Updated on November 13th, 2026
During my trip to Australia in September 2019, I had a few days to explore Melbourne, a city I visit almost every year. This visit was special because it centred on family functions, bringing together relatives and close friends for a joyful gathering. Amid the celebrations, we planned a memorable family outing to Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, one of the city’s most popular wildlife safari attractions.
Spanning 225 hectares, Werribee Open Range Zoo, an impressive African-themed zoological park along the Werribee River, about 32 kilometres southwest of Melbourne. The zoo offers an immersive open-range safari experience, allowing visitors to observe African wildlife, exotic birds, and native animals in vast natural habitats. We spent almost the entire day on safari tours, enjoying close-up animal encounters and educational experiences that made our visit to this iconic Melbourne wildlife attraction truly special.
Plan Trip with Family & Friends
This tour is even more fun with family, friends, and especially kids. We enjoyed seeing wildlife, including camels, zebras, crocodiles, horses, waterbuck, giraffes, ostriches, rhinoceroses, and more. With its size and variety, this place offers an entire day packed with activities.
Off-Road Safari at Werribee Zoo
At Werribee Zoo, visitors can book various ‘speciality’ tours, including the Off-Road Safari, for close encounters with gorillas, giraffes, and ostriches. On this tour, you can see animals in their natural habitats, and live commentary helps you appreciate wildlife. On this safari, you’ll pass through well-maintained grasslands and natural forest. When the safari stops, you can sneak a peek into the lives of different animals; you’ll be amazed when a giraffe touches the safari vehicle window, and you can even touch and feed it.
The road safari tour takes you off-road and up close to the animals for a more intimate, exceptional experience. You can stop, observe, ask your guide questions, and capture the perfect photograph; it’s nothing less than a true African safari.
A day at Werribee Open Zoo offers wonderful opportunities to observe many wild animals, including lions, hippos, Kudus, and cheetahs. The Gorilla encounter is one of the world’s largest and lets you feed and interact with the gorillas. The Texas Longhorns, alongside the zebra, make the grassland even more amazing and remind you of the livelier African wildlife.
Feeding giraffes can be a wonderful experience
Another wonderful experience with your kids is feeding giraffes at Werribee Zoo, where you can see eye-to-eye with one of the world’s tallest animals. There are plenty of giraffes, so everybody can easily see them up close. Normally, they bend their long necks over the fence, and you can even touch them, as they are so friendly.
Other attractions nearby
Other attractions near Werribee Zoo are Werribee Park Mansion and State Rose Garden. Thomas Chirnside, who built the Italianate-style mansion, came from Scotland, as did his brother, Andrew Chirnside. Nowadays, it is a five-star Mansion Hotel & Spa, also known as the ‘Most Romantic Hotel in Australia.’ The mansion has several rooms open to the public, including the billiards room, main bedrooms, reception rooms, and the kitchen. In the surrounding State Rose Garden, 5000 roses are blooming. You can plan and enjoy a picnic or explore the gardens.
Carry some eatables
Since you will be there for almost an entire day, carry some snacks or fruit, but if you forget, don’t worry about lunch. There is a cafe with an excellent menu of scrumptious food. The menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, steaks, etc. You can also order a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Enjoy your meal and drinks with wildlife animals in lush green grassland.
Werribee Open Range Zoo tickets
You need to purchase entry tickets to visit Werribee Zoo. You can buy tickets at the counter, but it is safer to buy them online to avoid long lines. We also recommend a guided tour pass to learn more about the zoo’s animals and habitats. If you’re planning to visit on the weekend, having an entry ticket on hand is the best way to make the most of your tour.
Must visit while you are in Melbourne
This time, when you visit Melbourne, book a Werribee Open Range Zoo Tour with Wildlife Tours Australia to experience the grassland wildlife. You’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of the grassland, with a savanna-like African environment.
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