Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket and Wild Australia Experience

Sydney, Australia

Go behind-the-scenes at Sydney Taronga Zoo for an in-depth, interactive and close up encounter with Australian wildlife. Feed a wallaby and take photos with a koala during this intimate small group tour which has a maximum of only eight participants. Led by a professional zoo keeper, you'll learn all about Australian animals as you meet them face-to-face at Sydney Taronga Zoo.

Taronga Zoo is one of Sydney's top attractions and is loved by locals and tourists alike. Located on the magnificent harbor, just 12 minutes by ferry with views of iconic landmarks this is truly a zoo with a view!

Arrive at the zoo and take the Sky Safari gondola to the top entrance. Fly above the Zoo as it skims the canopy of the Asian rainforest inhabited by Taronga's orangutans and glide across the mysterious riverscape of AGL Amazonia, home to the Zoo's South American animals.

Meet your zoo keeper and start your in-depth 1.5 hour Wild Australia Experience that will bring you close to the animals and where you will learn about the work of the zoo keepers. Learn about our unique Australian animals and how they are cared for at the zoo, go behind the scenes into restricted access areas, see how the food is prepared in the 'animal kitchen,' and help feed the wallabies and kangaroos.

You will get to enter the Australian bushland and the underground world of the endangered Southern hairy-nosed wombat, discover the mysteries of the platypus, and explore the nocturnal house for a close encounter with the normally shy and elusive wildlife which only venture out at night.

At the end of your tour you'll be served a light snack at Harbourview Cafe and receive a souvenir gift.

Admission to Taronga Zoo is included so you are free to spend the day exploring the many exhibits and shows before and after your tour. Join the regularly scheduled keeper talks to learn more about Taronga Zoo's wide variety of animals.

USD $122.63

Review by: Traci H	April 2012
Great tour! Informative guide who knows alot about the zoo and the animals. Got upclose with the koalas and got to feed the kangaroos. Other encounters with smaller animals as well. Wish we got to see other like the wombats, wallabies etc. Also wish there was an opportunity to get professional photos done with the koalas. Never got to see "how the food was prepared" only where it was prepared. Never got a gift or "tea". Overall it was a great opportunity to see the animals.

Review by: joel r	March 2012
had a great time there was 7 on our tour 5 cancelled that just left me and my partner. the ono on one time with the animals was somethink we wil allways remember

Review by: Barbara H	March 2012
I was a little skeptical when a friend recommended this but it ranks very high amongst all tours I have taken. The zookeeper selected the animals we would see and I saw some that I had never heard of before, A senior zookeeper took us through about 10 encounters (inside of actual exhibits or in closed areas) where we got to pet, hold and/or feed various animals, including koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, bilbies, feathertail gliders, etc. It was very entertaining and educational. In addition to myself there was one couple and their three children aged 6-11. After well over two hours we went back to have tea with Paul, the zookeeper. I would highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Diane D	March 2012
Really wonderful experience, I was amazed and surprised by how close we were able to get to the animals. Our guide (Jenny) couldn't have been better-- incredibly personable, knowledgeable, great w/ the animals and skilled w/ a camera, too! (She took some really nice pics for me, and knew how to quickly maneuver around the animals to get the best shots and angles). Very highly recommended.

Review by: Ursula C L	January 2012
We had a chance to tour New Zealand and Australia and this was probably our favorite experience. The small group size is awesome (it feels like a personal tour). Lots of information and up close and personal experiences with the animals. Great for families or individuals. Can't recommend this enough! Definitely a must do.

Review by: David D	January 2012
Our tour guide was outstanding and gave us a great behind-the-scenes tour. Very informative and definitely worth it!

Review by: Candice C	January 2012
Fantastic tour/experience. Our tour guide was great and the behind-the-scene part of the tour was also a great experience. The best part was how intimate the tour was and any question we had, the zoo keeper/tour guide was able to answer. It was a wonderful tour and I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

Review by: Susan M	December 2011
We had the most incredible tour with a zookeeper at the Taronga Zoo. It was the highlight of our trip. We have been to the zoo before, but to be in a small group of eight, and have a real person who knows the animals tell you all about them was the kind of up close experience we were after.

Review by: Catherine H	December 2011
The one-on-one tour with the senior zoo keeper (Robert) was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The "behind the scenes" and "up close" animal encounters were amazing. It was worth every penny spent to be able to photograph wildlife in this manner. The pictures taken will be cherished for a lifetime. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning about Australian animals and their habitat._br/_ Cathy H.

Review by: Karen K	November 2011
Great experience - would recommend to everyone.

