Healesville Sanctuary Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Healesville Sanctuary. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Yarra Valley Sunrise Balloon Flight With GoPro Photos

• Puffing Billy and Healesville Sanctuary Scenic Tour

• Yarra Valley Wildlife and Wine Day Tour With Healesville Sanctuary

• 1-Day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour From Melbourne

• Healesville Sanctuary General Entry Ticket

Admission tickets to Healesville Sanctuary currently cost around AU$54.50 for adults, AU$49 for seniors, and AU$28.50 for children ages 4–15. Those younger than 4 always enter for free, and children up to age 15 also benefit from free entry on weekends and holidays. Additional discounts apply to students and specialty cardholders. Choose an annual membership for reduced or free entry into other zoos in Australia.

Yes, Healesville Sanctuary is worth visiting, especially if you're traveling with children or if you're particularly interested in seeing the animals native to Australia, such as kangaroos, echidnas, and koalas. Whether you head to the zoo independently or as part of a tour that lets you see more of the region, it's a worthwhile day out from Melbourne. Guided excursions are ideal if you want to try wine tasting or other typical experiences without the hassle of making separate bookings.

Per one customer who booked the Yarra Valley Wildlife and Wine Day Tour With Healesville Sanctuary, "We had such a wonderful day on our visit to the Healesville Sanctuary in the morning and to Yarra Valley wineries in the afternoon. Perfect! The best thing was our guide, Rob, who was so knowledgeable, informative, and gracious. Couldn't recommend this tour more highly!"

You’ll see all kinds of native Australian animals and birds at Healesville Sanctuary—keep your eyes peeled for koalas, wombats, kangaroos, dingoes, and wallabies. There are also private special demonstrations where you can learn about echidnas, platypuses, tawny frogmouths, and more from a specialist, for an additional fee.

The animals are up and about in the mornings, so try to get to Healesville Sanctuary early in the day—it’s also less crowded this time of day. On that note, plan your visit for weekdays and avoid weekends or school holidays, since the sanctuary attracts much more visitors at those times.

Set aside about half a day to make the most of your time at Healesville Sanctuary—though the exact time depends on the interests and energy levels of your group, of course. There are park maps available that plot out 1-, 2-, and 4-hour routes to help you plan accordingly.

Yes, you do need to pay to get into Healesville Sanctuary. There are several options ranging from single-entry tickets to memberships. Memberships are a great deal if you want to go multiple times, as kids under 16 are free, and they cover admission to three other zoos including Kyabram, Melbourne Zoo, and Werribee.

While you can easily visit the sanctuary on its own, there are some organized tours that combine a visit with other stops in the Yarra Valley—some even include lunch, wine, and vineyard tours. Such excursions also provide round-trip transfers from Melbourne to ease the entire planning process.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting Healesville Sanctuary. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in and around Melbourne:

• Great Ocean Road

• Twelve Apostles

• Melbourne Cricket Ground

• Loch Ard Gorge

• Yarra River

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Melbourne.