At a glance
Norway · Kristiansand (Kristiansand Dyrepark, a zoo and theme park)
- Queue arrangement
- Vis Hensyn band (roughly "show consideration"): an orange band that lets the holder and a companion use a separate queue at most rides.
- In short
- The holder and usually one companion go to the front of a separate queue and are put on the next turn, but not necessarily the first departure. The park limits the band to one go per ride per day.
- Evidence
- A companion certificate (ledsagerbevis) or a doctor's statement under six months old saying the guest cannot stand in an ordinary queue. No UK or EU document is named. Details
- Companions
- Usually one companion with the band holder; a few rides allow more (two at the coffee cups, up to four at the Ghost House). Free entry for companions is a separate ticket rule. Details
- Last checked
- · desk research, not a visit report
The park's pages are in Norwegian; we translated them. Confirm the current process with the park before booking. Official Vis Hensyn page (Norwegian) (opens a new tab)
Research date:
The park's Vis Hensyn page, its companion, wheelchair, parking, hotel and special-needs question pages, and the how-to-get-there page were re-opened on that date. The park dates its pages itself; the oldest we rely on say 2022 to 2024, so check that nothing has changed. Desk research; not a visit report.
Quick answers about Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark)
What does Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark) offer visitors who cannot queue?
An orange Vis Hensyn band gives the holder and usually one companion a separate queue at most rides, one go per ride per day.
Who qualifies at Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark), and what evidence does it ask for?
A companion certificate (ledsagerbevis) from the guest's home municipality, or a doctor's statement under six months old saying the guest cannot use an ordinary queue. UK documents and the EU Disability Card are not named.
What do I arrange before I go to Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark)?
Collect the band at the ticket booths at the main entrance (or at the Badelandet entrance) on the day, showing a companion certificate or a doctor's statement. The park does not describe applying earlier.
How many people can come with me at Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark)?
Usually one companion with the holder; a few rides allow two to four. Free companion tickets are a separate rule that needs a companion certificate.
What should I check at the ride at Dyreparken (Kristiansand Dyrepark)?
The band does not guarantee the first departure, and ride rules still apply (some rides need full upper-body mobility or working legs). The park limits it to one go per ride per day and can restrict it if misused.
Last checked . Confirm with the park before you travel. Official source (opens a new tab)
DESK RESEARCH · 2 OCTOBER 2026
What kind of trip is this?
Dyreparken is both a zoo and a theme park at Kristiansand, on Norway's south coast. It has a water park (Badelandet), a shows programme, a hotel and holiday apartments on site. Rides range from toddler rides to a log flume.
All of the park's accessibility information that we found is in Norwegian. We translated it and kept to what it says; where it is silent we say so. Tusenfryd's page says Norwegian parks share the Vis Hensyn name, but we have only read Dyreparken's own rules, which are the ones set out here. We found no English accessibility page. The park's English-language page we read covers travel only.
Facts below come from the park's own pages. Suggestions are labelled as planning advice.
How the Vis Hensyn band works
What the park says. People who cannot stand in a queue for long can get an orange Vis Hensyn band. At most rides the holder and one companion go to the front of a separate queue and are given priority for the next turn. You collect the band at the ticket booths at the main entrance, or at the Badelandet entrance (by Lagunen Beach Club, behind Juliusskogen), by showing a companion certificate or a doctor's statement. The park says the band puts you in a separate queue but does not mean you get the first departure. Where there is a wheelchair entrance you can use it; the park says it gives a little more room and lets the ride host keep an eye on the waiting time.
Repeat rides. To avoid long queues, the park limits the band to one go per ride per day. For more, it asks you to use the ordinary queue. It also warns that misuse can lead to the offer being reduced.
