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Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsSpeciality MuseumsNature & Wildlife Areas
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
About
Discover Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Australia's biggest butterfly flight aviary. Home to 1,200 tropical butterflies, the sanctuary is an all-weather experience in the heart of Kuranda. Be enchanted by these elusive wonders of nature as you walk amid boardwalks and gardens, letting vibrant butterflies flutter around you. Join the breeding lab tour or download a free audio tour. Educational exhibits feature Silk Moth caterpillars, Hercules Moth, or Mini Beasts. Explore food plants on the new walk, witness the butterfly lifecycle from eggs to daily aviary release, and be amazed at butterflies from all over the globe in our museum displays.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Admission tickets
from
AU$25.00
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  • Alix V
    Sydney, Australia232 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful butterflies
    A beautiful place to visit while in Kuranda. Butterflies are in abundance as well as educational resources through to breeding programs. Staff were friendly & knowledgeable and the sanctuary was well looked after. You can tell how passionate all the people who work there are. Several benches to just perch on while you relax and enjoy.
    Hi 558alixv, we are delighted that you had an amazing experience at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and that you appreciated the passionate and friendly team. Thank you for reviewing us and we hope that you can come back and visit sometime soon.
    Written 7 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 6 January 2024
  • lorn
    60 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    If you love beauty and you love butterflies go here
    If you love beauty and you love butterflies you will really enjoy this Sanctuary. The butterflies are flying free and sometimes land on you. Really enjoyed the experience. Have previously been here many times and will be going again
    Hi Lorna, we are so happy that you love visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. Thank you for your review and we hope to see you again soon.
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 May 2024
  • Emma
    Townsville, Australia59 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Butterflies and Kind Staff
    The staff were very kind and helpful, and the butterflies were amazing! It's a lovely enclosure for them, and we easily spent an hour hanging out and admiring the butterflies. Easily could have spent more time there if we didn't have other plans! They also had a very cute gift shop. The caterpillar/breeding rooms for the butterflies were also amazing and it was cool to see the science in action!
    Hi Emma, we are delighted that you had an amazing experience with the butterflies at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and that you appreciated the passionate team. It is great to see that you also enjoyed the breeding laboratory as well as the gift shop. Thank you for reviewing us and we hope that you can come back and visit soon.
    Written 3 June 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 May 2024
  • Bronte S
    103 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So beautiful!!
    Absolutely amazing! There are thousands of butterflies in this aviary; you are guaranteed to have one land on you. The aviary is big enough so that there is enough room to stop and admire the butterflies, even in peak times. The pamphlet handed to you at the reception desk includes a photo of all the butterflies you will see, plus a butterfly landing pad which if you hold out, the butterflies will land on. I loved the little information signs around the aviary. I also loved how beautiful the whole aviary was; the bridge, the plants, the fairy garden. I had so much fun at the beautiful butterfly sanctuary!
    Hi Bronte, we are thrilled that you had such a wonderful time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and enjoyed the opportunity to see lots of beautiful butterflies. We are so glad that you found the information sheet, landing pad and signages helpful. Thank you for your review and we look forward to your next visit.
    Written 28 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 22 July 2024
  • Andrea J
    13 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful butterlies
    This place was fabulous. It was a rainy day and the butterflies were a little less active bit still it was einderful. Such an informative day learning all about butterflies, you just walk through beautiful gardens enjoying the butterflies and moths, just wonderful.
    Hi Andrea, we are so happy that you had a wonderful time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. Thank you for reviewing us and we hope that you can come back and visit in the future.
    Written 25 August 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 August 2024
  • Eden
    75 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really pretty
    Beautiful butterflies and a lot to.learn about them. Receptionist was nice but she didn't tell me I could get a discount of I went to Bird World afterwards and there was no sign saying so either, so I didn't get a receipt, when I needed one. They should probably address this as the Bird World cashier said it's a common issue. Liked the greenery and not too humid like some butterfly houses can be.
    Hi Eden, we are so happy that you enjoyed your visit and also had a great learning experience at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. Our reception staff usually ask customer if they are buying ‘just for the butterflies” - so that customers could let us know if they want to visit any other parks in Kuranda as well. In that case, we would suggest the combo ticket. There could be occasions that the reception staff forgot to ask the question. Thank you for your feedback, we have passed this onto the management, as we always strive to improve. We look forward to seeing you again.
    Written 8 September 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,429 reviews
Excellent
809
Very good
435
Average
130
Poor
34
Terrible
21

