Zoo

Taronga Zoo Sydney

#8of 10 places to visit in SydneySydney, New South Wales, Australia

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00. Entry: A$57. Allow 4 hrs. Best time: 09:30 opening.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

Photo: File:Internal view of Sydney Zoo, 2020.jpg: Ashishlohorung derivative work: Georgfotoart / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00; 09:30 – 17:00 daily (summer, roughly September to April)
Entry fee: A$57; Ticket from
Time needed: 4 hrs
Best time of day: 09:30 opening
Best months: Mar – May, Sep – Nov
Address: Bradleys Head Road, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia

About Taronga Zoo Sydney

Taronga Zoo Sydney occupies 21 hectares of harbourside land at Mosman, with enclosures terraced down a steep hillside so that many exhibits — the giraffe paddock in particular — frame Sydney Harbour and the city skyline directly behind the animals. The zoo opened at this site on 7 October 1916, relocating from a smaller zoo at Moore Park that had operated since 1884; the name Taronga comes from a Dari (Aboriginal) word believed to mean 'beautiful view'. The collection holds more than 4,000 animals across roughly 350 species, including an Australian native wildlife precinct with koalas, platypus, and Tasmanian devils, alongside African savanna, Asian elephant, and big cat exhibits. Free daily keeper talks and feeding demonstrations run on a published schedule at individual enclosures, and a seal show runs multiple times daily in the amphitheatre near the harbour-view terraces.

Best time of day: 09:30 opening. To see the higher-activity morning feeding sessions and beat the midday tour-group crush at the main entrance.

Taronga Zoo Sydney timings

Taronga Zoo Sydney opens at 09:30 and closes at 17:00. The weekend is no different: Saturday and Sunday follow the same times.

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00; Mon–Sun 09:30–17:00; 09:30 – 17:00 daily (summer, roughly September to April)
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	09:30–17:00

Good to know: 09:30 – 16:30 daily during winter (May–August); open 365 days a year including public holidays

Opening hours compiled from taronga.org.au and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Taronga Zoo Sydney ticket price

Entry fees for Taronga Zoo Sydney
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	A$57
Concession (student / senior)	A$43
Children	A$33

Gate prices; online advance booking is cheaper, around $51.30 adult / $38.70 concession / $29.70 child, as of 2026. Children under 4 enter free. Sky Safari cable car and Wild Ropes course are separate add-on fees. Verify current pricing at taronga.org.au before visiting.

Prices compiled from taronga.org.au and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Taronga Zoo Sydney

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

09:30 – 11:00
Morning OpeningBest time to go
First ferry arrivals and early keeper talks; enclosures at their most active before midday heat.
Quiet
11:00 – 14:00
School Group & Tour Peak
School excursion groups and coach tours concentrate around the seal show and giraffe terrace; queues form at the Sky Safari cable car.
Busy
14:00 – 16:00
Afternoon
Family visitor numbers remain steady but tour groups thin out; a good window for the nocturnal house and reptile exhibits.
Moderate
16:00 – 17:00
Late Afternoon Closing
Final entry window before gates close; last ferry and cable car departures can queue briefly.
Quiet

History of Taronga Zoo Sydney

Sydney's first public zoo opened at Billy Goat Swamp, now Moore Park, in 1884 under the Zoological Society of NSW, but by the early 1900s the site was judged too small and too far from the harbour for a zoo of ambition. The Mosman site, formerly part of an quarantine and defence reserve on the harbour's north shore, was selected specifically for its ferry access and dramatic topography, and the new zoo opened on 7 October 1916 after a purpose-built ferry wharf and the zoo's initial pavilions were completed.

The Taronga Conservation Society Australia, formed by NSW legislation, has managed both Taronga Zoo Sydney and its sister zoo at Dubbo (Taronga Western Plains Zoo) since a 1967 restructure, with the two operating a shared conservation and breeding program for endangered species. The Sky Safari cable car, opened in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics period, carries visitors between the lower ferry wharf and the upper zoo entrance over the elephant and giraffe enclosures.

Rules & etiquette at Taronga Zoo Sydney

Feeding animals, other than at designated interactive experiences booked and supervised by keepers, is prohibited throughout the zoo, and flash photography is banned at several enclosures including the nocturnal house and big cat exhibits to avoid distressing the animals. Prams and wheelchairs can access most of the site, but the steep hillside terrain means the free internal shuttle bus or the Sky Safari cable car is the practical way to move between the upper and lower sections without a long uphill walk.

Picnics are permitted in designated lawn areas, but food from outside is not allowed at most animal-viewing platforms, and bins throughout the site are separated for recycling and food waste as part of the zoo's conservation messaging. Dogs and other pets are not permitted anywhere on the grounds, including the car park and ferry wharf area.

The seal show and keeper talks fill their viewing areas on a first-come basis with no reserved seating; arriving 10–15 minutes early secures a clear sightline, particularly for the seal show's harbour-facing amphitheatre.

Tips for visiting Taronga Zoo Sydney

1
Combine the ferry crossing from Circular Quay with a ride up the Sky Safari cable car for the best introduction to the site — the ferry ride itself, about 12 minutes, offers a harbour view that rivals paid lookouts elsewhere in the city, and the cable car adds an aerial pass over the giraffe and elephant paddocks on the way up.
2
Allow a minimum of four hours to see the main precincts without rushing; the site's steep terracing means backtracking is common, and the African savanna, Australian native, and Asian precincts are each a substantial walk apart. A day pass includes unlimited entry/exit if the ticket is scanned again, useful for visitors combining the zoo with a Mosman or Balmoral Beach stop.
3
Booking online in advance is consistently cheaper than paying at the gate — roughly 10% off adult tickets in 2026 — and also avoids the queue at the main entrance kiosk during school-holiday periods. The Roar and Snore overnight safari-tent program, a separate paid experience, runs after standard closing hours and includes a night walk past sleeping big cats, but requires its own booking well in advance.

How to reach Taronga Zoo Sydney

The red star is Taronga Zoo Sydney. Tap a pin for details.

Bradleys Head Road, Mosman NSW 2088, AustraliaDirections in Google Maps

From Circular Quay Wharf 2
6 km · 12 min ferry
$7.32–$8.86 AUD Opal fare
From Taronga Zoo Wharf
1 km · 4–6 min
Included in zoo admission or Ferry+Zoo combo ticket
From Sydney CBD (Wynyard)
11 km · 30–40 min
$4.80 AUD Opal fare

Nearest airport

From Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)

16 km, approximately 35–45 minutes by taxi via the Harbour Bridge or tunnel.

Nearest station

From No direct rail station; reached via ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo Wharf, then a Sky Safari cable car or shuttle bus up to the main gate.

Taronga Zoo Sydney FAQs

How much does Taronga Zoo Sydney cost?

Adult gate price is $57 AUD, concession $43 AUD, and child (4–15) $33 AUD, as of 2026; booking online in advance is cheaper. Children under 4 enter free.

How do you get to Taronga Zoo from the city?

Take a Sydney Ferries service from Circular Quay Wharf 2 to Taronga Zoo Wharf, a 12-minute crossing, then ride the Sky Safari cable car or the free shuttle bus up to the main entrance.

When did Taronga Zoo open?

The current Mosman site opened on 7 October 1916, relocating from a smaller zoo at Moore Park that had operated since 1884.

Is Taronga Zoo open every day of the year?

Yes. The zoo operates 365 days a year, including public holidays, with hours of 09:30–17:00 in summer and 09:30–16:30 in winter.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places