If you haven’t decided where to go, why not consider going to an Australian zoo to take photos with the cute and fluffy little koalas,! They are super adorable Australian treasures! If you are not sure where you can see these cute animals, we have put together the best zoos in Australia where you can hug and hold an adorable koala!
Where to see koalas in Australia
Where to see koalas in Brisbane
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
You can buy tickets directly on Google or at the sanctuary! Adult tickets cost $49, student tickets are $39, and taking a photo with a koala costs an additional $35 per person. Professional staff will guide you, and you’ll get a printed photo in just a few minutes! If you want to cuddle a koala without taking a photo, it costs an additional $20 per person. There are also many different tour experiences available, which you can choose according to your personal preferences!
Remember to grab some kangaroo food before entering! We recommend going early, as the sunshine is good and it’s a great opportunity for taking photos! First, you can see various birds and reptiles, and then go to see the many there! They’re so cute when they’re in groups! You can even get to pet some kangaroos on the big lawn before your photo time. The kangaroos are super friendly and they will happily eat the food you give them!
When taking a photo with a koala, you can have your friend take photos with your phone as well to get the best shots! Professional staff will guide you on how to hold a koala, and they’ll make sure everything is ready before taking the photo!
The entire sanctuary is not very big, so two hours is enough time to see everything and take photos!
708 Jesmond Rd, Fig Tree Pocket QLD 4069
Currumbin wildlife sanctuary (Gold Coast)
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for seeing kangaroos and holding koalas. When buying tickets, there is a package where you can have afternoon tea with a koala!
The general admission ticket for adults is $49.95 AUD. Holding a koala and taking a photo with a souvenir photo taken by the park costs an additional $29 AUD. In terms of cost, the total would be $79 AUD for admission and the photo. However, the package where you can have afternoon tea with a koala is also $79 AUD, which includes:
- Admission ticket
- Holding a koala and one souvenir photo
- Afternoon tea set (excluding cheese platter) with one drink per person (you can choose alcoholic beverages!)
- One hour of staff time where they will bring the koala over for you to touch and explain anything you want to know
28 Tomewin St, Currumbin QLD 4223
Where to see Koalas in Melbourne
Moonlit Sanctuary
Moonlit Sanctuary is mainly filled with native Australian animals, and the best part is that you can get up close and personal with them. In the kangaroo area, kangaroos are hopping around everywhere, and you can feed them with special food that you can purchase. The most exciting part is that you can cuddle a koala! Finally, you can do this in Victoria! you need to book a koala cuddle ticket in advance on the official website.
There are also many other animals to see, such as dingoes and wombats, and you can book these experiences online in advance. The entire sanctuary is not very large, so it’s not tiring to explore. There’s a restaurant inside, by a beautiful lake, where you can feed ducks and other water birds with special food.
550 Tyabb-Tooradin Rd, Pearcedale VIC 3912
Maru Koala and Animal Park
Although it’s called Maru Koala and Animal Park, there are many other small animals from Australia living inside, such as kangaroos. From the emu and kangaroo to the Tasmanian devil, the wild dog of Australia, and the cherished koala, you can see them all in this small animal park.
Here, you can take photos with koalas, and hand-feed kangaroos, and observe these animals up close! Taking a photo with a koala costs an additional $30 (for two people) and includes a free photo. You can also touch it!
1650 Bass Hwy, Grantville VIC 3984
Where to see Koalas in Adelaide
Cleland Wildlife Park
Adelaide has only two zoos where you can hold koalas, and this is one of them! Most of the small animals in the park are roaming around freely, including several different types of kangaroos that you can feed and pet. The kangaroos are also happy to pose for photos with you.
In the koala area, you can see koalas sunbathing and napping on tree branches. On hot afternoons, the zoo sprays mist to help keep the koalas cool. You can also see some less common animals such as wallabies, wombats, parrots, dingoes, lizards, snakes, and many noisy birds. There is also an area that has been left as a reminder of the bushfires, with some educational significance.
As for the koala activities, holding a koala costs around 30 AUD and includes a photo, but you must wear the zoo’s clothes for the photo. If you plan to hold a koala, be sure to check the koala schedule on the official website to avoid disappointment! The “close encounters with koalas” activity is free and doesn’t require booking, but there may be a queue. You can observe koalas up close, pet them, and take photos with them. It’s a must-do activity!
365 Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers SA 5152
Gorge Wildlife Park
Holding a koala at Gorge Wildlife Park used to be free, now it costs $10 per person. However, it’s still worth it!
The whole farm is relatively small, and you can finish touring it in less than an hour. The animals here are mostly various birds, and the most unique one is the white kangaroo, which looks very beautiful with its white fur.
The times for holding koalas are 11:30 and 14:30. Be sure to arrive early and queue up, otherwise, there will be many people, and some may hold the koalas for too long, causing delays in the line.
30 Redden Dr, Cudlee Creek SA 5232
Where to see Koalas in Perth
Cohunu Koala Park
As soon as you walk in, you are surrounded by a group of emus, and soon after you see a peacock flying over. You can interact with and feed chickens, ducks, geese, koalas, fawns, kangaroos, sheep, rabbits, donkeys, and ponies. This is a completely different experience from other zoos and the most interesting part!
Crocodiles and wombats cannot be touched. The zoo admission fee is $20 for adults and $8 for children over 3 years old. There is also a diesel train that runs on weekends and school holidays, with a ticket price of $6 per person. If you want to hold a koala and take a photo, you need to pay an extra $35/person.
LOT 103 Nettleton Rd, Byford WA 6122.
Where to see Koalas in Sydney
Featherdale Wildlife Zoo
The zoo is not very big, but there are many animals, including various birds, as well as bats, snakes, chickens, sheep, and so on, and each animal has its own introduction. There are also some small Australian animals such as koalas, kangaroos, and emus, which are really cute! The kangaroos are also very gentle, and you can touch them while feeding them.
You can buy tickets at the entrance, tickets for taking photos with the koalas (25 dollars per person, maximum of four people), and feed for the kangaroos. We forgot to buy the feed and didn’t find it after we entered. You can easily spend about three hours here.
217 Kildare Rd, Doonside NSW 2767
Taronga Zoo
In Australia, not every state or zoo allows visitors to hold koalas. And unfortunately, it is not allowed in Sydney. However, there is a way to see koalas up close, and that is by visiting Taronga Zoo!
Here you can get up close with the free-roaming kangaroos, but koalas can only be viewed from a distance. To take a photo with a koala, you need to make a reservation and purchase a ticket before 2:30pm after entering the park.
Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman NSW 2088
Best tips seeing koalas in Australia
When holding a koala, be sure to hold onto its bottom, otherwise it will feel unsafe and may grab you, leaving marks would not be pleasant.
It is recommended that sisters who are afraid of pain wear long sleeves, otherwise, when the little koala climbs on you, it may accidentally touch your bare skin and it will hurt.
The ticket to hug koalas is separate from the admission ticket, and some zoos will require advance reservation, it is still recommended that you book online 1-2 days in advance, as there will be many people during the holiday, and it is very likely that you will end up in a long line on-site.
Can kids hug koalas?
The weight of a koala is about 6-10kg. The administrators at the zoo will measure whether the child can hold the koala alone. However, generally, children who are over 12 weeks old and over 140cm tall should not have too much problem hugging koalas.
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