When is the best time to visit ZooParc de Beauval and avoid the crowds? Outside French school holidays, and on weekdays. Here is our month-by-month crowd calendar for 2026-2027, with the French and UK holiday dates and the events to know about.
Picked your date?
Dated online ticket from €39 per adult and €32 per child.
Contents
The short answer ✅
- Quietest: weekdays outside French school holidays, from November to March (except Christmas)
- Best compromise: May-June and September on weekdays, avoiding French bank holiday weekends
- Busiest: July-August, the French bank holiday weekends in May and Saturdays in the holidays
The ZooParc is open every day of the year, from 9am. Saturday is busier than Sunday.
Month-by-month crowd calendar 📅
The ZooParc does not publish crowd forecasts. This calendar is our estimate, based on French school holidays, bank holidays and announced events.
| Period | Estimated crowds | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 (before the 17th) | Low on weekdays | MonstroZoo starts on 17/10 |
| 17 Oct - 2 Nov 2026 | High | French autumn holidays; UK October half-term |
| November - mid-December 2026 | Low | South entrance closed from 16/11 |
| 19 Dec 2026 - 4 Jan 2027 | Medium to high | Christmas holidays in France and the UK |
| January 2027 | Low | The quietest time of the year |
| 6 Feb - 8 Mar 2027 | Medium | French winter holidays, staggered; hotel perks from 06/02 |
| 3 April - 3 May 2027 | High | French spring holidays, staggered |
| May 2027 | High on bank holiday weekends | Ascension Thursday 6 May, Whit Monday 17 May |
| June 2027 (weekdays) | Low to medium | Good weather/crowd balance; UK May half-term is quiet |
| From 3 July 2027 | Very high | French summer holidays, the peak of the year |
French and UK school holidays 🗓️
Crowds at Beauval mainly follow French school holidays. Some UK holiday weeks therefore fall at quiet times: the May half-term and the first week of the Easter holidays in particular.
Full dates side by side, with our best weeks: Beauval during the school holidays.
Which day of the week? 📆
- Saturday: the busiest day
- Sunday: busy, but less than Saturday
- Monday to Friday: much calmer, especially outside the holidays
Over two days, put the busiest day (Saturday) on the indoor territories and the shows, and keep the weekday for the big outdoor areas.
Be there at 9am without a drive
Stay next to the ZooParc, a 5-minute walk to a 10-minute drive away.
What each season brings 🌦️
Spring and summer
The 2026 additions are fully open, including the Les Roches Vives water play area (April to late September). The Zen Pass, a €15 priority pass, ran from 4 April to 15 November in 2026.
Autumn
MonstroZoo runs from 17 October 2026 to 8 March 2027, included in the ticket. Les Rivages de Beauval celebrates the Día de los Muertos from 17 October to 2 November 2026.
Winter
The park closes at around 7.30pm in winter, against 9pm in summer. The indoor territories take over: the Equatorial Dome, the Gorilla Greenhouse, the Orangutan and Chimpanzee Greenhouse, the Bird Tropical Greenhouse and the Koala Greenhouse. See Beauval in winter and on a rainy day, and the month-by-month temperatures on our Beauval weather page.
On site: avoiding peak times ⏰
- Arrive at opening time, 9am
- On busy days, the ZooParc advises eating before 12.30pm or after 2pm
- Check the show programme as soon as you arrive
All our tips: tips for visiting the ZooParc and ZooParc opening times.
School holidays: official French school calendar and most common UK pattern. Events: ZooParc announcements, checked on 7 and 8 October 2026.