The first dedicated bird park in the world is right here in The Netherlands in Alphen aan den Rijn. Avifauna Bird Park is a fun day trip to the world of exotic birds in a beautiful well-maintained environment. This was such a memorable experience for our family.
There is so much to experience at Avifauna: see unusual birds from all over the world, enjoy a bird show, feed rainbow Lories (my favourite activity!), see how penguins eat, experience pelicans up close, get a glimpse of exotic monkeys and visit the night safari where the owls live.
Without feather ado, let me show you my highlights.
Feed parrots
At Avifauna you can buy small quantities of bird nectar in a little cup to feed the Rainbow Lories. This is such a fun experience suitable for young and old.
Owls
When you step into the Night Safari enclosure it is completely dark because it has been designed to create optimal conditions for nocturnal animals. If you love owls as much as I do, it is so special to see them here. I saw two different owl species and other nocturnal birds closer than ever before.
Spectacular birds
Paradise for kids
Avifauna isn’t only a paradise for people who love birds, it also has some of the best play facilities I have ever seen. In fact, if you can get your kids away from the play area to actually see the bird park, you should be as proud as a peacock of yourself.
We tried this and it works: book a bird show or attend a scheduled penguin feeding so that you have somewhere else to be at a set time in another area of the park.😂
✷ Experiences such as bird shows and penguin feedings occur throughout the day and are included in the ticket price.
✷ Due to Corona restrictions the number of people at bird shows are limited as visitors have to be seated. At the entrance to Avifauna staff will help you book a time slot.
Our family loved Avifauna so much that we’ve been twice. We stayed the night at the Van Der Valk Hotel at the bird park. A night’s stay at the hotel includes a delicious buffet breakfast and a full two days entry to the park.
How to get there
Good to know
🍟 There are restaurants and snack kiosks in the park but visitors can also bring their own food.
🍟 The Van der Valk Hotel has a good restaurant. The menu is more diverse than what you would find in the park.
🍟 When we stayed over we discovered a fantastic greek restaurant, Zorba de Griek, in Alphen aan den Rijn. We went here for dinner and the food was authentically greek. For dessert I opted for Baklava – it was the best I’ve had in years.
If you’re looking for more memorable outdoor experiences, visit the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden. This is the oldest botanical garden in The Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world.
Take yourself on a self-guided walking tour of De Wallen, Amsterdam’s oldest and most magnificent area.
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