Tours and Tickets
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
4.5

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

By Tropic Wings Cairns Tours
Recommended by 93% of travellers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
About
from
AU$23.00
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99
Duration: 30–60 minutes
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Written guide
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
: German, Italian, French, Spanish
More


  • Free guided tours daily
  • Free behind the scenes laboratory tour
  • Free Guided Foodplant Walk
  • Admission Fee
  • Entry/Admission - Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
What's not included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off


  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5457BS

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Sanctuary closes at 3 pm
  • Most travellers can participate

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

How much is Australian Butterfly Sanctuary?
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary price starts from AU$23.58. Discover and book Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Tripadvisor
What is the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary cancellation policy?
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Tripadvisor
Which company provides Australian Butterfly Sanctuary?
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is hosted by Tropic Wings Cairns Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Tropic Wings Cairns Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Tripadvisor
How much time do I need for Australian Butterfly Sanctuary?
On average, this experience will take approximately 30m. Discover and book Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Tripadvisor

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5457BS

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Itinerary
  • Start
    See departure details
  • 1
    Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
    Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included
    Wander the tropical rainforest aviary where jewel-coloured butterflies float in the air. See the fluorescent green and yellow Cairns birdwing, the vibrant Blue Eggfly and more! The sanctuary is home to more than 1,500 butterflies that have all been hand reared on the premises. Visit the laboratory and learn about the breeding cycle, see how the butterfly eggs are collected and cleaned, and then hand raised into caterpillars before turning into beautiful butterflies. The museum displays many different species from around the world. Don’t forget to see the moth exhibit, home to the Hercules moth with a wing span reaching up to 14 inches (36 cm).
    Read more
  • You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
Tropic Wings Cairns Tours
507
Australia

