Amazing location. Ferry ride from circular quay (Sydney Harbour) was only 12 minutes. Drops you off at the zoo sky safari tram that takes you up to the zoo or you can take a 3 minute walk up to main entrance. Educational zoo , friendly staff , some hilly areas for walking. Nice exhibits. Koala exhibit with nice enclosure for up close photo op(although you can't touch )! You can probably spend approximately 2 hours and see all. Nice path outside the tram area near ferry to walk. He whole Zoo overlooks Sydney Harbour , Bridge and opera house in the distance . Nice day excursion. read more

My mom and I really enjoyed our visit here yesterday. We did happen to visit during the school holidays here and on Sunday (all day travel on public transport just 2.50 aus), so it was a busy day. The zoo is 101 years old. That's very cool in and of itself. The views on the way to and from on the ferry and from the zoo, all stunning. The animals - we saw almost all of them, minus the red panda (exhaustion happens). The wallaby and kangaroo exhibits here are walk through, no fences, just one gate in and out. So cool. We loved the platypus house and Tasmanian devils and quokkas and echidnas and koalas, too. You can chose to pay extra for a close up encounter with certain animals, but we didn't look into the pricing. Also, we packed a picnic from our hotel's brekkie buffet. Food is delish here in Oz, but it is $$ too. The chimp enclosure and all the african animals are a treat. The penguins and seals are cool, too. My Sydney friend said the bird aviaries are one of the best parts too. There's a seal show(multiple times) and a bird release show, too. We didn't make it to them. Lines were just too much. No worries, overall an excellent day trip. Love it. read more

Sky travel ride was the best thing on the agenda for us. All the animals were amazing. Suprislngly, cafe fish and chips were yummy. Highly recommend. Lots of walking so wear your comfortable shoes, hat, and sunglasses. Bring bottle water, and energy bars or energy nuts..we got tired from walking too long. Extra snacks will help boost your energy. read more

Decided to make half a day trip to the zoo with the family and it was wonderful! The skylift was a good way to end the day after walking through a carefully BEAUTIFUL zoo with stunning exhibits. So much to do! The seal loon show was cute but in all my years of zoos getting to watch the elephants get a bath was by far the CUTEST!! I suggest getting a heads start and taking one of the EARLIEST FERRIES to get there as soon as it opens. For as you reach the afternoon it becomes wickedly packed out with people. so much fun read more

We were excited this morning to catch the bus,train,ferry on our journey to the zoo. Heard so many great things about it. Got off the ferry caught the tram, so cool...Over the top , no animals out. If you are going to have most of your large animal exhibits closed, it would be fair for you to let folks know before you charge full admission price. It was disappoint to say the least. Even our zoos in the states are not as greedy. Angry Texan read more

Growing up in Sydney, I went to Taronga Zoo with my grandparents once my parents wanted to get rid of the kids for the day. It must have been a great experience as I still have early memories of the anticipation as we exited the car, walked through the revolving doors in the original dated entry, wandering through the grounds, and looking at amazement at the Giraffes and Giant Turtles. Even though these memories are strong, I never thought of myself as someone who would like to see animals in captivity, I'd rather go to a Safari one day in South Africa - Any takers? I'm probably not alone on that thought. Recently, I revisited the Zoo on a photography excursion with some friends from my previous work. It was a great experience, even as an adult. I enjoyed the gondola ride, even though pricey, it was a day to remember. I'm sure that more than 80% of the people here were tourists, and I've heard to look out for pick-pocketers here, which is a worrying thought. If you don't like Zoo's you can be reassured that you will see value in the cost from the view over Sydney Harbour, as it's a magical, excuse the pun, priceless view. read more

I thoroughly enjoy going to zoos and the taronga zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the world. It is quite large and not too expensive. The animals they have are more interesting than the ones I see in San Diego. They have animals running around in the paths that people are on which is pretty cool. It is a really large zoo and if you have someone that can't walk a lot in your group then getting around is pretty difficult because the exhibits are really spread out so we weren't able to see everything in the hours we were there. They gave us a wheelchair to use but I was pushing it and it was really bad so we had to just give it back. We only went to half the zoo and got to the bottom and took the overhead cable car back to the top. Although we didn't see the entire zoo, what we saw was very good. read more

Taronga Zoo - View from the cable car - Zoos Near Me - Mosman, NSW

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To make the trip to Taronga Zoo a great day out I suggest getting a combined zoo and ferry ticket from Circular Quay, the ticket gives you discounted entry into the zoo and a return ferry trip (about 10-15 mins each way). The price of a cable car entry to the zoo is also included although I found the cable car ride a little disappointing as you can't really see anything. The free flight bird show was the highlight of the day for me, especially the Owls which look so graceful against the back drop of Sydney Harbour. You should pick your seats wisely if you have kids as the birds of prey will fly very low over the seated area. Apart from the location of Taronga Zoo I would suspect this is no different from any other Australian Zoo, but as a tourist it is worth a visit to see all the wonderful native Australian animals. read more

