, but more likely, you'll have to wait a while before the animals (and people) provide a decisive moment. Photo Day - If you want to get great zoo photos (not to be used commercially without zoo permission), keep an eye out for the annual photo night in October, or special events that run into the early evening.

Annual Events at the LA Zoo

Sex and the City Zoo - a romantic lesson in animal mating near Valentines Day in February

Big Bunny's Spring Fling celebration of spring in March or April

Earth Day Expo in April

Beastly Ball fundraiser in June

Roaring Nights - select Friday nights June through August

Brew at the Zoo - adult evening event in August

Boo at the Zoo takes place for the whole month of October. 

Annual Photo Day at the Zoo in November

Reindeer Romp - End of November through New Year's

LA Zoo Lights is a Christmas Holiday light exhibit throughout the Zoo.

Discounts for the LA Zoo

A Combo Ticket with the LA Zoo and Aquarium of the Pacific saves about $8 if you're planning to go to both.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is included in the Go Los Angeles Card discount card.

Reggie the Alligator

Reggie is an American Alligator just to the right near the entrance of the Los Angeles Zoo. Reggie was rescued from Lake Machado on the Palos Verde Peninsula in LA, where he had been abandoned and lived for almost two years before being captured by city staff. Zoo staff estimate that he's between 12 and 20 years old. He's 7 feet 6 inches long and weighs 118 pounds.

The natural habitat of American Alligators is in fresh water rivers, lakes, streams, canals, and swamps in the Southeast United States.

Flamingo at the LA Zoo

This American Flamingo keeps company with its paler pink cousins, the Chilean Flamingo and the Greater Flamingo at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Grevy's Zebra at the LA Zoo

The Grevy's Zebra, like those at the LA Zoo, was named for a former president of France, Jules Grevy, who received the first known specimen in 1882. It is the largest of the three Zebra species.

Meerkat at the LA Zoo

This meerkat is one of a colony of African meerkats that has been part of the Los Angeles Zoo since 1988.

Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains at the LA Zoo

Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains at the LA Zoo includes several ways to view the chimps, both unobstructed, like this, and through glass.

Hominids Behind Glass at the LA Zoo

Who is really behind the glass in the Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains exhibit at the LA Zoo, the chimps, or the people?

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Everything you need to know before going to Los Angeles zoo

The rainforest is a home

Campo gorilla reserve, sea life cliffs, red ape rain forest, 1) best time to visit la zoo:, 2) how to get to la zoo and parking information:, 3) tickets for la zoo:, 4) fun rides to explore:, 1. roaringnights:, 2. creature camp out:, 3. world elephant day celebration:, 4. la zoo lights celebration, how to plan your day in la zoo, where to eat near la zoo, play park in la zoo:, attractions near la zoo:.

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The Los Angeles Zoo is a home for various rare species of animals, as they recreate an environment which is almost similar to their natural habitat for the animals to live through. The zoo also exhibits an appreciation of wildlife and educate the visitors on rare and unknown facts about each and every animal. The La Zoo also works towards the welfare of the animals. They support programs that preserve biodiversity and conserve the natural habitat. They have different departments to adhere to the different responsibilities of the zoo. They collaboratively work towards the betterment and preservation of macro and microorganisms living there. Few Zoos also incorporate sitting parks and children parks,which will enhance the experience for the visitors and tourists.

Highlights of Los Angeles zoo

This Tropical Rainforest themed Zoo is full of lush green trees of various species, with different animals, creeping and crawling around. So, the Zoo has taken effort to create a state-of-the-art exhibit on tropical rainforest, which is very amusing to explore. There are specific highlights that include amazing critters from piranhas and giant otters, to harpy edges and cotton-top tamarins, along with the living amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles. The Zoo encompasses several visually stunning areas that include habitats for various unique and endangered species. Over 60 species of invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles are exhibited in this assortment of a lush green rain forest.

Another prized possession of the La Zoo is the Elephants of Asia which have a rich connection with the Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and India. The exhibition clearly represents all the challenges these elephants face, including their shrinking natural habitat, which help the visitors to understand and contribute to the cause to some extent.

Home to six western lowland gorillas. Zoo visitors walk along a forested pathway for the views of two separate troops of gorillas, a family and single groups, living among waterfalls and lush green forest. A thick glass wall separates these largest primates in the world from the Zoo visitors.

Sea Life Cliffs are home to a group of harbour seals and California sea lions. The habitat is designed exactly like California's coast and features two deep saltwater pools, rocky covers, above and below water viewing locations,and a seating area for visitors to observe the seals. Australia, another exciting exhibit of the Zoo, is home to many Koalas. These marsupials are displayed in the Australia section of the La Zoo. The Zoo has an abundance of eucalyptus trees, needed to feed the Koalas. The Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains is one of the renowned exhibits. The Zoo is designed to resemble the native environment of Tanzania's Mahale Mountains in Africa and is unique in size and scope, complete with mountainous rock formations, waterfalls and streams, palm trees and soft green grass. This facility also features a chimpanzee penthouse with heated bedrooms for the apes and an outdoor playground that has a jungle gym.

Red Ape Rain Forest is a multi-level tropical habitat where visitors can walk among orangutans and be immersed in a Southeast Asian rain forest of 20-foot tall bamboos and ficus trees. The main viewing area is a large platform that allows Zoo visitors to view these arboreal apes as they climb to canopy level. Dragons of Komodo are home to one of the world’s giant lizards. The habitat design depicts the native environment on islands off the coast of Indonesia. Winnick Family Children Zoo allows kids to explore a cave, a desert trail or watch for prairie dogs through specially designed pop-up hobbles.

Details on visiting the LA zoo :

Los Angeles Zoo will take a whole day to take a full tour of the premises. However, one should try to avoid going there in Summers. For instance, June would be pleasant and enjoyable. Spring is the best season to visit this place. If you wish to come here on Weekdays, there won’t be a massive crowd in the La Zoo, and the ticket counters would be free. If you are planning to visit on the weekend, try to come a bit early to get the tickets and so you can spend your entire day hassle-free from the morning to evening 5 pm, when the zoo closes.

The Los Angeles Zoo is conveniently located along the Bus line 96 route, which operates in Burbank and Downtown. There is free parking available at the Downtown Burbank station. Downtown Los Angeles stops include connections to the Metrorail Red/Purple line, as well as a short walk from Union station. The Los Angeles Zoo is located at the northeast corner of Griffith Park at the junction of the I-5(Golden state) and 134(Ventura) freeways. The Zoo is located across the Autry Museum of Western Heritage at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA,90027.

Ticket is necessary for one-time entry to the Los Angeles Zoo, any day of your choice during regular business hours. There is also a family package whichincludes 2 adults, 2 children, and 2 Carousel rides. The price for the family package is $80. You can buy the tickets directly from the counters in the zoo or online through the La Zoo website.

In La Zoo, Safari is the most exciting part of the tour, where you can visit all the wild animals in their natural habitat. All Safari days correspond to certain unassigned days and/or holidays. If you want to stay overnight, then you can opt for Sleepover Saturday program.It will be an exciting indoor activity, including nighttime guided tour of the zoo, pizza/salad dinner and an evening snack. There is also a Wild Wonder Family Slumber where you can stay and enjoy the night with yourfamily, and experience an overnight adventure at the La Zoo. This exciting indoor overnight also includes a nighttime guided tour of the zoo.You can go to bed with beastly bedtime stories and sleep under the cliffs.

Special Events:

There are so many exciting events during the day in the zoo which should not be missed. Suchas:

The La Zoo works towards protecting the endangered species everyday, and with their Roaring nights summer music series, they do their bit to enhance their social life. The event includes Watering Hole open-airg leaming lounge with speciality cocktails. There are three multi-genre dance areas, an eclectic musical safari, interactive art activities,classic backyard games and more.

In La Zoo, they give you the experience of one of a kind sleepover at the zoo, where you will be sleeping in a tent under the stars. This outdoor experience includes guided evening and morning tours of the Zoo, interactive programs for young and old,a night-time snack, and live presentations about wildlife. Tents are included, as well as a continental breakfast. It is perfect for families and groups who love camping and outdoor activities.

"Join the Herd" at a fun-filled weekend in celebration of World Elephant Day where you will learn amazing facts about these magnificent animals and explore various ways that the Zoo and others organisations are working to protect and preserve the Elephants in the wild.

During the La Zoo Lights Celebrations , the La Zoo looks like a wild wonderland of lights. Glowing lights welcome you on an unforgettable nighttime journey that includes giant illuminated snowflakes, a disco ball forest, a whimsical herd of animated and illuminated elephants, and a twinkling tunnel filled with dynamic swirls of colourful lights. La Zoo Lights is definitely a not-to-be-missed night-time holiday experience and has been happening every year since its debut in 2014. This year’s event from November 16 – January 6/2019, 6 – 10 p.m., features dazzling new areas to explore and enjoy. The gates open at 6 p.m. and the visitors with 6 p.m. tickets may enter anytime after 6 p.m. until 9:15 p.m. and visitors with 8 p.m. tickets can enter between 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

What should you bring to La zoo?

You should be prepared before visiting the Los Angeles Zoo with a bottle of water, as this Zoo visit demand a lot of walking. During summer, sunscreen and a cap would be good. The zoo has a lot of cafes and restaurants inside. However, you are not allowed to bring the food inside the Zoo tour premises, and if you bring snacks, you might have to leave it at the counter before entering.

