Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
Description
Be dazzled by more than 1,500 tropical jewel-colored butterflies at the Australia Butterfly Sanctuary. Located in the heart of Kuranda, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary in Australia. Wander through the landscaped gardens that replicate the natural rainforest environment as hundreds of butterflies float around you, including the vibrant green Cairns Birdwing. Complimentary tours take place through the day and a 'Behind-the-Scenes' Laboratory Tour is also included with entry. Complimentary food plant walk also included.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Wander the tropical rainforest aviary where jewel-coloured butterflies float in the air. See the fluorescent green and yellow Cairns birdwing, the vibrant Blue Eggfly and more! The sanctuary is home to more than 1,500 butterflies that have all been hand reared on the premises. Visit the laboratory and learn about the breeding cycle, see how the butterfly eggs are collected and cleaned, and then hand raised into caterpillars before turning into beautiful butterflies. The museum displays many different species from around the world. Don’t forget to see the moth exhibit, home to the Hercules moth with a wing span reaching up to 14 inches (36 cm).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Sanctuary closes at 3 pm
Reviews(30)
The experience was very disappointing and the admission fee didn’t justify the experience. May daughter and I expected to see a wide range of butterflies but this simply wasn’t the case. It was a small area with many of the same species of butterfly. Our visit was short as a result. Sorry but we couldn’t recommend visiting the butterfly sanctuary.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your visit didn’t meet your expectations, particularly as you were hoping to see a wider range of butterfly species. As a working butterfly sanctuary, the species on display naturally vary throughout the year depending on breeding cycles, weather conditions, and the butterflies’ life stages. At certain times, you may see larger numbers of the same species, which is part of reflecting a natural rainforest environment rather than a static exhibit. We understand that this wasn’t the experience you were hoping for, and we truly appreciate your comments as they help us continue to improve how we communicate what visitors can expect. Thank you again for visiting and for sharing your perspective.
Two adults and one teen son had the best time. The butterfly's were very active and do land on you. I also payed to release a butterfly which had just came out of its cocoon. It felt wonderful to release a butterfly out into the house for everyone to enjoy. Love butterfly's and this was the best place. The staff are friendly.
Thank you so much for visiting and for sharing your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that your family had such a great time — our butterflies certainly love making new friends. 🦋 Releasing a newly emerged butterfly is a really special moment, and we’re glad it added something memorable to your day. Our team will be thrilled to hear your kind words too. We hope you’ll flutter back to see us again on your next Kuranda adventure!
What a lovely so and so peaceful. The butterflies are very active in the day time and they do land on you if you stand still. There are plenty of butterflies to see and admire. A very good compound.
Hi Charmaine, we are so happy that you had a wonderful time at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and enjoyed the opportunity to see lots of amazing butterflies. Thank you for your review and we look forward to your next visit.
Went there while spending a day in Kuranda on a tour... There were very little different species there but ok just to spend a short time, nothing special but if u have kids , they will enjoy it.
Hi toycp, thank you for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear the kids enjoyed their time with us! Our aviary is home to over 1,200 free-flying butterflies, though their activity and visibility can vary depending on the weather and time of day. We appreciate your comments as we continue to improve and create memorable experiences for all our visitors.
I love butterflies! There was a great variety to see. Large and small. Even had some land on me. My truck was to wear something bright
Hi, we are so happy that you had a wonderful time at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and enjoyed the opportunity to see lots of amazing butterflies. Thank you for your review and we look forward to your next visit!
Beautiful Butterfly House. We were disappointed there were no Ulysses Butterflies in the aviary like the information pamphlet shows. I still recommend going as the aviary is beautiful with other butterflies 🦋
What a beautiful place to go, even in the rain. So many beautiful butterflies! And when it's raining they are low down and easier to see on the leaves and in the feeding stations. The staff are friendly and very informative about butterflies! Highly recommend a visit.
Hi Kirsty, we are so happy that you had a wonderful time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, enjoyed the opportunity to see lots of beautiful butterflies, and that you also appreciate our passionate and friendly staff . Thank you for your review and we look forward to your next visit.
Fantastic! What a place to see beautiful butterflies!🦋 they wee gorgeous! Enclosure was warm so bring water. The butterflies land on you. Great photo ops. There is also a butterfly museum with some gorgeous big butterflies and moths. Really well worth the visit.
Hi Margiel, we are so happy that you had a fantastic time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and had the opportunity to be up close with the beautiful butterflies. Thank you for your review and we hope to see you again soon.
Who would have thought butterfly’s would be a highlight of our holiday! Even hubby enjoyed walking around and trying to find all the different ones. The kids had a blast and I could have stayed there all day!
Hi Kylie, we are thrilled that you and your family had a wonderful time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and enjoyed the opportunity to be surrounded by lots of beautiful butterflies. Thank you for your review and we look forward to your next visit.
This is a really good thing to do in Kuranda, they have many different species of butterfly there, and they fly all around you and often land on you. It’s also a great experience for kids, there were many there who enjoyed it a lot and gained a lot of knowledge about butterflies.
Hi jonneeboy, we are so happy that you enjoyed your visit and also learnt lots about butterflies at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. Thank you for your review. We look forward to seeing you again.
