Zurich Zoo, on the slope of the Zürichberg next to Fluntern, is one of Europe's most thoughtfully designed modern zoos. The headline attraction is the Masoala Rainforest — a glazed dome 120 metres long enclosing a 1.1-hectare slice of Madagascan habitat, with free-flying birds, lemurs, geckos and an actively planted forest at full ambient temperature and humidity. You can walk inside on raised walkways.
Beyond the rainforest, the zoo's commitment to large naturalistic enclosures shows in the Kaeng Krachan elephant house (an 11,000-square-metre indoor and outdoor environment) and the Pantanal exhibit with capybaras and tapirs in semi-flooded grassland. The standard route takes most of a day. Tram 6 from the main station goes directly to the zoo entrance; the same tram passes the Joyce grave at Fluntern, so the two can easily be combined.