If you are planning for a weekday trip, you can start late as there won’t be any crowd in the La Zoo, However, kick start your day inside the Zoo before the sun is at its peak. There are a few shows that happen in the morning. So, check the website for the timings of these shows. For instance, Flamingo Mingle is a show where you can feed the birds, which happens every day between 11 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 3 pm (Excepts second and fourth Wednesdays of the month). You can indulge in Giraffe feedings twice a day (11 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm). There are few “Behind the scenes” tour that gives you insights about the wildlife and how they are been taken care of. There will be “World of Birds” show daily at 12 pm and 2.30 pm(except Tuesdays). This free-flight show spotlights the behaviour and mesmerising abilities of the birds. More than 20 species of birds perform in the show including macaws, condors, vultures, crane, hornbills, hawks, owls and eagles. Phoenix, the Harris’hawk, owls, and eagles perform by flying off the hill, through the turret at a tremendous speed. Elephant care demonstrations daily happen at 11 am (except Tuesday and Thursday). This demonstrates how the expert caretakers tower six-ton pachyderms and keep them happy and healthy. Animals & You program is organised every day between 10.45 am to 11.45 am. Keeper Talks & Presentations is a program where you can learn more about Zoo’s wildlife and their habitat, from the people who know the best – the animal keepers, educational specialists, and docents. The Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel is an amazing addition to the Zoo experience that features 64 unique hand-carved wooden figures and universally accessible standing chariot. You can plan your tour on Monday, Wednesday or Friday so you can beat the crowds and cover most of the programs.

La Zoo allows visitors to bring their own food. There are exclusive spaces where you can have food with your family and friends. There are also several options where you can buy and have food. There are Reggies Bistro, Zoo Grill, Fork in the Road,Sweet Treats,Churro factory,Café Pico, Gorilla Grill, Mahale Café which gives various options for eating. Also, there are shops where you can browse through gift items, apparels, hats, books etc.

The La Zoo has beautiful Neil Papiano Play Park that incorporates animal-themed climbing sculptures, a toddler area, water misters, grassy landscaping, and a large picnic area. It was specially designed to be accessible to all children visiting the zoo.

Along with the La Zoo, Aquarium of the Pacific and Natural History Museum offer insight into the importance of environment conservation on land as well as in the ocean. The visitors can explore the exhibition with the insights on how we can protect the earth to make it a better place for animals and humans to live in. The new extinct animal gallery and Horses and Dragons exhibits are now open at the Aquarium of the Pacific. It features dozens of sea horses and seadragons and their different species. The Aquarium transformed its changing exhibits gallery to focus on animal extinctions on land and how humans can take actions now to prevent the magnitude of extinction on land as well as in the oceans. You can also discover the creatures lurking in the depths at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

In La Zoo, get ready to experience a whole new kingdom of animals, get insights on animal conservation, ecosystem, bird watching, bird conservation, and marine ecosystem and many other informative programmes.

Visiting La Zoo is a whole new experience, as we get to interact with the wildlife of hundreds of different species. This experience will bring our proximity to nature and God's different creations in this universe.Typically we see different kinds of animals, birds and their various species and the environment in which they survive is simulated inside the Zoo. This will be an enchanting and enjoyable experience for anyone who wishes to go to the La Zoo, especially for the children.

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Just Browsing

By Beth McClellan and Paula Riggin

Animals who call the Zoo home eat a wide variety of foods. Taste, texture, nutrition, and variety are all managed by Zoo Nutritionist Emily Schwartz, and among the fresh food enjoyed across many species are cut branches with leaves, soft shoots, flowers, and fruit called “browse.” Browse is closest to (and in many cases, exactly the same as) what animals would find for themselves in the wild. At the Zoo, browse is provided by keepers. In fact, the Los Angeles Zoo is fortunate because our Mediterranean climate allows many of the plants the animals prefer to be locally grown rather than shipped in. Our Animal Care staff cuts animals’ favorite browse daily or weekly from plants in the Zoo, around Griffith Park, next door at the golf course, and throughout many cities in Los Angeles County.

So what kinds of trees do the animals love best? Generally, the new growth at the tip of the branch is the animals’ favorite part because it contains the most moisture and tender leaves. However, there are some specific preferences, too. You’ll find Cape honeysuckle in the colobus monkey habitat; Chinese elm with the markhors, pudus, and elephants; and even prickly pear cactus with the peccaries and tortoises! 

Koalas, of course, enjoy eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous, so few animals can eat them, but koalas have special adaptations to deal with the toxins (the toxins still make koalas sleepy, though, so when you spot them in their habitat, they’ll mostly likely be snoozing). Out of around 700 species of eucalyptus trees, commonly called gum trees, koalas prefer only about 30 types. Currently the koalas at the Zoo, including the new joey, prefer flooded gum and river red gum eucalyptus but are also enjoying some lemon-scented gum. The taste of the leaves can change with the season, so providing variety is important. About 1,000 eucalyptus trees per koala are needed to give them choices and keep them happy. Around eight bunches of at least four different types of fresh eucalyptus are offered every 24 hours to the koalas in our care. Picky eaters, the koalas generally consume about 50 percent of what is offered. That uneaten eucalyptus browse is recycled to the kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats, who nibble on the bark.

Gorillas have preferences, too. You’ll see Kelly, the family silverback, with a branch draped across his back or using a stick to forage for food, and four-year-old Angela waving a branch and twirling around. What is that plant that acts like a cape, a tool, and a toy? It’s a branch from a ficus or fig tree. Fig leaves are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2. Fig bark contains fiber as well as starches, vitamins, and minerals. Of course, the fruit is tasty too, but gorillas in our care don’t get a lot of fig fruit because it is high in sugar, so they eat the leaves and bark. When only a stick remains, they trade it with the Animal Care staff to get another treat.

Orangutans, elephants, hornbills, and butaans (Gray’s monitor lizards) love fig trees too, and fig trees grow throughout the Zoo for browse. Favorite species include the rusty leaf fig (in Reggie the alligator’s exhibit and the Ferraro Rose Garden), Indian laurel fig (in the Cycad Garden), and the Moreton Bay fig (located at the Fork in the Road and by the chimpanzees).

Carob is also popular throughout the Zoo. You may have noticed keepers providing carob seed pods to chimpanzees. The long, leathery pods are used for enrichment to help keep the chimps active and engaged. Carob leaves are also a favorite of the Chinese goral and pudu. Kangaroos enjoy the carob bark, which serves as a type of natural floss to keep their teeth clean; macropods can be prone to tooth issues, so the kangaroos get this browse almost every night. You’ll find carob trees near the LAIR and on the path to the jaguars.

So next time you visit an animal’s habitat, check out the browse, and know that “just browsing” is more important than it seems.

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Los Angeles › Attraction

Los angeles zoo.

The L.A. Zoo has been welcoming visitors and busloads of school kids since 1966. In 1982 the zoo inaugurated a display of cuddly koalas, still one of its biggest attractions among 1,100 animals from around the world. Although it's smaller than the world-famous San Diego Zoo, the L.A. Zoo is far easier to fully explore. As much an arboretum as a zoo, the grounds are thick with mature shade trees from around the world that help cool the once-barren grounds, and new habitats are light-years ahead of the cruel concrete roundhouses originally used to exhibit animals (though you can't help feeling that, despite the fancy digs, all the creatures would rather be in their natural habitat).

The zoo's latest attraction is the Elephants of Asia, which tracks the history and culture of the animal through Cambodia, China, India, and Thailand. There are bathing pools, sand pits, and no less than five viewing areas for the public.

In 2007 the zoo debuted the $19-million Campo Gorilla Reserve, a habitat for seven African lowland gorillas that closely resembles their native West African homeland. Visitors partake in a pseudo-African-jungle experience as they journey along a misty, forested pathway with glassed viewing areas for close-ups of the gorillas living in two separate habitats: one for a family troop of gorillas. There's also the Sea Lion Cliffs habitat, where visitors can view the saltwater habitat from an underwater glass viewing area; the Jane Goodall-approved Chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains habitat, where visitors can see plenty of primate activity; the Red Ape Rainforest, a natural orangutan habitat; the entertaining World of Birds show; and Dragons of Komodo, featuring a pair of the world's largest lizard species. The gargantuan Andean condor had me enthralled as well (the facility is renowned in zoological circles for the successful breeding and releasing of California condors, and occasionally some of these majestic and endangered birds are on exhibit).

The zoo offers an audio tour, aptly named Weird and Wonderful, highlighting more than a dozen of the most intriguing residents, including the red-knobbed hornbill, Komodo dragon, double-wattled cassowary, rock hyrax, African wild dog, Chacoan peccary, white-crested turaco, Coquerel's sifaka, fossa, Sichuan takin, mountain tapir, and the Cape griffon vulture. The tour guests hear fascinating facts about the animals, as well as information on the zoo's curators and animal keepers. The tour, which also explains conservation efforts, is also available for downloading in English and Spanish from the zoo's website, under the "Fun Zone" tab.

Kids will also enjoy the Winnick Family Children's Zoo, which contains a petting area, exhibition animal-care center, Adventure Theater storytelling and puppet show, and other kid-hip exhibits and activities. Tip: To avoid the busloads of rambunctious school kids, arrive after noon.

