Day Trips with Kids around Frankfurt: The Best Outdoor Destinations

My niece was four when she looked a giraffe straight in the eye for the first time at the Opel-Zoo — from the feeding platform, the animal so close that her mouth fell open in astonishment. Moments like that are surprisingly easy to come by around Frankfurt, and the best part is that most of them happen outdoors, in the fresh air, and many can be reached without a car at all. This article is about exactly those days: the big excursions into the open, from the two zoos to the Taunus hills to a theme park in the woods. I’ve ordered the destinations the way I plan them myself — by the children’s ages, by effort and by weather. And if it does rain, I’ll tell you at the end where to head instead.

Two zoos, two very different characters

Frankfurt has the rare good fortune of two genuinely good zoos within reach — and they complement each other perfectly.

Frankfurt Zoo sits right in the city in the Ostend, at Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1 (60316 Frankfurt), and having opened in 1858 it is one of the oldest zoos in Germany. Take the U6 or U7 U-Bahn to the “Zoo” stop, immediately outside the gate, or tram line 14. Admission is around €12 for adults and €6 for children aged 6 to 17, with younger children free (as of 2026). In the summer half of the year (roughly late March to late October) it opens 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., in winter until 5 p.m. For children the highlights are the nocturnal Grzimek House, the Exotarium with its reptiles and fish, and the great-ape “Borgori-Wald”. If you want to plan the visit in detail, my dedicated piece on Frankfurt Zoo has all the prices, the best feeding times and tips for beating the crowds.

The Opel-Zoo in Kronberg im Taunus (Am Opel-Zoo 3, 61476 Kronberg) is a different beast entirely. It lies at the edge of the forest, sprawling and hilly, and its greatest asset for families is space: children wander between elephants, giraffes and enclosures of goats and kangaroos without it ever feeling cramped. In 2026 the zoo turns 70. Admission, at €18.50 for adults and €10.50 for children aged 3 to 14, is noticeably higher than in Frankfurt (as of 2026), but you get a whole day’s worth of roaming for it. It’s open daily — until 7 p.m. in summer, 5 p.m. in winter. By train, take the S4 to Kronberg and change to bus 261, X26 or X27 to the “Opel-Zoo” stop; by car, follow the B455 between Kronberg and Königstein, where there is free parking right by the grounds. My tip: combine the visit with a detour to Burg Kronberg — the medieval hilltop castle is walkable and crowns the outing in the truest sense.

By the water and in the green: the Main, the GreenBelt and a river cruise

You don’t have to leave Frankfurt to spend a whole day outdoors with children. The Main riverbank is made for it: on the Sachsenhausen side, meadows, playgrounds and ice-cream stalls line up between the Eiserner Steg and the Deutschherrnbrücke, and the paved riverside path is ideal for balance bikes, scooters and first attempts on two wheels. If you want to go further, follow the GrünGürtel (GreenBelt), the roughly 75-kilometre green ring of woods, meadows and stream valleys that encircles the whole city and is fully signposted. For families, single sections are plenty — such as the Nidda water meadows in the north-west, with their flat paths and barbecue lawns.

The great classic among Frankfurt outings with children, though, is the boat trip on the Main. The Primus-Linie casts off from the Mainkai near the Eiserner Steg and offers shorter round trips of about 50 minutes as well as longer tours of around 100 minutes, running every afternoon in the summer season. From the water the skyline looks different again, and for little ones the boat alone is the whole adventure. Tickets are available on board or online in advance. To round the day off in properly Frankfurt fashion, hop afterwards onto the Ebbelwei-Express, the jingling apple-wine tram whose gentle loop through the city centre is an attraction in itself. And the great botanical classic, the Palmengarten in the Westend, is one of the most reliable family destinations in town anyway: acres of lawn, a pond with rowing boats, a miniature railway and — free for children and young people up to 17.

The Taunus on the doorstep: the Großer Feldberg

North-west of the city the Taunus begins, and its highest point is a rewarding destination for families with older children: the Großer Feldberg at 879 metres, the highest peak in the whole range. At the top a broad, breezy plateau awaits, with a 40-metre observation tower, the landmark telecommunications mast and the Feldberghaus, reopened in 2022, which houses a restaurant and a beer garden. On a clear day the view stretches far across the Rhine-Main plain. The summit plateau is perfect for flying kites, and in winter there is often snow up here long after the valleys have turned grey.

Best of all, you don’t need a car. On weekends and public holidays the Feldberg bus, line 57, runs from the U-Bahn terminus “Oberursel-Hohemark” (U3) via Oberreifenberg straight to the summit and on to Königstein station. By car you reach the large (paying) car park just below the top. With smaller children, pick one of the short loop paths around the plateau rather than a long hike — that way there’s energy left for the view and an ice cream at the Feldberghaus.