Whilst some of the areas of the zoo looked a bit dated (the seal didn't look very happy by himself in a concrete pool), some of the Australian animals were unmissable. The Duckbilled Platapus was a highlight - as were the Tazmanian Devils. Also the fearsome selection of spiders and snakes was impressive. The landscape shot of the giraffes with the Sydney Opera House / Harbour Bridge was one of my favorite pictures of the whole trip. read more

D'ya know i'm going to contradict myself totally. I'm not a fan of zoos at all, but did force myself to go to Taronga Zoo in Sydney. It's great. There's loads of space, the animals are obviously looked after very welll and it's a good day out. The views back to the city are also stunning. read more

The zoo itself is very over-rated. Does not have the high profile animals, and is on quite steep terrain which makes getting around difficult. The views are amazing though read more

The journey to Taronga Zoo was the best part for me since you need to hop on a ferry and to head over to the zoo. Since it was my first time in Sydney, I was able to take amazing pictures of the famous Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour, and the Harbour Bridge. On a clear day, the view from the water is awesome. Once you land, there are many photo ops of the skyline. After the ferry journey, we took a short gondola ride that lifts us to the entrance of the zoo, reminds me of Jurassic World, minus the craziness. I've had my share of visiting zoos so this isn't any different with your wildlife animals but add the popular Australia only animals. From koala bears, kangaroos, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and other exotic birds and reptiles, they're here. My favorite was watching the gorillas play with each other and them in their own element, they're very entertaining. Great place for visitors and locals of all ages. read more

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This is one of my favorite zoos in the world!!! On my first trip to the zoo I had no idea what I was in store for. We jumped on a ferry and took a cruise across the harbor. Arriving at the zoo is just amazing plus you get a inexpensive harbor ride too. As everyone exits the ferry, you get in line to take a cable car to the top of the hill. The ride up is really nice and gives a great perspective of Sydney. Once you reach the top you walk into the zoo and you see Koala Bears. They are so cute. I have seen them in books, on National Geographic and the Internet but never in person. It was so cool to be standing right next to them and having the ability to get up close and personal was one of the most exciting things ever. If this is all I saw at the zoo, then I would have left a happy man. The fun part was the walk down the hill back to the ferry and along the way there were animals and incredible views of Sydney. I was so sad because I had to rush through this because I had a meeting to get to for work. My family was able to stay longer and enjoy everything the zoo had to offer. My second favorite part of the zoo was an area called the "Walkabout". There was a fence with a gate...we opened the gate and went in. We were now surrounded by kangaroos and wallaby's. If this was America, there would be no way they would let us walk with these animals. The coolest moment was when a little Kangaroo walked up to my little ones stroller and peaked in to look at her. We were in the middle of a baby stare off. It is one of those moments I will remember forever. Now my wife was a little worried of a Kangaroo attacking our little one but I had no doubt we would leave with all of our body parts. There was one tourist who kept going off the path (sign said please stay on path) and getting right in the animals faces with his camera. I kept waiting for one of the kangaroos to just punch him in the face...in fact, I was rolling video just waiting for the moment to happen but it never happen. I know I sound sad about it but he was really in there space and he needed a beat down...kangaroo style. The zoo was amazing from the ferry ride to the cable car to the top and then the adventure down the hill. The setting is so unique and I believe that this makes this one of the best zoos in the world. It is just beautiful here!!! read more

Taronga has such beautiful grounds, it's hard to fault it. But it's just not much of a zoo - so many animals just not visible or present. SO MANY. The bird show was a highlight and the seal show was very good ... but they make almost no effort to showcase Australian marsupials, or make them really visible. About 5 wallabies zoo-wide, and 3 kangaroos. 1 koala. So few quokka that they were not visible in the enclosure. No underground view of the platypus pools. Taronga is a beautiful place with spectacular views but if you want to see animals, do yourself a favor and make the trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park. read more

Literally the worst zoo ever. Extremely OVERRATED. TERRIBLE LAYOUT. No wonder it's the 15th worst zoo in the world. If you want to go to a nice zoo I would recommend the San Diego zoo over this one any day. The ride there was the funnest part. There was animals of all sorts all over the place and I felt like was going to be eaten. The turkeys literally landed on my head and took my chicken tenders. Those birds should be registered as legal harassers. Overall this was the worst zoo experience of my life. read more