Queue arrangements, as the park describes them. The park also offers paid advance booking on a few rides (Hakkebakkeskogen journey and the Klatremustur ride) at 50 NOK a ticket, free after 09:00 on the day if places remain, but says much of the capacity is kept for drop-in queues. Its page on queue arrangements lists Nilen, JungelBob and the Vis Hensyn queue as having posted expected queue times, also shown in the park app (page dated 20 June 2026).
Meet and greet (60th anniversary event). For character photos on Jubileumstorget the park says it hands out 10 Vis Hensyn tickets per time slot, one per person per day, each valid for up to five people, first come first served. Collect them at the Jubileumsvogna. If they run out, use the ordinary queue. The page is dated 28 May 2026 and refers to the anniversary programme, so it may not apply in other seasons.
Planning advice. The band changes where you wait and how you enter. It does not shorten ride times and does not guarantee the next turn. Choose your must-do rides and check the per-ride limits below.
Documents and eligibility
| Document | Vis Hensyn band | Discounted ticket and free companion |
|---|---|---|
| Companion certificate (ledsagerbevis) issued by the guest's home municipality | Yes | Yes: discounted ticket for the holder, free ticket for companion(s) |
| Doctor's statement, no older than 6 months, saying the guest cannot use an ordinary queue | Yes | Not for the band itself. For a child whose certificate is pending, a doctor's statement confirming the companion need lets you get a companion ticket |
| Disabled parking permit (HC-bevis) | Not named | Discounted ticket category available, but no free companion ticket without a companion certificate |
| NAV honnør card (disability pension) alone | Not named | No: no discount unless you also have a companion certificate |
UK documents. The pages we read do not name any UK document, such as a PIP letter, a Blue Badge or a UK access card. Not named does not mean refused. The park says the certificate is issued by the guest's home municipality, which suggests a Norwegian system, but it does not say whether a certificate from another country counts. For the band, a recent doctor's statement is an alternative, and the park does not say what language or form it must take. Ask before you travel. Our UK documents abroad guide covers the general position.
EU Disability Card. Also not named. The same advice applies.
Season passes. Passholders with a companion certificate can have the companion registered on the pass (two companions if the certificate says two), so they need not collect a ticket each visit.
Travelling with companions
At the ride. The band covers the holder plus the number of companions the park lists for that ride. The companion should not hold a band. Ride by ride, the park says: one companion at JungelBob, the car track, the lighthouse (Fyrtarnet), Fallet, Reli Safari, Den Sorte Dame and Kobra Khan; up to five people in one log boat on Nilen; two companions in one coffee cup; up to four companions at the Ghost House (one family of up to five); two adults and two children on Mosk's tractor track; and the holder plus a friend or sibling on the carousel and the mini train. The Hakkebakkeskogen grandstand train takes a family of up to five including the holder, or otherwise at most two adults beside the holder. The tram in Kardemomme by has no Vis Hensyn queue. For Den Sorte Dame and Kobra Khan the park says that where several band holders queue, you may miss the first available departure.
Free entry. Companion tickets are a ticketing rule. The scheme only applies when a paying ticket is bought for the certificate holder. Two certificate holders cannot go in as each other's companions. For children under 3, who do not pay, a free companion ticket is not triggered. The free companion ticket is collected at the ticket booths on the day, while the discounted ticket can be bought in advance. The park says the free companion ticket does not apply to experiences that include food, such as the Christmas variety show; nor does it apply to the optional pre-booked Hakkebakkeskogen places. Booking online and then emailing the certificate for a refund works for evening shows.
Children's activities. On the junior zookeeper days (ages 8 to 12 and 10 to 15) adults are normally not allowed, but a companion over 16 is allowed if the child needs one, for example for disability, anxiety or medication, without a ticket and without a certificate. A sibling taking part cannot be the companion.
Rides and boarding
General rule. General limits (age, height and what guests need to be able to do) apply to everyone, and the park publishes them at each ride. We did not find a central ride-by-ride table of height limits on the pages we read.