Review by: Jessica J	October 2011
Booking was easy, Taronga Zoo is very well located and can be reached via ferry vom Circular Quay every 15 mins. The Wild Australia Experience is a wonderful time where you can learn a lot about Australian animals and nature, the zookeepers are very friendly and well educated! We had the chance to feed some animals and to pet them - just amazing! I strongly recommend this tour to every visitor!

Review by: tacjam	October 2011
Absolutely a must do. For my partner and myself the main reason going to Australia was to learn about their unique animals. _br/_ And on this tour with Gabe wow, what an awesome guide. I loved every minute of it!_br/_ Don't hesitate and book this tour, you will not be disappointed

Review by: April	September 2011
This was a great tour, the only thing that could have made it better was to be able to hold a Koala, but I understand that it is not allowed in the state. I made it down to Queensland where I was successfully held Koala in Kuranda. Skyrail in Taronga is amazing and the ferry to the zoo allowed for great photos of the opera house, the old prison, the bridge and of Sydney. Very nice day, worth the money!

Review by: Susan E	September 2011
we took the Wild Australia tour. Worth every penny. Jenny was great. Zoo was wonderful.

Review by: Francis T	September 2011
Experience very expensive and disappointing. We were 2 adults and 2 children, total 8 people for the ride. The explanations were very interesting, but we have not gone in the space of animals, and we could not reach many animals. 8 people is enough, and the price is really expensive, I expected better, especially for the children to approach animals. TO AVOID with children, very disappointing for the price.

Review by: Zoe M	September 2011
Wasn't what I expected, but was very informative and the tour leader was very knowledgeable, however I was in the opinion that we were going to be able to get close to and hold the Koalas and this was not the case. Not really worth the money, as we could have just bought the normal tickets and then paid $20 each for the koala experience but instead spent over twice this amount and although it was good and informative was not what I felt was advertised or worth the huge price tag that goes with it.

Review by: Christopher M	August 2011
Grate trip

Review by: aussiewolves	July 2011
This was an outstanding experience. We had the senior keeper Paul Davies as our guide and he ensured we had the best time. We spent a good deal of time with the Koalas, Wombats and other wildlife and were even part of the exhibits at one point. Our Canadians guests had the best time and stated that they felt like children again. This experience is thoroughly recommended and well worth the expense.

Review by: Judy H	July 2011
Maybe I missed something in the description of this activity before my purchase. We were taken in the Australian part of the zoo where the public were allowed! We could have done that ourselves._br/_ We were taken to a behind the scenes part and had a wonderful experience seeing up close a mother koala with her joey and we were able to hold a possum. These two things were the only one-on-one experiences. I thought we would be behind the scenes for most of the trip._br/_ It's too expensive for what you get and I would not recommend it.

Review by: Jeffrey B	July 2011
Everyone rell enjoyed the tour!

Review by: jade t	June 2011
_pOMG, I totally knew about the bridge walk, the Sydney tower, the blue mountains, etc., but I had no idea about the Wild Australia Experience at the Taronga Zoo. thank goodness I decided to take a personal day for myself while traveling to Sydney on business. I'm even more thankful that I selected this super cool tour. _br/_ Vanessa, our very pregnant tour guide, was amazing and knowledgeable to no end. she exceeded everyone's expectations. I am certainly visiting this zoo on my next visit to Sydney (and I'm not even a "zoo" person). totally recommend this tour to everyone!

Review by: Evelyn J E	June 2011
Excellent tour. Guide friendly and very informative. Took all the participants needs into account during the tour. It is a must go on tour if you love animals.

Review by: Steven G	May 2011
What an amazing tour! We had only a very brief time in Sydney and thought the zoo would be the perfect way to see all of Australia's unique animals )or at least a good number of them) and could not have been more pleased., Ben was an excellent guide and seeing all the "behind the scenes" parts was great.

Review by: Shannon S	May 2011
This was a great tour. I got to see up close and pet kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, ring tailed possums, and have one on one time with the koalas. It was fantastic!

Review by: Anonymous	May 2011
Worth every penny! The Australian wildlife was one of my main reasons for visiting the country and without this tour I would've got to see very little of it! My experience consisted of:_br/_ Photo opp with koalas, feeding an emu, stroking and feeding a wallaby, stroking a wombat, holding a feathertail glider, stroking a bilby (the Australian equivalent of the Easter bunny!)I loved every minute of it :)

Review by: Michael S	April 2011
This tour was the best part of our Sydney trip! Ben our tour guide was awesome! We went during the week so it was more quiet and it was just my husband and I in our group so it was more 1 on 1. I would highly recommend this tour! W got to see so many cool things and were even able to see a mommy Wallaby with a Joey in her pouch and because she knew our guide Ben she came over to us and her Joey came out of his pouch, it was awesome!!!

Review by: Suzanne D	March 2011
The back stage tour and the fantastic ranger Rob made this such a memorable experience. If you are considering the zoo pay the extra for the back stage tour you will not regret it.

