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We had a fabulous time visiting The National Zoo and Aquarium during our Canberra adventure. The National Zoo and Aquarium is wheelchair accessible, with step free pathways, ramps and flat cemented walking paths throughout, making it super easy to explore the zoo for those in wheelchairs or limited mobility.
The zoo is one of the major tourist attractions in the ACT. It sits on 19 hectares and includes an indoor Aquarium, one of Australia’s largest inland saltwater tanks. The zoo has various animals that call the zoo home, from native Australian animals to the more exotic animals like the Malaysian Sun Bear. The National zoo is focused on conservation, animal protection and education.
The zoo is open seven days a week from 9:30am–5:00pm. Admission tickets start at $26 for Children 3-15 years, Concession $40 and Adults $47. Companion Card holders receive free entry into the zoo along with free entry for their Carer. I really love how the Companion card holder gets free entry as well.
Several disabled parking bays are located within the car park, along with disabled toilets scattered throughout the zoo allocated for those with mobility aids.
The zoo has a step free Gift shop with a variety of souvenirs for sale for those wishing to purchase a memento of their visit. For a bite to eat visitors can choose from the accessible Rainforest Cafe or The Rhino Bistro where there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and room to move. The facilities are easily accessible, including the numerous BBQ, Picnic and Playground areas. The National Zoo and Aquarium has a Map available with the list of pathways and facility locations which can be viewed via their website here
Accessible Parking: Yes
Step Free Access: Yes
Wide Entryways/Pathways: Yes
Accessible Toilets: Yes
Step Free Gift Shop: Yes
Step Free BBQ & Picnic Areas: Yes
Accessible Cafe & Bistro: Yes
Accessible Viewing Areas: Yes
Accessible Lion Encounter: Yes
The lion encounter at The National Zoo and Aquarium Canberra is wheelchair accessible. Feeding the beautiful lioness was the highlight of our day. The feeding platform area is step free and has a full glass screen. The holes in the glass to feed the lions are reasonably high to reach, so some wheelchair users might have trouble reaching depending on the individuals disability. The lion keeper was very friendly and accommodating. She went out of her way to ensure we were able to feed the white lion during our visit, and gave us plenty of time each to feed the lioness. During the feeding, the keeper filled us in on the magnificent white lions that live at the zoo and their story.
The National Zoo and Aquarium offer several other animal encounters such as The Cheetah encounter, Sun Bear encounter, Tiger encounter and Rhino encounter. Unfortunately, these encounters are not wheelchair accessible. There are also Interactive Tours available for visitors, but these are non-accessible as well.
We had a great time exploring and visiting the animals at The National Zoo and Aquarium. The zoo is certainly a must see accessible adventure while in Canberra! To find out more about The National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra and to keep up-to-date with the latest Zoo news head over to their website and social media pages listed below.
While in Canberra we stayed overnight at the zoo in Jamala Wildlife Lodge. The Lodge provides a 5 star African style experience. To read more about our accessible stay at Jamala Wildlife Lodge at The National Zoo and Aquarium please read the full review here.
National Zoo & Aquarium Details
Website: Nationalzoo.com.au
Address: 999 Lady Denman Dr, Yarralumla ACT 2611
In my opinion I give The National Zoo and Aquarium a rating of 4.5 for wheelchair accessibility, and a rating of 4.5 stars for the overall experience .
* I was not financially compensated for this review. The review is based on my own opinion and personal experience.*
