Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo Sydney
A zoo with the best views of Sydney Harbour, home to Australian animals such as koalas, kangaroos and platypuses, with the Opera House skyline behind the giraffe enclosure. It is a 12-minute ferry ride away.
Taronga Zoo sits on the hillside of the Mosman peninsula on the north shore of the harbour. It opened in 1916 and covers 28 hectares, housing more than 350 species and over 4,000 animals. Thanks to its harbourside hillside setting, it is often called “the most scenic zoo in the world.” The giraffe enclosure faces the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, making it the most famous photo spot. The Australian animal areas are the highlight: koalas (close-up photos for an extra fee, about A$30), kangaroos and wallabies on free-roaming paths, platypuses and echidnas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, kookaburras and cockatoos, and a nocturnal animal house. The zoo also has Sumatran tigers, gorillas, Asian elephants, a seal show, and raptor flight shows several times a day. The QBE Free Flight Bird Show, with eagles and falcons flying against the harbour backdrop, is the zoo’s best show and is free. The zoo is built into the hillside. The recommended route is to take the Sky Safari cable car from the wharf (included in admission) up to the top entrance, then walk downhill back to the wharf, which is easy and offers good views. Adult admission is about A$50 to 55 (discounted when booked online). The ZooLink combo ticket covering ferry, cable car and admission costs about A$70. The Roar and Snore overnight program lets you camp in the zoo, tour it at night and see the harbour at night (about A$300 to 400 per person, meals included). Getting there: take ferry F2 from Circular Quay Wharf 2 for 12 minutes to the Taronga Zoo wharf (about A$7 with an Opal card). This is the most recommended way, with views back to the Opera House and bridge from the water. You can also take bus M30 or drive (parking about A$20). Allow 3 to 4 hours. The zoo has many slopes, but strollers can use the lifts and cable car. Bring water and sun protection. Show timetables are posted at the entrance, and raptor shows usually run at 12:00 and 15:00. Weekends and school holidays are quieter before 10 am.
Opening hours
9:30 am–5:00 pm (until 4:30 pm May–August)
Nearby sights
- Mrs Macquarie's Chair
- Sydney Opera House
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
- Luna Park Sydney
- Sydney Harbour Bridge
- The Rocks
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Circular Quay