Korkeasaari (Helsinki Zoo), Helsinki

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Korkeasaari is the Finnish name of Helsinki Zoo. It's situated on a beautiful island in Helsinki. You reach it either with walking over a bridge or by ferry from Helsinki Market Square. The Zoo is a perfect place to relax, enjoy the nature and animals and have picknick with friends. It's awesome to walk around with friends as well as family. The island is 22 hectare big, has 150-200 different animals and up to 1000 different species of plants! It is divided after different types of climate and animals. For example there is a part called Africasia with African and Asian animals and climate. This one is of course indoors. The Zoo was founded in 1889 and it makes it to one of the worlds oldest zoo. It has over half a million visitors every year. The Zoo is best known for its snow leopards, but there is a lot more to see. I apologize for my bad pictures. I had a bad camera and not so much time.
I really recommend this place to you all, personally I love the Zoo. Enjoy!

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Korkeasaari (Swedish: Högholmen) is an island in Helsinki, Finland where the country's biggest zoo is situated. The English name of the zoo is Helsinki Zoo.

The zoo is located on a 22-hectare (54-acre) rocky island. It's connected to mainland via a bridge to Mustikkamaa, where there is access to the zoo all year round. A ferry and water buses take visitors to the island summertime from Kauppatori and Hakaniemi.

Korkeasaari is one of the most popular places among visitors in Helsinki. The animals on display are divided geographically to Amazonia, Africasia and Borealia. Animal species number about two hundred, and plant species about a thousand.

Korkeasaari Zoo organizes every fall a so called "Night of the Cats" event. This year it will take place on the 2nd and 9th of September. During these nights the zoo will be open between 16:00-24:00. In addition to perkier felines and feedings there are usually all kinds of informative shows going on.

Entrance fee:
Adults: 13 € (ground) / 19 € (ferry)
Children 6-17 years: 8 € (ground) / 11 € (ferry)
Children under 6 years: free

Transportation: In previous years there have been additional bus shifts from city center to Korkeasaari during the evening..

There is a collection of northern European animals, including a herd of wild forest reindeer, wolverines, northern owl species, and many other mammals and birds from Europe and Asia.

The zoo is open: May-Sept, daily 10am-8pm; Mar-Apr, daily 10am-6pm; Oct-Feb, daily 10am-4pm.
You can go to the zoo by waterbus or walking by bridge.

Children below 7 have free entrance! If you have the Helsinki Card, it will cover admission to the zoo as well as free rides on the ferry and waterbus.

Check my zoo travelogue for more photos.

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To get to Korkeasaari Zoo, you can go by boat. The Korkeasaari Zoo boat goes from the market square, and it's easy to find.

The Zoo is located on Korkeasaari Island, and on your way out there, you can see lots of small islands with small cottages on. The Zoo is one of the better ones I've been to, I'm not a zoo fan really... But except from one of the big cat animals, the animals seemed happy. It was clean, and all the animals looked well.

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Korkeasaari is a really great place for a day out. You can take a ferry from Kauppatori that takes you directly to the Zoo that is located in a island. Bears (not polar bears), papoons, camels, reindeers and other interesting new acquaintances make a day enjoyable to all age groups. Be prepared to walk a bit!

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We enjoyed a very warm summer week in Helsinki and with this weather is highly recommended to get a boat ride to the Zoo and have a look there. It was curious for us as we had the chance to meet nordic animals we couldn't have found in Spain, like snow leopards.

Kids will definitely love the combination of boat ride + animals + running space! We took the boat in Hakaniemi pier (close to Hilton Hotel) and came back to Market Square (beautiful views approaching to the square).

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One of my fondest places in Helsinki is the Korkeasaari Zoo. It is an island so you can take a water bus either from Kauppatori or from Hakaniemi. There is a bridge connection, too. Go to Kulosaari island and then through Mustikkamaa island to get to the entrance to the Korkeasaari Zoo.

For your information, there are two bear cubs right now! Must go and see them straight away because they will be sold to some other zoo soon.

You take the boat from Kauppatori to the zoo (entrance fee and boat ride included in cost) and you can enjoy a stroll around the island zoo stocked with everything you would expect. The indoor tropical sections are also enjoyable.

There are 135 islands in front of Helsinki (or so I was told). One of them is entirely transformed in to zoo and it is called Korkeasaari. It is very nice and just a boat trip away from the Fish market Kauppatori. You can get there by bus as well, and my advice is to ask at your hotel reception which line to take (depending on where you are staying).
One adult ticket costs 5 euros, but for more information go to web site.