A child ticket is valid for anyone under the age of 18 or a currently enrolled secondary school student, this applies to general admission, tours or encounters and also memberships.

All encounters & tours have a minimum age for children. This is for 2 reasons:

• Some animals will react differently to smaller children, so we have a minimum age and sometimes a minimum height. This is for the safety of the children and/or of the animal.
• Many of the animals will be distracted or scared by loud or aggressive behaviour. This is not only uncomfortable for the animal, but can spoil the encounter for other guests.

Please understand that if the keeper or guide feels that children (or adults) are not meeting general age, size or behavioural requirements, they may ask them and a parent to drop out of the tour or to miss certain segments. No refunds will be given in these circumstances.

Our aim is to ensure that all participants enjoy their time with our special animals and that our animals also enjoy the encounter.

For an online Voucher follow the instructions on the Voucher to redeem and make a booking. Alternatively, click on “Make a Booking” on the individual tour or encounter page select your tickets and in the payment section enter your voucher code to redeem. Or you can also give our friendly staff a call on 02 6287 8400. 

Red Balloon Vouchers must be redeemed through the Red Balloon website. For Vouchers starting with “S” or “D” or “E” you will need to phone the Zoo.

Once a booking is confirmed it can only be re-scheduled by phoning the Zoo and speaking with a staff member. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

Full payment is required at the time of the booking, unless you are booking with a Gift Voucher. Once a booking is confirmed it can only by re-scheduled by phoning the Zoo and speaking with a staff member. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

A little bit of rain does not interrupt or prevent a tour from going ahead. In some cases, tours may be re-scheduled due to extreme weather conditions and tours must be postponed during an electrical storm. To enquire about re-scheduling any tour or encounter, you will need to phone the Zoo to speak with our staff. There may be fees involved if you choose to reschedule your booking.

You are welcome to take photos of our beautiful animals! We ask that there is no flash photography throughout both Jamala and the zoo.

No, but there are always other people taking part who are more than happy to take photos when it is your turn to participate.

Children under the age limits are not able to accompany guests on tours or encounters.

All cats, including domestic ones, carry Toxoplasmosis in their faeces, which may cause problems in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Flat soled walking shoes are ideal. Avoid high heels and thongs.

Under no circumstances can you put your hand or fingers through the mesh. You must not touch an animal when feeding, unless the Keeper gives permission.

We try to mimic conditions in the wild as much as possible and generally house species depending on their own natural preferences. In some cases (where housing them with others could cause stress and aggression), they have their own enclosure. For example, many animals lead a solitary lifestyle in the wild, and only come together for breeding purposes.

You must always stay behind the Keeper until the Keeper gives permission to move forward.

Please view the Terms & Conditions via the individual product pages of our website. Please also feel free to phone us with any concerns or queries. Perhaps a Private Tour especially suited to your requirements would be an alternative.

No part of any tour is compulsory, if you feel uncomfortable with any animal just advise the Keeper.

Allow thirty minutes before start time to check in and pay zoo entry. Tour participants (Awesome Roarsome Tour, African Savannah Safari and Meet a Cheetah) are not required to pay any extra for Zoo admission.  The zoo normally takes around 2 to 3 hours to see so we encourage you to arrive early and enjoy the facilities and the zoo before your encounter/tour.

The National Zoo & Aquarium is an Authorised Quarantine Site, meaning no pets are allowed on any part of the grounds, including the car park.

The National Zoo and Aquarium (NZA) welcomes visitors with assistance dogs that have completed their training. There are some limitations and bookings must be made – please contact NZA in advance to make a booking (NZA will endeavour to expedite any visits when required).

For further information on Assistance dogs please visit our Assistance page here.

It is suggested you turn your mobile to silent. If it rings whilst you are feeding an animal, it may cause problems.

Animals can behave differently each day, so each tour is unique.

Yes, all children under 16 are required by law to be accompanied by an adult.

Our traditional ZooVenture tour has now been split into two very exciting tours, which feature different types of animals. Our carnivores now feature on the Awesome Roarsome tour, whereas our Hoofed and Ungulate animals are on the Savannah Safari.

Yes. Our Education Section can be contacted via Reception to provide a Private Tour especially suited to your requirements.

Generally speaking, perfume will not have any effect one way or another. However, please avoid strong perfumes for Meet-a-Cheetah. For a full list of Meet-a-Cheetah Terms & Conditions click here

Unfortunately not. Many of the pathways and access areas used throughout tours are not accessible to wheelchairs. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

In the event you need to change your booking date, you can do so up to 7 days prior for just a $5 fee per person. If you cannot pick a new date, we can issue you with a voucher to re book at your convenience. Vouchers have a 12 month expiry. You are unable to make a change to the date within 7 days of your booking (unless there is an emergency). See Terms & Conditions for more information.

Please call the zoo to make these arrangements on 02 6287 8400