Sydney Zoo
Sydney's newest major zoo — open, flat and modern — the first big new zoo to open in the city in decades.
When Sydney Zoo opened at Bungarribee in December 2019, it was the first major new zoo in Sydney for a generation. Set on flat, open grounds in the Western Sydney Parklands, it was designed from scratch to be easy going: wide level paths, pram- and wheelchair-friendly, with elevated boardwalks that look down into the exhibits.
The collection mixes African drawcards with Australian natives, and packs a combined aquarium, reptile house and nocturnal house under one roof. Highlights come thick and fast — a pride of lions viewed from above, a savannah shared by giraffes and zebras, and a walk-in meerkat exhibit where an encounter can end with one perched on your shoulder.
Signature animals
African lion
A pride viewed from an elevated boardwalk over the zoo's African section.
Giraffe
A herd sharing a broad savannah-style exhibit with zebras.
Meerkat
The star of a popular walk-in encounter at eye level.
Planning your visit
The grounds are flat and compact, so a single unhurried loop covers everything without backtracking. Most visitors spend three to four hours. Start with the outdoor African savannah, where the giraffes and zebra share one broad exhibit and the lions sit below an elevated boardwalk, then work through the primates and the walk-through meerkat enclosure before heading into the covered aquarium, reptile house and nocturnal house, which are the natural fallback if the weather turns. Check the day's schedule at the gate for keeper talks and the paid animal encounters, and book any encounter you want ahead rather than on the day.
Getting there is straightforward by car: it is about a 40-minute drive from the CBD via the M4, and there is free on-site parking, which is one of the zoo's practical advantages. Without a car, take the train to Blacktown and connect by bus. Book tickets online and check current prices and opening hours on the zoo's own site before you travel. Wide sealed paths make it easy with prams and wheelchairs, and there are cafes and shaded picnic areas on site. The open savannah carries less shade than the covered houses, so on a hot day come earlier and bring sun cover and water.
Don't miss
- The walk-through meerkat enclosure, where you share the space with the animals at eye level.
- The African savannah, with giraffes and zebra on one open exhibit.
- The lion pride, viewed from the elevated boardwalk over the African section.
- The combined reptile house, nocturnal house and aquarium, all under cover in one visit.
- Location
- Bungarribee, NSW — Western Sydney Parklands
- Getting there
- ≈ 40-min drive west of the CBD, near the M4 and Eastern Creek
- Time to allow
- 3–4 hours
- Good for
- Families with young children and prams — flat, modern, sealed paths
- Highlights
- Walk-through meerkats, African savannah, big cats, covered reptile house and aquarium
- Good to know
- Free on-site parking; book tickets online and confirm current prices and opening hours on the zoo's own site; open savannah has little shade, so go earlier on hot days
Before you go
Yes. The zoo was purpose-built in 2019 on flat, open ground, with wide sealed paths and modern facilities, so it is easy going with a pram or wheelchair. The walk-through meerkat enclosure and the covered aquarium and reptile house tend to land well with younger children, and three to four hours is enough to see it all.
It is newer, flatter and in Western Sydney rather than on the harbour, so there are no water views but there is free on-site parking and no steep hillside to climb. The focus leans toward exotics such as lions, giraffes and zebra alongside natives. Taronga is the larger, older harbourside zoo with the cable car and the free-flight bird show; Sydney Zoo is the easier, quicker option by car.
Planning your visit?
Ask us about the best park for the animals you want to see, or how to get there.
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