Old trees, winding paths and animal enclosures share the Museum Park at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, also known as Trivandrum Zoo. Allow time for the garden as well as the collection, with the Napier Museum close by.
A zoo and botanical garden within Thiruvananthapuram’s Museum Park. The museum opened in 1857; the zoo and Public Gardens followed in 1859, according to the department that runs them.
Use the zoo as one part of a Museum Park visit. The Napier Museum and Sree Chitra Art Gallery have their own tickets and schedules, so check each official notice before choosing an order.
The first surprise at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is its setting: a zoological park inside the capital’s older Museum and Public Gardens compound. The institutions grew together, but they did not open in the same year.
The Department of Museums and Zoos traces the sequence from a committee formed in 1855 to the museum’s public opening in September 1857. The zoo and the Public Gardens followed in 1859 because the museum alone had not drawn the hoped-for audience. That makes 1859 the department’s founding year for the zoo; the often repeated 1857 date belongs to the museum.
The botanical garden was planned with paths, terraces, lawns and water among the animal enclosures. This explains why the site can be read as a landscape as well as an animal collection. The department describes the zoo itself as 30 acres, while its account of the wider museums-and-zoo complex gives 55 acres. The two figures describe different extents and should not be swapped.
The zoo’s own website lists collection and annual attendance totals without a census date beside them. A Central Zoo Authority annual report provides a dated 2023–24 inventory, but it is a record of that reporting year rather than a promise that every species will be on view now. Choose the visit for the garden and the animals together; check the present ticket, closures and exhibit notices before going.
The department credits Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma’s Travancore administration, General Cullen and J. A. Brown in the development of the museum and gardens. Swathi Thirunal is sometimes associated with the idea, but he died before the zoo opened; an origin idea and the institution’s 1859 opening are not the same event.
Later enclosure work is described in the zoo’s Central Zoo Authority annual reports. Those reports separate completed work from proposals and identify challenges in conservation breeding. The linked enclosure story follows the 2023–24 evidence in detail rather than presenting an undated collection total as today’s count.
It is possible to pair the zoo with the Napier Museum and Sree Chitra Art Gallery in one precinct, but each institution has its own visiting schedule and ticket. Plan the order using the current official notices.
The gardens are part of the historical purpose of the site, not decoration added after the zoo. Give the paths and planting time as well as the exhibits.
Road km to Thiruvananthapuram; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
The park is open year-round on its published visiting days. Choose a cooler part of the day for an outdoor walk and check weather and current hours before setting out.
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Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Browse listed stays, food, activities, sights, shops and rentals around Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. Check each listing’s locality and contact the business directly for current arrangements.
Zam Zam’s Palayam restaurant is opposite the MLA Hostel. Use this branch’s menu and contact for a city meal or group booking; the chain has other locations.
Trivandrum bakery with 24+ years of heritage that also runs Atelier by Ambrosia, a European fine-dining restaurant.
Restaurant (regional, north indian) on Venpalavattom, Near Lulu Mall in Thiruvananthapuram City. Regional, North Indian, AC.
Mothers Veg Plaza is a vegetarian restaurant at Bakery Junction near the Russian Cultural Centre in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram. Its website highlights Kerala sadya and a range of dosas. Choose a banana-leaf meal or ask about the dosa menu for your visit.
Multi-cuisine restaurant at Apollo Dimora, opposite Trivandrum Central railway station in Thampanoor. Paired with the hotel's pure-veg Vega Dimora next door.
Villa Maya is a restaurant on Airport Road at Injakkal in Thiruvananthapuram. Its Kerala Tourism owner-submitted listing describes a dining concept shaped by Kerala’s spice-trade connections. Consider it for a planned meal and confirm the current menu and dining setting before reserving.
Restaurant (regional) on Kuttikad Lane in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Restaurant (south indian) on kuravankonam, Opposite Surya Medicals in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Restaurant (regional) on Fort South Nada road in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Restaurant (burger) on kuravankonam in Thiruvananthapuram City.
The Dhaba is Residency Tower’s Punjabi rooftop restaurant on Press Road, near the south gate of the Secretariat. Its dedicated restaurant page lists dinner service; confirm the current evening session and menu when reserving a table.
Multi-cuisine restaurant at Uday Suites, a garden hotel near Shangumukham beach. Serves Indian, Continental and Chinese buffets and a la carte.
Mira is Hotel Horizon’s multi-cuisine restaurant at Aristo Junction, Thampanoor, with buffet and à la carte dining. Ask about the current serving session and its separate private dining room when planning a group meal.
Regency is The South Park’s indoor multi-cuisine restaurant on M.G. Road at Palayam, with buffet and à la carte meals. Reserve Regency specifically; the hotel’s rooftop Skyye Grill and Oakwood lounge are separate venues.
My Place is the all-day restaurant at Gokulam Grand Trivandrum near Akkulam Bridge, serving pan-Indian and international cooking. Choose this venue separately from the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, coffee shop and bars.