The Moss Family Conservation Carousel is expected to open in late spring 2011, followed by the Living Amphibians, Insects and Reptiles (LAIR) center in the fall of 2011.

Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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Vacation: Unlimited - Travel Journal

Welcome to the official Vacation: Unlimited Travel Journal! Throughout the year, new entries will be added, so check back often! Also here is a collection of pictures from our 6-week vacation from 2009! Click on any photo to make it larger.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

What's new to do: the lair at the los angeles zoo.

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New at LA Zoo: Take a ‘Walk on the Wild Side' at an activity-filled event

The celebration, presented by skechers, will help fundraise for gorillas while spotlighting world gorilla day., by alysia gray painter • published september 25, 2024 • updated on september 25, 2024 at 4:05 pm, what to know.

• Walk on the Wild Side, presented by Skechers
• Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens
• Saturday, Sept. 28
• Included with admission
• Education stations, live music, and other celebratory moments are part of the day

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the often the first place that animal supporters turn to for education, enlightenment, and, yes, plenty of fun, too.

📺 Los Angeles news 24/7: Watch NBC4 free wherever you are

An inaugural celebration called "Walk on the Wild Side" will deliver in those uplifting areas, and for an excellent reason, too: The happening is shining a light on World Gorilla Day and celebrating the primates of the LA Zoo, too.

"This new event invites guests to explore the Los Angeles Zoo, see western lowland gorillas and other primates, and uncover fascinating facts along the way — all while getting their steps in," shares the zoo.

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The happening ".... aims to raise awareness of the Zoo's care of primates and its commitment to their conservation, while also encouraging fitness and community engagement."

Presented by Skechers, "Walk on the Wild Side" will feature an ECO-CELL recycling area, too; LA Zoo guests are invited to "bring unwanted handheld devices to the zoo" for recycling through ECO-CELL, "which directly supports gorilla conservation."

Storytime is always a sweet part of any major LA Zoo festivity, and a heartwarming reading by author Brenda Scott Royce will feature her children's book "Angela & Lulingu: Two Gorillas, A World Apart."

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

Things to do this weekend: ‘La Feria de los Moles' at Gloria Molina Grand Park

Pomona's big Pumpkin Festival is sprouting (be sure to get tickets soon)

Purchases of the lauded book will help benefit the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, "a conservation partner of the zoo."

"Angela & Lulingu" tells the tale of a young resident of LA Zoo and "her orphaned counterpart at the sanctuary."

Live music, pop-up information stations, and other primate-focused fun and fundraising will fill out the celebratory Sept. 28 schedule.

Entrance to "Walk on the Wild Side" is included with zoo admission or membership.

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Artjournalist

101 Travel Journal Ideas: Page Examples, Inspiration & Prompts

Use these 101 travel journal ideas as prompts and inspiration to fill your travel journal no matter where your next adventure might be.

These 101 Travel Journal ideas will help you fill up a notebook of all sorts of adventures – whether it’s an exotic voyage or the everyday journey in life. 

And of course, please, please, please DO NOT feel like you have to do every single thing I put on this list – especially all in one journal. {That would be one awfully big, heavy book to lug around!} 

Whether you’re off to a grand exotic adventure, dreaming of places you want to go or maybe just enjoying a stay-cation and local points of interest, I hope you will find this post of travel journal ideas inspiring to document your next creative adventure.

101 Travel Journal Ideas: What to Put in a Traveler’s Notebook

1. start with a map.

Maps are always great in a journal. You can paste or tape them in or even make pockets and envelopes with them. Drawing maps can be a lot of fun also.

There are also a lot of ways to get maps:

• Google Maps: You could even print out a satellite/street view version or the directions.
• Maps Category on Wikimedia Commons : Lots of great free maps you can download and print out.
• Old Books & Atlases: If you have an old set of encyclopedias that’s way outdated and not of collector value, there are likely a lot of great maps to use in your journals. I love finding an old atlas at the thrift store or book sales.
• Marketing Maps: Many welcome centers, tourist agencies and travel rest stops have all sorts of maps available in marketing brochures. 

Staying local? Why not make a map of where you live? It could be your neighborhood, the backyard or even your kitchen. Doodles and sketches are perfectly 100% awesome here.

Another idea is to cut out shapes from old outdated maps you have. I sometimes buy old atlases and books with maps just for this purpose! These hearts shown below were cut out using a heart shaped punch similar to this one on Amazon .

I love scrapbook punches for so many different things in my art journals – you don’t even need that many of them and you can get perfect cut-outs anytime. These are great to make in advance before you travel somewhere – and you can get all sorts of different shapes! Circles, tags, you name it.

2. Can’t Decide Where to Go? Make a Mind Map

As creative people, making plans and staying organized is sometimes a challenge. I know when I go anywhere it sometimes feels overwhelming to keep track of all the details or even just decide what I want to do. Sometimes I don’t even know where I want to go or what I want to do. 

Mind Maps are great for easily mapping out ideas, dreams, plans, thoughts – especially if you’re not sure how to really organize them. You can draw them out on paper or even use mindmap software to create one you like and then print out and decorate.

Sometimes just making a mind map of an ordinary place can be fun – this mindmap of things to do in Ohio actually makes me excited to go there this summer. {Living next door in PA sometimes causes me to take all the neat things to explore in Ohio for granted.}

Even if you’re only going as far as your imagination, a mind map is a great way to explore all sorts of different ideas and concepts.

3. Packing List & Trip Prep

If you are using your travel journal as part planner, part journal, making a packing list and a to-do list before leaving is a great idea.

This is not only practical, as it will hopefully help you remember everything, but it can also help document some of the excitement and anticipation for the trip before you even arrive at your destination.

4. What’s In Your Bag?

While similar to a packing list, it can sometimes be fun to either snap a quick photo or sketch and doodle a picture of your suitcase and bags.

This can also be a fun way to document different day trips – it’s always interesting to see what sorts of things you consider essential to carry with you – especially if you find yourself looking back 5 – 10 years later. I am still in awe that fanny packs are coming back in style . 

5. Make a Bucket List

A bucket list is a list of all the things you want to do. Maybe this is a list for while you are at a specific location for a period of time – or this could even be a list of all the different places you want to visit during your lifetime.

Some of the examples of things you could create for a bucket list:

• Places you want to go
• Region Specific Foods you want to try
• Things you want to do
• People you hope to see 

6. Found Things: Collecting Ephemera & Other Treasures

Lately I’ve been keeping my eyes on the ground whenever we go places. I’ve found all sorts of very interesting things by keeping my eyes and my head open to finding stuff at random.

I’ve found old coins and pennies, tokens, dropped business cards – all sorts of interesting stuff. A lot of times people may think this stuff is just trash, but if it’s flat enough it can fit into a journal and a great way to document things you’ve encountered while out exploring the world. You never know what you might find on a sidewalk.

7. Save Those Receipts

Receipts are a great way to keep track of different things you do and need during your trip. Maybe you need a special airline approved travel bag you buy before the trip, or it’s the receipt for lunch at that adorable sea-side cafe you stumbled across.

Usually these sorts of things also have geographic information printed on them, so it can make even the national/international chains a little more interesting.

I always joke that doesn’t matter where we go or how well I plan I usually end up at a Wal-mart buying supplies we forgot – but hey, at least it’s fun to see your Wal-mart receipt has a different city and state printed on it. 

8. Attach an Envelope or Pocket for Collecting & Storing Supplies 

Speaking of ephemera and found things, another great idea for things to include in your journal is an envelope you can use as storage. The pocket for collage supplies is one of my favorite things about Dylusions Art Journals – so handy for holding stuff!

Since most of my journals are either 7×10″ or 6×9″,  I like to use the 6×9″ mailing envelopes and glue them or tape them into my notebooks and journals to use as a pocket for holding stuff. They are great for fitting all sorts of paper scraps and other things you might find on the trip!

If you are like me and realize what a deal it is to buy 100 clasp envelopes on Amazon , you can use the envelopes to make many, many more junk journals and art journals in the future! 

Beyond just envelopes, there are also a lot of other ways to display and store things inside of a journal, and one of the great things to use for this are the pocket page protectors often used in pocket scrapbooks.

If you are trying to keep things small and simple while traveling, Simple Stories is one brand with a wide variety of differently configured 6×8″ Pocket Page Protectors that can be a great way to hold and display items you might find in your adventures. Bonus : No glue stick needed. 

9. Keep a Record/Log of Daily Events

I know sometimes when I actually DO go on a real vacation, I don’t always have time to keep track of everything we do. One good way to get around this, without necessarily having to write a whole lot or spend the day drawing and gluing things in the book is to keep a very simple log each day. 

This doesn’t have to be elaborate. Keep it simple – use the actual date or the day of the week and challenge yourself to j ust write one word for each day . This will help you remember details of the trip long after it happens. 

• Monday – Beach
• Tuesday – Friends
• Wednesday – Museum

Keeping a log helps you remember things so that you can continue to fill the book up with memories and ephemera from the trip long after you return.

10. Method of Travel: Document Your Transportation

There are plenty of ways to get from one place to another. You can ride a bus, take a train, or fly up high in a fancy jet plane! 

Once you arrive at your destination, there can also be a lot of additional things to note about getting around town, especially if you are traveling somewhere that drives on opposite sides of the street or relies primarily on bicycles or scooters for transportation. 