Stated physical requirements. The park gives these examples. JungelBob and the lighthouse (Fyrtarnet) need full mobility from the waist up. The Nilen log flume needs working legs, so a guest can evacuate themselves and manage stairs. A guest needs to be moved into most rides from a wheelchair; the park says queue and boarding areas are not always wheelchair-adapted, but where relevant there is a wheelchair entrance (look for signs or ask staff).
Specific rides. The pirate ships on the Grashavet lake welcome wheelchair users, but prams are not allowed on board for capacity reasons. The Hakkebakkeskogen train has a fourth carriage for manual wheelchairs and room for small electric ones. A larger electric chair, the park says, cannot be evacuated once the train leaves the platform, so you must be able to move to a manual chair, which staff provide. The park's hired electric scooters cannot go on the train. In Kardemomme by there are cobbles and tram rails and some high thresholds; Tobias's tower is not accessible, but the square and park entertainment should be.
Harnesses, transfer, prostheses, pregnancy. We found no ride-specific rules on restraint adaptations, transfer seats, prostheses or pregnancy on the park pages we read. Ask the park for the ride you plan to use.
Skumle dager (Halloween event). Wheelchair-friendly arenas are Damnanger (the guest must change into a manual chair) and Monsterspotting, plus Roland, Fredly and Odas ode; M.O.R is not (page dated 25 September 2026). The evening Villmarkens forbannelse has its own Vis Hensyn rules: you must collect the band from Guest Service before entering, each day, and show the certificate or a doctor's statement under six months old; the holder gets five clips to spend across arenas; one companion, or two if the certificate says so, also gets a band. The Dimensjonshopperen allows at most three clips. The park says to expect some waiting (page dated 1 October 2026). The event is seasonal.
Toilets, changing, quiet spaces and dogs
Changing Places. The park says the fully equipped accessible toilet at Guest Service by the main entrance is approved as a Changing Places toilet, with a hoist and height-adjustable changing bench, toilet and basin (page dated 3 July 2026). The Badelandet accessible changing room has a height-adjustable changing bench for larger children and adults. We could not confirm what the hoist covers or the room dimensions. Note that the main entrance has been temporarily moved (see Arrival).
Other accessible toilets. The park lists accessible toilets at Guest Service, in the basement of SOKO, at Drivhuset, between Kjuttaviga Vertshus and the Baby House, in the barn at KuToppen (a gentle slope up behind the barn), at Eventyrskogen Souvenir and in Hakkebakkeskogen (page dated 14 November 2023).
Wheelchairs and scooters. Manual wheelchairs and electric vehicles can be hired at Guest Service; numbers vary by season. The park says hire costs 200 NOK plus a refundable 200 NOK deposit, and that you must be at least 16 to hire an electric vehicle and have a genuine need. Rules include walking pace, full control of the upper body, not driving under the influence (medicines with a warning triangle included) and one person per chair. You return it to Guest Service before closing time to get the deposit back. In winter, electric vehicles may be unavailable for safety, so check first. The park advises booking by email to post@dyreparken.no or by phone on 970 59 700 (option 1), and says all chairs are hired out every day in summer (page dated 25 September 2025). Bicycles, kick scooters and the like are banned, but guests with a disability can get permission for a similar aid by showing a doctor's statement at Guest Service, wearing a helmet and displaying the badge they give you.
Quiet spaces and sensory information. We found no quiet room, low-sensory hours or noise and lighting information. We did not find any sunflower lanyard scheme on the park pages we read. The park says it has no hearing loop at its shows (page dated 23 September 2022) and says sign-language interpretation is offered at selected evening Captain Sabeltann performances (11 and 13 July in 2026).
Medication, oxygen, allergies. The park pages we read say nothing about carrying medication, oxygen, fridge storage or allergy handling in the park. The hotel says its breakfast buffet has gluten-free and lactose-free options.
