A day at Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley, an hour from Melbourne, where koalas, platypus, dingoes and Tasmanian devils live in bushland and wedge-tailed eagles fly in the daily Spirits of the Sky show. You can also watch vets treat injured wildlife at the sanctuary's hospital.
Days
- Full day, open 9am to 5pm
Age
- All ages; under 16s with someone 16 or over
Group size
- Self-guided visit
Start / finish
- Healesville Sanctuary, Healesville / same
Return
- See itinerary for details
Transport
- Make your own way by car, or train to Lilydale and bus 685
Meals
- No meals are listed as included
Route
Included experiences
- Spirits of the Sky — eagles, owls and parrots in the flight arena
- World of the Platypus — see the sanctuary's platypus
- Koala Forest — boardwalk through the gum canopy
- Australian Wildlife Health Centre — watch vets treat injured wildlife
- Dingo Country — dingoes and a late-afternoon keeper talk
- Keeper talks — koalas, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and more
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 28 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 28 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the variety of native Australian animals on display, the well-maintained grounds with scenic walking paths, and the bird flight shows, which feature prominently in visitor feedback. Staff knowledge and friendliness stand out most often, with keeper talks and demonstrations delivering informative content throughout the day, whilst the sanctuary's design and animal welfare standards also receive frequent commendation. The most common caveat is that the site functions more as a traditional zoo with enclosed exhibits rather than a reserve where animals roam freely, and visitors note that some premium experiences such as the koala tour and VIP access incur additional costs beyond general entry.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
Exceptional, from the animals to the staff and keepers, and the sanctuary walkways are carefully designed.
We saw everything: koalas, Tasmanian devils, wombats, kookaburras, echidnas, platypus, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies, and the animals seem well cared for.
I spent nearly four hours at the sanctuary with my grandchildren. They loved the separate koala tour, choosing what to see from the map, the close-up kangaroos and the animated dinosaurs. Kids get in free in school holidays, though the koala group tours cost extra.
A great variety of native animals and plenty of scenic paths. The keeper talks through the day are very informative, and there are nice cafes and water refill stations along the way.
A great sanctuary with lovely grounds, the animals seem well looked after, and the bird flight show was very nicely done.
A great place to see Aussie wildlife, as a visitor from the UK. We got up close to lots of animals that seemed very happy.