All of these things make for great ideas for stuff to doodle, sketch, and write about!

11. Accommodations – Where Are You Sleeping?

Whether you’re staying in a hotel, airBNB, fancy resort or maybe your RV, there are plenty of things to document about where you are staying during the trip. 

Some ideas for ephemera might be brochures, print-outs of your reservation confirmation, map directions to the location. You can also always do a sketch of your room or view out the window. 

12. How’s the Weather?

Weather is one of those things that might be considered “small talk” but it’s also something I know can really influence what types of activities we do when we are on a trip.

We do a lot of camping – so if it’s warm and sunny, you’ll find us hiking, kayaking, and fishing. If it’s rainy, you might find us playing card games, visiting shops, or checking out area museums.

Sometimes bad weather can even make a trip more fun than expected – you might check out something new you ordinarily would have skipped, or maybe you will come home with a funny story of events.

You can record different weather events bullet journal style in your notebook or just draw different weather related symbols whenever you jot down any notes.

13. First Impressions – Any surprises?

Once you arrive at your destination, take a note of some of the things you notice right away or any different thoughts you might have about the trip there so far. This is especially a good idea if you are going somewhere completely new that is not like anything you have done before.

You might also want to take note of what expectations you had prior to leaving the trip – Is there anything that surprised you once you got there? Did you over estimate or under estimate what it might be like? Sometimes the anticipation before a trip can be much different than the actual reality once you get there!

14. Paint Backgrounds in Advance to Pack Less Art Supplies

Something I like to do in art journals when I’m traveling is to paint the pages before I go with acrylic paints I like to use. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate – maybe some simple stripes for writing on, or you can even use by block-by-block art journal technique to prep different page sections in advance.

This gives your pages a nice background and start for any type of journaling or doodles – and you don’t have the hassle of having to pack or carry around a whole lot of supplies. All you need from there is a couple of favorite pens and maybe a glue stick.

15. Try Watercolors for Compact & Portable Art Supplies

If you do want to paint while you are on your trip, a set of travel watercolors is a great option because they are generally very compact and easy to clean up and carry around – some pocket field sets could literally fit in your pocket and are smaller than most cell phones!

Watercolors are a great fun way to give your pages a little hint of color – and of course you can always use the opportunity to try out some new and different watercolor painting techniques !

16. Portrait Sketches

Meeting new people, or sometimes just seeing new people can be very inspiring to practice sketching different portrait drawing techniques. 

Portraits of new faces and people can be a great way to practice and hone in on your skills in drawing and painting faces – it can also serve as a springboard for additional art to make even when you return from the trip.

If the idea of sketching or painting a portrait makes you nervous, do not worry – there are lots of great resources to help you out here, like Mixed Media Portraits With Pam Carriker – Jane Davenport also has lots of great books such as this one which can be a wonderful resource to start with.

17. Draw & Sketch Landmarks

No matter where you go, there are sure to be landmarks. These can be great sources of inspiration for stories and drawing practice. 

Some landmarks are famous {such as The Statue of Liberty in NYC or The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City} – other landmarks are more of directional markers or might have personal significance to you. One example is a water tower we always look for when we drive past it on the highway.

18. Architecture

Wherever you find yourself, take some time to notice different architectural details such as windows, doors, gates, fences and roofs. Make a page inspired by the different things you see! This can be a detailed sketch or simply a whimsical doodle like the photo shown above.

19. Make a Cityscape

After you pay some attention to the different architectural details, it can be fun to incorporate this into cityscape art.

It can be a very fun challenge to recreate a drawing or doodle of the places you visit in your journals, and of course you can always combine these with other drawings or collage and ephemera.

Many of the Watercolor Doodle Cities here and other city-inspired paintings I make start from inspiration from real-life cities and towns I’ve visited.

20. Capture the Landscape

Sketching or painting the landscape can be a wonderful way to document all the beautiful views in nature. You can also photograph these scenes to inspire you to make more art when you get back home.

Maybe it’s an early morning sunrise or a field you drive past on the highway, the waves at the beach or even the way the mountains look in the distance.

21. Use Whatever You Can Find for Art Supplies  

I like to pack light when I’m traveling, and so that usually means sadly most of my art supplies have to stay at home. The good news is the lack of supplies can push you to try using everyday materials in creative ways.

For example, say you go out for tea – you can use the tea in your cup or a used tea bag to create tea stains on your papers. {Just be careful not to smear any ink from pens unless that is your desired effect!}

Over the years I’ve used all sorts of things to create with in my journal beyond traditional materials. A dandelion can often be used to get yellow coloring on paper – you could even use makeup like lipstick or eye shadow and blush on your pages.

22. Pay Attention to Special Events & Holidays

While you don’t need a special event or holiday as an excuse to explore the world, often times we do go places depending on the season and traditions we like to celebrate. 

If your journaling happens to fall around a certain holiday or you attend a special event in your adventures, there can be all sorts of seasonal things you can add onto your pages – hearts for Valentine’s Day, Flowers in the Spring, Pumpkins for Halloween, Christmas Decorations, etc.

23. Everybody Eats: Food is Never Ending Inspiration

There are some places I would visit again just with the sole purpose of eating amazing food. Food also makes for an endless source of things to put in your journal. You might not need to record every single meal or snack, but if you enjoy something good – make a note of it or use it as inspiration for art.

Another thing you can do, especially if you visit different countries is save food wrappers. Different languages, different wrappers – all these things can easily be added into your journal and will even help you remember what foods and restaurants you like if you should visit that place again.

24. Street Signs & Names

As someone who loves all things words, letters and numbers, I can’t help but feel gravitated towards interesting signs we see in different places. These can be great starting points for drawings, sketches or even things to photograph and add to your pages at a later time.

25. Read any good books?

Sometimes the books we read can inspire our travels – or a book can help us pass the time on a long bus ride or flight. Vacation is also a good time to catch up on books you’ve been wanting to read.

I love books so some of my favorite places to visit while traveling are small bookstores and libraries – I always find some nice treasures that way!

26. Foreign Language

If you’re traveling to a country where English is not the native language, it can be very fun and interesting to find different things that have the country’s language in your journal.

Whenever I’m shopping at used book sales, I often find a lot of foreign language dictionaries. These make for excellent paper backgrounds to use in junk journals, or you can always have fun copying the words to practice your foreign language skills.

Staying local in your own hometown? Have some fun visiting regular mundane places by learning or practicing a different language. 

¡Vamos a cocinar papas en la estufa!

Even a place as mundane your kitchen can be more fun if you learn fun ways to explore it as a traveler. This can also be a great way to help your kids practice their foreign language skills. 

27. Everyday Life

What do the people who call the place you are visiting home everyday? Take some notes, sketches or photos of a day in the life of a local.

Another thing that can be fun to do is to imagine for a moment if this place was your home, and not just a place you were visiting. What might you like or dislike about staying in that one place long-term?

28. What are other tourists doing?

Every time we’ve visited tourist-destination types of places it is always fascinating to watch the other travelers and what they are doing. Maybe you see hundreds of people with cameras, or you see people waiting in line to get their picture taken next to a certain attraction.

29. Trees & Flowers

I spend most of my vacations immersed in nature and I love drawing and painting trees and flowers. You might also want to keep some wax paper in your notebook – this can be a great way to preserve flowers or leaves.

30. Birds of a Feather

When we visit cities I always notice pigeons, and I always see seagulls at the beach. I love photographing ducks! Sometimes places we go have aviaries to visit. When we go camping, we love looking for woodpeckers, cardinals, and other birds.

You can fill your journal with bird related images or just make a list or doodles of the different birds you might encounter.

31. Animals

If you love animals, this is another great source of inspiration while you are traveling. Maybe you go to a nearby zoo, or maybe friends you are staying with have a friendly cat. 

Some places you visit may even have animals you don’t typically see that often. I remember when I visited Toronto in Canada I saw so many moose statues everywhere we went!

32. Notes From History

Most places have historical centers – even small towns often have an interesting past. If you enjoy historical points of interest, there all sorts of ways to incorporate this on your pages.

Use cut outs from brochures or old books, record facts, or even attempt to recreate a scene from history in your journal. This is a great way to use up some of your favorite vintage ephemera also!

33. Famous People / Persons of Interest Who Lived there

Almost every place has people who are famous or played an important role in the history of the area. It can be very interesting to research before you go some different people who have lived in that place – and maybe even tour some of the different things that would have been part of their daily life.

One example of this is when a friend of mine in high school was slightly obsessed with all things Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. She had learned he grew up in boring old Mercer, PA {not so far from the same boring town we lived in} – so we decided to go up one day to check it out.

It was very neat to think hey, here’s this little town in Pennsylvania just like our little town in Pennsylvania, he was a band dork, we were band dorks. It is always neat to see these sorts of places, especially if it someone who is inspiring to you, because in a way you can see the kind of environment that inspired them to become the creative person they are.

34. Music Playlist

Speaking of Trent Reznor – let’s talk about another favorite aspect of traveling for me – plenty of opportunity to listen to music!

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a long ride than to come prepared with a good music playlist.  If you’re riding passenger on long trips, a good music playlist and a sketchbook is a great way to help pass the time.

I also like to listen to different music that is popular in different areas. It’s way more fun to listen to Blue Grass music if you are in the Mountains of Virgina or a little country music on the city streets of Nashville.

