Werribee Open Range Zoo: Safari & Gorilla Exhibit Admission

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Free cancellation

1/8

Duration3h

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A 556-Acre Safari Without the Flight: Werribee's Gorilla Exhibit & Open Range

You get a 40-minute open-range safari bus ride, self-paced walking trails past lions, the world's largest gorilla exhibit, hippos, and monkeys, plus daily keeper talks included in your ticket. The 556-acre space means you set the pace and can return another day without feeling rushed. General admission covers everything except food and parking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Werribee Open Range Zoo

Join 40-minute bus safari
Walk trails to see lions
Visit large gorilla exhibit
Watch playful monkeys
Discover hippos in wetlands
Attend daily zoo keeper talks

The Experience

There's something that shifts when you step off a bus and realize the animals aren't behind glass — they're just out there, moving through grassland the way they would in the actual Serengeti. Werribee Open Range Zoo, just outside Melbourne, does that. The 40-minute safari bus takes you through open fields where lions, zebras, and giraffes aren't pacing a small enclosure but living in something that actually resembles their natural space. You're not watching them perform; you're watching them exist, which is quieter and somehow more gripping.

The gorilla exhibit is one of the world's largest, and that detail matters because you can see the difference — the space, the way the family moves through it, the fact that they're not stacked on top of each other. Walking the trails after the bus ride, you move at your own speed past hippos in their wetland, monkeys that don't feel like they're on display, Australian native animals mixed in with the African ones. Keeper talks happen throughout the day, and you can catch them or skip them depending on what your group wants. It's the kind of place where a four-year-old and a forty-year-old can have completely different days and both feel satisfied.

The whole site is 225 hectares, which sounds abstract until you're walking it and realize you're not going to see everything in one visit — and that's actually the point. You're not rushing through a checklist. General admission covers the safari bus, entry to all areas, and the keeper presentations, so there's no hidden cost when you decide to stay longer or come back. Wheelchair access is available throughout, strollers work fine on the paths, and public transport gets you there if you're coming from central Melbourne.

What’s included

Your ticket includes general admission to Werribee Open Range Zoo, the 40-minute open-range safari bus ride through grassland areas, access to all walking trails and exhibits, and all daily keeper talks and presentations. You set your own pace and can spend as much time as you want at each area.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Zoos Victoria

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see African animals in a spacious, natural setting without arranging transport into the outback or paying for a guided tour — the fixed admission price covers the safari bus and keeper talks, so you know the cost upfront and can explore at your own speed.