MinnaUurainen
Jyväskylä, Finland61 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Visited with two adults and a 9-year old child. Conveniently located standing next to two other sites in much advertised Kuranda area.
We had hired a car and drove there by ourselves, but you can get there by a bus of a travelling agency. Many agensies offer trips to Kuranda and you can get more info from every hotels reception.
A ticket for adult costs A$ 20 and for child A$ 10.
Written 29 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.
Hi, Thanks so much for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and taking the time to leave a review. Glad that you enjoyed your time at our attraction. Our central location makes us easily accessible. You can also visit the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Tropic Wings Tours, which combines the best attractions in Kuranda.
Written 1 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cat J A
Melbourne, Australia421 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
Got there at opening time so arguably less crowded but had to wait around 15 minutes while staff organised tours to other tourist venues for visitors. Once inside, yes it is lovely to see butterflies flying around but the whole site was done in 20 minutes and unfortunately no Ulysses butterflies on display. Disappointing given the unique association with the area. Solid attempt to be covid compliant but many ignored the one way instructions. Pleased the $20 entry fee supports the work of the centre. Done it once, that is enough.
Written 4 January 2021
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 Catherine, Thanks so much for visiting us and for supporting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary during this tough time. It's lovely to hear that you enjoyed seeing our beautiful butterflies. We hope that you were able to go on a complimentary guided aviary and laboratory tour to enhance your experience. Unfortunately, we have had hits and misses with our Ulysses breeding program over the years, but were lucky enough to have them in our sanctuary for a lot of 2020. Thanks again, Amanda
Written 7 January 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

jT4289JV
Brisbane, Australia144 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2021
Where does one begin. SO, we decided to visit and went on line to find info on tickets. It is very clearly stated that to maintain social distancing places are limited and one should - book on line. Then up popped a chat screen. I said I could not find a seniors discounted price. I was advised - oh that is only available at the "entry gate" ??!! I explained that the web site stated we should "book" to ensure we got in , and a long 2 hour drive on the change of getting in may not be worth it. Sorry was the response . So we bought tickets at the "full price"
On arrival we saw everyone being let in with no issues . ( not happy) I showed our booking only to be - refused entry ! We were advised that even though I booked a joint entry for both the bird house and the butterflys because we booked via the "bird" web site we now had to go through the Kuranda markets , to the back to find the bird house first to get our tickets. Surely either should be able to provide a ticket.??? So we left and went to the bird house first, then returned to see the butter flys.
There was no one checking on social distancing at all and people were mixing and standing together. We saw very few butterflies, the laboratory had no one working in it, and saw no tour guides or times a tour might happen. Over all for $20 each it was very disappointing and we will ensure our many friends are warned about the difficulty of purchasing a seniors discount.
Written 12 June 2021
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, thank you so much for your feedback. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and Birdworld Kuranda are two separate businesses, and as such have two separate websites. The experience you have described above is unfortunately not from our (Australian Butterfly Sanctuary) website, so we can not make comment on the Birdworld Kuranda website terms or usability. The combination package of the two parks that you purchased from Birworld Kuranda must be collected from them, as stated on their website. We are only able to accept guests who have collected their ticket, and the ticket can only be collected from the business it has been purchased from. In this instance the ticket needs to be collected from Birworld Kuranda before visiting us at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. We do encourage social distancing at all times on our premises, and follow all COVID Safe practices. Due to COVID restrictions it is difficult to provide tours, and as such it is currently the safest option to allow people to experience the sanctuary themselves whilst practicing social distancing.
Written 13 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ElDee1986
Melbourne, Australia222 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
We spent two days in Kuranda and sadly felt like this was one of the more mediocre experiences we had in our time there. We spent about 25 minutes there and that was because we really wanted to try and get the most out of it that we could. Was disappointed at the lack of Ulysses butterflies, as this is the symbolic butterfly of the Daintree. It was a nice touch having access to see behind the scenes. It was also very crowded when we went, maybe they need to consider having limits on how many can come in.
Written 19 April 2022
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.
Thank for you for leaving your review. We regret to hear that you found the experience mediocre. We try to provide a unique and valuable experiences for our customers allowing them access to the aviary, museum and laboratory. However we greatly appreciate your feedback as we strive to better ourselves.
Written 20 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Travelbee1990
Hamburg, Germany33 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
We came to this sanctuary to especially see the beautiful Ulysses and Cairns Birdwings, which are very special for this particular area of Australia but there were none, despite they were advertised eveywhere.

We paid 20 AUD to see tons of very random small butterflies , maybe 4 or 5 species, beautiful, but not the special ones. I asked the staff and learned they have no Ulysses at the moment as many have recently died. That is bad, but visitors should be told about this, as these are the butterflies on every postcard and item sold in the shop but you don't see them there!

The sanctuary inside is beautiful and well maintained. We felt like half the price, 10 AUD would be reasonable and fair for the 40 Min we spent there. Just before leaving we saw a single Cairns Birdwing, probably the only one in the whole Sanctuary.

