Thoiry Zoo, now called Wow Safari Thoiry, is in the Yvelines department, 45 minutes from Paris according to the park. You drive an 8 km (5 mi) safari in your own car (about 1 hour), then tour the zoo on foot (about 3 hours). Online, the Liberté ticket costs €34 for an adult and €25 for a child aged 3 to 10; free under 3. The park warns that arriving after 2 pm does not leave time to complete both routes. Here are the prices, the hours we recorded, access without a car and the sunset time for the Lumières Sauvages festival.
Thoiry is 20 minutes from Versailles according to the park: the two combine well. See our guide to visiting Paris and our page on the Palace of Versailles.
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Thoiry Zoo: key facts
- Hours recorded on October 23, 2026: zoo and safari open at 10 am; ticket offices and entrances close at 5 pm; Lumières Sauvages from 6:30 pm to 9 pm (last entry 8 pm); opening days on the official calendar — checked on 23 October 2026 on thoiry.net
- Online price: Liberté ticket adult (age 11 and over) €34, child (3–10) €25, visitor with a disability €22; Futé ticket €30 / €21; free under 3 — checked on 23 October 2026 on thoiry.net
- Booking: not needed with a dated or Liberté ticket, except for the bush truck (€10 extra)
- Time needed: safari about 1 h; park on foot about 3 h; Lumières Sauvages about 1 h 30
- Address: 78770 Thoiry; GPS 48.8634 N, 1.79788 E; large free car park at the entrance
Prices and tickets
| Ticket | Adult (11+) | Child (3–10) | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberté ticket | €34 | €25 | valid on any opening day until December 31, 2026; entry not guaranteed on very busy days |
| Futé ticket | €30 | €21 | buy at least 7 days ahead; valid on the day or the next day |
| Family Pack | €118 (2 adults + 3 children) | — | dated, buy at least one day ahead |
| Bush truck | €10 | €10 | extra, booking required |
| Annual pass | €89 | €69 | valid for one year, Lumières Sauvages included |
All day tickets, including those bought from a reseller or an employee works council, give access to the drive-through safari, the zoo on foot, the play areas (Safari Air Park, giant maze, mysterious island) and the Thoiry Lumières Sauvages festival when it is held. Online tickets are neither refundable nor changeable. You can leave and come back during the day with your ticket.
The drive-through safari
This is Thoiry’s specialty: according to the park, it was the first safari to open its tracks in France, in May 1968, on the initiative of Paul de La Panouse. The 8 km (5 mi) route crosses 50 hectares (124 acres) where African herbivores, bears, wolves and bison live in semi-freedom.
- Keep the windows closed and stay in the vehicle.
- Feeding the animals is forbidden.
- Motorhomes are accepted; remove any spare wheel or bikes mounted on the back (storage possible near the ticket offices).
- Without a car, book the bush truck: 1 h to 1 h 30, the same route with additional access to the lions’ territory; it leaves from inside the zoo, about a 20-minute walk from the entrance, so show up 10 minutes early. Online booking opens 10 to 15 days ahead.
The park on foot
The zoo on foot brings together more than 750 animals over more than 90 hectares (222 acres) according to the park, including the lemur island (ring-tailed lemurs, black lemurs, ruffed lemurs) and the gorilla land. The whole estate covers 150 hectares (371 acres), with centuries-old trees (oaks, giant sequoias, cedars). Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented at the shop; picnics are allowed and drinking-water points let you refill your bottle.
How long to allow? Our day plan
Adding up the official durations (safari 1 h, park on foot 3 h), you need about 4 hours on site, breaks excluded. With ticket offices and entrances that closed at 5 pm on the day we checked, this gives:
- Ideal arrival: at opening (10 am): safari first, lunch, then the zoo on foot in the afternoon.
- Latest limit: about 1 pm to do everything; the park itself warns that after 2 pm, both routes cannot be completed.
- In the evening: on Lumières Sauvages days, allow 1 h 30 more from 6:30 pm.
Destination de Voyage calculation based on the durations and hours published by the park.