There are so many different types of music around the world, and all of it can be very inspiring to listen to while writing or creating.

Need more ideas for how to incorporate music into your journals? Our list of creative music inspired art prompts can help inspire you!

35. Textures

Make a page about different textures you might encounter on your trip. Maybe it’s the sand between your toes, the concrete on the sidewalks or the familiar softness of your favorite shirt in a place where everything is different. 

You can even optionally include some of these textures into your journal, especially if you encounter things like fabric swatches or handwoven items.

Another idea is to use different textures from objects around you as unique stencils and stamps. You can do all sorts of mark making with different textures in your book!

While I suppose this could fall under “food” – coffee for me is more than just a tasty caffeinated beverage. Draw a Picture of Coffee with the different backdrop of the place you visit. Save ephemera like napkins, coffee stirrer or receipts from shops you visit.

Pay attention to ways coffee is prepared and served. If you are visiting a place that grows and produces coffee, this too can be very fascinating to learn about and try different flavors native to the area. 

37. Souvenirs

Do you collect anything? Some people collect pennies, spoons, key chains, salt shakers – you name it! Collecting is a fun low-stress hobby and traveling can be a great way to find new things.

If you are a collector of something, it can be fun to make a page about different sorts of things you like to collect. If you don’t have a collection yet – what is one you might you be inclined to start or find interesting? 

Many different places you might visit often also have souvenir shops with all sorts of interesting things for the area. Even if you’re not a collector, you may enjoy sketching or making a list of the sort of things you notice. 

 38. Pick Up a Newspaper – Local, National & Global News

It’s always interesting to read the news somewhere you aren’t. It gives you a greater understanding of what types of things the residents who live in a place might experience on a regular day to day basis and what is important to them.

Another bonus is often times when you visit a new area the newspaper may syndicate different feature columns than your papers back home. This could mean new recipes, different horoscopes, puzzles, comments, and opinion pieces.

Newspapers are also great to use in collage and art you might be inspired to create, especially if you have very limited access to art supplies.

What does the place you’re visiting smell like? Maybe you can smell freshly baked bread drifting across the plaza, or it’s the smell of the ocean next to you, or even just the smell of pine trees in the woods. 

Paying attention to how all of your different senses experience the place can help you remember the adventure all that much more.

40. Include Conversations With the People You Talk To

One thing I enjoy doing when traveling is meeting and talking to new people and listening in on what people might be saying at the different places we visit. 

It’s funny, but some of the conversations I remember are not exactly quotable, but totally memorable enough to document in a journal. One time when we were at a beach an old man was talking to us and told us we needed to visit a place that was about 6 hours away.

“They have the most unbelievable peaches! Miles and miles of orchards…” he said. Well, after talking to him we decided to go that way the next day and yes, they did have peaches, but we were mostly awed by the unbelievable beautiful beaches!

Had we not talked to that stranger on the beach that day we never would have discovered one of our favorite beaches in the U.S.

41. The Local Dialect

I live in the Pittsburgh area and we are sorta famous for our unique dialect. Many local shops sell Yinzer stickers and other Pittsburghese types of things that are always popular with tourists and would make great journal fodder.

If you happen to be somewhere, pay attention to different words and phrases people use for things. You might be surprised how many sayings and words you pick up that aren’t in any foreign language dictionary!

42. Quotes About the Area and/or General Traveling

There are all sorts of great quotes that can be a great way to add to the journal. You can include general travel quotes in your journal while you are getting ready for the trip – or of course you can always add these once you are back. 

43. Interview The People Traveling With You

It’s always interesting how two different people can have two different options and memories about a trip! Traveling with kids? Ask them their thoughts – and of course don’t forget to encourage them to create their own travel journals!

44. Hidden in Plain View – Important or Sensitive Information 

It’s always a good idea to have a paper copy of important info while you are in a different place – especially if WiFi access or phone reception might be hard to come by. 

While I don’t recommend keeping sensitive info in plain sight in a journal, sometimes you can give yourself cryptic ways only you would know to have a reference for things like addresses or bank account info.

Some ways you can do this is by drawing the numbers in a certain specific pattern, or you could even make up your own secret code. 

45. Reference Lists & Safety Info

I’m sorta neurotic about safety, so I like to include helpful safety info in my notebooks, especially because we spend so much time outdoors. This might be something as simple as a mini first aid guide or a list of emergency numbers for the area. If you are traveling in a foreign place, you may even want to list some emergency contacts in the notebook.

I also like to print out this type of information to keep in planner binders. For the planner I keep in our camper, I included printed information for dog medications and first aid, since our dog has a habit of finding bees nests, eating fishing rods and getting into all sorts of trouble.

46. Currency From Different Countries

Many foreign countries have different types of currency that can be very interesting to keep in a journal. If you have a few smaller value notes leftover from a trip they can be a great thing to put in a journal or slip into a clear pocket you attach to the pages.

47. Track Your Budget

Budgeting might not seem exciting, especially while supposedly on a vacation! Still, it is definitely an inevitable part of life that doesn’t go away just because you are somewhere different! 

Fortunately, it can be way more fun to do when you find a way to express your creativity in your journal or planner. Keep records of expenses while you are traveling and think about different ways you can save money.

If you haven’t left for your destination yet, there are lots of great ways to plan a trip without spending a lot. Make a page about how you will save for an upcoming trip or make a list of ways to you can see the world without going into debt.

48. Random Fun Facts

Do you enjoy games like trivial pursuit? Something that can be fun to do before you leave is read up on different fun facts about an area, or you can even just jot down these things as you experience them in the place you visit.

Random Fun Fact Example: We can thank computer scientist Scott Fahlman at CMU in Pittsburgh for the widespread use of the smiley face symbol . 🙂 Pittsburgh is also home to another famous smiley face – the Eat ‘N Park Smiley ! 

49. Local Business & Industry

Do you ever need to travel for work? Business travel can sometimes create all sorts of new interesting opportunities to see sights and document parts of a place that don’t exactly make it to the city guides!

Many cities are also famous for different things related to businesses and industries. Factory Tours can be super fascinating and educational – they also make for a great activity during rainy day travels.

50. Movies, Plays & Film

Many places you wouldn’t expect have been featured in movies – other times there may be films or movies that take place in the very same places you visit.

One example is the time we visited Savannah, Georgia. My husband loves the movie Forest Gump so naturally this meant we had to visit Chippewa Square and the famous park bench at the Savannah History Museum when we explored the city.

51. The Clothes We Wear

Just like food and money, most of the time we typically need to also wear clothes. You don’t have to be a fashionista to appreciate unique clothing styles in different places you visit.

Depending where you travel to, the culture and weather can be very different from where you live and so the style of clothes and things people wear and do can be fascinating. 

Don’t forget to also pay attention to the clothes you are wearing. Maybe it’s a raincoat because it’s raining or you bought something special to wear for the trip.

52. Travel Shoes

Going places usually means lots of walking and standing – which means the pair of shoes you wear can make all the difference! Sketch a pair of your shoes and take note of whether they have reliably served you well in your travels, or if they’ve caused you pain, agony and misery. 

53. Hobbies & Interests

When I visited NYC my top must-see destination was the Sketchbook museum at the Brooklyn Art Library of course!

One of the ways I documented that visit was to put a safety pin in one of my pages once I got home because I noticed one of the journals there was completely bound with safety pins and I thought that was pretty unique and I didn’t want to forget it! 

Your different hobbies and interests can always overlap in travel – and sometimes in the most of unexpected ways. If you have a specific hobby or interest you enjoy, take some time to research different clubs and organizations in the area. You can find groups and points of interest for almost anything!

54. What’s Trending Now

Do you notice any interesting trends about the place you visit? Maybe there is an activity that is popular or something you notice everyone is doing.

This could be something like a TV show everyone is watching, something seasonally related or it could even be many of the homes decorated with certain pieces or in a certain style.

55. Funny Stuff

One thing you should always bring along any adventure is a good sense of humor. I love this one picture we snapped while we traveled through VA – antique tables made daily!

There are also lots of great travel-themed jokes you could use in your journal.

What travels around the world but stays in one corner? A stamp.

{Sorry, I couldn’t resist, I love punny bad jokes!} Speaking of stamps…

56. Postage Stamps: Send Yourself Some Mail Back Home

Postcards and foreign stamps can make for an excellent addition to any type of travel journal. You can mail yourself a letter or post card, or even pick up some post cards where you are visiting to add to your pages.

Shown above: A photo of some of the vintage postcards I have in my ephemera collection. If you have friends and family members who travel a lot, be sure to offer to pay for postage and ask them to mail you things!

57. Color Combos

Do you love color? Different places can be great inspiration for unique color combinations or even noticing things you may ordinarily ignore. Take a look at your surroundings and try to create a color palette based on what you see around you.

58. Rainbow Page

Another fun travel journal idea is to try to make a page that includes something of every color of the rainbow you see while you are on a trip. This could be done with ephemera or even just making notes and drawing in your sketchbook to add in photos later.

59. Inspiration is Everywhere

What do you see that inspires you to create while you are traveling? Maybe you notice an interesting pattern on textiles being sold at a shop or you like the way the vase on your table looks at a restaurant.

Take note of these little details that inspire you and sketch or jot them down. These can be great sources of inspiration for those days you need a little kickstart to create.

