"We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo How about you, you, you You can come too, too, too We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo" (Peter, Paul, and Mary) The Taronga Zoo is a government run not for profit organization dating way back to 1916. On the shores of Sydney Harbor, Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning "beautiful view". Our senior admission was AU$43 apiece. It features approximately 350 different species of animals totaling over 5,000 individual animals. Native animals are featured of course- kangaroos, Tasmanian Devils, wallabys, dingos, and koalas. But they also have lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, zebras, tortoises, seals, penguins, rhinos, birds of prey and on and on. They schedule quite a few educational presentations from their zookeepers, so if you'd like to learn more about meerkats or gorillas, you are in luck. We sure enjoyed the sea lion show and had a blast just walking around and experiencing the animals and exhibits. It is an excellent zoo that's well worth visiting. Access is easy, just take the dedicated Taronga Ferry out of Sydney's Circular Quay. read more

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This was so much fun! I love visiting the zoo! I loved the large variety of native animals they had, and some from other continents too! Seeing the koala exhibit and kangaroo exhibit were the highlight of the trip for me! I've always loved animals, and seeing them in person was a real treat! read more

Honestly a must-see while in Sydney! Really easy to take the ferry over and walk to the bottom entrance of the zoo. Definitely pick up a map as the zoo trails do lead all over. Plenty to see and do that it can easily take 4-5 hours of exploring. It's great to see their conservation efforts and animal research they do too! Learned a lot about different animals as well as they do a great job at educating all guests about their animals that you will see. We did pay extra to have a Koala close up experience and it was so worth it! You get to see beautiful koalas up close without touching them as not to disturb them. Such a wonderful and lovely experience! read more

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After walking from our hotel, eating meat pies and drinking delicious hot coffee, we planned to visit Sydney's Taronga Zoo, located on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour in Mosman, New South Wales, Australia. Before arriving in Sydney, I researched Circular Quay's Sydney Ferry time schedules, routes, SINGLE ticket cost (as opposed to getting their multi-use and pre-paid Opal card), and which wharf direct to Taronga Zoo we'd depart from, and found that the one-way 12-minute ferry ride would only cost us $8.80 AUD or about $6.20 USD per person. The 12-minute ferry ride docked at the base of the Taronga Zoo, where public motor coaches were waiting to take passengers up to the top entrance. However, we also knew we could enter the zoo through its lower entrance, which was a scant 3-minute walk from the ferry wharf. We felt that it would be better on our legs to ride up to the top and walk down the zoo trails to exit than to walk uphill through the zoo. After passing through the Main entrance, we stood in line to get our admission tickets, then walked in and browsed the souvenir shop for memorabilia and to support their conservation efforts. The Taronga Zoo features Australian wildlife and exotic animals from around the world. I think I remember reading somewhere that this zoo houses about 4,000 animals from more than 350 species, and that walking the zoo trails takes about 3 hours or more because you'll make stops to enjoy the animals. We started our walk through the Australian animals trail, then continued down to the red pandas, Pygmy hippos, water buffaloes, and seals before exiting through the Lower Entrance. Unfortunately, their Sky Safari cable car has been closed since 2023, but they expect their new and improved cable car system to be operating soon. I've seen videos about the cable car system, and they remind me of our visits to the San Diego Zoo. read more

Met with some of the staff and visited here. I'm not normally a fan of "zoos," but Taronga engages in many conservation efforts and treats the animals well. The grounds are beautifully maintained and spacious. Great place to take a ferry out to and visit to see some wildlife. read more

Did the Zoo Keeper for A Day experience with Lesley. She was great. I saw all the animals I wanted to see in Australia amd met some really great people. It was definitely a long day but well worth it. Would highly recommend. read more

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Awesome zoo in Sydney! It was cool to walk around and see animals that we normally don't see in the zoos in the USA. Emus were walking around and kangaroos hopping around nearby. Very fun and exciting. Take the ferry to the zoo for Circular Quay and head back to Sydney after! It was a fun filled day and I highly recommend spending a couple hours here during your Sydney trip! read more

