Gain entry into the Healesville Sanctuary, an animal refuge crawling with creatures that are all native to Australia. Among the many family-friendly activities to do here: come face to face with an iconic (and usually shy) platypus, meet the veterinarians who help rehabilitate the animals, stroll through an aviary filled with parrots, and observe dingoes up close. Want to know how you can help endangered animals? Visit the Fighting Extinction Headquarters to see how you can make a difference.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 3.
Gain entry into the Sanctuary and let the wild world of Oz open up to you. Set in a natural bushland environment, Healesville Sanctuary is lined with paths that lead to areas where you can spy animals like dingoes, wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, and more than 200 different species of birds in a natural environment. Don't miss one of the most popular shows called Spirits in the Sky. In this flight arena, you get a close-up look at native parrots, birds of prey and other majestic birds.
Excurgo comparison of 840 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Healesville Sanctuary General Entry Ticket lasts about 3 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $43 per person for this Melbourne experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day.
Children aged 4–15 pay nothing, adults from $43. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The experience is available in CMN, EN.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.4 out of 5 across 226 verified reviews; it is run by Zoos Victoria.
We took the VIP behind the scenes tour, and it was superb. We were shepherded by an extremely knowledegable guide, got to see anaimals very close up (including feeding carrots to Flora the 'Roo), and leaned all about the important, innovative work of the sanctuary on preserving species. The VIP tour is quite pricey, but bu the end of the day, we were convinced it was going to a very worthy cause.
Visited with family and we all thoroughly enjoyed our day at the sanctuary. From parking, to directions, food at the cafe, to the animals and education about them - we were blown away. The enclosures were huge, animals clearly very well cared for, and so much information about them was provided - we all learnt loads! The cafe was lovely, healthy food which was surprising for this sort of place. We particularly enjoyed the bird show! It was spectacular!
Having visited Healesville Sanctuary twice before, we had a reasonable sense of what to expect. On this occasion, we went on a dull day that eventually turned rainy, so naturally we didn’t see as much wildlife as we had on previous visits. However, I don’t think the weather alone accounts for our overall experience. I really appreciate the important work the sanctuary does for nature conservation, wildlife rehabilitation and education, and understand that admission fees contribute to this work. That said, I do feel the experience is quite overpriced, particularly when the overall visitor experience can feel somewhat underwhelming. There was also a noticeable lack of warmth and engagement in some interactions, which contributed to an atmosphere that felt a little indifferent. Overall, it was an okay visit and we absolutely support the sanctuary’s purpose. However, having also visited Australia Zoo, we found the experience there much more engaging, memorable and enjoyable. I think Healesville could benefit from finding a better balance between the cost of entry, supporting conservation and creating a more engaging experience for visitors.
It was busier than usual mid-week due to Winter school holidays but we were able to avoid most of the excitement of the kids. Recommend good walking shoes as the paths are damp at this time of year. I really enjoyed the birds and the echidnas and of course the Joey. Worth a visit and an easy drive from Melbourne.
We spent a most enjoyable and informative 3 hours at the Healesville Sanctuary, where we were treated to a diverse display of Australian mammals and marsupials and everything in between. We were impressed with the general cleanliness and beauty of the environment, the helpfulness and knowledge of the staff and of course, the animals who obliged with posing for photographs! Entry price of AUD58 per person was quite steep I thought. I would imagine mum, dad, a couple of kids in tow plus food and drink would make for a pricey day.
Quite good experiance. Occupied us for around 3hrs. Like all zoos, not all the animals were visible. If you time it right, some of the keeper talks are interesting. We watched a bird flying show, quite amusing. Perhaps more for kids, but adults can get enough out of it.
Wonderful stylish zoo. Animals live in luxury. Staff friendly. Great place for 1 or 2 hours . Loved it
We had a nice walk around the sanctuary. It’s a great way to see Australian native animals that you might never see in the bush. I’m not a fan of zoos, but these guys appear to be strong on conservation and rehabilitation and release.
Although it rained the day we went, our overseas visitors were able to see all the uniquely Australian animals and birds up close. The bird show was particularly worthwhile.
Great sanctuary! Uber got us there with no problems! Spend 2-4 hours and see so many animals specific to Australia!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healesville Sanctuary General Entry Ticket | 3 hours | 4.4 (226) | $43 | |
 Puffing Billy And Healesville Sanctuary Scenic Tour | 8h 15min | 4.6 (501) | $148 | View |
 Melbourne Zoo General Entry Ticket | 2–8 hours | 4.1 (357) | $43 | View |
 Werribee Open Range Zoo General Admission Ticket | 3 hours | 4.1 (151) | $43 | View |
 Moonlit Sanctuary and Brighton Beach Boxes Half Day Tour | 4h 30min | 4.9 (93) | $76 | View |
 Great Ocean Road Small-Group Eco Tour from Melbourne | 14 hours | 4.9 (7,037) | $112 | View |
 Yarra Valley Wine Tour w Exclusive Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tasting | 8 hours | 5.0 (5,546) | $91 | View |