60. Bottle Caps, Drink Labels and Coasters

Many bottled beverages have labels and unique bottle caps that can make for great things to include in a journal. You may also notice several restaurants have coasters that are nice to save after your meal.

Bottle labels and coasters are two types of things that are normally thrown away but can make for great ephemera to include in your journal and help document the trip.

61. All the Different Shapes

Another idea for different places you visit is to create pages based on different shapes. For example, you could have a page for things that are round, such as wheels, windows, or stones.

You could also easily do this for things that are square, rectangles, triangles, etc.

62. Define Some Travel Words

What does adventure mean to you? What do you consider to be a journey?

There are lots of different travel-themed words and they often mean different things to different people. Write your own definition for words, or you could even find these words in a dictionary and cut them and paste them to the page in your book.

Here’s a couple more words you could use on the page or define:

63. Why do you love travel?

People travel for different reasons, and of course the reasons we enjoy it are also usually unique to us. What do you like the most? Is it meeting new people? Seeing something different? Learning new things?

Write or illustrate your favorite things and the reasons you enjoy discovering new places.

64. Stickers

Stickers can be found anywhere, whether it’s a price sticker on something you buy or even a marketing sticker they give away at a promotional event. Some places you visit may even have shops that sell unique stickers for the area.

65. Technology & Apps

There are many apps and websites that can make traveling a lot easier, and it can be something fun to document in your journal. These apps can help you find new places or even possibly read reviews and get special coupons and deals. 

Another thing to think about is how the place you are visiting uses technology. Do they seem advanced or are they behind compared to where you currently live?

66. Trip Stats

Another fun thing to record in your journal are trip stats. Your might record your odometer reading, number of miles you traveled, or if you have a fitbit you could make a note of how many steps you walked that day.

67. Try Zentangle

Zentangle is a super portable form of art and very relaxing so perfect if you’re going on vacation to unwind. All you need is some paper and your favorite Micron 01 pen.

You can start with basic shapes or just tangle freely on the pages of your journal. Who knows – some places you visit may even be home of certified Zentangle instructors and classes may be available during your trip!

68. Practice Creative Lettering

There are so many great ideas and ways to have fun with creative lettering in your journal. You can try different styles of letters, mix up big and small writing. 

Hate your handwriting? Our post on creative lettering ideas can give you lots of inspiration for ways to add unique text without necessarily mastering calligraphy.

69. Stencil It

Stencils are flat and portable – so very easy to bring with you along your travels and keep right inside your notebook. There are TONS of inexpensive stencil sets on Amazon or you could even try making your own journal stencil templates.

A couple of stencils can definitely can help you with making shapes, layouts, and different designs in  your journal – no fine art skills required!

70. Bodies of Water

Water is always a source for inspiration, relaxing, and feeling refreshed – and where there is life, you are sure to find water! As the author of How to Read Water points out, you can learn just as much about water from a puddle as you can from the sea. 

Create a page in your journal based on what you like to do in the water – whether you go fishing, swim laps in the pool on a cruise ship or just admire the sailboats out on the bay.

71. Make a List of Things to Research

While you are on your trip, you might find yourself curious to learn more about stuff you encounter. Make a list or note of this in your journal so you can read up on it when you come back home.

Before you go somewhere new it’s also a very good idea to research different laws, customs and practices. This to-research-list can be a great thing to add in your journal before you leave to remind you to actually learn about these things before you get there!

72. Visiting a Sports Town?

Sports teams around the world have some very loyal fans and this can be another thing worth documenting if you are in a place that takes their sports seriously. In some areas it’d be impossible not to take note of arenas and stadiums!

Even if you’re not a sports fan, you may notice where you are visiting what important sports games are happening and what teams people proudly wear on their t-shirts, jerseys and hats. If you do visit an event, don’t forget to save your ticket stubs and program with the team roster!

73. Stick to the Grid

Grid lined pages can be nice to have when you are writing or drawing, because they also make it super easy to try to draw things when you want to be mindful of things like ratio and perspective relationships.

You can also have fun just arranging different elements in a grid-like fashion – draw your own freehand grid and fill each box with different memories or images you cut and tear out of a local magazine or newspaper.

74. What Are You Really Good At When Traveling?

Do your planning skills shine as you come up with the perfect trip itinerary? Have you mastered the fine art of packing a suitcase with all the right things? Have a knack for strumming up conversation with the locals? Or, maybe you’re just really good at getting lost! 

Whatever your strengths and skills are when it comes to travel, these should be celebrated and certainly worthy of being documented in your travel journal! Draw yourself an award, make a list of your best strengths, and celebrate all the hard work that goes into exploring.

75. Gratitude

You can never go wrong keeping track of things you are thankful for. See our list of gratitude journal prompts for even more ideas of ways to incorporate thankfulness in your journal pages.

76. No Place Like Home

Sometimes distance makes us all the more appreciative of home. What things do you miss the most while you are away from home? Draw pictures, doodle, paint, or make a list! 

77. Wish You Were Here

Sometimes when we go someplace new we can’t help but think of family or friends back home. Is there anything specific where you are that reminds you of someone? Write about it or tuck those little pieces of ephemera you find on a page.

78. What Went Wrong

It’s tempting to only document the good parts of a trip but sometimes the mishaps of travel become great funny stories after a few years…like my husbands famous melt down over a lack of parking or that time we went camping and got flooded out. 

These sorts of things aren’t exactly fun in the midst of the trouble, but years later we can look back and at least say the trips were memorable!

79. What Did You Learn?

Every trip is an opportunity and discovery is synonymous for learning. What did you learn during your trip?

Maybe you learned something new about the cultures, customs and history of the place. Or, if staying local… maybe you learned to always bring sunscreen or bug spray or how to avoid rush hour traffic.

80. Document Digitally

While I will forever be a pen and paper kind of girl, I know I also enjoy the convenience of digital art journaling – especially when it’s not always easy to pack lots of supplies! This is especially true for trips that aren’t necessarily for fun or I know I’ll be spending a lot of time indoors.

You can edit and arrange photos in a photo editing app or software program, or you can even enjoy the creative fun of painting digitally. I love using my laptop and Wacom Intous tablet to paint with Photoshop. You can also have a lot of fun creating designs with an iPad and Apple pencil. 

81. Draw a Clock

Clocks are fun and easy enough to draw – all you need is a circle! It can be fun to compare clock times all around the world, especially if you have ventured to a different time zone.

Another idea is to doodle clocks for when you want to make note of times on your itinerary and schedule.

82. Make a Chart

Charts are a creative visual way to display information and a great idea for adding some art to your travel journal. You could create a table of train and bus times, a pie chart for how you spent your time on the trip, or a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting your first trip somewhere to the second trip there.

For those who are particularly dorky like me, you might even consider making a histogram or scatter plot in your journal!

83. Healthy Matters

If you are into all things health, wellness and fitness in everyday life, it would only make sense for this to overflow into your journals while traveling.

Whether you note healthy foods you eat, exercise, changes in your mood, how much you sleep, number of glasses of water you drink each day, or have a list of medications to take daily, noting these things in your journal can help you stay on track with all the excitement and routine disruptions from traveling.

84. Design Your Own Travel Symbols & Icons

There are many common symbols and icons used for travel – an airplane, a map, a suitcase, a backpack, a compass, cars, directional arrows, trains, etc. 

All of these things are a great starting point to give you some ideas for things to doodle in a travel journal. You can make them flat, line-art style, or even make them 3-D complete with shading. 

85. Travel Role Models

Do you know someone who is a great inspiration for your travel aspirations? This could be a person who inspired you to be more courageous and explore new foreign places, or could just be someone you know who has real-world experience in traveling the globe and taught you a lot of things. 

86. Favorite Travel Blogs

Speaking of people who inspire us to travel – I know many of the places I find inspiration are various travel blogs I like to follow! Seeing their pictures is always great motivation and inspiration to go to new places I may not have considered on my own.

Whenever I am not sure of where I might like to go or what to do when visiting an area, I also love to read different blogger’s guides on attractions to visit and travel tips to make it a smooth trip.

87. The Road Not Taken – Add Some Poetry to Your Pages

There are lots of great travel inspired poems you can include in your journal, or you can even try your hand at writing your own poems.

Not a natural wordsmith? Prefer to stick to something more visual? Check out our post on found poetry in your journal pages.

88. Challenge Yourself 

Sometimes a little bit of a challenge can make even the most mundane of places a bit more exciting. You could challenge yourself to take a photo every day, or challenge yourself to visit a different neighborhood or part of town each day you are in the city.

You could also challenge yourself to commit to a certain type of art each day – a doodle a day, or a watercolor a day, or a pencil sketch a day.

Challenges should be fun – so if the idea of this sounds like a chore or one more thing to add to already a jam packed schedule, skip it or save it for the next adventure.

89. Paper Clips & Binder Clips Are Your Friends

Paper clips, binder clips and other page fasteners are wonderful and practical things to include in your journal. They are super handy when you are on the go to attach all sorts of papers and notes – no glue stick required!

Also, they make TONS of travel themed paper clips. I mean, I don’t know if you would really need 40 of them, but how adorable are these airplane shaped paper clips ? They also make ones that come in assorted animal shapes ! 

So many different styles of paper clips, I actually made an Amazon Idea List with some of my handpicked favorites – I couldn’t believe I found over 40! See all my favorites on my list: All the Pretty Paper Clips . 

