Serengeti Park Hodenhagen

The Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen is a combined safari park, zoo and amusement park in Lower Saxony, and at 220 hectares (540 acres) it bills itself as Europe's largest safari park. Around 2,000 animals live here alongside more than 100 attractions. The highlight is driving your own car, or riding a safari bus, through open enclosures with zebras, rhinos and giraffes. It is a favorite family day out in northern Germany, with close to 750,000 visitors a year.

Where it is and how to get there

Hodenhagen lies roughly between Hanover and Hamburg, and the park is just three minutes from the Westenholz exit of the A7 autobahn. Visiting by car is by far the easiest option, and you can use the same car for the drive-through safari. Each car pays a parking fee of €5.50, even if you take the bus through the animal area instead.

History in brief

The park opened in 1974 as one of a group of drive-through safari parks, a novel idea in Germany at the time. Its former manager Paolo Sepe bought it in 1982, and the park is now run by the next generation of his family. Over the years it added a jungle area with primates, an adventure section with rides, and a resort with lodges. In 1996 the park made headlines with the world's first release of a European-bred white rhino into the wild, in Namibia's Etosha National Park.

Things to do

• Serengeti Safari: drive through spacious enclosures in your own car, or join the one-hour ranger bus tour for €7.50 extra.
• Jungle Safari: monkeys, big cats and walk-through enclosures, plus feeding shows.
• Adventure Safari: roller coasters, the "Black Mamba" jet boat, water rides and a Ferris wheel.
• Petting area and shows for kids, plus bookable VIP safaris with behind-the-scenes access.

Tickets and opening hours

The 2026 summer season runs from March 21 to November 1. In October the park opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 or 6 p.m., but ticket sales and the drive-through safari end around 4 p.m. On selected October weekends, the Halloween Nights event keeps the park open later, and a winter light festival starts on November 6. Day tickets cost €49.50 for adults, €39.50 for ages 7 to 12 and €34.50 for ages 3 to 6; children under 3 enter free (as of October 2026). Convertibles and vehicles with loose parts are not allowed in the safari area. Dogs on a leash are welcome free of charge but are banned from rides, buses and walk-through enclosures.

Is it worth visiting?

For families, absolutely: few places in Europe let children see rhinos and giraffes this close from the back seat. Plan a full day and start with the safari. Nearby you can visit the Heide Park Resort theme park, the Weltvogelpark Walsrode bird park, the Lüneburg Heath, or the half-timbered old town of Celle.