Parking
There are a number of disabled car parking spaces located on the ground floor of the carpark which has ramp access. There is also a drop-off Taxi rank nearby the front entrance.
Taronga Shuttle Bus
A free Taronga Shuttle will operate during school holidays between the Taronga Ferry Wharf and the Main Top Zoo Entrance, along Bradleys Head Road.
School Holiday Dates 2024
July School Holidays- Monday 8 July to Friday 19 July 2024
Spring NSW School Holidays -Saturday 28 September 2024 to Sunday 13 September 2024
Summer NSW School Holidays -Saturday 21 December 2024 to Sunday 2 February2025
Autumn NSW School Holidays -Saturday 12 April 2025 to Sunday 26 April 2025
Times: The Shuttle service will operate from 9.15am till 3.30pm daily, in line with arriving and departing ferries
Cost: Free with Zoo ticket, Free for Wildlife Retreat at Taronga guests, Free for Function Centre guests
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible via electric ramp (up to 4 wheelchairs). Prams are encouraged to be folded where possible.
Mobility Scooter and Wheelchair access
Taronga Zoo Sydney is on a site of 28 hectares and the topography is quite steep in some areas. All paths are bitumen and many that traverse the Zoo are reasonably level, however some paths linking the various levels within the Zoo are steep.
Visitors with limited mobility are still able to traverse the entire Zoo with a number of elevators and ramps located around the site, indicated on the Zoo map.
More than 95% of our animal displays are wheelchair viewable. Accessible amenities are: all food outlets, shops, shows and presentations are wheelchair accessible, and all new developments since 2001 have been fitted with elevators.
For advice on the best routes, speak to our staff at the Visitor Centre when you arrive
Hiring a Mobility Scooter and Wheelchair
Top Plaza Shop, Map reference 7L
Taronga provides long range, easy to manoeuvre and comfortable electric mobility scooters at a cost as well as complimentary sturdy, all-terrain manual wheelchairs to those who require mobility assistance. ID is required and a disclaimer form must be completed. Seat belts are required to be worn and wheelchairs must be pushed by a carer/companion. Advanced booking is recommended by contacting the team as both are usually in demand.
Accessible Toilets
Wheelchair accessible toilets are located at the north and south entrances, at the Food Market, outside the Function Centre and at the Concert Lawns. There is also a wheelchair accessible bathroom at Parents Change Room located near the Giraffe exhibit. Facilities are indicated on the Zoo map.
Carers and companions
Taronga Zoo offers free entry to carers or essential companions of those with disabilities. We accept the national Companion Card.
Assistance dogs
Taronga Zoo Sydney welcomes guests with accredited and vaccinated Assistance Dogs
Taronga has undertaken extensive community consultation and risk assessments to understand the potential risk to both your animal and the wildlife in our care. As such, we accept accreditation under Guide Dogs, Hearing Assistance Dogs and Assistance Dogs Australia and currently welcome the following types of dogs on site.
- Guide (or ‘seeing eye’) dogs to assist people with vision impairment to move around safely;
- Hearing (or ‘hearing ear’) dogs to alert people with hearing impairment;
- Assistance (or ‘service’) dogs, specifically trained to assist a person with a disability, to alleviate the effects of that disability.
If you are intending to visit Sydney with an assistance dog, please fill out the form below:
Safety measures
Due to the nature of the Zoo, there are a number of measures we have put in place to ensure the welfare of all animals (both wildlife in our care and visiting Assistance Dogs) as well as the safety of our guests and workers.
These measures include:
- Providing 48 hours notice prior to your visit to ensure we can best welcome you and your Assistance Dog
- Completing a short online application form that provides current accreditation and vaccination records for your Assistance Dog
- Meeting a Guest Experience team member upon arrival at the Zoo, so that they can welcome and brief you of the facilities available for your Assistance Dog, and provide you with a map to highlight areas that you can and can’t visit with your Assistance Dog.
Areas that Assistance Dogs are currently not permitted to visit include:
| Taronga Western Plain Zoo | Taronga Zoo Sydney |
|
|
These restricted areas are shown on our Assistance Dog map which can be viewed here.
You and your Assistance Dog are welcome to explore permitted areas of the Zoo independently, and do not need to be accompanied by a Taronga Guide, unless this is your preference.
Should you wish to be accompanied by a Taronga Guide, we ask that you provide 48 hours notice via the form, so that we have an appropriately trained volunteer or staff member on hand to assist.
Should you wish to visit restricted areas where Assistance Dogs are not permitted, Taronga can provide safe and comfortable purpose-built kennels on-site, or offer a trained Taronga Guide to accompany you should you choose. You may also opt to leave your Assistance Dog with a trained team member at a designated ‘waiting zone’ nearby the animal encounter or show experience.
Please be aware that to ensure a positive experience for everyone, we kindly request that you keep your dog under your direct control while visiting the Zoo, and respect any restricted areas.
Visiting times
We hope you can enjoy Taronga Zoo at any time. We know that the Zoo is busier with high volumes of guests during school holidays, so we encourage you to plan ahead should you wish to visit during this time. Our quieter times are generally weekdays outside of school holiday periods.
Booking, enquiries and feedback
To book your visit today, complete this form.
For any other enquiries please contact our Contact Centre team via email: webmaster@zoo.nsw.gov.au
We are committed to continuous improvement relating to assistance animals on-site at Taronga. If you have any feedback on your experience accessing the Zoo with your assistance dog, please contact us.
Assistance Dog Map
Download here.
Interactive and hands-on activities
Backyard to Bush is an area that comprises of an urban home and backyard, a rural living area and the bush. The area is an exciting and stimulating area for children with and without special needs. There are interactive displays, graphic material and features in the House that make it like a real family home, a backyard which has petting animals and a garden with many fragrant plants and vegetables, an adventure playground with a water-play area and interactive musical stepping points.
Covered areas in this exhibit include the “Keen House” in the urban section, the farmyard barn and the underground wombat burrow in the “bush” section. Toilets (including disability accessible facilities) are adjacent.
Large models of animals including a life size gorilla, komodo dragon, rhinoceros and elephants can be found throughout the grounds. These can be fully explored by children with vision impairments.
Tactile experiences are also provided to visitors including ‘touch-tables’ and smaller interpretive sculptures including a variety of comparative skull and hand/paw installations.
Autism Services
Taronga offers a range of services designed to enhance the Zoo experience for our guests with Autism. Find out more about our Access Taronga days.