When to go? Climate and sunset
| Month | Max temp | Min temp | Rainy days ≥ 1 mm | Sunshine (h/day) | Sunset (15th) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8 °C (44 °F) | 1.9 °C (35 °F) | 11.0 | 1.8 | 5:23 pm |
| February | 8.0 °C (46 °F) | 1.8 °C (35 °F) | 10.4 | 2.9 | 6:13 pm |
| March | 11.9 °C (53 °F) | 3.9 °C (39 °F) | 9.8 | 4.3 | 6:57 pm |
| April | 15.4 °C (60 °F) | 6.0 °C (43 °F) | 8.7 | 5.9 | 8:44 pm |
| May | 18.8 °C (66 °F) | 9.4 °C (49 °F) | 9.7 | 6.5 | 9:27 pm |
| June | 22.1 °C (72 °F) | 12.5 °C (55 °F) | 8.7 | 7.0 | 9:58 pm |
| July | 24.6 °C (76 °F) | 14.4 °C (58 °F) | 7.9 | 7.2 | 9:51 pm |
| August | 24.6 °C (76 °F) | 14.2 °C (58 °F) | 8.4 | 7.0 | 9:08 pm |
| September | 20.7 °C (69 °F) | 11.3 °C (52 °F) | 7.9 | 5.9 | 8:06 pm |
| October | 15.8 °C (60 °F) | 8.5 °C (47 °F) | 10.6 | 3.8 | 7:03 pm |
| November | 10.4 °C (51 °F) | 4.8 °C (41 °F) | 11.4 | 2.3 | 5:12 pm |
| December | 7.2 °C (45 °F) | 2.4 °C (36 °F) | 12.2 | 1.8 | 4:56 pm |
The safari is done sheltered in your car: it is the part least affected by the weather. The zoo on foot is more pleasant from May to September (highs of 19 to 25 °C / 66 to 77 °F, fewer than 10 rainy days a month). In autumn and winter, the sun sets between 4:56 pm (mid-December) and 7:03 pm (mid-October): the Lumières Sauvages festival, which starts at 6:30 pm, then takes place after dark. The park may close some areas in high winds: on October 23, 2026, it announced the closure of the Safari Air Park because of a high-wind alert in the Yvelines.
How do you get to Thoiry Zoo?
- Car: A13 (Porte d’Auteuil) toward Rouen, then A12 and N12 toward Dreux, exit Thoiry, then D76 and D11. 20 minutes from Versailles, 30 minutes from Giverny, 45 minutes from Paris according to the park.
- Bus: line 78 from the stations of Mantes-la-Jolie, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines or Villiers – Neauphle – Pontchartrain, stopping in the village of Thoiry. Without a car, do the safari by bush truck.
- Carpooling: offered through the park’s website.
The park also offers on-site accommodation, such as the Tanières, opened in 2021 above the American reserve (wolves, bears, bison).
Common mistakes
- Arriving after 2 pm: it is impossible to do the whole safari and zoo.
- Coming without a car and without having booked the bush truck.
- Opening the windows or feeding the animals during the safari.
- Bringing your dog: pets are not allowed anywhere on the estate.
- Counting on the Liberté ticket on a very busy day: it does not guarantee entry.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get into Thoiry Zoo?
Online, €34 for an adult (age 11 and over) and €25 for a child aged 3 to 10 with the Liberté ticket; €30 and €21 with the Futé ticket bought 7 days ahead. Free under 3.
How long does it take to visit Thoiry?
About 1 hour for the safari and 3 hours for the zoo on foot according to the park, so a full day. After 2 pm, you will not be able to do everything.
Can you tour Thoiry Zoo by car?
Yes, that is the point of the safari: 8 km (5 mi) in your own vehicle, windows closed. Motorhomes are accepted. Without a car, book the bush truck (€10).
Can you eat at Thoiry Zoo?
Yes: fast-food outlets operate in the walking park depending on the season, and picnics are allowed in several areas.
How many animals are there at Thoiry?
More than 750 animals in the walking park, according to the official website, in addition to those in the safari reserve.
How do you get to Thoiry without a car?
By bus 78 from Mantes-la-Jolie, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines or Villiers – Neauphle – Pontchartrain, then the bush truck for the safari.
Our sources
- Wow Safari Thoiry (thoiry.net): prices, calendar and hours, getting to the park, safari and zoo, practical information, our history and values, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: climate sheet, 1991–2020 statistics, Trappes station (78621001, 167 m), donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, applied by Destination de Voyage to the coordinates published by the park (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.