Dogs. The park's rules say dogs and other pets are not allowed. Its page on guide dogs does not say that they are admitted. It points to the companion scheme, and recommends a dog-care service about 15 minutes away by car. The rules page links to a fuller dogs page whose text did not load for us. Service dogs are allowed at the hotel, including in shared areas. Ask the park about assistance dogs before you travel.
Eating. The park says several restaurants are easy to reach in a wheelchair, with Drivhuset open all year, and Kjuttaviga Vertshus, Ekorn-Jensens Kafe, Piratprovianten and Setra as other options. Some indoor spaces are tight or have thresholds.
Badelandet. Wheelchair users can use the pools indoors and, when open, outdoors, with ramps or a lift in places. The park has one wheelchair for rolling into the pools.
Shows. Wheelchair places are on both evening shows. At the Captain Sabeltann show there are six places at the back of block A; at Sirkus Jesper they are at the bottom of block A. The park says they cannot be booked on the website: email post@dyreparken.no with date and numbers. The hired electric scooters cannot be used on the wheelchair places in the circus tent.
Arrival, parking and getting there without a car
Disabled parking. The park reserves spaces at car park P1 by the main entrance for guests with a disabled parking permit (HC-bevis) issued by the municipality, and asks that it is displayed clearly. The park says the permit must be one issued by the municipality for people with reduced mobility, and does not say whether a UK Blue Badge or other foreign permit counts. Ask. Parking is charged for everyone, including permit holders. Standard day rate 07:00 to 16:00 is 130 NOK (page dated 19 June 2026), paid by number-plate recognition through the APCOA FLOW app or website, at a machine, or by an invoice option with extra fees. There are also mopeds and motorbike spaces at P1.
Entrance moved. The park's parking page (25 November 2025) says that from 1 September 2025 until spring 2026 the main entrance between Savannen and the Safari Hotel is closed for construction, and entry is at the old main entrance by car park P2, where Guest Service is. That date has passed, so check which entrance is in use and how far the disabled spaces are from it.
Busy days. On busy summer days cars may be directed to other car parks, with a shuttle bus from IKEA (in 2026 on Tuesdays to Thursdays until 23 July, about every 15 minutes, free for park guests). The park does not say whether the shuttle buses are step-free.
By bus and train. The park's English page says long-distance buses and trains run via Vy; trains stop at Kristiansand city centre station, and buses stop at "Dyreparken E18" or "Travparken", close to the main entrance. Local AKT buses run from the city centre (10 to 15 minutes) and stop outside the main entrance. From Kristiansand Airport (Kjevik) an airport bus or local bus connects to the park; taxi is the quicker choice. The pages do not say whether buses have wheelchair spaces or ramps. Check with Vy and AKT.
How to get to Dyreparken (park page) (opens a new tab) · HC parking (Norwegian) (opens a new tab)
Where to stay
Dyreparken Safarihotell. The park says some rooms are accessible (HC) rooms, with a door at least 80 cm wide when open, no threshold into the room or bathroom or shower, and a shower stool. They come as single or double, with no extra beds. Shared areas, toilets and meeting rooms are step-free; there are electric-wheelchair charging points, a hearing loop at reception and a vibrating alarm clock (linked to the fire alarm) to borrow. Disabled parking is by the hotel entrance. Book online by choosing the "disabled" guest category, or contact the hotel on 970 59 700 (option 3, then 1) or post@dyreparken.no (page dated 15 November 2024).
Abra Havn holiday apartments. The park lists accessible "pirate cabins" in four categories: three-room (4 beds), three-room (5 beds), Villa Rosa and Rosa, with a low threshold and larger bathroom with an adapted toilet and shower (page dated 10 June 2024). It gives the door width as 85 cm on that page and about 87 cm on its wheelchair page (14 November 2023); the two pages disagree slightly, so ask for the measurement. After booking, email the park with your booking number to request one; other categories may cost extra. Book through post@dyreparken.no or phone 970 59 700, option 2. There are disabled parking spaces at the Abra Havn entrance.