You need to better align the expectations you create with the reality inside, then we would not have felt so disappointed.
Written 12 July 2022
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.
Hello, thank you for taking the time to write this review. We are saddened to hear that we didn't meet your expectations. There are around 1500 free flying butterflies in our aviary, however the weather and time of day can impact how active our butterflies are. Our butterflies are attracted to white, hot pink and red, so we recommend that our customers wear these colours to increase the possibility of butterflies landing on them.
Written 18 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Narelle W
Menai, Australia96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Loved this place . The butterflies were so pretty and the Avery allows you to get close ups of these interesting creatures . The extraordinary colours of the male Cairns Birdwing were my favourite. Unfortunately no Ulysses in the Avery . Don’t miss this place
Written 9 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 so much for visiting us and for leaving your wonderful review. It's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed getting up close to our stunning colourful butterflies. The bright green male Cairns Birdwing certainly is striking.
Written 13 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

marley2701
Perth, Australia30 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I saw more butterflies here than I think I've seen in my entire life! It's nothing short of magical stepping in and being surrounded by so many different species of graceful butterflies.
The gardens are so pretty and it's nice to sit down on one of the benches and just enjoy the surroundings. I also really liked the laboratory where you can learn more about breeding and raising butterflies and watch the scientists at work.
I was the most impressed by the Cairns birdwing butterfly and the Atlas moths, which I have read about but never seen in person. They are spectacular!
I would recommend this to anyone in Kuranda. There's plenty to see in here and lots to learn, and being surrounded by hundreds of butterflies is such a lovely experience.
Written 1 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.
Hi, Thanks so much for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and for taking the time to leave your review. We are the largest butterfly aviary in the Southern Hemisphere- so it's fantastic to hear that you had a magical experience being surrounded by hundreds of free flying colourful butterflies! Visiting our laboratory is very educational and interesting- it's always great to see what goes on behind the scenes and special to see the butterflies in their various life stages. Thanks so much for recommending us and we hope to see you again soon!
Written 2 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Anastasia C
Melbourne, Australia5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
We visited Australian Butterfly Sanctuary this morning and have to say we were left disappointed. Firstly, A family pass (2 adults and 2 children) is offered at the sanctuary, however we were charged as three adults and two children. We thought we would be charged as a family and plus one adult. This was also not rectified when brought to the staff members attention. The butterfly was large and had many interesting ferns and plants, however few butterflies. We spotted only two whilst we wandered through, we saw more at Barron falls later that day. It was interesting to view the moth nursery, that housed three caterpillars on display. The education material was readily available with quizzes as you walk through the park. Ultimately though, we had come to the park to observe butterflies and with so few in such a large space this was hard to do.

We were later told by the Bird Sanctuary close by that they have a dual pass with the Butterfly Sanctuary which we had not be informed about when buying our butterfly tickets. It amazing it is the largest sanctuary in the Australian and has been running a long time so hopefully feedback is received as constructive and future customers have a better experience.
Written 9 January 2022
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.

Bonnie
Daintree, Australia69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Friends
I was recently given the wonderful opportunity to come visit the Butterfly Sanctuary on business and had an amazing experience! The staff that work there are incredibly kind and helpful, tickets are very affordable and the aviary is beautifully laid out. It’s wheelchair friendly and easy to navigate. As you walk through the gardens they have fun facts displayed around along with information about the species they have on display. They also have a breeding laboratory on site and a museum full of amazing specimens as you exit. I would definitely recommend visiting while in Kuranda, the Sanctuary has something for all ages!
Written 19 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 your wonderful review. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed our visit and that our team made it even better for you. We hope to see you again soon :)
Written 28 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kate
Gawler, Australia31 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
I forced my husband to go here on a friends recommendation. When we walked in I had a butterfly land on my shoulder and stay for a little sit, unfortunately it wasn't long enough to get a photo or anything but it was very nice (got to remember these are not trained animals). The main 'sanctuary' part was quite nice and had lot of beautiful butterfly to watch and look at. There was a lot of information along the walk to take in and I found it very educational, however...... (& I understand there would be a lot of dependence on funding and donations) this was very over priced for what it was at $20 per head. Apart for the laboratory and main aviary the rest of the place seemed cheap and run down. In need of a good referb and some TLC. I felt bad dragging my husband there for what it was.
Written 2 June 2021
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 Kate, Lovely to hear you had butterflies land on you, how very lucky! Glad to hear you enjoyed watching the butterflies and found the experience educational. We do not receive funding or donations at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, we rely solely on visitor entry to fund the operation of the sanctuary. We focus our funds at all times in the best interest of our wildlife, including sustainable breeding and conservation. Sorry to hear that the premises did not meet your expectations, we make sure at all times that the sanctuary is kept clean, tidy, and follows all COVID Safe practices.
Written 13 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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