Zoo ticket with the Fantasea ferry

About this experience

Fantasea is one of the private operators that run boats to Taronga Zoo wharf. This listing gives you a return crossing and entry to the zoo for one day. You collect tickets at a Fantasea office, either at Circular Quay Wharf 6 or at Darling Harbour, Pier 26, Shop 2B. The listing says the ticket is wheelchair accessible, and Fantasea says the zoo wharf is too.

Darling Harbour is the point of difference. If your hotel is around Pyrmont, Barangaroo or the convention centre, you skip the walk across the city to Circular Quay. Expect a longer ride from there, since the boat has to pass under the Harbour Bridge before it crosses. From Circular Quay it's the usual short hop.

Two caveats. Departure times are not on the listing, which asks you to check the Fantasea timetable online before your visit because times can change. Check the boats back as well as the boats out. And the ferry lands at the bottom of the zoo: Fantasea guests use the Lower Entrance a short walk from the wharf, and the bus up to the Main Entrance is at your own cost (Fantasea's zoo page).

• Board at Circular Quay Wharf 6 or Darling Harbour Pier 26
• A return crossing with the Opera House and the Bridge in view
• A day of zoo entry with the shows and keeper talks
• Wheelchair accessible, the listing says
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

How the day runs

1. Before you goCheck the timetable

   Look up the Fantasea timetable online for both directions on your date. Times can change.

2. Before boardingCollect your tickets

   At the Fantasea office: Circular Quay Wharf 6, or Pier 26, Shop 2B at Darling Harbour.

3. Short crossingFerry to the zoo

   Cross to Taronga Zoo wharf. From Darling Harbour, the ride is longer.

4. 3 to 5 hoursAt the zoo

   Enter at the Lower Entrance by the wharf, or take the bus to the top at your own cost. Shows at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm.

5. AfternoonFerry back

   Catch a return boat from the timetable you checked that morning.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Take a screenshot of the return times before you leave the city.
• Collect your tickets in the morning. Fantasea lists office hours of 9am to 4:30pm.
• The walk from the Lower Entrance goes uphill. Wear shoes you can climb in.
• Children under 4 get into the zoo free. Check what the listing offers for small children before you book.

Read next:

• Ferry to the zoo
• What to bring

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

Zoo Entry & Return Ferry from Circular QuayA Captain Cook ferry from Wharf 6 there and back, plus zoo entry. You land by the Lower Entrance, at the bottom of the hill.★ 4.6 · Full dayTaronga Zoo Entry TicketThe zoo's own day ticket with keeper talks and both shows. No ferry: you get there on the public F2, by bus or by car.★ 4.6 · Full daySydney Harbour Sightseeing CruiseA one-hour loop from Wharf 6 past the Opera House, Fort Denison and the zoo's shoreline, with commentary. No zoo stop.★ 4.6 · 1 hour