Photo : Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Giza · Giza
Giza Zoo
An 1891 khedivial garden, closed since 2023 for a complete overhaul. Reopening announced for late 2026.
The garden opened in 1891 on part of the grounds of Khedive Ismail's Giza palace, and that was the first reason to come: laid-out walks, kiosks, nineteenth-century rockwork and grottoes, a suspension bridge of the same period, and banyans three people cannot get their arms around. It was also where Cairene families came at the weekend, and one of the few large green spaces in Giza open to everyone. The enclosures, though, belonged to a different century from the gardens: concrete, bars, space measured out. The zoo lost its membership of the world association of zoos and aquariums in the early 2000s.
The extra bit
While the works last, keep this address for later and go to the Aquarium Grotto Garden in Zamalek instead: another nineteenth-century garden, and that one is open.
Know before you go
The garden has been closed to the public since 2023, together with the neighbouring Orman garden, for a redevelopment handed to a private operator; a phased reopening has been announced, along with a change of name. What closed was a zoo of concrete and bars; what reopens will probably have different enclosures. Ticket, opening times and even the name of the place will all need checking again on the day it reopens.