Was disappointed in the zoo. I expected a lot of animals and most were not out. I came in May the temperature was a perfect 72 degrees. The zoo in San Diego and Houston is much better than here. Felt like this was a waste of money. read more

The Taronga Zoo is a must when visiting Australia. We were able to squeeze the visit in during a really long layover in Sydney enroute to Wellington. The ferry ride to the zoo has fantastic views of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And the zoo itself is a gem. The zoo has been around since 1916, but it's very modern with a gondola to take you to the top of the park and a ropes course above the park. If I had more time, I would have totally done the ropes course so that I could see the animals from above. The aviaries and the walkabouts are very impressive. You are so close to the animals. If you pay for the close encounters you can get even closer with your own personal guide and may be able to feed/ touch the animals. I asked one of the staff what her favorite part was and she said the birds. I was surprised by her answer but then I got it. There are so many varieties of beautiful birds in those aviaries and they fly or hop right next to you. The birds were really a highlight. I also really loved the bilby, gliders, ghost bats, and the pregnant wombat (so big!). I also have a soft spot in my heart for red pandas... so beautiful. I recall watching a parenting video on attachment featuring the Taronga Zoo chimpanzee park. The chimps were all sleeping when we passed through, but the park was quite impressive and the chimps looked happy. read more

I had a fabulous visit at the Taronga Zoo. We bought a combined zoo ticket/zoo ferry at Circular Quay. The ride to the zoo gave some outstanding views and it was a pretty quick ride. The zoo itself was very nice, and quite a bit nicer than most zoos here in the States. We paid $20AUD and $24AUD to two different animal encounters- koala and giraffe. The koala one was awesome and totally worth the cost--it was very private. No, you don't get to hold the koalas, as its illegal in NSW, however you get very close to them and get a free picture. The giraffe encounter was quite a bit less private and not as personalized. I'd still recommend doing both. Overall a great experience. read more

I really enjoyed this zoo, however I really wanted to hold a Koala, or even get pictures with one, but it was an extra $175, on top of the $45 you pay to get in. SUPER pricey, but even without holding a Koala it was a great experience. You get super close to Kangaroos, and the views are amazing. It's on a hill and over-looks Sydney Opera House and the bridge. I was able to get some amazing pictures. Bird show & Seal show were great! I'd probably set aside 4-5 hours just to make sure you aren't rushed and get to see everything! I plan on going back next time i'm there! IF you plan on going, we took a ferry from Manly and they have a ferry package you can get that includes a 24 hour ferry, the ferry to the zoo, AND your zoo entry cost for only $55 per person. This is the BEST deal! read more

The zoo was a fun day out with my 2 children (3 and 5). The highlight would be giraffe area where you get to bee pretty up close to the giraffe. It's a big zoo and the animals looks happy and the exhibits had made to mimic the animal's natural home. They got mountains goats there and they built a small mountain for them. It was pretty cool so see how they climb up. Tip. Buy the zoo tickets at the wharf before you board the ferry, so when you exit the ferry so you can use the cable car to go up. Otherwise you need the take the shuttle bus ( 3 minute ride). There's a guy that comes down to the Ferry waiting area with EFTPOS machine that you can buy the zoo tickets off or buy it at the ticket counter at the Circular Query wharf. read more

Easily one of my favorite Zoo's in the world! It's a pricey admission but the Zoo is laid out very nicely and there are just a ton of exhibits. Love that you can get close to some of the Austrailia animals. They petting Zoo is supper fun! You can easily lose most of a day here. And it's laidout wll so you can still move even on a crowded day. The peguin exhibit was by far my favorite! The Zoo is located right on the wanter and part f the fun is taking the ferry form thee Quay under the bridge, around the Sydney Opera House and over to the Zoo. It's a great ride on a nice day and just adds to the experience. read more

This is a great day out in Sydney. Amazing views of the city and a beautiful setting. There are not heaps of animals, coming from Melbourne it seemed less. Sorry, not trying to start some Melbourne/Sydney thing. Also the food market is expensive and average. An Ibis actually jumped on to our table and took food from my child's hand, no I am not kidding, cover your food!!! read more

We've been to this zoo before and loved it. However, this time, it was a big let-down. There was construction everywhere, few animals to see, and our favorite Koala Experience was not available. I would NOT go back until the construction is completed. read more

Overcrowded, expensive & noisy as f* with brat kids everywhere. Poorly signed throughout, toilets closed, renovations blocking some areas and all for just $112.80. Animal enclosures are cramped, old & of poor quality. To preach "saving endangered animals" is a load of rot, allowing kids to walk through enclosures, torment gorillas & orang utans by knocking on glass is disgraceful. Food queues are 30 min wait poor quality and overpriced. Rotten place. View is ok, pity about who owns it. read more

