Zoosafari Bears

Zoosafari Fasanolandia: The Best Car Safari in Italy

We’re constantly learning about what it takes to travel with a child. For the most part, our expedition style hasn’t changed, but we’ve certainly noticed a few differences. As parents, it’s difficult to not realize how many activities and attractions are geared towards kids. Whether it’s motorized toys you can rent by the minute or carousels in the park, the opportunity to entertain children at our expense exists everywhere.

Naturally, when we saw the consistent advertising of Zoosafari Fasanolandia throughout Puglia, we knew we just had to visit. Luckily, our experience ended up being just as much for us parents as it was for our daughter!

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know before planning a fabulous visit to Zoosafari in Fasano.

What is Zoosafari Fasanolandia?

Zoosafari Fasanolandia is a combined theme park which consists of both an amusement park and an animal park. It is most known for its drive-through safari, which makes up the Zoosafari portion of the park.

Zoosafari is impressively the second-largest drive-through zoo in all of Europe and a prominent destination in Fasano altogether. Fasanolandia is the park’s other half and resembles a traditional theme park with rides, exhibits, and even an aquarium. Additional highlights of the theme park include a theatre, reptile house, monkey village, and a couple of small museums.

Although the overall park is divided into two main components (Zoosafari and Fasanolandia), access to both typically goes hand in hand. A bit more on this below, but by purchasing tickets to Zoosafari, a visit to Fasanolandia is also included. On the other hand, it is possible to solely visit Fasanolandia without completing the drive-through safari. In short, there’s a ton to see and do at Zoosafari, but it can get confusing when planning your visit due to the way ticket sales are structured.

And Where Is Zoosafari Fasanolandia?

As the name suggests, Zoosafari Fasanolandia is located near the town of Fasano. Fasano is situated in southern Italy, specifically in the beautiful region of Puglia. It is 60 km (37 miles) from Puglia’s capital of Bari and less than a one-hour drive from Bari’s international airport.

Is Zoosafari Fasanolandia Worth Visiting?

Puglia is one of Italy’s most beloved summer destinations. There is no shortage of gorgeous beaches to enjoy, seafood to devour, and charming towns to explore. With that being said, Zoosafari is likely on your radar for only two reasons.

  1. You are an animal enthusiast and thoroughly enjoy zoo visits.
  2. You are travelling with kids.

For those who resonate with the first reason, it makes complete sense to be interested in visiting a well-curated and straight-up fun animal experience. Sure, a zoo is one thing, but it’s hard to find someone who wouldn’t like a drive-through safari. How often can you come across the chance to see wild animals without being confined to small cages, all while in the comfort of your own car?

There are unfortunately many zoos out there that do not have the best interest of animals at heart. Zoosafari is not one of them, and their dedication to research programs, conservation of species, and education to the public takes the first priority.

It doesn’t take much to persuade any parent with children to visit Zoosafari. Whether your family is a lover of animals or not, Zoosafari and Fasanolandia effortlessly provides entertainment for kids of all ages. Particularly for any family who has done the beach and the aqua parks, the animal park is an excellent choice for switching it up. After all, fellow parents will understand that we’re just here to serve our children and their attention span! (Kind of only kidding).

Zoosafari Fasanolandia FAQs

How Much Do Tickets Cost?

Our least favorite part about Zoosafari Fasanolandia is the price. Compared to a typical zoo, admission fees are a bit costly. On top of that, the ticket structure is more complicated than it should be. During our visit, we paid for a Zoosafari ticket, which costs €32 per adult and €25 per child (free for children under 4 years old).

Aside from the main feature which consists of the drive-through safari, this type of ticket gives you access to Fasanolandia. However, it does not include entrance to the aquarium or any rides.

If you omit the safari altogether, a ticket to just Fasanolandia costs €18 per adult and children over four years old. For those eager to go on amusement park rides, this type of ticket is recommended since it includes six rides. Lastly, the third type of ticket, which is an add-on to the Zoosafari and Fasanolandia ticket, is admission to the Aquarium. A ticket to the Sea Lion Aquarium costs €10.

Where Should You Purchase Tickets?

