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Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

#5of 8 places to visit in MysuruMysuru, Karnataka

Also known as Mysore Zoo · Mysuru Zoo

Quick answer

Opening hours: 08:30–17:30, closed Tuesdays. Entry: ₹100. Allow 2.5 hrs. Best time: 08:30–10:30.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Gpkp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 08:30–17:30; Closed Tuesdays
Entry fee: ₹100; Ticket from
Time needed: 2.5 hrs
Best time of day: 08:30–10:30
Best months: Oct – Mar
Address: Zoo Main Road, Indiranagar, Mysuru, Karnataka 570010

About Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens charges ₹100 for Indian adults and ₹50 for children as of 2026, for grounds spanning 157 acres that make it one of the oldest zoos in continuous operation anywhere in the world. Chamaraja Wadiyar X, the twenty-third Maharaja of Mysore, opened it in 1892 as a private royal menagerie on just 10 acres of the palace's summer grounds, and it expanded to 45 acres within a decade before public visits began around 1920. Today the collection runs past 168 species and roughly 1,320 individual animals, including the largest elephant population of any zoo in India. The zoo is the only one in the country to house chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, white rhinoceroses, and cheetahs together on a single site, a combination that reflects a century of active breeding-loan exchanges with zoos abroad.

Best time of day: 08:30–10:30. When large mammals are most active and before the heat sends most enclosure animals into shaded cover for the rest of the day.

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens timings

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens opens at 08:30 and closes at 17:30. The weekend is no different: Saturday and Sunday follow the same times.

Opening hours: 08:30–17:30; Monday 08:30–17:30
Tuesday Closed
Wed–Sun 08:30–17:30
Closed on: Tuesday

Monday	08:30–17:30
Tuesday	Closed
Wed–Sun	08:30–17:30

Opening hours compiled from mysuruzoo.info and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens ticket price

Entry fees for Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	₹100
Foreign visitors	₹100
Children	₹50
Camera	Free

The zoo's own website lists ₹100 for adults and ₹50 for children as of 2026, though some travel aggregators cite ₹120/₹60; book only through the official tickets.mysuruzoo.info portal, since the zoo's site posts an explicit warning against third-party ticket resellers.

Prices compiled from mysuruzoo.info and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

08:30–10:30
Morning OpeningBest time to go
Animals are most active before the day's heat sets in; queues at the gate are shortest of the day.
Quiet
10:30–14:00
Family Peak
School groups and family visitors fill the main pathways; primate and elephant enclosures draw the thickest crowds.
Busy
14:00–16:00
Midday Heat
Many animals retreat to shaded areas and visibility drops; visitor numbers ease compared with late morning.
Moderate
16:00–17:30
Late Afternoon
A second wave of activity as temperatures fall; families make a final circuit before the 17:30 closing time.
Moderate

History of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

Chamaraja Wadiyar X founded the zoo in 1892 on the grounds of the palace's Summer Palace as the Palace Zoo, a private collection intended for royal and diplomatic visitors rather than the public. It was renamed Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in 1909 in his memory after his death, and expanded steadily under subsequent Wadiyar rulers before opening to public admission in the early 1920s.

In 1979, management of the zoo passed to the newly formed Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which became the first autonomous body in India created specifically to run a zoological garden, separating day-to-day operations from direct government department control. Ten elephants currently live at the zoo, and a total of 34 elephants have been recorded there across its history — a legacy tied directly to the Wadiyar dynasty's ceremonial use of elephants during Dasara processions. Breeding-loan partnerships with zoos across Europe and North America through the twentieth century account for how species such as the white rhinoceros and the orangutan, native to entirely different continents, came to appear on a Mysuru inventory at all.

Rules & etiquette at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

The zoo closes on Tuesdays, shared with the adjoining Karanji Lake Nature Park, so plan around this if both are on the itinerary. Feeding animals is prohibited throughout the grounds, and staff intervene quickly around the primate enclosures, where visitors most often attempt it.

Tickets should be booked only through the zoo's official portal at tickets.mysuruzoo.info; the zoo's own website carries an explicit public notice warning against third-party resale platforms that have historically sold inflated or invalid tickets. The grounds cover 157 acres, more than most visitors expect, and comfortable walking shoes matter more here than at any other stop on a typical Mysuru itinerary.

Tips for visiting Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

1
Karanji Lake Nature Park shares a boundary wall and can be visited on the same outing, either before or after the zoo depending on which is cooler at the time. Large-mammal enclosures are most active in the first two hours after opening, before the late-morning heat sends much of the collection into shade.
2
A full circuit of all 157 acres takes a minimum of two hours at a steady pace, longer with children who want to linger at the elephant and primate enclosures. An electric buggy service, where available, cuts significant walking time for visitors with mobility constraints or young children who tire early.

How to reach Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens

The red star is Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens; the numbered pins are the 6 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Zoo Main Road, Indiranagar, Mysuru, Karnataka 570010Directions in Google Maps

From Karanji Lake Nature Park
0.5 km · 5–8 min walk
Free on foot
From Mysuru Junction Railway Station (MYS)
₹80–₹120
3.2 km · 10–15 min
Auto-rickshaw, negotiated
From Mysore Airport / Mandakalli (MYQ)
₹280–₹380
10.7 km · 20–25 min
Prepaid cab

Nearest airport

From Mysore Airport / Mandakalli (MYQ)

10.7 km, 20–25 minutes.

Nearest railway station

From Mysuru Junction (MYS)

3.2 km, 10–15 minutes.

Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens FAQs

Where should tickets for Mysore Zoo be bought?

Only through the official portal at tickets.mysuruzoo.info as of 2026. The zoo's own website posts an explicit warning against third-party resale platforms that have sold inflated or invalid tickets in the past.

Is Mysore Zoo open on Tuesdays?

No, it is closed on Tuesdays, the same day as the adjoining Karanji Lake Nature Park. Hours on other days run 08:30 to 17:30.

What makes Mysore Zoo's animal collection unusual?

It is the only zoo in India housing chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, white rhinoceroses, and cheetahs together on one site. It also holds the largest elephant population of any Indian zoo, with ten elephants as of recent counts.

How long does a full visit take?

A minimum of two hours covers the 157-acre grounds at a steady pace, longer with children. An electric buggy service, where available, reduces walking time significantly for visitors with mobility constraints.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places