San Diego Zoo
The World Famous San Diego Zoo is home to over 3,700 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies. Not only that, but the San Diego Zoo also has a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants. Get acquainted with a variety of animals, from the King of the Jungle to some of the biggest cats! Be bold and check out the reptiles, fish, and creepy-crawly insects!
You’ll see all your classic favorites, like the Monkey Trails, Polar Bear Plunge, Scripps Aviary, Elephant Odyssey, Tiger River, and also the popular “Early Morning with Pandas” tour. All animals live in an environment remarkably similar to their native habitat. One of the best ways to enjoy the Zoo is on their 35- minute narrated tour. The tour is on a double-decker bus and covers about 70 percent of the Zoo. The zoo has an excellent planner for your day at the park.

There is a sky tram located near the park entrance that will take you directly to the large Africa exhibit with the lions, elephants, and secretary birds. It's a handy shortcut.
Also, expect all of the food to cost twice as much.
The staff and volunteers were all so amazing. Every one that we interacted with were all so knowledgeable and courteous. They were even so nice to share some tips with us to make our trip even more enjoyable. The areas throughout were clean and well maintained. The food was great and fairly priced. We didn't do any tours and instead chose to walk the whole time. The paths were at times confusing but we eventually figured out where we needed to go.
The only negative thing i have to say is that a lot of animals were either not available to see or were in areas of there enclosures that were hard to see for kids let alone adults at times. Other than that our kids and us had a great time. We wished we lived closer so we could go more often.
Well done San Diego Zoo!
The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cage less exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats. For decades, the zoo housed and successfully bred giant pandas, though the pandas were repatriated to China in 2019.
With more than 4 million visitors in 2018, San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoo in the United States. Travelers have also cited it as one of the best zoos in the world.
I suggested you download the Zoo APP before you arrive. It is a GREEN tour guide that is very informative and easy to use. We used the zoo app to search for specific animal questions and locations. Then the app directed us to the animal step by step. Since we used the App, we were able to see more animals than expected.
If you want general animal for a zoo gift buy it at the main entrance. I bought a very cute sweatshirt at the main entrance of the Zoo for myself. Remember each part of the zoo has a gift shop. The gifts items are directly related to animals in that area.
100% Satisfactory, Volunteers Thank you for treating the animal with the respect they deserve.
More spots in park. It was so shaded and cool that walking around was not so demanding. The different plant species and water falls were so beautiful. Also the aviaries were just amazing. A
Must see in San Diego
The animals appear to be very well cared for and usually easy to see moving around and playing. The staff are all very friendly and helpful.
Very grateful that they accept out of state visitors without extra restrictions. We’ll be back!
Overall rating was to my satisfaction. It's been a week from visit and my partner and I feel fine but that's not to say anyone may be so fortunate. Take care
The zoo is just a great place to spend the day at and enjoy the great San Diego weather.
The terrain can be challenging at times so I love that I don’t have to rush because I have the whole year to come back. The animal are so amazing and the grounds are just gorgeous. There are restaurants and pit stops along the way if I get hungry or thirsty. Restrooms are all along the paths if needed. They have electric wheelchairs for rent if you are handicapped and need assistance. They have COVID screening as you enter the park. The lines in the morning go really fast. Buy a season pass it’s so worth it!
I leaned my back on a tree for about a minute while hundreds of ants swarmed my back. I didn't notice until I commented on the number of ants on my arm and one of my mates actually looked at my back and noticed the black swarm slowly consuming my body. I ended up taking off my shirt off. I have felt very self conscious, I barely take my shirt off when I shower. Because I felt slightly embarrassed I had to take off one star.
I'm really glad that they had to monitor how many people were able to go in at a time. If it was able to have 100 percent capacity this place would have felt WAT too crowded. My dad and I only spent an hour here and saw everything at a leisurely pace. I had a great time getting to feel the aquatic creatures in the tide pool area out back!
The staff were very friendly and informative. We got to witness a member of staff placing a baby koala in their habitat. She was very enthusiastic and engaging. I wish I could post the video, but am unsure how. 🤦♀️
They enforced the wearing of masks and keeping a distance of 6 feet or more between park guests.
The overall atmosphere was charming, friendly, and personal. I highly recommend a trip to this zoo!
Everyone is so very helpful and knowledgeable!
The dining is very good as well.
We ate at Alberts and were thrilled with food and service.
Do not miss this zoo!!
Highly recommend zoo. Very clean and respectful to the animals.
I recommend walking toward the back and taking the bus on your way to the front. Expect to walk ALOT if you intend on seeing all the animals. The terrain is hilly, so wear good shoes and get a good stretch in before you.
We loved the polar bear exhibit! And it was awesome to be able to get right up close face to face with an endangered tiger. I loved the emphasis the Zoo has on animal conservation and especially loved the exhibit that showed the past animals of California!
Contact the San Diego Zoo