Ambrosia at Bakery Junction is a cake and savoury pickup option in Krishna Complex, Palayam. Contact this outlet to check the product, size and lead time, and confirm the collection branch when ordering.
Café (coffee shop, regional, indian) on Old NH in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Restaurant (indian) on Anaval Street in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Street food (indian, chicken, coffee shop, kebab) on Old NH in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Street food (burger) on Unit# GF - 30, Kazhakootam - Kovalam Bypass Rd, Chacka, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695024 in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Café (coffee shop) on Unit# GF - 1, Kazhakootam - Kovalam Bypass Rd, Chacka in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Restaurant (indian, south indian, seafood) on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Café (regional, coffee shop) on Old NH in Thiruvananthapuram City. Regional, Coffee Shop, Outdoor seating.
Restaurant (indian) on Valiyavila Maruthankuzhi Road in Thiruvananthapuram City.
Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Use the contact and source details on each profile to confirm the exact business and booking channel. A directory entry or map pin alone does not establish an operator’s identity or current availability. Roampedia takes no commission and does not collect booking payments. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
Find food, accommodation and activities across Thiruvananthapuram city. Browse the guides for places to eat, stay and explore along your route.
Walking routes start at Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. Check the route and access before setting out, especially where a road, gate or waterway separates the stops.
22 more places around Thiruvananthapuram city. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
The ancestral palace compound associated with Raja Ravi Varma at Kilimanoor; visitor access concerns the working family estate and must be confirmed before travel.
6.6 km · straight line
A major coastal Muslim pilgrimage landmark south-west of the city centre, known for the Beemapally Uroos and the tombs honoured within the shrine complex.
Madavoorpara combines a rock-cut Shiva shrine with a rocky hill landscape on Thiruvananthapuram’s northern edge. The temple and the climb offer different reasons to visit, and both deserve time.
4.1 km · 7 min drive
Major Vishnu temple and one of Kerala’s most important pilgrimage landmarks; strict entry and dress rules apply.
670 m · 8 min walk
Robert Chisholm’s 1880 Indo-Saracenic museum in the Museum Park — a polychrome landmark holding Chola and Kerala bronzes, ivories and temple carts, with the Sree Chitra Art Gallery alongside it.
Guided forest trekking in the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary near the Agasthyamala foothills, south-east of Thiruvananthapuram.
5.4 km · 9 min drive
Famous Devi temple in the city, home of the Attukal Pongala — recorded as the largest annual gathering of women.
3.7 km · 6 min drive
A row of carved wooden horses gives Kuthiramalika its name. Beside Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, this Travancore palace museum brings timber craftsmanship and royal collections into one compact visit.
1.0 km · 12 min walk
Kanakakunnu puts a Travancore palace among gardens and cultural venues near Thiruvananthapuram’s Museum Park. Come for an evening walk or choose a date around a performance.
Koyikkal Palace at Nedumangad houses folklore and coin collections inside a traditional Kerala palace. Everyday objects, instruments and currency make this a more intimate museum stop than a grand royal gallery.
8.8 km · 12 min drive
Veli Tourist Village brings lake views, gardens and boating to the coast near Thiruvananthapuram. It is a family outing at the meeting of Veli Lake and the Arabian Sea.
A clifftop seaside temple at Adimalathura near Vizhinjam, known for a giant Gangadhareswara (Shiva) sculpture.
An ancient temple on the Karamana river, the district’s main site for ancestral (bali) rituals and rare for its Parasurama deity.
A 1690s English East India Company sea fort (Anjengo) on the coast north of the city, one of the earliest English settlements in Kerala.
A reservoir, riverside temple and small park on the Karamana river north-east of the city, a popular local picnic spot.
A freshwater lake in Thiruvananthapuram district, with the Punchakari–Vellayani wetlands nearby offering seasonal birdwatching.
A renowned Devi temple at Chirayinkeezhu, famous for the Kaliyoot festival and the Sarkara jaggery legend.
10.1 km · 14 min drive
Shanghumukham is Thiruvananthapuram’s evening shoreline: an open sea horizon, airport-side access and Kanayi Kunhiraman’s reclining mermaid sculpture. Come for a coastal walk and the changing light.
3.3 km · 5 min drive
A popular Ganapathy temple near East Fort, known for the coconut-breaking offering; run by the defence services.
7.5 km · 10 min drive
A calm backwater and boating spot near Veli with a lakeside tourist village and children’s park.
7.7 km · 12 min drive
A well-known Chamundi Devi temple on the western edge of the city, busy during its festival season.
1.7 km · 20 min walk
A hands-on science museum with the Priyadarshini Planetarium, popular with families and school groups.
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Add a nearby businessFees change without notice. Check the current rate at the counter.
