Melbourne Zoo, also called “The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens,” is Australia’s wildlife treasure, housing over 5000 animals of various species.
The zoo is nestled in a lush green botanical garden, making walking tours more enchanting and enthralling.
Only here would you see Australia’s indigenous endangered wildlife, like koalas.
This article covers everything you must know before booking Melbourne Zoo tickets.
Top Tickets for Melbourne Zoo
# Melbourne Zoo
# Sea Life Melbourne
What to expect
The Zoo Melbourne is segmented into different bioclimatic regions featuring a range of animals.
Lion Gorge: Roar with Sumatran tigers, African lions, Tasmanian devil, the reticulated python, and snow leopards.
Trail of the Elephants: Meet Asian animals like small-clawed otters, orangutans, elephants, and siamangs and take a stroll in the Butterfly House featuring a range of tropical butterflies.
Gorilla Rainforest: Step into African jungles to see lemurs, western lowland gorillas, pygmy hippopotamus, cassowaries, white-cheeked gibbons, black-handed spider monkeys, cotton-top tamarins, and black and white colobus.
Australian Bush: Wander in Australia’s lush green bushes to get closer to koalas, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and kangaroos.
Also, get nose-to-beak with aviary species like lorikeets, red-tailed black cockatoos, ducks, parrots, honeyeaters, blue-winged kookaburra, etc.
Main Trail: Walk past frogs, red pandas, Aldabra giant tortoise, platypus, collared peccary, Malayan tapirs, hamadryas baboons, giraffes, and zebras.
Visit Amazon Aviary to see different types of macaws soaring high, including green-winged macaws, red-fronted macaws, and Buffon’s macaws.
Hop with baw baw frogs in the World of Frogs, dance in the Frog Disco, and watch some creepy creatures in Reptile House.
Growing Wild: Make your way through this wild area, which is home to tortoises, meerkats, and turkeys.
Wild Sea: Take a deep dive at Wild Sea to discover underwater creatures like Australian fur seals, sea horses, and penguins.
Where to buy Melbourne Zoo tickets
You can buy Melbourne Zoo tickets online and at the ticket booth at the main gate.
We strongly suggest you purchase online tickets to save money and time.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the venue.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the ticket counters.
Because some zoos sell a limited number of tickets, booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointment.
How online ticket works
Go to the Melbourne Zoo ticket booking page, select the number of tickets and date you wish to visit and book your tickets right away!
Upon completing the payment, you will receive a confirmation email.
There’s no need for ticket printouts. On the day of your visit, show the ticket on your smartphone at the zoo entrance gate and walk in!
Remember to bring your official IDs.
Ticket prices
Guests aged 16 years and above can buy Melbourne Zoo tickets at A$47.
Tickets for children between four and 15 are available at A$24, while for students, they are priced at A$35.
Discount tickets
For little toddlers below three years, Melbourne Zoo tickets are available at a 100% discount, i.e., they get free admission.
Kids in the age group four to 15 years receive a whopping discount of A$23.
Students who present valid ID cards at the zoo entrance can also buy reduced tickets.
Melbourne Zoo admission tickets
This ticket provides access to all Melbourne Zoo exhibits, including gorillas, mandrills, giraffes, lions, elephants, dingoes, flamingos, etc.
Guests can even attend daily keeper talks and presentations.
The zoo hosts live music programs during summer evenings to keep visitors entertained.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (16+ years): A$47
Child Ticket (4 to 15 years): A$24
Student Ticket: A$35
Infant Ticket (up to 3 years): Free
Combo tickets
The combo tickets are the best way to explore two attractions on the same day, as they are available at reduced pricing.
There are a few attractions and tours near Melbourne Zoo, and to experience them, you can easily commute by car or public transport.
You can buy Melbourne Zoo tickets in combination with tickets for SEA LIFE Melbourne, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne, and Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise – River Gardens.
SEA LIFE Melbourne + Melbourne Zoo tickets
Distance: 6 km (3.7 miles)
Time Taken: 13 minutes by car
Grab this combo ticket at a 10% discount and get closer to terrestrial, amphibian, avian, and aquatic species worldwide.
Visit Melbourne Zoo to see lions, elephants, giraffes, frogs, koalas, kangaroos, etc., and at the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, take a deep dive with colorful marine creatures.
At the aquarium, you’d see sharks, penguins, seahorses, cuttlefish, rainforest turtles, jellyfish, lionfish, etc.
Ticket Cost: A$76
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne + Melbourne Zoo tickets
Distance: 27 km (16.7 miles)
Time Taken: 30 minutes by car
This combo ticket takes you to Australia’s best indoor playground, Legoland, and the world-renowned Melbourne Zoo.
At Legoland, let your little ones use their imagination to create buildings, rockets, cars, etc., using more than two million bricks.
Explore intriguing LEGO-themed zones and take a quick factory tour.
You get up to 10% off on the purchase of this ticket.
Ticket Cost: A$62
Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise – River Gardens + Melbourne Zoo tickets
Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)
Time Taken: 15 minutes by car
Buy this combo ticket offering a relaxing sightseeing cruise and an educational animal tour at Melbourne Zoo.
Glide through Melbourne’s iconic landmarks, including Royal Botanic Gardens, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, etc., on a sightseeing cruise.
You will get a 10% discount on the purchase of this combination ticket.
Ticket Cost: A$74
How to reach
Melbourne Zoo is inside Royal Park, hardly 10 minutes from North of the City Centre.
Address: Elliot Ave, Parkville VIC 3052, Melbourne, Australia. Get Directions
You can reach the zoo in Melbourne via public transport or car.
By Tram
Take tram 58 and get down at 26-Melbourne Zoo/Royal Park tram stop or 24-Elliott Ave/Royal Park.