90. Pins, Patches & Badges

I love collecting small novelty pins, patches and badges – but I don’t always have a great way to display or wear them. One way around this is to add them to your journal pages!

You can decide to either pin or sew the item directly onto the page, or you can attach it to a small piece of fabric that you attach into the page. You can often find these at gift shops or even while you are at different places that give them away for free as promotional materials.

91. Have a Stamping Good Time

There are LOTS of ways to use rubber stamps and ink pads in a journal. But… I also like to keep my supplies very minimal, especially when on the road. Something I like to do to prep my journal pages is stamp things in advance. 

You can use simple ink dabbers to create patterns or add a distressed effect to your empty pages – and of course if you already have travel themed stamps this is a great opportunity to put them to good use, whether before or after the trip!

In the page above I tried to use some of my rubber stamps and realized one of my very well-loved ink pads was finally starting to dry out after years of use.

I used the ink pad itself to stamp the page with the remaining ink on the edges to create journaling block areas. I also used the edge of the ink pad to make the lines – perfect for impromptu lists or quick daily notes.

92. Travel Tags

There are all sorts of tags that can be useful while traveling. Luggage and suitcase tags are also a great way to add some interesting stuff to your favorite journal pages. 

You can also opt to use paper tags – I love to start with small round tags like these ones and use them for doodles or quotes. Standard shipping tags like these are also like mini blank canvases waiting for your creative touch! 

93. Travel Bingo: Inspired by My Favorite Road Trip Game as a Kid

A long time ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth without technology, we played a game called Auto Bingo in the car. If you drove past something like a railroad crossing or a cow, you would slide the little marker over the picture when you spotted it and try to get them all before the end of the trip. 

This gave me a great idea to make a list of different things to look for while I’m at a certain place and then check it off if I saw that thing. It’s a like a scavenger hunt game – can you find these things in your surroundings?

94. A Boost of Encouragement

We tend to glamorize travel a lot – but sometimes it can be hectic, chaotic, stressful and even a little bit scary.

As much as I love traveling, I don’t always like the packing & preparing, and I also admittedly have no sense of direction – I still get lost on roads less than 10 minutes away from my house!

If this sounds like you, adding some encouraging words and positive affirmations can be a wonderfully uplifting thing to see if you are in unfamiliar territory or stressed out.

95. Spiritual Sense

If you are a spiritual person, or maybe just someone curious to learning about the different spiritual practices of different cultures, there are many ways this can be reflected in your journal.

You could include prayers and blessings for travelers, visit spiritual places of interest, or even just spend a few moments in quiet meditation. It can also be interesting to explore and document the various practices and traditions in the culture you are visiting. 

96. Which Way Up? Arrows & Directional Signs

I love the treasure-map style dashed and dotted lines with arrows. They really grab a person’s attention when they look through your completed journal. It makes one ask: now where does this lead?

Arrows can be used in so many different ways for a lot of different travel journal page ideas. Call attention to a specific phrase or photo, or add them to continue a story on another page. In some ways, you could make your journal a sort of “Choose Your Own Adventure Book” where the reader {or even yourself} – can explore a place in a different kind of way.

97. Attention Please! Highlights

If you are the sort of person who might fill an entire page with a LOT of words while journaling your thoughts and experiences, highlights are a fun way to call attention to things that are important or most notable.

You can choose to highlight things like dates, or just pick words and phrases you like. If you don’t have or want to use highlighter markers, you could also accent different things by using colored pencils and pens or simply by circling and underlining different things. 

This can also be a very fun thing to do with newspapers or other printed ephemera style things you might find in your travels.

98. If You Had to Do It Again…

Would you go on this trip again? Do you want to go back? What would you want to do differently? What would you want to do the same? These are all great questions to think about while you reflect on the trip on the return back home.

99. Return to Reality

What did you have it do when you got back from your vacation? Sometimes remembering responsibilities and “real life” can make us all the more appreciative and nostalgic for the time spent away!

100. Actually Print Out Your Vacation Photos

I’m totally guilty of taking a bazillion pictures…and then never printing them. They go on my external hard drive/cloud storage to never be seen by another human being again…that’s not good!

One of the things I’m making a more concentrated effort to do is actually print out photos we take. You can choose to print them from home on your own home printer, or upload them to your favorite photo print website.

101. Where to Next?

Did this trip make you want to visit any other new places you hadn’t considered before? Where do you want to go next? Or, perhaps, after all these adventures, maybe you are content to stay-cation for awhile?

I know this is a super long list, and if you made it this far, I hope you found these ideas inspiring and encouraging! Travel journals are a ton of fun to make and I’d love to see what you create!!

And of course, if you have ideas for things to include that aren’t on this list – I’d love to hear your creative ideas in the comments below!

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AWESOME post!

Thanks Andi, glad you enjoyed it!

What an absolutely FANTASTIC list! I do a lot of journaling when I travel and already do several of the things on this list, but there are tons I’d never even thought of. I’m particularly in awe of the color palette idea. Brava!

Thank you Naomi, glad it inspired you!

This is the BEST post – thank you sooooo very much! Although it is overhwhelming how much there is because I am a newbie when it comes to this kind of art form, it has given me so many awesome ideas and inspiration and I will try to do some but not all LOL! Thank you again!

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St Petersburg Itinerary: how to spend 4 days in St Petersburg

Due to the current situation, I advice against travel to St Petersburg and Russia at the moment. All affiliated links related to Russia have been removed. But I have decided to keep my posts about Russia as it remains a beautiful country. I hope that circumstances change and that travel is possible again in the near future.

4 days in St Petersburg may sound like a lot of time to make a nice St Petersburg itinerary. But let me be honest. There are so many things to see and do in St Petersburg that 4 days is actually not that much.

The Venice of the north is full of excellent museums, extravagant palaces, classical architecture, beautiful canals, ancient churches and elegant gardens. Though St Petersburg is mostly shaped by its time as the capital of imperial Russia, there are some traces of its Soviet history as well. 

In the end, St Petersburg has something for everyone. This 4 day St Petersburg itinerary includes St Petersburg top attractions and is a balance between indoor and outdoor activities. It will help you to make the most out of your time. 

My St Petersburg itinerary

I actually had more than a week in St Petersburg and it was my third visit. I know that many of you probably aren’t that lucky to have this amount of time available. However, I believe that 4 days in St Petersburg is the minimum amount of time you need. 

You might find lots of St Petersburg itineraries online for less than 4 days. However, this means you either have to rush things or miss out on some of the city’s top attractions. 

This 4 day St Petersburg itinerary includes the most beautiful and important sights. If you have more time though, I can recommend my St Petersburg travel guide for inspiration.

How to spend 4 days in St Petersburg

Day 1 self guided walking tour of st petersburg.

On your first day in St Petersburg I can recommend my own self guided free walking tour of St Petersburg . It goes along the Nevsky prospekt all the way to the  Hermitage, Vasiliyevski island and the Peter and Paul fortress. This walking tour will be a great introduction to St Petersburg and takes in some of the most beautiful areas of the city with a number of top attractions.

It will be a long day and it would be impossible to visit all the museums and churches you come across on your way. You will have to make some choices. Below I give some recommendations.

Alexander Nevsky monastery   

The walking tour starts at the Alexander Nevsky monastery . This is one of the oldest monasteries in St Petersburg. It was built by Peter the Great who thought it was the place where prince Alexander Nevski won a battle against the swedes. Even though this was not the case, it remains a very sacred place for the locals. The cemetery grounds include famous Russian people like Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky. 

Anichkov bridge

If you are interested in the second World war you can make a quick stop at ploshchad vosstaniya to see the Leningrad hero city obelisk. Otherwise I suggest you take the metro from the Alexander Nevski monastery straight to Mayakovskaya metro station and walk from there to the beautiful Anichkov bridge. This is the oldest bridge across the Fontanka river with two impressive horse sculptures on each side.

Fabergé museum

Near the Anichkov bridge is the Faberge museum in the Shuvalov palace. This small museum is well worth a visit for its lavish rooms and excellent Faberge jewellery art collection. Faberge had a unique style that was rich in decorations and intricate details. The Romanovs were so impressed by his work that they appointed him to be their imperial jeweller. 

Most famous are the elaborate Fabergé eggs that Faberge made each year to present to the Tsars during easter. The museum has 9 of them along with other items made for the Romanovs such as clocks, tea sets, silverware etc.

Kazan cathedral

After the Fabergé museum you will pass by several interesting buildings on the Nevsky prospekt such as the 18th century trading arcade of Gostiny dvor, the Art nouveau Eliseyev food hall, the Catherine Park and the Singer building with its large bookstore.

One of the main attractions is the large Kazan cathedral . It is dedicated to our lady of Kazan, one of the most sacred icons in the Russian orthodox church. The design was inspired by the St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and meant to impress people with its size. The interior is like a big hall with columns on each side. Look closely and you will see there are numerous sculptures as well as icon paintings to look at. It is one of the few churches in St Petersburg that is free to enter. 

Church of the savior on the spilled blood

From the Kazan cathedral it is a small detour away from the Nevski prospekt to see the church of the savior on the spilled blood. It was built in the early 20th century on the location where Tsar Alexander the Second was killed in 1888. It is worth visiting inside for the lavish decorations containing paintings and mosaics with scenes from the bible.