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My friend and I signed up for the " Roar and Snore" overnight adventure at the Taronga Zoo. I would highly recommend it. We arrived at the zoo gate at 5:30pm and they let us in for a hot tea and explained our itinerary. It's an overnight adventure at the zoo. The price includes park visit, over night accommodations in a Glamping environment, dinner and breakfast and lots of snacking. Everything was spectacular. The food was always buffet style and accommodated my gluten sensitives. The entire dinner was gluten free except a few items. Everything was clearly labeled. Our accommodations were very clean and nice. We were situated close to the bathroom that had a full shower. The park rangers were wonderful. The views of the city were spectacular. We could hear the lions roaring around 2am and that was the highlight of the trip. I would recommend this activity and this zoo. read more

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Great zoo! There are two major zoos in Sydney, and this one comes with a spectacular view. If you have older kids, they also have a zipline adventure that's large and high enough to scare the most anxious of adults. There's not a bad exhibit, though there were a few animals on lease, it appears. We missed feeding the giraffes, but there's plenty to see. We also missed breakfast with the koalas, but it's a hefty price for a buffet breakfast. They do a great job here with being engaging, displays and food offerings. It does close at 5, which is early for us Americans. read more

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This is was a huge highlight of our trip to Sydney. The zoo is amazing, the layout is easy to navigate, the animals have lovely spaces to roam and the views of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are outstanding! Would definitely recommend spending the better part of a day here. read more

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This was a nice zoo to visit and easy to get to via the ferry. Lots of different animals to see and visit. They did not appear to be in distress and appeared to be happy and comfortable. Definitely great for the entire family to spend time admiring the wildlife, reptiles and sea creatures. The staff I did interact with were friendly and welcoming. I would visit the zoo again next time I'm in Australia. read more

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Taronga Zoo is located on a hillside. After arriving from the ferry, we chose to walk the ten minutes to the lower entrance which is less crowded than taking the bus to the upper Main Entrance. The zoo is well laid out IF you have a map! Get a paper map or download to your phone. The Seals for the Wild show was a delight to watch. The line entrance line is long but there are plenty of seats. There are color coded themed trails for areas like Rainforest, African Savannah, Kids Trail, Australia, and several others. I particularly enjoyed the various bird aviaries but thoroughly enjoyed the Australian animals. For a bite and terrific view, there is Saltwater Bistro restaurant. Quick bites are also available at the Graze Cafe. Ferries leave every 30 minutes so time your leave so you aren't standing at the port having just "missed the boat". read more

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This is a fairly large zoo with stunning views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It's such a massive place, I don't think I saw all the exhibits/enclosures. And, while all the animal are obviously cared for, as a traveler, it was a waste of time and money to visit this zoo. Captive animals around the world all have a similar look and feel. read more

One of the best zoos I've visited. We arrived in the morning by ferry from Darling Harbor - Circular Quay which costs almost $5 USD after the currency conversion for a one-way ticket as of 11/2024. There's a shuttle bus that takes you from the ferry drop-off location to the top entrance of the zoo for a small fee. At the top entrance of the zoo, you'll be closest to seeing the natural habitat of kangaroos and ostriches. I've never witnessed a kangaroo up close before, but at the Taronga Zoo, you'll be enclosed with them. Some kangaroos hopped in front of me and this was one of many highlights of the zoo. These kangaroos aren't aggressive as some might assume. The zoo is well maintained and all of the animals look active and happy. Another highlight of mine was the viewing of the giraffes. It makes a great juxtaposition of nature and the Sydney city view. read more

The Taronga zoo is likely the best zoo that I have ever visited! From the customer service rep handing out the zoo maps to the animal trainers acknowledging patron's presence..... everyone made you feel welcomed and appreciated. The animals all looked happy & well-cared for, although some of the exhibits looked barren and/or under renovation. The koalas absolutely made the entire trip (that was drastically shortened by an out-of-nowhere thunderstorm!) The zoo grounds definitely looked as if they needed a good wash down/sweep up! It was spotted with litter throughout the entire zoo. Ponding water in a few places, as well, from the thunderstorm. read more

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This is a 'must do' while in Sydney on holiday. We took the ferry over from CBD and had a lovely day. We opted to just walk up the hill to the lower entry but you can take the bus right off the ferry to go to the top entrance if you like. We loved seeing all the animals- most were sleepy today but the chimpanzees were quite active as well as the giraffe. The POS system was down for some reason so when we went to get something to eat they just told you to choose one thing (fries, hot dog or fruit) and it was just free (!). Make sure to pop into the littles caves and such a you'll miss the scary spiders and such. It was very cool to walk so close to the kangaroos! read more

