Australia · ZOOS

The 15 Zoo & Sanctuary Visits in Australia That Earn Their Price

24 tours  ·  from $33

This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 zoo & sanctuary visits worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

Blue Mountains Small-Group Tour from Sydney with Scenic World,Sydney Zoo & Ferry - Echo Point and the Three Sisters
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Blue Mountains Small-Group Tour from Sydney with Scenic World,Sydney Zoo & Ferry

1.Blue Mountains Small-Group Tour from Sydney with Scenic World,Sydney Zoo & Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,709 reviews · from $161Our pick

Start at 6:45 am with a small group of up to 20, visit Echo Point and Scenic World, stop for lunch in a Blue Mountains village, then explore Sydney Zoo before returning by ferry to Circular Quay. Guides such as Scott, Phil, Rod, and Leonard are known for lively storytelling.

“Guide was great and it was an entertaining experience. Don't like being forced to give extra verbage.”

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Blue Mountains Adventure: Scenic World, Zoo & Koala Photo - Glenbrook gives you a practical start
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Blue Mountains Adventure: Scenic World, Zoo & Koala Photo

2.Blue Mountains Adventure: Scenic World, Zoo & Koala Photo

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,062 reviews · 10h 30m · from $144

Spend 10.5 hours exploring Echo Point, Scenic World, Katoomba Cascades, Leura, and Sydney Zoo. Three Scenic World rides, a digital koala photo, central Sydney pickup, and a ferry to Circular Quay are included. Guides such as Ronnie, Piotr, Adrian, and Chris are praised for their local insight.

“Ronnie was a great guide. She was funny and had a good attitude. She shared a lot of interesting information with us about the area and the places we toured. We saw so much in a day. The best thing about the zoo was seeing the cute koala bears and getting our picture taken with one. The Blue Mountains we’re beautiful and had a lot of interesting history. We saw an old coal mine and rode on the steepest railroad in the world. We did a sky tram for panoramic views of the valley.”

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Sydney: Taronga Zoo Tickets - Getting there from Circular Quay
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Sydney: Taronga Zoo Tickets

3.Taronga Zoo Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,551 reviews · 1 day · from $38

Take a one-day pass to Taronga Zoo, reached in about 12 minutes by ferry from Circular Quay. Follow nine trails through Australian, African, rainforest, reptile, seal, and bird exhibits. Keeper talks and presentations are included, while food, transport, parking, and close-up animal encounters cost extra.

“Fantastic place to visit so many animals. The food was pretty pricey though”

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From Brisbane: Australia Zoo Transfer and Entry Ticket - A brief look at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital
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From Brisbane: Australia Zoo Transfer and Entry Ticket

4.Australia Zoo Transfer and Entry Ticket

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

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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From Sydney: Blue Mountains, Scenic World, Zoo, & Ferry Ride - The early ride west from Sydney
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From Sydney: Blue Mountains, Scenic World, Zoo, & Ferry Ride

5.Blue Mountains, Scenic World, Zoo, & Ferry Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,484 reviews · 10 hours · from $139

Join Diamond Tours for a 10-hour small-group trip from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. Ride Scenic World’s Skyway, Railway, and Cableway, visit Sydney Zoo, stop for lunch in a mountain village, and return by ferry. Guides such as Scotty, Phil, Lloyd, Rod, and Brian are known for lively local commentary.

“Great trip taking in so much in the day! Phil was a great guide, super friendly and knowledgeable. Only downside is the bus used is very cramped for tall people, not a comfortable ride.”

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Sydney: Taronga Zoo Ticket with Return Ferry - Arriving beside Taronga Zoo
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Sydney: Taronga Zoo Ticket with Return Ferry

6.Taronga Zoo Ticket with Return Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,142 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Take a self-guided day trip to Taronga Zoo with entry and a return ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour. You’ll see Australian wildlife, tigers, elephants, birds, and more, plus free keeper talks and shows. Collect your ticket from Fantasea Cruises before boarding.

“Good experience - wish there was a wider availability of ferries coming and going. A fun day - Recommended”

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Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket - Taking the 12-minute ferry from Circular Quay
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Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket

7.Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 941 reviews · from $39

Spend 3 to 6 hours at Taronga Zoo Sydney, seeing more than 5,000 animals from 350 species across themed areas. Your ticket includes entry, the free-flight bird presentation, Seals for the Wild, and limited keeper talks. Ferry transport, food, animal encounters, and guided tours cost extra.

“Easy to get ticket and entry to the zoo by saving ticket in Google Wallet. Spent about 4 hours exploring.”