Farmyard and time travel: the Lochmühle and the Hessenpark

When I need a day that’s a guaranteed hit with smaller children, my choice falls almost every time on the Freizeitpark Lochmühle in Wehrheim (Lochmühle 1, 61273 Wehrheim). Set among petting enclosures and woodland, the park combines gentle rides with around a thousand animals, an agricultural nature trail and plenty of space to run wild — from the “Eichhörnchen” (Squirrel) family coaster to pony rides, trampolines and a chick hatchery. The kind part for your wallet: every attraction is included in the entry price, with no separate tills at the rides. Children under 100 centimetres get in free; from 100 centimetres, both adults and children pay €22.50, seniors €16.50 (as of 2026). The 2026 season runs from 28 March to 18 October, open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 4.30 p.m. And getting there is a gift: the “Saalburg” halt on the Taunusbahn (line RB15 from Frankfurt via Bad Homburg and Friedrichsdorf) lies practically at the park gate. Right next door, incidentally, stands the reconstructed Saalburg Roman fort — combine the two for a full day if you like.

Rather different, but just as rewarding, is the Freilichtmuseum Hessenpark (open-air museum) in Neu-Anspach (Laubweg 5, 61267 Neu-Anspach). On its sprawling grounds around a hundred historic timber-framed houses from all over Hesse have been rebuilt — a whole village to walk through, with a market square, craft demonstrations, old livestock breeds and fields. Children can roam for hours between barns and stables while grown-ups sink into everyday history. Adults pay €14; children, pupils and students get in free; the Hesse family card costs €26, and on Fridays admission is halved (as of 2026). From March to October it’s open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.), and from November to February only on weekends and public holidays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The easiest way there is by car via the A5 and the B456; do set aside a whole day, because the site is surprisingly large.

Rides and rope courses: Taunus Wunderland and a high-ropes park

For children who like things a little wilder, the road leads to Taunus Wunderland near Schlangenbad, close to Wiesbaden (Haus zur Schanze 1, 65388 Schlangenbad). The family-run park has existed since 1966 and is laid out among the trees; across four themed areas you’ll find, among others, the “Wilde Maus” roller coaster, the “Traubenrutsche” water slide and the “Knall & Fall” drop tower. As at the Lochmühle, every ride is included in the entry price — pay once, ride all day. The current day-ticket prices are on the park’s ticket shop; the easiest way to get there is by car via the B275 and the L3037.

For a shorter shot of adrenaline — and a genuine highlight for older children — try a high-ropes course (Kletterwald). The Fun Forest AbenteuerPark in the Leonhard-Eißnert-Park on the edge of the Offenbach city forest, barely half an hour from central Frankfurt, offers 17 courses at heights of up to 14 metres, spread across 160 trees and more than 13 kilometres of steel cable. There are low practice courses close to the ground for the little ones and demanding routes with zip lines for the bigger ones, everyone secured with a harness and a briefing. Such places depend on the weather and often work with timed slots, so it pays to reserve in advance.

My tried-and-tested family routes

After many outings of my own, I like to plan along these lines:

• Small children, fine day: the Lochmühle (all-inclusive, short distances) or the Palmengarten with its little railway. Both are relaxed and have quiet corners for a nap.
• Older children, itching to move: the high-ropes course in Offenbach in the morning, then ice cream on the Main — or a day at Taunus Wunderland.
• Animals and nature: the Opel-Zoo in the morning, a short loop on the Feldberg in the afternoon. Both are in the Taunus and combine well by car.
• City and water: a stroll along the Main, a cruise with the Primus-Linie and, to finish, a loop on the Ebbelwei-Express.
• A full day by train: the Taunusbahn to “Saalburg”, the Roman fort in the morning, the Lochmühle in the afternoon — without once getting into the car.

A few things help on any of these days: start early, while children are receptive and the sites empty; pack a picnic, especially for the Taunus and the Hessenpark; and deliberately limit yourself to one main attraction a day. Better one destination at leisure than two in a rush.

And when the sky already hangs grey in the morning? Then I head indoors — I’ve gathered my best ideas for grey days in Frankfurt with kids in the rain, and for dinosaurs, hands-on stations and other weatherproof classics it’s worth a look at my overview of museums for children in Frankfurt. The real gift of this region is precisely the choice: zoo, forest, farmyard or theme park — whatever the age, the weather or the stamina, the right destination lies less than an hour away.