Thoiry, where the savanna begins 40 minutes from Paris
A zebra sniffing your side-view mirror. A giraffe eyeing you with African nonchalance. You are stuck in your car in the middle of the Yvelines, wondering if you took a wrong turn somewhere off the A13. Welcome to Thoiry, the first safari park in France since 1968, where you drive through animal habitats as if the Serengeti plains had been dropped into the French countryside.
A family destination, others should look elsewhere
Let us be clear from the start. Thoiry is primarily for families with children, animal enthusiasts, and those looking for an offbeat experience. If you are looking for a romantic getaway or a classic cultural trip, this is likely not the place for you. The park attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, with significant crowds during school holidays and sunny weekends.
A car remains nearly essential to reach the site and enjoy the safari. Public transit exists but is restrictive, with a shuttle limited to certain school holiday dates. Plan for a full day on-site. Between the safari, the walking zoo, the playgrounds, and potentially the castle, it is impossible to see everything in just a few hours.
A significant but all-inclusive budget
Expect to pay 30€ (about $33) per adult and 24€ (about $26) per child for a Zoo and Safari ticket, with free entry for children under 3. This price includes access to the castle when open, the playgrounds, the maze, and the Lumières Sauvages festival in winter. Unique accommodations to sleep at the zoo range from 65€ to 190€ (about $70 to $205) per person depending on the season and the type of lodge.
The drive-through safari: the signature experience
Eight kilometers of two-lane track, navigated in your own vehicle. This is the concept that has built Thoiry's reputation for over 55 years. You will encounter wildebeests, zebras, ostriches, rhinoceroses, and elephants in semi-open spaces. Arctic wolves watch you, and brown bears roam their enclosures. The immersion works, especially when the park opens and the animals are most active.
You can repeat the circuit as many times as you like throughout the day. Some people go through once in the morning and return in the late afternoon when the light changes. The most adventurous can book the camion brousse (bush truck) to enter the lion enclosure with a ranger.
Pro tip: Arrive at 10:00 AM sharp for opening. The animals are more visible in the morning, and you will avoid the lines that form quickly by 11:00 AM on busy days.
The walking zoo: immersion among species
Once your car is parked in the free, tree-shaded lot, the zoo is explored on foot across 90 hectares. More than 750 animals from 130 species await. The path winds between the Terre des Gorilles, the Île des Lémuriens accessible via suspension bridges, the Arche des Petites Bêtes for reptiles and invertebrates, and the big cat enclosures.
The glass tunnels that cross through the territories of lions, hyenas, and Siberian tigers are one of the highlights. You typically walk under the paws of the big cats as they lounge above your head. The LemurTrek allows you to get very close to the ring-tailed lemurs, sometimes within a few inches.
Additional activities
The Safari Air Park offers 1,500 square meters of bouncy nets stretched between trees, reaching up to 9 meters high. The 10,000-square-meter plant maze is touted as the largest in France. The zip line over the lion enclosure requires an extra fee. Animal feeding demonstrations are free and allow you to interact with the keepers.
The Renaissance castle and its gardens
Many visitors ignore it, but Thoiry houses a 16th-century castle classified as a historical monument. Built by Raoul Moreau, a royal treasurer and alchemist, the building has a rare feature, its orientation allows the sun to shine through the vestibule during the summer and winter solstices. It is a sort of French solar temple, designed according to the rules of the golden ratio.
The family of the Comtes de La Panouse has lived here for 16 generations. The gardens, labeled Jardin Remarquable, combine French-style perspectives designed by Claude Desgot, the nephew of Le Nôtre, with English-style plantings featuring 51 century-old sequoias. Access to the castle and gardens is included in the zoo ticket on days they are open.
Thoiry Lumières Sauvages: winter magic
From October to March, the estate transforms after dark. Nearly 3,000 giant lanterns illuminate a 2 to 3 km path in the castle gardens. This 8th edition celebrates the Bal des Esprits, inspired by the Mexican Día de los Muertos celebrations. Access is included in the daily Zoo and Safari ticket.
The show starts at 5:00 PM and runs until 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM depending on the period. Families often combine a daytime zoo visit with the evening light trail to get the most out of their ticket. Christmas and February holidays see the highest attendance.
Where to eat and drink in Thoiry?
On-site dining divides visitors. The park has three main food spots: the Cantine de l'Explorateur offers self-service with local, short-circuit products, the Camp des Yourtes offers a more exotic atmosphere, and the Masoala provides service in the afternoon depending on the weather. Prices remain high for quality that many find inconsistent.
The alternative is to bring your own picnic. Dedicated areas are set up in the park, and you can sit on permitted lawns. The village of Thoiry itself does not offer any notable restaurants, but Montfort-l'Amaury, 10 km away, has some good options.
Where to stay in and around Thoiry?
The ultimate experience is staying at the zoo. The Lodges Terres d'Afrique overlook the enclosure of elephants Moyo and Ben. The Loudges place you face-to-face with the pack of Arctic wolves. The Tanières Perchées and the new Chalets allow you to observe black bears when you wake up. Packages generally include breakfast, sometimes dinner, and private moments with the keepers.
For classic accommodations, the Rambouillet area, 15 km away, or Versailles, 30 km away, offer more choices. A few bed-and-breakfasts can be found in surrounding villages like Montfort-l'Amaury or Jouars-Pontchartrain.
How to get to and around Thoiry?
From Paris, expect 45 minutes via the A13 toward Rouen, then the A12 and N12 toward Dreux, taking the Thoiry exit. The parking lot is free and spacious. By public transit, take the Transilien line N from Paris Montparnasse to the Montfort-l'Amaury - Méré station, then the zebra-striped shuttle to the park. Note that this shuttle only runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays during school holidays.
From Belgium or northern France, the A1 followed by the ring road and A13 allows you to reach Thoiry in about 3 hours and 30 minutes from Brussels. From Lyon, expect 5 hours via the A6 and A10.
When to go?
Spring and autumn offer the best balance between pleasant weather and moderate crowds. The animals remain active without the summer heat that drives them to take refuge in the shade. Winter allows you to combine the zoo with Lumières Sauvages, but some species are less visible. Avoid the first weekends of school holidays if you want to dodge the crowds.
