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Vincennes zoo is located in the very heart of Paris, in the 12th district, near many of the city’s other top attractions. You are planning a trip to the zoo and you are looking for some attractions around? Here are a few unmissable places not more than half an hour’s drive from the zoological park.
The Botanical Garden
Located in the 5th district of Paris, half an hour by metro from the Vincennes zoo, Paris’ Botanical Garden is opened to the public. By the way, do not miss the chance to visit the National Museum of Natural History, the menagerie, the galleries for scientific exhibitions, the greenhouses as well as several green spaces.
Created in May 1635 at the request of King Louis XIII, the botanical garden used to be called the Royal Garden of Medicinal Plants. Indeed, physicians and apothecaries studied there! You will see that it is ideally located on the banks of the Seine. Moreover, you will have the chance to access a castle and a promenade open to the public.
Paris’ Botanical Garden offers you 24 hectares to discover, enough to spend good moments with friends and family! By the way, it the second largest garden in Paris after the Tuileries Garden where you may want to spend some time too.
Useful Information
The Botanical Garden is open every day from 8am to 6:30pm.
It is located in the 5th district of Paris. You can access it from these adresses:
- 36, 38, 40 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
- 2, 8, 10, 18 rue Buffon
- 47, 57 rue Cuvier
- Place Valhubert
Access to the Botanical Garden is free.
The menagerie at the Botanical Gardens
The Menagerie is a zoo located in the Botanical Garden, in the 5th district of Paris.
This park allows you to observe 146 species and 500 animals, including a red panda, snow leopards, orangutans, an Arabian oryx, Seychelles turtles, arboreal kangaroos, a rhinoceros hornbill, pink flamingos…
These animals are housed in the “fabriques” (19th century log cabins inspired by Marie-Antoinette’s farm in Versailles), in the large aviary, or in one of the three 20th century Art Deco buildings (the Vivarium, the Singerie and the Fauverie). We definitely recommend you to go there and see it with your own eyes!
Useful information
The Menagerie of the Botanical Garden is open every day.
It is located in the Botanical Garden, in the 5th district. You can access it from many points:
- 36, 38, 40 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
- 2, 8, 10, 18 rue Buffon
- 47, 57 rue Cuvier
- Place Valhubert
The price is €13 for adults, €10 for 3 to 25 years old and free for children under 3. The tribe package for two adults and two young people under 26 years old is €40.
Vincennes castle
From the zoo, all you have to do is take the metro for 15 minutes. You’ll then have the opportunity to admire the castle which is the only royal residence dating from the Middle Ages that still has its original aspect in France. It is also one of the highest castles in Europe. Worth the trip, isn’t it?
Located at the heart of a magnificent 6-hectare wood, it used to be a hunting house that was transformed into a royal residence in the 12th century at the request of King Charles V of France. From the 16th to the 19th century, it was used as a royal prison (Diderot, Fouquet and the Marquis de Sade were imprisoned there). As you can see, you have a lot to learn!
You will be amazed by its 9 towers, its 52 meters dungeon and its Sainte-Chapelle! Besides, you may want to visit the church, its sacristy, its loft and its treasure room to be fully immersed in another era. We are pretty sure that you will enjoy visit the patrol path of the châtelet and the two offices of the King’s secretary.
Useful Information
Vincennes Castle is located at 1 avenue de Paris, 94300 Vincennes.
It is open from 10am to 6pm from May 21th to September 22th, and from 10am to 5pm from September 23rd to May 20th. The Sainte-Chapelle is open between 10:30 am and 1 pm, then between 2 pm and 4:30 or 5:30 pm depending on the season.
The price is €9,50. The group rate is €7.50 per person. Free access to the Castle for children under 18, 18-25 years old and disabled people.
The tropical aquarium of the Palais de la Porte Dorée
Located only a 5-minute walk away from the Vincennes Zoo in the 12th district of Paris, the Tropical Aquarium of Paris is a public aquarium located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée.
Created not so long ago, in 1931, for the International Colonial Exhibition, it houses 84 aquariums with more than 15,000 animals of 750 species, including crocodiles, piranhas, sharks and turtles. Visiting this place is the best way to get familiar with unknown species!
If you are lucky, you may come at a time when the aquarium hosts a temporary exhibitions.
Useful information
The Tropical Aquarium is located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée at 293, avenue Daumesnil, 75012 Paris.
It is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5:30pm and from Saturday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm. It is closed on Mondays and on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
Regarding prices, the esplanade, the Hall of Honor, the Forum and the historical rooms of the Palais de la Porte Dorée are free. However, access to the Aquarium is €8 full price or €5 reduced price. A combined ticket granting access to the Museum and to the Aquarium is available for €12 full price or €9 reduced price
The Bois de Vincennes
The Bois de Vincennes, located in the 12th district of Paris, covers 955 hectares. Make your choice between lakes, parks, a zoo, a castle… or visit all of them! No matter what place you go to, it’s a very pleasant location to spend the day. The green spaces allow you to relax, and the Vincennes Castle as well as the Floral Park of Paris give you an idea of what Paris used to be like in the past century!
We recommend you to come with your children who will appreciate mini-golf, ping-pong tables and playgrounds. Some of them may be mesmerized by the Palais de la Porte Dorée (National City of the History of Immigration) and its tropical aquarium.
Either by bike, on foot, or even by boat on one of the lakes, you will find your way! Finally, if you are fond of music, you may be interested in the many festivals hosted by the Floral Park during sunny days.
Useful information
Access to the wood is free and unrestricted. It is open every day, 24h/24. To go there, take the metro up to Porte Dorée station.