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The Taronga Zoo is an excellent zoo, easily one of the best that I have ever been to (and I've been to a lot). Just a few things: 1. You pretty much need to take a ferry to get there, but that was part of the adventure. 2. When we got there, people were catching a bus to an entrance. We just used the entrance that was right by the dock. It was not busy at all and the exhibits here were not crowded at all. It was an uphill walk though, but it was a good trade off for minimal people around. 3. This strategy also helped with the restaurant there for lunch. It was empty when we got there at 11 (but got busy after). We got our food very quickly and had our choice of seating. 4. Great mixture of native Australian animals and international animals. Even got to see a pretty active Tasmanian devil and platypus. 5. The zoo is big. We were there almost all day and still had to skip a section of the zoo (seals and the Africa section). This is definitely a premiere zoo and you get some good cardio with it. And for those interested, we did both this and Featherdale Wildlife Park and were not sure if it would feel redundant. While there are some similar animals, they are very different. The zoo has a mix of animals, takes quite a bit of time, and is more visually appealing. Featherdale allows for more interaction with animals and it only have Australian animals. Both are enjoyable. read more

If you came to Sydney expecting to kangaroos roaming around everywhere, unfortunately you won't see any in the city. You have to leave the city and drive through the country in order to see random kangaroos in random places like tearing up someone's garden. So, if you're only staying in Sydney and need to see the pouched hoppers, Taronga Zoo is a great and very accessible place to see some! My little daughter loved this expansive zoo as there are tons of animals to see up close. I think it takes a good 3 hours to see everything. I highly recommend taking a boat ride to the zoo from The Rocks to get an awesome view of the Opera House. read more

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It's the zoo. It's Sydney's zoo. It's an awesome zoo with amazing views of the harbour and the city. read more

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Better than the San Diego Zoo. I say better due to the zoo not being nearly as crowded and the rarity of the animals here. The zoo is well laid out and the staff are extremely friendly. read more

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This is a beautiful mountain zoo. There is a lot of shade so you can often avoid the Australia sun. There are so many animals and exhibits. It's very stretched out, with lots of property. The exhibits seem to be kind to the animals. I took a ferry to get here, so it was convenient either from the Circular Quay or from Darling Harbour. read more

What a great zoo! So many well-designed enclosures for animals to have room to move. The educational aspects are excellent as the zoo staff makes an effort to teach zoo goers about animals and their environment. Koalas in trees and a show featuring seals were highlights. It took us all day to see most of the exhibits. One thing we learned was the importance of watching our food. My friend turned away from her plate for about three seconds only to find her lunch being carried away in the beak of a white ibis. What a surprise that was! read more

Taronga Zoo - Entrance - Zoos Near Me - Mosman, NSW

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I was debating about which zoo to visit, this or Sydney Zoo. After reading reviews, I decided to visit Taronga because it knocked out two things in one that I wanted to do during my visit to Sydney. Taking the ferry allows for a brief harbor cruise to get picturesque views of the Sydney harbor and opera house. Australia is known for its wildlife and I wanted to see it up close and personal but with safety involved lol. There is a Koala experience where you can touch the Koala's for about $15 and a giraffe experience where you can feed them for about $35-40 for a group of 4 if I'm not mistaken. I decided to skip that but the exhibits are very open for the most part and it's possible to get close to Kangaroo's, emu's, and other wildlife as not every exhibit has barriers. The seal show was pretty cool to see and the views were amazing as the harbor and skyline was on display. There are a lot of animals to see and it took about 4 hours to get through the zoo and I kind of sped through it. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you are on the fence about it. I got ticket that included round trip with a ferry for $53 usd from Viator.com read more

We took a 12 min. ferry from Circular Quay to this busy harbor full of kangaroos, koalas & Australian animals with million dollar harbor views. Highlights are the nocturnal platypus habitat, Great Southern Ocean section, feedings and animal encounters. The zoo is home to over 5,000 animals from over 350 species, many of which are threatened, including many Australian native animals and exotic species. There are 22 different daily shows and keeper talks. We spent 2 1/2 hrs here, sitting & admiring the kangaroos, 7 month old Joeys & Australian animals. The zoo is open from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM in winter & from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM in summer. Admission is about $30, reduced for families and 20% when purchased on line in advance. Unfortunately the website crashed so we had to cue up at Taronga. There were many water fountains, clean restrooms, food stands & expensive gift shops. read more

