Accessibility
A Zoo with a Harbour View
Taronga Zoo Sydney overlooks some of the most breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour. The Zoo spans 28 hectares of beautifully landscaped and hilly terrain, creating a unique environment where winding paths and leafy walkways lead you from one amazing animal encounter to the next. Some areas can be steep, so we encourage a sense of adventure as you explore.
Visitor accessibility
Taronga is striving to be a diverse and inclusive site that is able to offer an amazing experience to all of our guests. Taronga Zoo Sydney has Accessible Parking, Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Hire, allows Assistance Animals and more.
Download the Accessibility Toolkit for details to assist in planning your visit to Taronga, and tools to assist you when you visit Taronga Zoo Sydney.
Planning your visit
You can purchase your ticket when you arrive at the Zoo, or you can pre-book on the Taronga website here.
Taronga offers free entry to a NSW Companion Card* holder with the purchase of a ticket for the person needing support, and we also accept reciprocal state issued companion cards. Simply show your Companion Card with your ticket upon entry to the Zoo.
*People with significant or permanent disability who need a high-level of care are eligible for The NSW Companion Card.
Driving to Taronga
Taronga has accessible parking. There are a number of accessible car parking spaces located on the ground floor of the car park which has ramp access. There is also a drop-off Taxi rank near the front entrance.
When arriving by ferry to Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo Sydney has a free, accessible shuttle bus from the ferry. The free Taronga Shuttle will operate during school holidays between the Taronga Ferry Wharf and the Main Top Zoo Entrance, along Bradleys Head Road.
For dates outside of school holidays, Sydney Transport buses operate from the Taronga Wharf to the Taronga top entrance, roughly every 30mins. Sydney Transport buses are accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
Times: The Shuttle service will operate from 9.15am till 3.30pm daily during school holidays, 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.
During your visit
More than 95% of our animal displays are wheelchair viewable. All food outlets, shops, shows and presentations are wheelchair accessible, and all new developments since 2001 have been fitted with elevators.
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 can still traverse the entire Zoo with elevators and ramps around the site, indicated on the Accessibility Map.
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. For all amenity locations, please refer to the Accessibility Map.
Backyard to Bush is an area that comprises of an urban home and backyard, a rural living area and the bush. 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.
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.
Taronga offers a range of services designed to enhance the Zoo experience for our guests with Autism.
Find out more
Planning your visit
You can purchase your ticket when you arrive at the Zoo, or you can pre-book on the Taronga website here.
Taronga offers free entry to a NSW Companion Card* holder with the purchase of a ticket for the person needing support, and we also accept reciprocal state issued companion cards. Simply show your Companion Card with your ticket upon entry to the Zoo.
*People with significant or permanent disability who need a high-level of care are eligible for The NSW Companion Card.
Driving to Taronga
Taronga has accessible parking. There are a number of accessible car parking spaces located on the ground floor of the car park which has ramp access. There is also a drop-off Taxi rank near the front entrance.
When arriving by ferry to Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo Sydney has a free, accessible shuttle bus from the ferry. The free Taronga Shuttle will operate during school holidays between the Taronga Ferry Wharf and the Main Top Zoo Entrance, along Bradleys Head Road.
For dates outside of school holidays, Sydney Transport buses operate from the Taronga Wharf to the Taronga top entrance, roughly every 30mins. Sydney Transport buses are accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
Times: The Shuttle service will operate from 9.15am till 3.30pm daily during school holidays, 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.
During your visit
More than 95% of our animal displays are wheelchair viewable. All food outlets, shops, shows and presentations are wheelchair accessible, and all new developments since 2001 have been fitted with elevators.
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 can still traverse the entire Zoo with elevators and ramps around the site, indicated on the Accessibility Map.
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. For all amenity locations, please refer to the Accessibility Map.
Backyard to Bush is an area that comprises of an urban home and backyard, a rural living area and the bush. 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.
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.
Taronga offers a range of services designed to enhance the Zoo experience for our guests with Autism.
Find out more
Assistance animals
Taronga Zoo Sydney welcomes guests with vaccinated Assistance Animals.
As a busy zoo caring for more than 4,500 animals and hosting guests of all ages and abilities, we ask for your cooperation in ensuring that your Assistance Animal will feel comfortable and is trained to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a busy public place. You will also need to complete the form below, before arrival.
Ensuring the Zoo is a safe and accessible place to visit is important to us while also ensuring we consider the welfare of the animals in our care. We welcome Assistance Animals that have been trained to assist guests in managing their disability.
For this reason, there are some areas of the Zoo that Assistance Animals are not permitted to visit. These areas are listed below and are clearly signposted in the zoo.
- All walk-through aviaries
- All walk-through exhibits
- Koala and other animal encounters
- Dingo Country
- Koala Country
- Tasmanian Devil
- Free Flight Birds Presentation
- Seals for the Wild Presentation
- Bush Area at Backyard to Bush
- Tiger Trek
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 Animals) 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 Animal
Completing a short online application form that provides current training, accreditation and vaccination records for your Assistance Animal
Meeting a Guest Experience team member at the Main Entry Information Desk for a welcome, Assistance Animal briefing and a map showing of permitted and restricted areas.
You and your Assistance Animal 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 (fee applies & subject to availability), we ask that you provide 48 hours’ notice via the form, so that we have an appropriately trained resource on hand to assist.
Should you wish to visit restricted areas where Assistance Animal are not permitted, Taronga can offer a trained Taronga Guide (fee applies & subject to availability) to accompany you. You may also opt to leave your Assistance Animal with a team member at a designated ‘waiting zone’ nearby the animal encounter or presentation experience.
To ensure a positive experience, please keep your Assistance Animal under control, adhere to the Conditions of Entry including restricted areas, and ensure it wears a harness and lead at all 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.
To book your visit today, complete this form.
For any other enquiries please contact our Contact Centre team via email: [email protected]
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 animal, please contact us.
Please complete this form so we can ensure an enjoyable and safe visit to Taronga Zoo.
Register your animal
There are some animals within the Zoo that are sensitive to assistance animals. Please refer to the map to identify the safe places to explore.
Auslan access
Experience the Zoo with Auslan Interpreting
We’re proud to make Taronga Zoo a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone. On select dates, in partnership with PAH!, we will have Auslan interpreters onsite to provide interpreting for our keeper talks and animal presentations, ensuring our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing guests can fully enjoy and engage with the wonders of the Zoo.
Upcoming dates:
*Coming soon*
Simply purchase your zoo ticket and meet the PAH! team at the front gates at 10am daily (Map 5L) and continue around the Zoo, following the scheduled talks and presentations.
Thanks to our Accessibility and Inclusion Partner, Cushman & Wakefield, we have interpreted our much loved Free Flight Birds presentation and Seals for the Wild powered by Red Energy presentation in Auslan. To watch, please click below.
Partnering with
Taronga has worked with Autism Spectrum Australia to develop a visual story. Visual stories are short descriptions of real life situations that help guests with additional preparation needs to understand what they might expect from a visit to the Zoo and how to best enjoy their day. Download and read the latest Visual Story.
