Parc De Merlet - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025) (original) (raw)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

4.5

4.5 of 5 bubbles

805 reviews

Teresa

Manilva, Spain3 contributions

4.0 of 5 bubbles

Sep 2024 • Couples

Lovely park , Great for walking dogs.
Views were amazing 😍
Lots of paths to walk for different difficulties.
Easy to get too, has toilets and very clean.

Written September 21, 2024

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5.0 of 5 bubbles

Aug 2024 • Family

We had a great visit! We parked at Les Houches train station and took the free shuttle (donations welcomed) up to the park. It's stunning with amazing views across the mountain range. It's walkable for children (the easy/green trail is even walkable for a buggy). We saw loads of deer and ibex too. We got stamped and left to have a picnic (plenty of space just outside the gate) but the restaurant has lovely views if you'd prefer. My 4 year old son loved the little extras - tree house, sand pit, wooden plane etc.
Really recommend a trip here!

Written August 5, 2024

4.0 of 5 bubbles

Aug 2024 • Family

The views of the mountains the other side of the valley are amazing from the park and it’s a good opportunity to see mountain animals. Most of it would be inaccessible with a buggy. It’s a long walk from the car park to the entrance up a steep hill (you are warned of this on the website). You now have to book a timed entrance slot. The service in the cafe was terrible - a waiter was making a performance of being loudly rude to customers and then looking round as if he hoped he was being watched. We left the cafe when he started shouting which distressed my daughter.

Written August 5, 2024

5.0 of 5 bubbles

Sep 2023 • Family

Beautiful Place. We visited here September and it was low season. Only very few people and we really enjoyed the place. Perfect for children. The animals are roaming free!

Written December 15, 2023

5.0 of 5 bubbles

Sep 2023 • Friends

Really cute ‘safari’ park. We walked up from the station Les Houches and it was hard work (basically the equivalent of climbing stairs for 1.5 hours) but worth it.

Written September 24, 2023

3.0 of 5 bubbles

Jul 2022

The good:
- The view is spectacular as you can see the Mont Blanc massif right before you with nothing blocking the view in a few locations.

- The animals are supposed to be moving around freely, so you can get a fairly close look at them (although a minimum of 10 metres safety distance is advised).

- The entrance fee is reasonable - but there is no family price.

The not-so-good:
- The nearest parking to the entrance is almost sure to be full unless you are there first thing in the morning and it's reserved for people with mobility issues and families with very young children. With only 30 slots, just assume it would be full so you would not be disappointed. (There is a shuttle bus from the Les Houches train station, but not practical either if you have a lot of things like picnic food, water bottles, and kids stuff to schlep. The parking lot open to all is 1.5km away.）

- The walk to the entrance is LONG for an attraction such as this one. (Granted they did warn visitors on their website about the access.) Every group with young kids I saw was downright miserable - tired, thirsty and already annoyed by the time they got to the entrance. The slope is fairly steep and if your kids are not the athletic type or are quite young, expect to carry them and get a good workout. (Most families were using a baby/toddler carrier.)

- We did not see many animals. The brochure advertised several types of animals and we saw maybe two. One of them is an ibex sitting on the roof of a wooden cabin right at the entrance (it seems to be always there) but once we ventured deeper into the park, all the animals seemed to be in hiding since the summer crowds were pretty intimidating and the weather was hot. We saw a few deers far away amongst the trees and that was about it.

- There did not seem to be any benches to sit on along the trails. The only rest area (where there are toilets and places to sit, plus a kids' play area) is near the main entrance. Otherwise, at the altiport, there is a huge grass patch, but I am not sure you are "supposed" to sit there.

- Picnics are forbidden in the park. The restaurant is pretty expensive, but perhaps this is "acceptable" for a remote location in this region. Expect Swiss prices - around 16 euros for a salad. There are picnic tables outside the premises - you can get a stamp and re-enter after eating, but I personally found it such a hassle that we planned it in such a way that we ate on our way out. I observed others eating before entering.

Verdict: Think carefully before bringing your kids here, as most families looked miserable when we were there. (Imagine promising your kids a lot of animals but all they saw was a few deers, and on top of this they had to walk more than 3-4km.) If you are here to get the "safari experience", avoid the high season/ summer time/school holidays. If you are here for the view, there are plenty of other options in the valley where you can take a cable car up to get a panorama.

Things to note:
1. As of summer 2022, online booking is required on weekends and every day in July and August.
2. A free shuttle bus (navette) is available. If you don't have much to carry, I strongly advise you to take this option.

Written August 4, 2022

4.0 of 5 bubbles

Jul 2021

This review is going to be slightly speculative but I'll try to apply a bit of logic, so please work with me for a moment. We came here when it was raining. Some lady on our TG train told us the zoo would be a great place to visit on a rainy day and, yes, it rained, and, no, this ain't a great place for rain, and, no, this ain't even a zoo. Thank you, Lady In Seat 66 Who Ate Onions And Talked Often. With clouds surrounding us for most of the morning, literally surrounding us, not above us, not just over us, but, like, inside our clothes, and our crevices, creeping into my cheek meat, it was hard to get the best panoramic view possible. That's half of what's amazing about this park -- the view. You're on the opposite side of the valley from Mont Blanc and you're getting a spectacular vantage point, which the Park People really do try to accommodate with designated vista points and stuff. And the other half? Of the reason to come? The animals? Didn't see most of them because it was raining and they apparently peace'd out just before we got there but we did meet a ton of Ibex, not just in the Ibex area but all over the trails just randomly doing Ibex stuff. The signage and learning plaques are really well done. You can learn how to spell Ibex. There's a fun cafe and a gift shop and the staff is really nice. On the day after we went here, the weather got good and we saw killer views from this same exact mountain so I'm deducing, with basic western logic, that the view from this park is world class. Worth the trip up.

Written May 22, 2022

nini154

The Hague, The Netherlands30 contributions

5.0 of 5 bubbles

Jul 2021 • Family

This park is great for families who care about nature and spotting animals. We saw deer, capricorns, marmots, but also chicken walking or lying around peacefully. Visitors are asked to keep their distance and stay on the trails, which helps children learn to respect animals and observe them from a distance. All of this with a breathtaking view on the Mont Blanc.

Practical information: from train station Les Houches, you can either make a 5 km hike or take the bus to the animal park (it’s free). Otherwise, it’s a 1500 m walk uphill from parking P3 or P4 or 500 m from P1 or P2 (few parking spots - reserved for families with small children, the elderly and people in wheelchairs).

It’s mandatory to book your time slot in advance on the park’s website in July and August. You’ll get a confirmation email which you will be ask to show upon arrival.

We absolutely recommend this park!

Written July 24, 2021

Hello, thank you for your visit and precious advice for our visitors ! See you soon !

Written September 19, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

5.0 of 5 bubbles

Oct 2020

i m a loyal to this place - amazing view and amazing experince being nearer to these beautiful animals- great for solo-families-children-friends

Written January 1, 2021

Hello Roxy, thank you for your comments ! See you soon !

Written July 2, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

4.0 of 5 bubbles

Aug 2020

Beautiful views on a clear day and the opportunity to see alpine wildlife (marmots, mountain goats, etc) in natural setting. My kids loved it but complained about the uphill walk from the 3rd parking. Restaurant has a nice outdoor terrace with views.

Written September 7, 2020

Hello, thank you for your visit, we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed it in spite of the walk ! See you soon !

Written September 7, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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