Apenheul Zoo

About Apenheul Zoo

A magical monkey zoo in the heart of the Hoge Veluwe

The Netherlands is full of brilliant and unique family days out, and Apenheul is one of them!  Apenheul (meaning Monkey Safe Haven in Dutch) is a large primate park located in the heart of the Hoge Veluwe National Park in a truly natural forest setting. It was voted best day out in the Netherlands in 2016.

This is a perfect day out for monkey lovers! Apenheul is a zoo focusing solely on the world of monkeys and gorillas! It features over 35 different species of apes and primates! Who knew there were so many different species of monkeys. The monkeys are not caged but are free to roam around and they might come and say hello or have a play. Don’t worry about the monkeys snatching your bags as you are given monkey proof bags at the entrance to put all your belongings in!

This is somewhere where you can easily spend half a day or even a full day. Apenheul seems to have the perfect combination of fun and education with lots to take in and see and learn! Children can watch the animals being fed, learn about the monkeys and about how, as humans, we are so similar in so many ways to them. They can even watch the mummy gorilla breastfeed her baby. There are several play areas around the park including a huge one in the centre of the park and a merry go round at the end of the visit. After all this fun you will probably want to sit down for a snack or some lunch. You might want to bring a picnic or try out one of the many places to eat and drink while you watch the monkeys play! Jambo’s Place and Restaurant BigFood have adjacent play areas. With the largest play area located next to Jambo’s Place, your children get to climb and explore to their hearts’ content. Or at least until they’ve mastered their own ability to monkey around!

There is a well thought out walking route and you can walk among the little monkeys, play with them and interact with them.

Apenheul is very invested in animal welfare and has its own Primate Conservation Trust where a percentage of the proceeds from Apenheul go towards supporting projects around the world.

Although you feel like you’re in the middle of nature here, you are just 10 minutes drive from the charming city of Apeldoorn and within very easy reach of many of the Landal holiday parks featured on our site.

So it’s a brilliantly located day out for many of the holiday parks and farms we feature on our site!