Welcome to
the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia
Located in the heart of Kuranda, only a short walk from Skyrail and the Kuranda Scenic Railway station, our sanctuary is home to over 1,200 butterflies from a variety of species.
You’ll be enchanted by these elusive wonders of nature as you wander through the aviary’s boardwalks and gardens.
True Australian Wildlife Experiences
Things to do in Kuranda
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in the Southern Hemisphere.
Home to 1,200 tropical butterflies, the sanctuary is an all-weather experience in the heart of Kuranda.
Walk amid boardwalks and gardens, letting vibrant butterflies flutter around you. You can also join a tour behind the scenes in the breeding laboratory, housing up to 4,000 caterpillars, or download a free audio tour. Learn more about these magical creatures with our educational exhibits. Observe a butterfly wing through a microscope, Silk Moth caterpillars, the massive Hercules Moth, and the insects in our Mini Beasts display. See through the eyes of a butterfly in the UV Room and be amazed at butterflies from all over the globe in our museum displays.
Learn about caterpillar food host plants and how they are used in our laboratory on our new food plant walk. Our butterflies are reared on the premises. Our laboratory staff collect eggs daily and ‘hand-raise’ the caterpillars right through to the chrysalis stage, until they are released as butterflies into the aviary daily.
It’s time
Plan Your Visit
Open daily from 9:30am – 3:30pm, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is located heart of Kuranda Village a 30 minute drive from Cairns for those who have their own transport.
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is also commonly visited as part of Kuranda Day Tours that can include Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic Railway. We recommend you look at Tropic Wings Tours and Charters who offer daily departures of their Grand Kuranda tours. If you’re looking for public transport, Trans North operates a few services from Cairns daily that stop in Kuranda.
Mareeba / Tablelands
Smithfield / Cairns City
Barron Falls
Kuranda
Rainforestation
Located at 1030 Kennedy Hwy, Kuranda
Kuranda Scenic Railway Station
Skyrail Kuranda Terminal
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
Sustainability
Our Commitment
Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary in Australia and prides itself on providing a quality and unique wildlife experience since 1987. Home to over 1,200 magnificent tropical butterflies, we are self-sustaining in our butterfly breeding programme – which means no butterflies are taken from their natural environment. No other butterfly sanctuary in the world provides all of its own stock.
We are committed to a sensitive treatment of our environmental resources, wildlife and we are strongly connected to our local community. We believe that we can make a positive impact by our sustainable practices, educating our employees and locals, and providing exceptional service and memorable moments to our visitors.
What people are saying
Our Testimonials