Review by: Kristina E	March 2011
Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! An experience worth having if you're traveling to Sydney. It's a great way to get a behind-the-scenes tour and allows you much time afterward to explore the Zoo on your own! Our Zookeeper, Krystal, was wonderful!

Review by: Valda C	February 2011
What an excellent experience. Our keeper Christel that showed us around was very informative with a relaxed manner. I would highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Lee B	December 2010
We got up close and personal withy many Australian Animals. We patted wombats, yellow belly gilders, feather tail gliders and so many other things. Even my 17 year old boy thought this was a great thing to do.

Review by: Ann R	November 2010
Our tour guide was amazing! This was by far the best experience we had in Sydney! I will do this again.

Review by: Linda C	November 2010
how will we ever go to a zoo again without doing a behind the scenes!!! excellent information, up close and personal to the animals holding a feather tail glyder....sooo cute and patting a bilby deffinalty a highlight in our holiday...thanks Ben you were a treat!!!

Review by: Pamela F S	November 2010
everything was great

Review by: Mark C	October 2010
An absolutely fabulous tour with Rob, a keeper at Taronga for over 16 years. We were the only people who signed up so we had a private tour. Got to pet kangaroos, fee and Emus, and take up close pictures of Koalas. Got to see hundreds of other animals and pet some of the more friendly ones. Five star all the way.

Review by: Janice M	September 2010
Tour was excellent.Guide was great and very knowledgeable. I would recomend tour to everyone. It was highlite of our trip.

Review by: Alison L	September 2010
One of the highlights of my vacation. I was the only person booked so I had about a 3 hour private tour. Was able to go into the exhibits to feed, touch and take as many pictures as I could ever want. Very informative and fun tour!

Review by: Janet L	September 2010
Fantastic. We had a great time.

Review by: Jennifer Q	July 2010
I loved the behind the scene tour of the australian animals at the zoo. You got to get up close to some of the animals and it was an experience that you wouldn't have anywhere else.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
The Zoo was marvelous, even though parts were under construction, it will be better than ever when that is through. We paid for the behind-the-scenes tour and that was well worth the expense, made out visit much more personal and memorable.

Review by: Linus G, United States of America	May 2010
Fantastic. However, there was a bus ride to the entrance of the zoo for which I did not receive a ticket.

Review by: Meg M, United States of America	April 2010
Our experience at the Taronga Zoo was awesome! Just two of us in the afternoon tour and our guide couldn't have been friendlier nor more informative. If you love animals and want to make sure you see the Australian natives before your visit concludes, you've got to take this tour. The behind the scenes sold me on buying the package deal and the tour did not disappoint in any area. My only suggestion is to plan to spend the whole day at the zoo - tons more to see and beautiful location.

Review by: James Y, Philippines	April 2010
The Wild Australia Experience is definitely a must-go event. The zookeeper assigned to us was very entertaining and accommodating. He gave us tips and insights into the zoo and gave us many behind-the-scenes experiences with the animals that we normally would not be able to have. Definitely worth every penny.

Review by: Rena Marie G, United States of America	March 2010
It was a wonderful tour. Our guide was amazing.

Review by: Christine M, United States of America	March 2010
Excellent tour! Our guide was an experienced zoo employee who was a wealth of information. The tour centered primarily on Australian animals which was just what we were looking for. He allowed us to hold many of the small Australian animals and took the time to even give us information on the nocturnal animals and what they ate. He went over and beyond the assigned tour time and offered us so much more. We were thrilled with the information and photo opportunities! We highly recommend this tour!

Review by: Jennifer G, United States of America	March 2010
This was an awesome experience and is good for all ages!

Review by: Gary M, United States of America	February 2010
Wonderful one-on-one tour through the workings, behind the scenes, and a close up to the favored animals.

Review by: Alison T, United States of America	December 2009
It was such a great experience being able to hold the animals and feed them. My husband and I enjoyed it a lot and would do it again!

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	November 2009
Great behind the scenes look at the zoo.

Review by: Thomas T, United States of America	November 2009
By itself, the Taronga zoo is an amazing place to visit but the optional Wild Australia Experience takes it to a whole new level. We were part of a very small group of people who were taken behind-the-scenes, into places that the general public typically has no access to. We actually went into some of the cages and had opportunities to pet some of the animals. We visited the zoo's kitchen and saw how they prepare many of the meals for the animals. At the end of the private tour, we were treated to refreshments and given some souvenir gifts. I would highly recommend this tour but be aware that they only offer two of these tours per day, and limit each tour to a very small number of people, so book early. We booked well before we arrived in Sydney.

Review by: John G, United States of America	November 2009
Neat experience to go into cages and see behind the scenes activities.