#54 of 223 Tours & Activities in Cairns
  • Diana M
    Diana M
    0
    0
    A great day out
    With only a limited number of days in Australia it was a great way to experience the country and get a flavour of Queensland
  • Kristie D
    Kristie D
    0
    0
    Great Day!
    Such a fun day!! We made a mistake by booking a full day tour, not thinking about our flight back to Sydney that night until the day before, but we called and spoke with Anna in Reservations and she started rebuilding our itinerary the morning-of so that we could still go!! She kept the drivers informed, and we were helped along the way with kindness from both Anna and the bus drivers Ben/Ashif along the way! The trip itself was great!! Sadly we were unable to do the wildlife sanctuary justice as we had to rush out, and we were devastated to miss the Tribal portion, but the railway was fantastic, Kuranda village was adorable (with cute shops), butterfly sanctuary was magical, duck car/boat was informative/educational, we had a yummy bbq lunch, and a riveting trip home on the sky rail! Was a great day!! Highly recommend :)
  • law5094
    law5094
    0
    0
    Amazing day!
    Everything was so much fun. The views were great, amazing pictures and experiences. I would do this again!
  • declans671
    declans671
    0
    0
    Daintree and Cape tribulation.
    The tour was amazing and Dan was awesome sharing his knowledge and experience which made the whole experience once in a lifetime 🙂
  • Roam728673
    Roam728673
    0
    0
    Spectacular trip
    This was an absolutely awesome day from beginning to end. I was picked up promptly by the chatty driver who kept us informed as we moved along picking up other travelers, then depositing us at the train station. It’s an old slow moving train, noisy enough that I couldn’t hear most of the announcements. As I was facing back I also felt like I missed some valuable photo shoots. However, the Sky Rail ride back at the end of the trip made up for all that and more. Both were a relaxing and comfortable way to go to and from Kuranda. While in and around Kuranda I thoroughly enjoyed the Army Duck ride into the swampland, Butterfly House, the Aboriginal dance, the boomerang class and musician. Feeling let down that I’d missed the Famous Australian animals, I was very pleasantly surprised to see them at the little mini-zoo; kangaroos wandering about, Kaolas snoozing in trees, Dingos, thankfully behind bars, as were the Crocodiles, both large and small. I highly recommend this trip.
  • Meta L
    Meta L
    0
    0
    Less is More
    Though there were many things to see and do in our package, it ultimately felt like the package was trying to be stretched out. What took from 8-5 easily could have concluded at 3:30. Each element (Duck Boat ride, dance show, train ride) could have been trimmed back on time. I would have paid the same for less time. All folks associated with the tour were very professional, helpful and pleasant. The brunch was very tasty. It was wonderful to see everything but the day was just too long.
  • MikeFo
    MikeFo
    0
    0
    Excellent day out, plenty to see and do and not rushed
    A full day out taken at a fairly relaxed pace, great rides by train up and cable car down giving very different views of the forest. Other activities at the rainforest park and a simple but filling lunch.
  • NottinghamBeth
    NottinghamBeth
    0
    0
    Very full and busy tour!
    Really lovely trip. The scenic railway up was amazing as was the cable car down. As the butterfly sanctuary was included we visited there, but only stayed 10mins or so and then went to Birdworld a few mins away (wasn’t included in the tour, we paid extra). The Rainforestation park was great, lots of activities to do here. My son especially loved the boomerang throwing! The tour guides didn’t really stay with us, acted more like taxi drivers from one place to another! The day was full and busy. Highly recommend. (Be aware there is a fair bit of walking and this isn’t made too clear from the description of the tour. There was an elderly man using a walking stick who was clearly struggling at times).
  • 375alisonj
    375alisonj
    0
    0
    Well Organized and Great Value
    Very well organized and informative from start to finish with convenient hotel pick up and drop off from central Cairns. We only had a short time in Cairns and this experience packed a lot in without feeling rushed or "herded". In particular all of the indigenous exhibitions were excellent, the butterfly sanctuary delightful and the ride to Kuranda via train and return via rainforest tree top Skyrail were fantastic.
  • Behappy3467
    Behappy3467
    0
    0
    Went longer than expected, well worth it!!
    Fantastic Views from the Sky Rail cars. You can get off at Barron Falls and then get back on again. Choose the left seat for the first leg. Then the Right seat after that. Keep an eye out for Cassawarys!
  • Margy145
    Margy145
    0
    0
    Busy day which was both scenic and cultural
    It was a busy day which gave all it promised. The whole trip was very well organised with a precise route and order of activities.
  • michelletgarcia
    michelletgarcia
    0
    0
    Great tour
    This was our first time in cairns so we wanted to do a tour where we could see most of the top spots in one tour. Didn't disappoint. We also had the bbq lunch....yum. The rainforestation was a beautiful place. Everyone made us feel very welcome wherever we went.
  • Patricia W
    Patricia W
    0
    0
    Very well organized and enjoyable
    We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, lots to experience, lovely BBQ lunch and the train and sky rail journeys were fantastic.
  • bieldent
    bieldent
    0
    0
    Kuranda & Aboriginals
    Nice trip with option Wildlife, Aboriginal Culture and Rainforest hike. Lot of free time in Kuranda instead of activities with locals/ Aboriginals what was planned but cancelled at morning
  • Julia B
    Julia B
    0
    0
    Use another company
    Very disappointed and unorganised experience. Best advice , arrange It yourself, easy to do this. Even the driver didnt know what was going on. Picked up in a bus, not an air conditioned coach as stated. Different tours on same bus and lots of people getting confused.
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4.5
15 reviews
Excellent
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funkyhughes23