One of the best things about visiting the Zoosafari complex is that you can walk up and purchase tickets on the spot. There is no need to buy tickets upfront or online before arriving. This is the most ideal scenario for families who tend to make last minute plans like us.

As soon as the park is open, you will line up at the ticket booth while in your car if you’re headed to the drive-through safari. If you’re only visiting Fasanolandia, you can park your car and then walk to the kiosk to buy entry tickets. Reservations are also never required unless you have special requests or are traveling in a very large group.

Zoosafari Bears

When Is Zoosafari Open?

To fully experience Zoosafari, plan a visit during April to September. This is the period when the park is completely open and operational, with regular visiting hours, shows, and exhibits. Outside of these months, the park is occasionally open with certain conditions. For example, in February, March, and October, you can only experience the drive-through safari on specific dates, while Fasanolandia (the theme park) remains closed. Additionally, there are special events during holidays such as Christmas and Halloween.

For Zoosafari (drive-through animal park), it is possible to purchase tickets and begin the tour from 9:30 to 15:00. Fasanolandia, which includes the amusement park with rides and other features like the theater and museums, is available from 10:00 to 16:00. These opening hours are only applicable from April to September.

Can You Feed the Animals?

By the park’s official rules, it’s not allowed to feed the animals or attract them towards you with food. It’s advised to follow this regulation while touring the safari because you may not know how animals will react. It’s a bit different than feeding pigeons at the park! In a worst-case scenario, the safari animals may cause damage to your car or you if you attract them with your own food.

Ironically, as you approach the entrance and parking area for the park, you’ll see a ton of roadside vendors. Each of them is selling plastic bags of food geared towards the zoo animals, typically carrots or even peanuts. Clearly, these vendors are not associated with the actual zoo, and that’s why you’ll see them making their sales before the park grounds.

Can You Drive Through With Your Windows Down?

Similar to Zoosafari’s stance on feeding animals, you’re technically not allowed to drive through the safari with your windows down. There are signs posted in multiple areas of the park prohibiting this for safety and liability reasons. However, this is where we slightly broke the rules, but only when it made sense. For example, the drive-through route begins with a large section of many goats, donkeys, and some horses.

There was not one car among ours that did not have their windows down and sticking their arms out to pet the animals. How can you resist a friendly lick from a farm animal?

As you get further into the excursion and into high-risk sections like the tigers, it’s probably not a good idea to treat them like goats. Additionally, the guards staged in these areas are more alert and will remind you to put your window up.

Overall, we kept our windows closed at all times in the backseat for our daughter but kept ours cracked open in order to take better photos. Use your best judgment with this one!

How Long Does the Drive Through Take?

Driving through the safari can take 30 minutes or over one hour. It completely depends on how long you stop at each animal species and take the time to observe or admire. There were some animals to which our daughter was glued to and didn’t want to leave. Other animals were shy or not visible, so we zipped on by. Secondly, the time to complete the route will also depend on the number of other visitors accompanying you. After all, it’s a drive, which means there will either be a lot of traffic or not.

Are Dogs Allowed?

To our surprise, we saw a handful of dogs joining their human owners at Zoosafari. The dogs were even seen in the Fasanolandia theme park, which has access to the aquarium, monkey village, and reptile house. We believe there is a size limit for dogs allowed inside, as all of the pups we saw were rather small. If your dog isn’t large and is well mannered, bring them along!

Tips for Visiting Zoosafari Fasanolandia

Arrive Before Opening or During Lunch Hours

This tip seems to apply to any frequented attraction or even beach, particularly in Italy. Arriving early is only effective if you get there before doors open so you are at the front of the line. If you arrive at opening hour, there will already be many cars ahead of you which cause traffic throughout the safari course.

We learned from our mistake, and when we visit Zoosafari again, we will likely arrive around 12:30pm when most people (Italians in particular) will start to leave for lunch instead.

Pack a Lunch

On the subject of lunch, it’s recommended that you pack your own sandwich or something easy to bring along with you. There are a handful of kiosks selling food inside Fasanolandia, but they are overpriced and of low quality. We were definitely not the only ones taking a picnic break in our car after the drive-through safari and before entering the theme park.

