The 14 Wildlife & Zoo Experiences in Brisbane That Earn Their Price

1.Australia Zoo Transfer and Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,539 reviews · 9 hours · from $126Our pick

Travel from selected Brisbane CBD hotels to Australia Zoo with an English-speaking driver such as Steve or Bruce. Your $126 ticket includes transport, entry, a brief Wildlife Hospital visit, and about six hours to see crocs, koalas, kangaroos, tigers, and live shows at your own pace.

“Great day, Steve was a entertaining guide. Lots of knowledge and pointed out lots of interesting facts on the way. Highly recommend”

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2.Brisbane River Cruise with entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,522 reviews · from $82

Meet at Southbank’s Cultural Centre pontoon at 9:00am for a narrated Brisbane River cruise to Lone Pine. You’ll have three hours to see koalas, kangaroos, platypus, birds, reptiles, and animal shows before cruising back. Food is available onboard, but koala-touch bookings cost extra.

“This is a lovely way to get to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, with an hour long river cruise to a bespoke dock at the entry. The cruise includes commentary to describe the history and landmarks of the river. They have an onboard cafe to order a limited selection of hot foods and a variety of snacks and drinks. The best part of the cruise was the captain of the boat, who was so calm and kind. The sanctuary has been around for a long time and has a variety of animals in addition to the koalas, all set in a natural open area. We really enjoyed the raptor show…”

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3.Brisbane River Cruise and Koala Sanctuary Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,397 reviews · 5h 30m · from $81

Take the MV Mirimar II from Southbank to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with live commentary from the captain and crew. You get three hours to see more than 130 koalas, feed kangaroos and wallabies, visit Platypus House, and catch wildlife shows before cruising back to Brisbane.

“We loved the boat ride and commentary down the Brisbane river. The captain and crew were amazing so helpful and knowledgeable. We will recommend this trip to friends and family.”

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4.North Stradbroke Island Wildlife Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 869 reviews · 10 hours · from $105

Spend 10 hours exploring North Stradbroke Island with an English-speaking guide and a maximum of 11 people. Swim at Brown Lake, walk the Gorge Walk, watch for whales and dolphins, relax at Cylinder Beach, and search for wild koalas and kangaroos at Amity Point.

“Rio is an amazing tour guide, he really made sure that we were able to spot some Koalas and Kangaroos as he knows a few places where they often like to hang out. I enjoyed that the tour wasn't rushed, that we actually were given time at each stop to spend a bit of time and take in the scenery insted of stopping for 10 minutes taking pictures and leaving again. For anyone who would like to learn a bit about the island's history and obviously see some of its wildlife I can really recommend this tour.”

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5.Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Day Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 512 reviews · from $42

Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, about 20 minutes from central Brisbane, to see more than 100 koalas and 70 other Australian species. Feed kangaroos and lorikeets under staff supervision, watch raptors and sheepdogs work, and add a koala encounter if you want closer contact.

“Enjoyed the sanctuary and feeding the kangaroos. Terrain a little steep at times for a wheelchair. Nice to see these animals being cared for so well”

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6.Australia Zoo Ticket and Roundtrip Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 495 reviews · from $105

Travel by air-conditioned coach from central Brisbane to Australia Zoo, with Glass House Mountain and pineapple-farm views along the way. Your ticket includes entry and about six hours to see kangaroos, crocodiles, snakes, giraffes, rhinos, and more, with time for the Crocoseum show.

“We had a lovely day it was easy on arrival we went straight through no lines.we saw everything in our own time and bus was on time”

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7.Brisbane to North Stradbroke Island Day: Wildlife & Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 391 reviews · 1 day · from $134

Spend a full day on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island with a small group, local guide, ferry rides, the North Gorge Walk, Cylinder Beach, and Amity Point. Guides such as Ivy, Jack, Anton, and Tess help spot wildlife and share island stories. Lunch is not included.

