Wow Safari Peaugres

What it's like here

Wow Safari Peaugres is France's largest zoological park in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, sprawling across 80 hectares near Annonay with over 1,200 animals from around 125 species. What sets it apart is the 13-hectare drive-through safari in your own car, where you navigate slowly past big cats, giraffes and other wildlife without leaving your vehicle — a genuinely immersive encounter you won't find in a conventional zoo. After the drive, you continue on foot through a larger walking circuit with tigers, red pandas, mandrills, elephants and more, including a glass tunnel that brings you face to face with lions, hyenas and tigers.

The park splits into two distinct experiences. The car circuit is what people come for: windows up as you move through territory where cheetahs, snow leopards and Siberian tigers roam, or giraffes close enough to brush your wing mirror. It's paced, unrushed, and feels more like wildlife encounter than spectacle. The walking section that follows covers the rest of the collection across a conventional layout. In winter, the park transforms with the Festival Lumières Sauvages, when illuminated animal lanterns hang throughout the grounds and evening opening extends the atmosphere into darkness.

Special features add depth. L'Oasis des carapaces is a sanctuary for tortoises seized by the courts, giving the park an educational conservation angle. Overnight stays are possible in themed cabins—some positioned near bears and Arctic wolves, others by the cheetahs. An electric bush truck also runs the safari circuit for €10 per person if you'd rather not drive.

Timing matters here. The car circuit queue forms on the road during busy May and July–August weekends; arriving at opening and tackling the drive first is essential on those days. Opening hours vary considerably by season—daily 10:00–18:30 from April to September, but far more limited November through March, with evening festival hours added in February and March. Last entry to the car circuit is usually one hour before closing, so check the official calendar for your visit date.

The site has four catering points and three picnic areas, plus parking and toilets. It's well-positioned between Lyon, Valence and Saint-Étienne, all within an hour's drive. Dated online tickets are regularly discounted, making a visit more affordable than the walk-up rate. A full day is realistic, though the drive-and-walk combination works in 3–4 hours if you're pressed for time.

Highlights

• Drive through a 13-hectare safari circuit in your own car, passing big cats, giraffes and other species at close range
• Face lions, hyenas and tigers at eye level through a glass tunnel
• Stay overnight in themed cabins near bears, Arctic wolves or cheetahs
• L'Oasis des carapaces, a sanctuary for court-seized tortoises
• Festival Lumières Sauvages in winter, with illuminated lanterns and evening opening

Good to know

Opening hours shift significantly by season; check the official calendar for your date. The car circuit queue forms on the road during busy May and July–August weekends—arrive at opening to go through first. Last entry to the drive is usually one hour before closing. Tickets start at €29.90 for adults, with regular discounts available online. The park sits within an hour of Lyon, Valence and Saint-Étienne. Four catering points and three picnic areas are on site.

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Last verified: September 9, 2026