Be Mindful of Show Times

If you’re keen on catching a show at the theatre, aquarium, reptile house, or any other special performance, consider planning your visit around the show times. Unfortunately, show times vary and they’re not on a structured schedule (or published online). But there are two ways to confirm this beforehand. First, you can ask the ticket booth when you first arrive for all the show times. Alternatively, you can email Zoosafari in advance if you like to plan well ahead.

For us, seeing the performances was not a critical aspect of our visit so we played it by ear. Still, we were pleasantly surprised to catch a dog show by chance as we walked by the theatre.

Scope Out the Park Map Beforehand

Parents who are traveling with young children will likely want to avoid as much backtracking and wandering in the wrong direction as possible. We know from experience that there is nothing worse than disappointing a toddler by ending up at the wrong ride or attraction. Luckily, when you purchase your admission tickets, you’ll also receive a copy of the park map (for both Zoosafari and Fasanolandia).

The drive-through safari is very straightforward because it’s just one road and designed for you to see all of the animals. Fasanolandia is less intuitive, and the signs placed within the park don’t really point in the correct directions. Using the physical map to navigate the amusement park is best. It will give you a good preview of the layout instead of cluelessly walking around.

How to Get to Zoosafari in Fasano

The town of Fasano is conveniently located right off the E55 motorway. The zoo and park are then situated on a hill just up the street from Fasano’s centre. Reaching Zoosafari Fasanolandia by car is by far the quickest way.

Zoosafari’s distance from a few major cities and towns in Puglia includes:

  • Bari to Zoosafari – 60 km (37 miles)
  • Alberobello to Zoosafari – 16 km (10 miles)
  • Monopoli to Zoosafari – 18 km (11 miles)
  • Brindisi to Zoosafari – 66 km (41 miles)

BY TRAIN: Reaching Fasano by train is possible, but the station is located 3 km from the town center. There is a bus that regularly shuttles passengers from the Fasano train station into town. However, there is no bus that departs from Fasano’s town center to Zoosafari park. You would need to catch a taxi or walk the remainder of the journey.

Where to Stay While Visiting Zoosafari

Ever wonder what it’s like to sleep at a theme park? Zoosafari has a few options for guests looking to stay directly at the park and zoo. If you’re looking to make the animal park a focal point of your trip, spending the night or two can be super appealing to families with kids. Minimize travel time and maximize park time!

Park Hotel Sant’Elia (7.9 rating) – Book with Booking.com

Hotel Castel Miramonti (8.2 rating) – Book with Booking.com

Masseria Borgo Ritella (9.3 rating) – Book with Booking.com

Final Thoughts on Visiting Zoosafari Fasanolandia

If you are looking for our honest review of Zoosafari Fasanolandia, then we’d quickly tell you, yes, it’s worth a visit. It may not make the traditional list of the best things to do in Puglia but if you have the time, it won’t disappoint. As if we haven’t mentioned it enough, it’s especially a no-brainer if you are traveling with kids. To simplify our recommendation further, let’s break it down to pros and cons!

Pros:

  • The drive-through safari is excellent and good old-fashioned fun for all. There is a great variety of animals, and the route is well-maintained and designed.
  • The Zoosafari ticket gives you automatic access to the pedestrian zone and Fasanolandia. It’s a good value to see additional exhibits like the reptile house, monkey village, and museums.
  • There is plenty of parking, so you do not need to stress about sold-out tickets or availability.

Cons:

  • Much less affordable than a traditional zoo.
  • For the price of admission, it feels like access to the Aquarium should also be included.
  • Parking is also not free in the designated lots and costs around €3 for the whole day.

Zoosafari Travel Resources

travel insurance TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA or VisitorsCoverage

where to book flights FLIGHTS: Skyscanner, CheapOair or Agoda

car rental iconn CAR RENTALS: Rentalcars.com or Discover Cars

train icon TRAINS, BUSES, FERRIES: Busbud, Trainline or Omio

accommodation icon ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com, Hostelworld or Trivago

esim icon ESIM / CELL PHONE DATA: Airalo

booking activities TOURS & ACTIVITIES: GetYourGuide or Viator


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