Melbourne, Australia314 contributions
Jan. 2020
A lovely little butterfly house with many butterflies (unfortunately they are having real trouble with the big blue Ulysses butterflies so none there, though we spotted a few around Kuranda Village). Plenty of birdsongs and other varieties and some interesting information and trivia along the way. The Goliath moths in the separate enclosure were something to see, along with the caterpillars and cocoons showing the lifecycle stages. A touch pricey for the time it takes but a good experience.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Thanks for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and for taking the time to leave your review. It's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed meeting our beautiful, tropical butterflies. The bright green Cairns Birdwing Butterfly certainly is a show stopper! The Goliath Moth is one of the largest on the planet, so they are always incredible to see. With regards to our entry price, we are a local family-run business that does not receive government funding like other wildlife parks or zoos. We also breed all of our species on site, which means that we have to cover all these breeding expenses ourselves, such as growing and sourcing all of the caterpillar food plants, and paying our staff to feed and look after the caterpillars and pupa in our onsite laboratory. Further value is added to the admission price by offering 30 minute informative guided tours through the aviary and laboratory, so hopefully you experienced these and they enhanced your visit. Thanks again, Amanda
Written 20 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JoMick
Cooloola Cove, Australia45 contributions
Sep. 2020
Despite it being busy and Covid rules (and this was managed well) we found our visit to be a delight. After chasing butterflies all around Nth Qld for photos, they were all here, flitting around and providing us with so many photo opportunities. So many butterflies including lots of Ulysses butterflies right in front of us, many landing on us whilst we were wandering. A very enjoyable experience, for adults and kids.
Written 5 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Thanks so much for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and for taking the time to leave a review. It's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed your visit and meeting our beautiful, colourful butterflies. The aviary is a great place to take photos and we hope that you were able to get some amazing ones.
Written 7 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GB01
Temuka, New Zealand199 contributions
May 2023
Not a lot of stunning Butterflies around and it was nearly lunchtime in the sunshine and heat thought more would of been flying around. Only saw 3 different ones that were impressive and worthy of photos.
The walking path was a bit tricky in places being uneven surface and wet too
Feel the 1 in NZ down Southland is more impressive
Written 25 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the butterfly activity. There are around 1200 free flying butterflies in the aviary on any given day and around 13 species on display including the vibrant Cairns Birdwing and the stunning Blue Banded Eggfly. It is hard to predict the activity of the butterflies and they are usually more active on warmer days. There are free guided aviary tours where our knowledgeable guides will take you through the aviary, detailing a butterfly’s life cycle and behaviour and also provides an opportunity to view first-hand the breeding laboratory through special viewing windows. Tropic Wings do offers tours filled with many activities. We appreciate your feedback as we strive to provide the best experiences possible.
Written 13 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lucinda W
1 contribution
Feb. 2020 • Family
Amazing can spend as much time as you like and free re entry all day to go back as many times as you like
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samantha M
8 contributions
Oct. 2019 • Couples
This was a really cool little sanctuary to visit. It was incredible to see so many butterflies in one spot. Here, you can learn about butterflies, and also learn about the process they go through from caterpillar to butterfly. Definitely worth seeing while you’re in Kuranda!
Written 11 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Firdos B
46 contributions
Nov. 2018
underrated
must go
cairns attraction
so many butterflies
color paradise
family fun
loved the experience
Written 10 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jat2168
Windsor, Australia108 contributions
We really enjoyed seeing so many species. Guided tour was very informing. Got really close to them. Just like bees, butterflies are so important to our future existence.
Written 10 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Angel68_12
Hobart, Australia118 contributions
Apr. 2018
We drove from Port Douglas and enjoyed the trip down. The butterflies were beautiful and we loved walking amongst them. There was lots of information which was fascinating to read and we enjoyed visiting the lab and finding out about the life cycle of the butterflies. A really beautiful experience.
Written 25 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

woorana
Sydney, Australia9 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
Our Family loved it! The girls wore bright clothes to attract the Butterflies, it worked! Ricky gave an excellent explanation of what goes on in the facility. Very interesting! Thank you all!
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we are so happy that you had a wonderful time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and enjoyed the opportunity to see lots of amazing butterflies. Thank you for your review.
Written 12 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Yota B
6 contributions
5/5 we were so happy to come though the butterfly sanctuary again this wasn't planned and it was a nice day coming here thank
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we are so delighted to see that you had an amazing experience and enjoyed the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.. Thank you so much for this positive feedback and we hope to see you again soon.
Written 3 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Australian Butterfly Sanctuary provided by Tropic Wings Cairns Tours