Is Baku Zoo Worth Visiting?

Yes, if you want a quick, inexpensive stop in Azerbaijan rather than a full day out. Baku Zoo keeps 125 species, 22 of them listed in the country's Red Book, across a compact 4.25 hectares in Baku's Narimanov district, and general admission costs just 7 AZN. Its small footprint means you can see the whole collection without the multi-hour commitment a bigger zoo demands.

What not to miss

Featured location Baku Zoo Bakı, Azerbaijan The zoo shows over 125 species and has been allotted a site of 2.25 hectares since 1982.

Baku Zoo traces back to a small zoo corner that operated in 1928 in what is now Nizami Park, and it was formally established as the Baku Zoological Park on 2 January 1942. It underwent a major renovation starting in 2017 and reopened on 7 October 2021.

The collection includes Amur tigers, African lions, leopards, jaguars, zebras, bison and brown bears. A dedicated "Explore Azerbaijan" section groups native species instead of exotic ones: look for the black francolin, griffon vulture, golden eagle, red fox and Caucasian red deer alongside the more familiar big cats.

Since reopening, the zoo has stopped adding to its collection in the ordinary way:

no new animals are taken into the Zoological Park, and in some cases only, illegally kept or rescued wild animals may find shelter in the zoo.

The petting zoo is the other reliable stop, especially with young children: it lets you touch and feed dwarf goats, sheep, Chinese silk chickens, parrots, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Tickets and saving money

As of September 2026, general admission is 7 AZN for adults and 15 AZN for foreign nationals. Students, children aged 4-16, war veterans, and disabled visitors in Groups I and II pay a discounted 2 AZN, and admission is free for children under 3, for children from state orphanages and boarding schools, and for families of martyrs. A guided tour with an escort costs an extra 20 AZN.

Buy only for the day you plan to go: a ticket is valid solely for its date of purchase, and that can't be changed once bought.

Getting there

The zoo is at A. Bakikhanov 39 in Baku's Narimanov district. If you drive, there's parking on site, though it's a paid car park rather than a free one.

Smoking and feeding the animals are both banned throughout the grounds, so plan snacks for the on-site cafe, which serves food and drinks and can host group bookings, rather than bringing your own to share with the enclosures. A souvenir shop sells illustrated animal books, toys, t-shirts and mugs if you want a memento on the way out.

Best time to visit

Baku's summers are warm and dry, averaging 26.4°C in July and August, while its winters are cooler, averaging 4.3°C in January and February, so light layers work for most of the year rather than heavy winter gear. Whatever month you go, expect wind: the cold khazri and warm gilavar blow through the city in every season, and combined with under 200mm of rain a year, Baku stays dry rather than wet.

The zoo opens 10:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday, and 9:00 to 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Other wildlife nearby

If the "Explore Azerbaijan" section leaves you wanting to see native species in the wild rather than behind glass, Absheron National Park was set up to protect exactly that: the gazelles, Caspian seals and waterbirds living there. It sits inside Baku's own Khazar district, formerly Azizbeyov, so seeing wild Azerbaijani wildlife doesn't require leaving the city at all.