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Melbourne Zoo: 1-Day Entry Ticket - From rainforest trails to Lion Gorge
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Melbourne Zoo: 1-Day Entry Ticket

8.Melbourne Zoo: 1-Day Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 747 reviews · 1 day · from $37

Spend a full day at Melbourne Zoo, 10 minutes from the city centre, meeting more than 320 animal species. Follow Asian and African rainforest trails, see lions, tigers, monkeys, koalas, kangaroos, wombats, penguins, and fur seals, with keeper talks included. Optional behind-the-scenes experiences cost extra.

“A very nice and well organised full day trip. Very nice guide.”

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Taronga Zoo Entry & Return Ferry - Sydney Harbour - Circular Quay Wharf 6 and the first practical steps
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Taronga Zoo Entry & Return Ferry – Sydney Harbour

9.Taronga Zoo Entry & Return Ferry – Sydney Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 722 reviews · from $56

Take a Captain Cook Cruises ferry from Circular Quay Wharf 6 to Taronga Zoo, then explore more than 2,900 animals at your own pace. You’ll see koalas, kangaroos, seals, giraffes, and native Australian species, with keeper talks, shows, picnic areas, and fine harbour views along the way.

“The Zoo is very well laid out and maintained for a great time for people of all ages. The people that handled the animals were very helpful and provided some great information”

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Werribee Open Range Zoo: Entry Ticket - Start with the safari bus
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Werribee Open Range Zoo: Entry Ticket

10.Werribee Open Range Zoo: Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 646 reviews · 1 day · from $37

Spend a full day at Werribee Open Range Zoo, 35 kilometres west of Melbourne. Walk among lions, gorillas, hippos, monkeys, and Australian wildlife, then join the included safari bus for rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and more. Guides such as Morris, Holly, and Warren are known for lively commentary.

“A very enjoyable day, plenty to see and the safari bus was fantastic”

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From Brisbane: Australia Zoo Ticket and Roundtrip Transfer - The morning coach and the road to Beerwah
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From Brisbane: Australia Zoo Ticket and Roundtrip Transfer

11.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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From Sydney: Blue Mountains with Zoo, Koala Photo & Scenic World - The westward run to the Blue Mountains
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From Sydney: Blue Mountains with Zoo, Koala Photo & Scenic World

12.Blue Mountains with Zoo, Koala Photo & Scenic World

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 449 reviews · from $149

Spend nearly 11 hours combining Sydney Zoo, a koala photo, kangaroo encounters, Leura, Gordon Falls, Echo Point, and Scenic World. Guides such as Alfie, Tom, Chen, and Said are praised for clear commentary and humor, though the packed schedule can feel rushed when queues or delays hit.

“This was a great way to get out of the city and see the country. Our guide, Alfie, was excellent. Lots of information and good sense of humor. Definitely recommend.”

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Blue Mountains Adventure w Scenic World, Zoo, Koala Photo & Ferry - The 6:40 am start and the road to Glenbrook
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Blue Mountains Adventure w Scenic World, Zoo, Koala Photo & Ferry

13.Blue Mountains Adventure w Scenic World, Zoo, Koala Photo & Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 407 reviews · from $154

Start early from Sydney CBD, then visit Glenbrook, three Blue Mountains lookouts, Scenic World, Katoomba Cascades, Leura and Sydney Zoo. Your English-speaking guide, such as Ronnie, Karen, Chris or Adrian, handles the driving and schedule before you finish with a ferry ride to Circular Quay.

“Excellent trip, would highly recommend this for anyone , a long day but well worth it, great sights and rides etc”

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Australia Zoo Day Trip from Brisbane - The ride from Brisbane is part of the day
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Australia Zoo Day Trip from Brisbane

14.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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Breakfast with Koalas at WILD LIFE Zoo Darling Harbour - The first hour: a keeper-led tour through Australian wildlife
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Breakfast with Koalas at WILD LIFE Zoo Darling Harbour

15.Breakfast with Koalas at WILD LIFE Zoo Darling Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 320 reviews · 2 hours · from $63

Start at 7:15 for an English-language keeper-led tour of WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, then enjoy a buffet breakfast near gum trees, banksias, and koalas. Watch their morning feeding, hear a koala talk, pose for a take-home photo, and stay in the zoo all day.

“Loved seeing all the animals and meeting g the Koalas up close!!”

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New in Zoos

★ 4.2Whale Watching Cruise and Taronga Zoo PackageFrom $9537 reviews
★ 4.3Blue Mountains, Sydney Zoo & Walking TourFrom $7740 reviews
★ 4.2Werribee Open Range Zoo & Werribee MansionFrom $10228 reviews

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