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Get here early when they open (0930). Some of their Shows and animal Talks are only in the morning. We took Circular Quay ferry to Toranga wharf, then a Bus to the Zoo entrance (need to Tap). The sky tram is no longer in service (retired). Don't walk, it's long and uphill. Download the app. It gives you all the Show and animal Talk times. The paper map is missing some showtimes. Also, book the Koala encounter via app. It sells out fast. It's totally worth it. You get up close to the koalas (we saw a mommy and baby koala) and get a personal guide. We did these Talks in order: Dingo, Giraffe, Meerkat, Bird, Sea Lion. Bring your walking shoes. We walked 15000 steps. Excellent zoo experience. We were there from 9:30am to 3:00pm. It almost took the whole day to see all the Talks, Shows and exhibits. read more

This is certainly a must visit attraction in Sydney. Tickets can be purchased in advance online, or there are combination tickets available through Captain Cook that also include your roundtrip ferry ride. The zoo is about a 10 minute boat ride from Circular Quay, and you will have a great view of the harbor and opera house on the way over. It's possible to reach the zoo by bus or car also, but ferry will be faster and easier for most (especially tourists). After docking at the zoo you will take a short cable car ride up the hill to the zoo entrance, and the zoo has a marked pathway that will guide you gradually past all the animals and downhill to finish at the bottom where you can board your boat again. It was a rainy day, but we still enjoyed ourselves and spent about 3 hours to see everything including a short snack break. Many of the small snack stands were closed, but there is a large indoor cafe at about the midpoint which features coffee and hot and cold meals. This is also where you'll find the second zoo shop (the other being at the top where you disembark from the cable car). There are many great and unique animals to see here, although some were not as active due to the weather. Some parts of the zoo seemed dated, but they seem to be trying hard to keep the place new and fresh. This is definitely worth a visit when you're in Sydney! read more

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There are two zoos. This one and the Sydney Zoo. No real way for tourists to tell the difference. Terribly inefficient and inept process. Walked from the ferry to the side entrance. They kept moving the lines back and forth across the street. At nearly 10am, they hadn't even opened the entrance. They finally come and separate the crowd in two lines. I get to the front and the employee, Ian, has people stepping aside with no explanation. After tending to the rest of the long line and taking a phone call he finally tells the waiting crowd that they have the wrong zoo ticket and need to go to the back of the ever growing second line. Why not tell people that right away?! Go to join the other line and suddenly they announce their computers are down and you have to walk back to the ferry terminal to catch a bus to the main entrance because it *might* be working. Can't purchase online. If you're a family, elderly, or disabled buy your ticket on Viator and go straight to the main entrance. Their signage could stand some work. I had to ask where the entrance was because you get off the bus and there's 2 paths. It's to your left. You can scan a QR code for a map before you enter but after that I didn't see a QR code to scan. Once you're in and your blood pressure returns to normal, I highly recommend the Birds in Flight show. It's quite entertaining. I found the rest of the animals to be underwhelming. read more

Taronga Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Mosman, NSW

Great Zoo to see all the Australian wildlife. Take the ferry from Circular Quay for 60 cents. The views of Sidney Harbor and the Opera House are amazing!! read more

Are you in Sydney? Are you looking for something to do? Well, look no further! VISIT THE TARONGA ZOO! I know, I know. You're, like, but it's a zoo... And I'm here to tell you, it's more than that! It has phenomenal views of Sydney and terrific displays. This place has elephants, giraffes, kangaroos, koalas, tigers, penguins, and SO much more. My family and I had an even better time than we expected! read more

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Although we didn't see any of the shows we were able to do most of the zoo in 3 hours. We were disappointed that there was only 1 sleeping, mostly hidden koala, no red kangaroo exhibit, and the other kangaroo area had several sleeping kangas. All in all a good zoo with lots of walking and ups and downs. Wear comfortable shoes! read more