Companion certificate and stays. The certificate gives no discount on accommodation. Book the whole party, then send a copy of the certificate to refund the companion's entry and show tickets (page dated 11 February 2022).
We did not read the pages for Kardemomme by, Juliusskogen cabins or the campsites.
A flexible shape for the day
This is planning advice from the facts above, not an access guarantee.
- Arrive at the entrance now in use and go to Guest Service with your certificate or doctor's statement to collect the Vis Hensyn band.
- If you need a hired wheelchair or electric vehicle, reserve it by email or phone before the trip; summer chairs are all taken most days.
- Pick your priority rides and check each ride's limits at its sign, remembering one go per ride per day on the band.
- For an evening show with a wheelchair place, email the park first, since those places are not on the website.
Nearby alternatives
We have not researched outings around Kristiansand. For other Norwegian and Nordic parks, see our Tusenfryd, Liseberg and Kolmården guides.
Questions still worth asking
We have not established the following. Ask the park:
- Whether a UK document, an EU Disability Card or a foreign companion certificate is accepted for the band, a discounted ticket and a free companion.
- Whether a foreign disabled parking permit is recognised at P1.
- Which entrance and which disabled car park are in use for your date.
- Ride-specific height limits, restraint, transfer and prosthesis rules for the rides you plan, and pregnancy rules.
- Whether the hoist in the Changing Places toilet is a ceiling or mobile one, and its dimensions.
- Quiet spaces, sensory information, medication, oxygen, fridge storage and allergy handling.
- Whether guide or other assistance dogs may enter the park.
- Whether the buses and shuttle are step-free.
- Whether the older pages (dated 2022 to 2024) still match what applies in your season.
The park gives post@dyreparken.no and 970 59 700 (option 1 for Guest Service); hours are not stated on the pages we read.
Official sources
Read on 2 October 2026. All are in Norwegian except the travel page, which also has English. Park policies and pages can change.
- Dyreparken: Vis Hensyn scheme (Norwegian; page dated 23 September 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: companion scheme and tickets (Norwegian; 23 September 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: wheelchair and vehicle hire (Norwegian; 25 September 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: wheelchair access around the park (Norwegian; 14 November 2023), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: Changing Places toilet (Norwegian; 3 July 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: ride requirements (Norwegian; 7 August 2024), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: Vis Hensyn at Skumle dager (Norwegian; 1 October 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: disabled parking (Norwegian; 15 November 2024), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: where to park (Norwegian; 25 November 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken Safarihotell: accessible rooms (Norwegian; 15 November 2024), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Abra Havn: accessible apartments (Norwegian; 10 June 2024), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: how to get there (Norwegian and English), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: guide dogs (Norwegian; 26 November 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: Vis Hensyn at Meet and greet (Norwegian; 28 May 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: queue arrangements (Norwegian; 20 June 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: Hakkebakkeskogen train for wheelchairs (Norwegian; 2 July 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: Badelandet and wheelchairs (Norwegian; 9 July 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: wheelchair places at Captain Sabeltann (Norwegian; 28 November 2022), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: wheelchair places at Sirkus Jesper (Norwegian; 2 July 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: wheelchairs at Skumle dager (Norwegian; 25 September 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: sign-language interpretation (Norwegian; 12 December 2025), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: hearing loop at shows (Norwegian; 23 September 2022), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: companion scheme on season passes (Norwegian; 20 March 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: companions on junior zookeeper days (Norwegian; 18 March 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: companion certificate and stays (Norwegian; 11 February 2022), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: parking prices and payment (Norwegian; 19 June 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: shuttle bus (Norwegian; 28 July 2026), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: moped and motorbike parking (Norwegian; 22 August 2023), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
- Dyreparken: dogs and pets (Norwegian; 10 September 2026; text did not load for us), read 2 October 2026 (opens a new tab)
This is desk research, not a visit report.