By Train
The nearest train station to the zoo is Royal Park.
By Bus
The Royal Park Station is the bus stop within walking distance of the zoo.
By Car
If you’re traveling by car, turn on Google Maps and get started.
The zoo has onsite car parking facilities limited to availability.
In case you don’t find space for parking in the zoo, click here to find nearby car parking lots.
Timings
The Melbourne Zoo operates from 9 am to 5 pm all days of the week.
The last entry to the zoo is at 4.30 pm.
The zoo remains closed on Christmas Day and public holidays.
How long does the zoo take
Visitors usually spend 6 hours at the Melbourne Zoo exploring all the exhibits, participating in keepers’ talk, stopping for lunch, and trying other activities.
However, when you’re here with kids, you may expect your stay to last beyond 6 hours as they would never want to leave.
You can take three routes to explore the zoo depending on the time you can devote–Express Route, Discovery Route, and Complete Route.
Express Route
This is the ideal map to use if you need to finish your exploration within 1 hour.
https://thebettervacation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/melbourne_zoo_express_route.pdf
Discovery Route
This route will take just 2 hours, taking you through the Trail of Elephants, Rainforest Animals, and Wild Sea.
https://thebettervacation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/melbourne_zoo_discovery_route.pdf
Complete Route
If you wish to see everything at the zoo, you can take the complete route and enjoy all the activities and experiences.
https://thebettervacation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/melbourne_zoo_complete_route.pdf
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Melbourne Zoo is as soon as they open at 9 am.
There are four benefits of starting early – the animals are very active early in the morning, the temperatures are still cool or moderate, the crowd is yet to pour in, and you have the whole day to spend at the attraction.
As the day gets hotter, animals prefer staying inside their shelters, and you may get disappointed when you don’t see them in their exhibit.
Weekdays are better for a peaceful visit, and the rush is at its peak on weekends and school holidays.
The zoo is most crowded on weekends, especially between 10 am and 2 pm.
If you are on a short holiday in Melbourne, starting early also allows you to add another attraction to the day’s itinerary.
Map of Melbourne Zoo
A map is a must when visiting Melbourne Zoo, which has many animals, attractions, and activities.
With a map, you can easily navigate the zoo to spot exhibits, drinking facilities, washrooms, ATMs, gift shops, etc.
Free keepers talk
From Melbourne Zoo’s staff, learn about animals’ behavior, lifestyle, feeding habits, survival stories, and many more.
These talks are held daily and are absolutely free.
Here is a list of keepers talk at the zoo with timings:
| Keepers Talk | Timings |
| Baboons Talk | 10.40 am |
| Gorillas Talk | 10.45 am |
| Elephants Talk | 11 am |
| Koalas Talk | 11 am |
| Giraffe Talk | 11.30 am |
| Giant Tortoises Talk | 1.30 pm |
| Snow Leopard Talk | 11.45 am |
| Orangutans Talk | 12 pm |
| Lions Talk | 12.30 pm |
| Meerkats Talk | 1.15 pm |
| Elephants Talk | 2 pm |
| Tigers Talk | 3.30 pm |
| Penguins Talk | 3.45 pm |
| Pygmy Hippo Talk | 4 pm |
Restaurants at Zoo Melbourne
There are a lot of cafes and restaurants at Melbourne Zoo offering a wide range of food and drinks.
Gluten-free and vegan food options are also available.
| Restaurant | Food Options |
| Sushi Sushi | Japanese cuisines like miso soup, salmon poke bowl, spicy crispy chicken, etc |
| Giraffe Lookout Café | Cold beverages, snacks, and ice cream |
| Elephant Kiosk | Nuggets, chips, Korean fried chicken burger, hot chocolate, etc |
| Zoo bakery | Croissant, pastries, etc |
| Meerkat Café | Plant-based meals, snacks, coffee, etc |
| Macaw Takeaway | Sushi, burgers, chicken nuggets, sandwiches, salads, fish and chips, cold drinks, and ice cream |
| Ben & Jerry’s | Sundays and shakes |
| Rail Café | Coffee, sandwiches, ice creams, etc |
Reviews for Melbourne Zoo
Check out the following Tripadvisor reviews on Melbourne Zoo and learn about visitors’ experiences.
Lovely day out
My advice is to get there as the gates open, the animals are out & lots of animal noise & not many little people in your view. The feeding times/talks are worthwhile and are spaced out. Take your time & enjoy the atmosphere.
Bronwyn M Tripadvisor
Excellent Zoo – Loved it!!
We visited the Zoo in June and had an excellent time! Probably one of our highlights of Melbourne. The Zoo is so well set out, very spacious, great exhibits for the animals and a very natural environment. We caught an Uber from central Melbourne and it was a great price for about a 20 minute car ride. We spent about 3 1/2 hours there, but this time did include going back through a couple of the areas. We particularly enjoyed the lemurs.
janine m Tripadvisor
One of the best zoos in the World
One of the best planned and maintained zoos anywhere in the World! We’ve been to many around the globe but we’re so impressed not only with the layout and facilities for animals and many viewing opportunities at each section, to its cleanliness and great eating options. It was a pleasure to wander around the various sections.
Nomads59 Tripadvisor
FAQs about Melbourne Zoo
You can purchase zoo tickets by clicking here.
The zoo offers free entry for visitors below 15 years on weekends, Victorian public holidays, and Victorian government school holidays.
No! You can show your mobile ticket at the gate to get entry.
Yes! There are picnic spots inside the zoo where you can have lunch.
Yes, the zoo’s pathways are wheelchair accessible.
Yes! Paid lockers facility is available right across the main gate near the retail store and opposite the meerkats range.