We had fun We spoke with guest relations and they gave us a personal tour of the zoo. Great local animals and be sure to pay extra to be up close to the Koala read more

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This is the furthest we ventured from Sydney CBDCBD during our trip there in January 2020. We had to ensure every destination was accessible, and Taronga Zoo was definitely that! We opted to start the day with a tour. Our guides were super friendly, informative, and genuinely cared about the animals. They had extra work due to the raging bushfires... sharing some sad tales of the impact it was having on the wildlife. :( but I'm grateful the animals have this lovely place to call home, along with caring keepers to look after them. I'm not usually a zoo advocate, but it was clear that this one was different and truly have their hearts in the right place for the sake of the wildlife. The enclosures were often too big to always see the animals but I'd rather the little guys (and big guys) have that privacy as needed. Thank you, Taronga Zoo, for caring! read more

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This zoo is amazing! Great location and great exhibits. There were a few places that were under construction while we were there so we will have to come back to see it again! read more

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Amazing zoo filled with a wide range of animals across the globe. You're in for a treat to visit this zoo. Tip: From the ferry, walk your way to the bottom part of the entrance and work your way up to avoid the crowds going the opposite direction. Consider timing when the park closes, the bus used to return you back to the ferry may take a while followed by catching the ferry to return to Circular Quay. read more

We stayed at the wildlife retreat and it was amazing. Comfortable beds and great view of animals. Food was amazing and we bought a mini capybara which is cute. 10% discount at the shop because we were staying at the retreat too! Only downside it was raining when we visited the zoo. 5/5 stars. read more

Taronga Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Mosman, NSW

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On my vacation to Sydney from the US, I thought why would I go to a zoo... HAHA wow was a wrong!!! LOL first off Taronga Zoo is a WHOLE unique experience to everything "zoo" we are used to in the U.S., if you're from mericaaa please go!!! Lol best experience ever! From up close experience with koalas (schedule a few days ahead on app or EARLY AM if day of) we went to "see" kangaroos... Yeah experience of a lifetime when you enter the kangaroo "area" and you're in the free with them, as in if they wanted they will come up to you! I was freaked at first but quickly realized just how amazing the experience was!!!! Unreal yet incredible! 20/10 recommend!!!! One of the coolest things we did besides climb the Sydney Harbor bridge. read more

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We had a hard time choosing between Taronga and Featherdale but ended up here because the trip was so much shorter. It's a quick ferry ride from Circular and then a bus or cable car to the top. Definitely buy tickets ahead of time, especially in high season or on weekends. I'd also advise getting there as they open and booking your koala encounter (if you want to do one) ASAP at the main gift shop at the top. We did this and were the first ones of the day in for pics! They took a really nice photo of us which didn't cost extra and we were free to take our own photos as well. No touching - I'm ok with that since it's less stressful for the animals. I also loved that many areas were "free" enclosures meaning the animals are not caged. We saw tons of cool birds, some kangaroos and wallaby's very close up. In the Aussie area, we were told that the best time to get close to the kangaroos is later afternoon when there are few people. The zoo is surprisingly compact but packed with things to see. There's a huge roster of keeper talks throughout the day so you can learn more about the animals. They do a great job of talking about conservation and things you can do to help. All this fun doesn't come cheap - adult tickets are close to $50 each, plus an extra $30 for a koala encounter (good for up to 4 ppl). read more

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If you go to Sydney, then seeing Koala is a must. There are kangaroo and tasmanian devil. You can take the ferry from Circular Quay to the zoo. You just need to walk up to the hill...haha Also, make sure you get a ticket online before you go. Also, if you need to see Koala, then you need to get a ticket online on the same day after 0900. They only have limited time slot and it is worth for everything to see Koala. We got lucky that the Koala was moving around : ) Shocking!!! read more

This is a great zoo. Lots of interactive areas. Highly recommend the behind the scene tours. They have some endangered species and are working hard to help them continue exist read more

The trip will start off with a ferry from Circular Quay to the zoo- it's a smooth ride with amazing views of the opera house, bridge and city. The Zoo itself is massive, housing a wide selection of animals. They do several shows that are highly recommend if you have the chance. There food onsite is overpriced (as most are), but pretty good. I definitely recommend stopping by to see Australia's native wildlife up close and learning more about them. read more