The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary Cairns, Australia

Welcome to a world of butterflies. At the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary more than 1500 colourful tropical butterflies - all residents of the local area - flutter around their enclosure in complete safety.
The magnificent blue Ulysses butterfly and the massive Australian Birdwing butterfly live here.

The aviary is designed to recreate the butterfly's natural habitat. It has a running stream and native tropical plants to enhance the authenticity. The sanctuary has been open since 1987, and since that time the butterflies have become tame and are relaxed around people. They frequently land on visitors as they walk through the park, and you can examine the living specimens close-up.

We recommend wearing red clothing when you visit the sanctuary, because the butterflies will be attracted to you. Make sure you bring a camera to capture the experience!

Opening Times

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is open every day except Christmas day. Gates open at 9.45am and close at 4.00pm.

The Guided tours starting at 10.00 a.m. and the last tour leaves at 3.15 p.m. The tours can be provided in five languages – English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
For groups over 10 people, bookings are essential.