Vasiliyevski island

To reach Vasiliyevski island you will pass by the Admiralty and Hermitage. Today you will enjoy its beauty from the outside. The Hermitage is one of the largest museums in this world and you will need a full day to explore its large art collection in the lavish rooms of the winter palace, the former residential palace of the Romanov Tsars. 

You will visit the Hermitage on the second day of this St Petersburg itinerary. For now, I suggest you enjoy the beautiful views on the winter palace and the Neva as you cross the palace bridge and stroll along the Strelka of Vasilievsky island. Although the original walking tour ends at the Peter and Paul fortress I recommend you end your day at Vasilievsky island to enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Neva river. 

Vasiliyevski island is one of the oldest parts of St Petersburg. Peter the Great initially wanted this to be the center of his new capital and build several important buildings here such as the state university and the stock market. His successors found it more practical to stay on the mainland and didn’t develop the island further, but it remains a historically important part of the city.

Lunch tip : Pelmeniya (dumpling restaurant near the Fabergé museum) or Shtolle (savoury and sweet pastries near Admiralty on the Nevski prospekt)

Dinner tip : Market place (self service buffet restaurant at Vasiliyevski island)

Day 2 Hermitage & St Isaac cathedral

On the second day of your St Petersburg itinerary get up early for your visit to the Hermitage museum.

Hermitage 

The hermitage has one of the largest art exhibitions in the world with over 3 million items collected by the Romanovs and other noble families over almost 3 centuries. Most of the collection was from Catherine the Great. During her life, she acquired over 4,000 paintings, 38,000 books, 10,000 gems, 10,000 drawings, 16,000 coins and a natural history collection filling two galleries.

Tsar Nicholas the first opened the Hermitage as a museum to show parts of the collection to the public. It is so huge that only a small percentage is on permanent display. This includes the egyptian and classical antiquities and paintings from all over Europe covering different time periods and various styles.

The rooms of the Hermitage are just as impressive as the collection. The Winter palace was the official residence of the Tsars until the Russian revolution. The Bolsheviks looted the place and left a lot of damage. However, it soon opened as a state museum and some of the rooms such as the malachite room, the dining room, the library, the throne room and the big hall were renovated back into its original state.

St Isaac cathedral

The Hermitage will take you most of your day. In the afternoon, if you still have time, you can visit the St Isaac cathedral that is just around the corner of the Hermitage. 

The St Isaac cathedral is the biggest cathedral in St Petersburg. It was built by Tsar Alexander the first and dedicated to Saint Isaac, the patron saint of Peter the Great. Because of the unstable soil, the construction took over 40 years.

In Soviet times the church became a museum of the history of religion and atheism. It has remained a museum ever since, nowadays mostly showcasing its lavish interior and golden dome with angels. 

Dinner : Pkhali Khinkali (Georgian restaurant near St Isaac cathedral) or Stolovaya no1 (cheap Russian food between Hermitage and St Isaac cathedral)

Insider tip : The Hermitage has free entrance on each third thursday of the month. It will be very busy, but a great way to save money if you are on a budget. 

Day 3 St Petersburg metro tour & Peter and Paul fortress

On the third day of this St Petersburg itinerary we start with another free self guided tour of the St Petersburg metro . 

St Petersburg metro

Above the ground, the city is all about the 18th and 19th century nobility,, but below the ground you still find traces of its Sovuet history. The St Petersburg metro might not be as famous as the one in Moscow, but some of its stations are just as beautiful.

The St Petersburg metro was built with the same Soviet ideology that they were to be the palaces of the people. Therefore you will find lofty ceilings, lots of marble and communist symbols and grand statues. According to the Guardian, Avtovo is among the top 12 most beautiful metro stations in the world.

The Peter and Paul Fortress

End your St Petersburg metro tour at Gorkovskaya metro station. From here you can walk to the Peter and Paul fortress. This is where the history of the city began. The citadel was the first thing to be built by Peter the Great to protect his new capital against attacks from the Swedes. It was later notorious for its prison. First it was used by the Romanovs for political prisoners and later by the Bolsheviks. 

Lunch : Teremok (best Russian blini pancakes, there is a teremok street food stall near the entrance to the Peter and Paul fortress)

Dinner : Koryushka (a bit upmarket cafe near the Peter and Paul fortress with great views on the neva river and the winter palace)

Day 4 Visit one of the palaces outside of St Petersburg & Marinsky theatre

On the 4th day of this St Petersburg itinerary you can visit one of the palaces outside of St Petersburg. You have to choose between Peterhof & Oranienbaum or Tsarskoe selo or Pavlovsk. A difficult choice.

Peterhof & Oranienbaum

Peterhof & Ornanienbaum are very close to each other so this would allow you to visit two palaces. The gardens of Oranienbaum are particularly impressive in winter, but the palace is average, contrary to the extravagant Peterhof palace. 

Inspired by Versailles in France, Peterhof is all about showing off the Romanov’s wealth and power at that time.The main palace with its impressive cascade full of fountains and statues is the main attraction, but it’s a large complex that has much more to offer. In its large lower and upper gardens are several pavilions, smaller palaces and a church. 

Because the gardens at both palaces are a big part of the palace grounds they are a good choice when the weather is good. Don’t think winter is a bad time. Especially then, the gardens offer winter wonderland sceneries.  

Tsarskoe Selo

At Tsarskoe selo the focus is more on the palace itself and the lavish rooms than on the gardens. This is a great choice if the weather isn’t too great. You could easily spend a couple of hours exploring the opulent and beautifully decorated rooms of the Catherine palace.  

Pavlovsk isn’t as extravagant and famous as Peterhof or Tsarskoe Selo, but it is my personal favourite palace near St Petersburg. It was a gift from Catherine the Great to her first son Paul. With his good taste in fine arts he developed a simple, but beautiful and elegant palace surrounded by a large park with ponds, lakes and forests.

Mariinsky theatre

End your 4 day St Petersburg i tinerary with a night out at the Mariinsky theatre . This 19th century theatre where people like Tchaikovski once had their premiere still offers excellent ballet and opera performances.

When to visit St Petersburg

St Petersburg is often considered to be a summer city that is famous for its white nights. In reality, St Petersburg is a year round destination. Even winter with its cold weather and gloomy dark days can be very rewarding. In fact, it’s a magical time with its winter wonderland sceneries and frozen Neva. 

With so many museums, palaces and churches there is enough to keep you busy indoors if the weather is not in your favour. If it is, there is also plenty to do outside to enjoy a nice sunny day in St Petersburg.  

Where to stay in St Petersburg

Hostel 1703 : Hostel 1703 is a great hostel in the center of St Petersburg with female only and male only dormitories

Whisper hostel : Whisper Hostel is a new budget hostel with great dormitories including female only and male only if you prefer. A bit further from the center than hostel 1703, but it is close to a metro station.  

Like hostel : Like hostel is a good hostel near the Mariinsky theatre and Nikolski cathedral. It has both private rooms and dormitories. 

Pension Marlen : Pension Marlen has excellent private rooms for very reasonable prices, especially considering its central location near the Mikhailovski gardens.

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Leningrad Zoo

Leningrad Zoo is located in Alexander Park - of which it is effectively part - on the Petrograd Side. It was founded by two animal-lovers - Sofia and Julius Gerhardt - in 1865. Today it is the second largest Zoo in Russia (after Moscow Zoo), with 2,000 animals from 410 species.

In 1873 the Zoological Garden was taken over by Ernest Rost, who replenished its collection of animals, carried out repairs on all of its buildings and equipment, and made it into a profitable business by splitting it into two parts - zoological and commercial. The Zoo was used for circus performances and concerts by choirs and orchestras, and was also home to restaurants. The Zoo's increased profitability meant it could afford to expand its collection of animals - it gained giraffes, orang-utans, anteaters and African elephants - and create more pleasant living conditions and new enclosures for them. Rost left in 1897, and Zoo began to decline. In 1909 it was closed to visitors.

The Garden remained in desperate condition until 1918, when it was nationalized and began to be restored. A library was collected, research was carried out, and expeditions despatched to all corners of the globe.

The Zoological Gardens were significantly damaged during the Second World War - but even though the city's residents were themselves starving the Zoo's elephant always was fed. When the elephant was killed in a bombing raid in 1944, the whole city mourned. The Zoo closed during the middle of the War, but opened again in 1944. The animal collection gradually grew to include an Indian elephant, chimpanzee, giraffes, a hippo, and a rhino.

The Zoo is located in Alexander Park between Gorkovskaya and Sportivnaya Metro stations. It's probably easier to get to from Gorkovskaya - turn left out of the metro and left again into the park, and just keep walking.

Accommodation near the Leningrad Zoo

Vvedenskiy hotel, superior business hotel with an attractive setting on the petrograd side, tradition hotel, elegantly decorated small hotel overlooking the peter and paul fortress, small private hotel with pretty interiors and good-quality dining, hostel 1912, cozy family-run hostel with small dorms on st. petersburg's petrograd side, apartments on voskova 2, homely, affordable two-bed apartment in pretty petrograd side setting, troitskaya ploshchad apartment, cozy one-bedroom apartment in fascinating soviet-era building with great views, dining near the leningrad zoo, na zdorovye, bright and welcoming mid-price restaurant serving russian "home" cooking, unusually smart georgian restaurant with first-class food and drinks menu, demyanova ukha, landmark restaurant from the soviet era, named after a famous fish soup.

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