Entry: The department’s zoo ticket page, checked 4 October 2026, lists Indian adult admission (above 12) at ₹40, children aged 5–12 at ₹15, and foreign adult admission at ₹200. Museum, gallery, camera and battery-car charges are separate; check eligibility for any child or special-event concession.
Photography: Follow the department’s camera rules and stay behind enclosure barriers.
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
Charge cap and free-transaction limits: Reserve Bank of India, ATM FAQ updated 4 July 2025; checked 4 October 2026.
These services are listed within about 1.2 km of Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. Walking distances follow mapped routes; access and opening hours can change. Other services may be closer but are not included here.
Published emergency and visitor-assistance contacts. For an immediate emergency, call 112. Shared Kerala contact sources checked 4 October 2026; publication does not establish a tested live response.
Robert Chisholm’s 1880 Indo-Saracenic museum in the Museum Park — a polychrome landmark holding Chola and Kerala bronzes, ivories and temple carts, with the Sree Chitra Art Gallery alongside it.
670 m · 8 min walkKanakakunnu puts a Travancore palace among gardens and cultural venues near Thiruvananthapuram’s Museum Park. Come for an evening walk or choose a date around a performance.
1.0 km · 12 min walkA hands-on science museum with the Priyadarshini Planetarium, popular with families and school groups.
1.7 km · 20 min walkA popular Ganapathy temple near East Fort, known for the coconut-breaking offering; run by the defence services.
3.3 km · 5 min driveA row of carved wooden horses gives Kuthiramalika its name. Beside Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, this Travancore palace museum brings timber craftsmanship and royal collections into one compact visit.
3.7 km · 6 min driveMajor Vishnu temple and one of Kerala’s most important pilgrimage landmarks; strict entry and dress rules apply.
4.1 km · 7 min driveFamous Devi temple in the city, home of the Attukal Pongala — recorded as the largest annual gathering of women.
5.4 km · 9 min driveA major coastal Muslim pilgrimage landmark south-west of the city centre, known for the Beemapally Uroos and the tombs honoured within the shrine complex.
6.6 km · straight lineA calm backwater and boating spot near Veli with a lakeside tourist village and children’s park.
7.5 km · 10 min driveA well-known Chamundi Devi temple on the western edge of the city, busy during its festival season.
7.7 km · 12 min driveVeli Tourist Village brings lake views, gardens and boating to the coast near Thiruvananthapuram. It is a family outing at the meeting of Veli Lake and the Arabian Sea.
8.8 km · 12 min driveShanghumukham is Thiruvananthapuram’s evening shoreline: an open sea horizon, airport-side access and Kanayi Kunhiraman’s reclining mermaid sculpture. Come for a coastal walk and the changing light.
10.1 km · 14 min driveRoad and walking figures are route estimates, with travel times dependent on access, traffic and conditions. Figures marked “straight line” show direct separation and do not describe a road or walking route. Fare estimates use Kerala’s 26 April 2022 auto/taxi notification and exclude waiting, night and applicable one-way surcharges. Confirm the current meter or operator quote before travelling. Routing: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Nearby toilets, pharmacies, ATMs, seating and vets are community-mapped and may be incomplete or out of date. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors | Walking times © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT
The Department of Museums and Zoos says the museum opened in 1857 and the zoo and Public Gardens followed in 1859.
The department gives 30 acres for the zoo and 55 acres for the wider museums-and-zoo complex.
No. The department’s web figures are undated, and the Central Zoo Authority inventory is explicitly for 2023–24. Exhibits and animal numbers can change.
The park is open year-round on its published visiting days. Choose a cooler part of the day for an outdoor walk and check weather and current hours before setting out.
Entry: The department’s zoo ticket page, checked 4 October 2026, lists Indian adult admission (above 12) at ₹40, children aged 5–12 at ₹15, and foreign adult admission at ₹200. Museum, gallery, camera and battery-car charges are separate; check eligibility for any child or special-event concession. Timings: The department’s visitor page lists Tuesday–Sunday, 9:00 am–5:15 pm; Mondays are closed. Checked 4 October 2026. Check the current notice for exceptional closures and last admission.
Use the Department of Museums and Zoos ticket page for current zoo hours, closed days and charges; do not assume the museum or gallery follows the same timetable. Enter through the Museum Park visitor access in central Thiruvananthapuram and allow time to walk the garden paths as well as see exhibits. Check current enclosure notices on arrival. Animal collections and individual viewing arrangements change from the last published annual inventory.
Allow about two hours for an unhurried zoo visit, and more if combining separately ticketed museums.
Nearby you can pair Napier Museum (670 m, route estimate), Kanakakunnu Palace (1.0 km, route estimate), Kerala Science and Technology Museum (1.7 km, route estimate), Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple (3.3 km, route estimate).
Stay on public paths and follow staff instructions around enclosures. Do not feed or disturb animals.
Written about Thiruvananthapuram Zoo itself — its history, its legends and the arguments about them.
These guides explore Thiruvananthapuram city and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Kerala.
