India GOHyderabad Zoo: Nehru Zoological Park
Hyderabad's zoo is Nehru Zoological Park, about 154 hectares beside the Mir Alam Tank in Bahadurpura, south of the Old City. It is closed on Mondays and open the rest of the week from morning to 17:30, with the ticket counters shutting at 16:00. The grounds are large, so plan around the safari, the toy train and the battery buggies.
Hyderabad zoo timings
The zoo's own visitor information gives these hours. Ticket prices are in the card for Nehru Zoological Park; rides inside are paid separately.
| April to June | 8:00–17:30 |
| Other months | 8:30–17:30 |
| Ticket counters | close at 16:00 in every season |
| Weekly closure | every Monday |
| Safari bus | 10:30–16:30, a 20-minute drive |
| Toy train | 9:00–17:00, a 20-minute ride |
| Battery buggies | 9:00–16:00 |
What to see
The zoo opened in 1963, when the old enclosures moved here from the Public Gardens, and it was the first in India to arrange its animals in zoological order in open enclosures. Today about 1,500 animals live in some 159 enclosures, most of them separated from visitors by wet or dry moats rather than bars.
Safari parks: a bus drives through the lion safari (the first of its kind when it opened in 1974), the tiger safari, and the bear and bison enclosures. Buses with and without air conditioning are priced separately.
Houses with their own ticket: the nocturnal animal house, where day and night are reversed so bats, lorises, civets and owls are awake during visiting hours; the reptile house; and the aquarium.
No separate ticket: the butterfly park, the first in an Indian zoo; the natural history museum; and the fossil museum.
The zoo is known for breeding Asiatic lions and Bengal tigers, and it runs breeding programmes for mouse deer and vultures.
Before you go
The things that most often catch visitors out.
- No plastic — The zoo is a plastic-free zone. Plastic bags and packets are handed to security at the entrance, so pack snacks and water in something else. There is a food court and a cafeteria inside, and drinking-water points.
- Come early — Mornings are cooler and the animals more active. Arrive well before 16:00, when the counters close.
- Buggy or train — Battery buggies run a hop-on hop-off loop with six stops; the toy train does not stop on the way and, outside busy hours, waits until it is full, sometimes half an hour or more.
- Cameras cost extra — Still and video cameras need their own ticket; the price is in the card above.
- Cloakroom — There is a cloakroom at the main entrance.
With children
Children tend to head for the toy train, the Jurassic Park of life-size dinosaur figures, the aquarium and the nocturnal house. The Sudha Cars Museum is close enough to add on afterwards. More ideas in Hyderabad with kids.
Animals outside the zoo
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, on the south-eastern edge of the city, is open grassland where the Nizams once hunted, protected for blackbuck since 1975. Around four hundred blackbuck live there with spotted deer, porcupines and peafowl; safari vans run during the day.
KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills is scrub forest with some 140 bird species and peacocks on the paths, best at first light.
More in animals in Hyderabad and birds of Hyderabad.
FAQ
What are the Hyderabad zoo timings?
8:30–17:30 most of the year and 8:00–17:30 from April to June; ticket counters close at 16:00, and the zoo is closed every Monday.
How much is the Hyderabad zoo ticket?
Approximately ₹120 for Indian adults and ₹1,000 for foreign adults, with cheaper child tickets; the safari, toy train, buggies and cameras cost extra. Tickets can also be booked on the zoo's website.
Is food allowed in Hyderabad zoo?
Plastic is not: bags and packets are handed in at the gate, because the zoo is a plastic-free zone. Inside there is a food court, a cafeteria and drinking water.
Is Hyderabad zoo open on Monday?
No, Monday is the weekly holiday.
Are there wildlife sanctuaries near Hyderabad?
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, a blackbuck reserve on the south-eastern edge of the city, runs safari vans; KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills is a forest park inside the city.
Sources (5)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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