Wow Safari Thoiry, Wildlife park with safari drives in Thoiry, France
Wow Safari Thoiry is a wildlife park in the town of Thoiry, in the Yvelines department west of Paris, where animals from many species live in large open enclosures. Visitors drive their own vehicles along a marked route that winds through the different sections of the park.
The park opened in 1968 and was one of the first places in Europe where visitors could drive their own cars through animal enclosures. It was created by the de La Panouse family, who owned the Château de Thoiry and developed the safari concept on their estate.
The park sits within the grounds of the Château de Thoiry, whose formal gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre and are still visible today. Visitors who explore the pedestrian section can experience both a historic estate and free-roaming animals at the same time.
A car is required for the safari section, as the drive-through route cannot be done on foot. The pedestrian area of the park is accessible to most visitors, and it is worth checking seasonal opening hours before you go.
The park offers wooden cabins on stilts where visitors can spend the night surrounded by the animal enclosures. Staying after dark reveals a side of the animals that daytime visitors never see, as many species are far more active once the crowds have gone.
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