This is a must must to any tourist to Sydney. What a beautiful zoo this is. Never been to such a vast zoo in my life. It's properly kept and you can see pretty much any animal your heart desires. We especially loved the Gorilla exhibit. There was a baby gorilla and it was so precious to see the bond between them. We also loved the giraffes, finick foxes, turtles, red pandas and koalas. Though be aware koalas sleep 22 hrs out of the day so they will most likely be asleep when you see them. Food was actually better than most zoos though is pack a lunch due to overpricing. Such a fun day!! read more

Almost every singe exhibit was closed or the animals were not there and the only way to see a majority of them were at specific feeding times, there is little freedom read more

amazing zoo!! great zoo with many types of animals, great experience and always happy to come again. prices are easily affordable and would recommend the sky safari ( it's free ) and the seal show is absolutely amazing !!! always have construction tho :(( happy to see new animals ! read more

A fabulous day out for the entire family with some of the best views on Sydney. The shows are amazing and always a great day out. If you live in Sydney or intend to come often look into the zoo pass - good value and means you can come for short bursts and see different things each time read more

A fabulous day out with the kids. The shows are amazing, the kids favourite (and mine too to be honest) is the bird show. Bird Show I hear you say? Yes that's what I thought until I saw it. It is AH-mazing!!! They are some clever feathered creatures If you live in Sydney then have a look at the zoo pass, it means with kids you don't have to spend all day at the zoo but can come frequently and do sections at a time. We always walk our way thru the zoo to the bottom and catch the cable car back up to the top. Can't wait to go and check out the new Lemur Rainforest! read more

Big zoo, lots to see and we did a Koala experience which they include a picture with the Koala. Felt a little jip'd since there was only two of us and we didn't even get 5 minutes with the Koala where as the group of 4 ahead of us got about 10 minutes. Take the tran up the zoo, worth the view even if your afraid of heights. read more

Unique, manageable and entertaining zoo. Features the usual wildlife favorites and the special species of Australia. Lucky enough to get the behind the scenes tour and the background info from the dedicated keepers and staff. The sleepy Koalas and the friendly wallabies were my favorites. The trip across the bay and the gondola ride to the entrance were added bonuses. read more

Finally went to the zoo! It was great! Staff friendly and helpful. Trails can be confusing - even with the map... If you go on the weekend definitely get there early - it can get very busy and a bit too crowded. We got there right when it opened at 9:30am on a Sunday morning and had a great time. Pricey - but every larger zoo is pricey now. Air safari/tran gondola thing is great - beautiful views of the harbor and the elephants. Would actually suggest you ride the gondola at the entrance and go down to the ferry - if you catch it at the bottom of the zoo you end up waiting in line to get into the gondola with all the people coming off the ferry. It can take a while... Either way - it's worth it. read more

My husband and I only had one day in Sydney and I was skeptical to spend part of it at a zoo based on my experience with zoos in the US. However, our local friend vouched for the experience so we went. As far as zoos go this one does it right. Many of the habitats have the double doors that keep the animals inside and allow you to roam around freely in the exhibit. You can get super close to wallabies who were super adorable. I also really liked the farm animal section and kids would love it. The views of the city skyline are really great on a clear day. You can be sure you'll see all of your typical Australian animals here without having to take a trip to the bush. read more

Wow! What an amazing zoo! Way too big to see in a day but well worth trying! We did the koala encounter, which is short and they slept, but comes with a complimentary photo souvenir. I literally cried the first time I saw the koalas!! If you are a tourist, take the day to do it -- it'll be a highlight to your visit to Sydney! read more

If you like wildlife and exotic beasts, this is certainly worth a visit. Set in its very own nature reserve type grounds, the only real way to tell that you're in Sydney is when you catch a glimpse of the harbour bridge. Majestic lions, sky high giraffes and bright-bottomed gibbons. The keepers are friendly and helpful and there's masses of stuff to do. A great place for people of all ages, Taronga Zoo is well-worth a visit. read more

This zoo is the best experience you could possibly hope for with a zoo. I came here for work experience and straight away the staff made me feel welcome and loved. I really recommend coming here not only for work experience but to volunteer or to just enjoy the zoo for their amazing animals and amazing staff. read more

Take a ferry to see this "island" zoo. A fun day trip. Beautiful aviaries.

Great zoo with lots of animals and fantastic views of Sydney! Take the ferry from Wharf 4, which is a great ride with great views as well.

Quite a few animals in hiding; their living quarters are too small. Not a good idea to have a zoo in the city! Although the view of downtown Sydney from the zoo is stunning, animals seem very confined in extreme small space. read more

Good zoo, I'd say the ferry ride to the zoo added immensely to the experience!