“Phenomenal! Incredible nature, stunning views and an amazing tour guide, Jack :)”

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8.North Stradbroke Island WILDLIFE Adventure Tour from Brisbane

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 386 reviews · from $106Top rated

Spend 9.5 hours exploring North Stradbroke Island with a guide such as Rio, Aggie, or Rob. Visit Brown Lake, Cylinder Beach, Point Lookout, and Amity Point, with chances to see koalas, wallabies, dolphins, turtles, and manta rays. Small groups are limited to 11 people.

“Take custome with you the beach is gorgeous and the sea is warm. The whole trip was well organised and the guide excellent.”

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9.Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Day Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 358 reviews · 1 day · from $41Best value

Spend a full day at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, meeting more than 100 koalas, hand-feeding kangaroos, and seeing wombats, dingoes, reptiles, and platypus. Keeper talks and wildlife shows add useful context. Entry is wheelchair accessible, but food, kangaroo feed, transport, and paid wildlife encounters cost extra.

“Does what it says on the tin, was great seeing the animals and all staff were friendly and attentive!”

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10.Australia Zoo Day Trip from Brisbane

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 341 reviews · from $128

Travel from Brisbane to Australia Zoo with Croc Tours in an air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup, admission, and at least five to six hours inside the park. Drivers such as Steve and Mark share local stories and practical zoo tips, including how to reach the kangaroo area early.

“The driver, Steve, was amazing! He was funny, told great stories and was quite informative about local culture, history and amenities. I would definitely recommend booking through a shuttle tour especially if you're not renting a car. It's a great convenience not having to worry about transportation and navigating between the city and the zoo. The zoo was incredible, lots to see. I missed out on booking a close encounter, (upfront visitation with animals and a handler). Definitely need to book those a few months out depending on which animals you'd like to see. Otherwise I did get to pet a koala and feed kangaroos. If you get there right…”

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11.Abseiling the Kangaroo Point Cliffs in Brisbane

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 139 reviews · from $53

At Kangaroo Point, Riverlife instructors guide you down a 20-metre cliff beside the Brisbane River. You receive a helmet, harness, rope, gloves, and a full safety briefing. Guides including Tyler, Will, Mani, and Sam have been praised for their calm, patient instruction. No experience is needed.

“Brisbane... the best river area in the country. Something for everyone. Lots to see and do, park areas, cafes, bars, rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, swimming pools for kids and adults, markets and a surprise guest at a concert by the river... John Farhnam. Abseiling was fun with beautiful views, close to the city, botanic gardens and Roma Parklands. Roma Parklands are very pretty a must see. City Hall clock tower worth a visit too. Thanks Brisie we had a great couple of days.”

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12.Stradbroke Island Eco Day Trip from Brisbane – Wildlife & Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · from $136

Spend about 11 hours exploring North Stradbroke Island from Brisbane by air-conditioned vehicle and ferry. Walk the North Gorge, relax at Cylinder Beach, and look for koalas, kangaroos, dolphins, turtles, and seasonal whales with a small-group guide such as Ivy, Jack, Tez, Anto, or Viv.

“Very pleasant trip and the guide, Ivy, was knowledgeable and very nice and always happy to help. Strabroke island is beautiful and worth a visit. I would just point out, for the sake of people planning on going for this trip, that while the ticket I got said the tour started at 10, the meeting was actually at 8:30!”

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13.Abseiling at Kangaroo Point Cliffs

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 54 reviews · 1h 30m · from $46

Step over the edge of Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point Cliffs for a 20-metre abseil with an English-speaking instructor. You’ll receive a safety briefing, demonstration, harness, helmet, and gloves, then control your descent while the Brisbane River and CBD spread out below.

“Absolutely amazing and such a great introduction to first time abseiling. I was nervous but couldn’t have wished for a better first time experience. Can’t wait to try something higher now!”

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14.Rock Climbing at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs in Brisbane

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · from $63

At Kangaroo Point, qualified Riverlife instructors teach you to climb real 20-meter cliffs beside the Brisbane River. Your two-hour session includes a safety briefing, helmet, harness, rope, and chalk. Choose from routes for beginners and stronger climbers, with CBD views from the rock face.

“It was a fun experience, we all were able to climb few times. Out instructor was amazing. Overall I’m so happy and I definitely recommend. I hope they would rent a climbing shoes….”

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