Before You Book Australia Zoo: Every Cost, and What's Worth It
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Prices last checked 2 November · 3 min read
Australia Zoo, the Irwin family's zoo on the Sunshine Coast, is a full day out, and the ticket covers more than most: the croc show, the shuttle and the Splash Park. The real choices are a family pass or single tickets, an annual pass if you're local, paid animal encounters and how to get there from Brisbane. Most of them sound worth paying for. You don't need all of them. In this guide we walk through what each one costs, what you really get, and how to choose the right one for your family, whether it's a quiet Wednesday or a packed weekend in the school holidays.
At a glance
Adult
A$77.45
Child (3-14)
A$51.95. Under 3 free
Concession (students, pensioners)
A$67.45
Family of 4 / of 5
A$233.95 / A$280.95
Annual pass
A$199 adult, A$149 child
Included
Shows, shuttle, Splash Park, Wildlife Hospital sneak peek
Hours
9 am to 5 pm, every day except Christmas
🎟️ Book skip-the-line tickets
Check the crowds, find the best time slot, and book through our authorised partner.
A day ticket costs A$77.45 for adults and A$51.95 for children aged 3-14, and under-3s are free. Family passes cut that: A$233.95 for two adults and two children. Everything in the zoo's daily programme is included, from the conservation shows to the shuttle bus tour and the Splash Park.
What you book
One adult
One child (3-14)
Family of four
Day tickets
A$77.45
A$51.95
A$258.80
Family of 4 Pass
A$233.95
Annual passes
A$199
A$149
A$696
Children under 3
Free
Prices are the official rates reported by ShopBack's guide.
🎟️ Book skip-the-line tickets
Check the crowds, find the best time slot, and book through our authorised partner.
Prices last checked: 2 November. Prices vary with the season, peak and off-peak dates and promotions, and we recheck them every month. Visitor-reported costs are marked as estimates, and US$ figures are rough conversions.
Tickets: day ticket, family pass or annual pass?
Cost
Price (A$)
Type
How to cut it
Adult
A$77.45
≈ US$51
Unavoidable
Students and pensioners pay A$67.45 with ID.
Child (3-14)
A$51.95
≈ US$34
Unavoidable
Must be with a paying adult. Under-3s free.
Family of 4 Pass
A$233.95
≈ US$154
Optional
Saves A$24.85 against four day tickets.
Family of 5 Pass
A$280.95
≈ US$185
Optional
The crowd tax: why weekends cost you more
The ticket price is the same every day. The crowd tax is time and space: busy shows, packed walk-throughs and lunch queues. Our crowd data shows Australia Zoo moderate at opening every day, then busy from about 11 am to 2 pm on weekdays, and from about 10 am to 3 pm at weekends. Afternoons are moderate again.
When
Crowds (our data)
Verdict
9 to 10 am, any day
Moderate
Best time: cooler, animals active
Weekdays, about 11 am to 2 pm
Busy
Show time: arrive early for seats
Weekends, about 10 am to 3 pm
Busy
Busiest. Go on a weekday if you can
After about 3 pm
Moderate
Quieter walk-throughs
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for Australia Zoo, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Short on time? What you'd regret missing
The Crocoseum show.
The kangaroo walk-through.
The Wildlife Hospital sneak peek, included.
The Africa section, by shuttle.
Getting there
Australia Zoo is at Beerwah, on the Sunshine Coast, about an hour or more north of Brisbane. Most visitors drive. By public transport, take the train to Beerwah and check the zoo's site for the current link from the station. Tour operators sell transfers with entry.
On-site costs
Animal encounters, at extra cost.
Food, in the zoo's cafés.
Souvenirs.
Swimwear for the Splash Park, included in entry.
Weather and closures
Open 9 am to 5 pm every day except Christmas Day. Summer is hot and humid; bring hats and water, and use the Splash Park to cool off.
What can go wrong
You buy four day tickets: the family pass is A$24.85 cheaper.
You arrive at lunchtime: the busiest time in our data.
You miss the main show: check times on arrival.
What it really costs
Level
What's included
One adult
Concession
Student or pensioner ticket
A$67.45
Typical
Adult day ticket
A$77.45
Local
Adult annual pass
A$199
A family of four pays A$233.95 on the family pass. Before food, encounters and transport.
FAQs
How much is Australia Zoo?
+
A$77.45 for adults, A$51.95 for children 3-14 and A$67.45 for concessions. A family of four pays A$233.95. Under-3s are free.
What's included in the Australia Zoo ticket?
+
The shows, the shuttle bus tour, the Splash Park, play areas and a Wildlife Hospital sneak peek.
Is the Australia Zoo annual pass worth it?
+
If you'll visit three times in a year. It costs A$199 for adults.
What are Australia Zoo's opening hours?
+
9 am to 5 pm, every day except Christmas Day.
When is Australia Zoo least crowded?
+
In our data, at opening and after about 3 pm. Weekends from about 10 am to 3 pm are busiest. See our crowd forecast.
Heading to Australia Zoo?
See how busy it is right now and the quietest hours for your date, then walk in when the line is short.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other. Crowd figures come from our own crowd data. Prices last checked 2 November. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
Two adults and three children.
Adult annual pass
A$199
≈ US$131
Optional
Pays off on the third visit.
Is the annual pass worth it?
An adult annual pass costs A$199, about 2.6 day tickets. Our verdict: for visitors from overseas, no. For anyone living in south-east Queensland who might come back twice more in a year, yes.
Paid animal encounters
Australia Zoo sells close-up animal encounters at extra cost, priced well above general entry. Our verdict: worth it for one animal your child loves; the free shows and the open walk-through areas already give plenty of close moments.
What visitors say
Visitors love the Crocoseum show, the kangaroo walk-through and the Wildlife Hospital, and say the zoo has a warm, family feel. The most common complaints are the ticket price, the distance from Brisbane and the heat in summer, so the advice is to arrive at opening and plan the day around the main show.
