San Diego Zoo Reviews

The well-maintained grounds are as delightful as the animals! Like a botanical garden and a zoo in one. Great layout, loved the open feel with large enclosures.

Park visit is always great,however, there's always room for improvement. We feel there could be more employees around the park to better assist in directions, there should be a large sign upon entering notifying which exhibits are closed, or animals not available to see. Wait times for certain exhibits should be displayed (panda exhibit line was ridiculous). We feel that there should be more signage leading to each animal area. Because of the many levels, the interactive map on app should be a little more precise, maybe even adding a compass feature always pointing north. Perhaps adding water bottle filling fountains would be nice for those that carry containers for the hours walking through the park.
When leaving the park, the parking lot could use more lighting and again, better signage. Most of the isles had tree branches covering the signs.
These are just a few things that fell a bit short in the otherwise nice day we spent today.

Its a great place but be prepared for the walk its alot of up and down on some very steep paths. But you go get to see alot of animals

We enjoyed a memorable field day at the San Diego Zoo with my wife and our daughters. There was a wealth of activities, discoveries, and experiences to explore, making it a grand and engaging adventure for everyone.

Really good experience! I saw all the animals was being taken care of so well. The whole Zoo is big and beautiful, with a large number of kinds of animals. The organization of the zoo is also well designed and you can move on a whole round without walking back and forth

Scott was a wonderful bus driver / tour guide. I loved learning about the plants. It was a hot day, so we did not see any bears. The polar bear is seldom to be seen.

Very large, hard to navigate. Large spaces for the animals to roam. Food very expensive. Disappointed in the panda exhibit. We stood in line for half an hour to see two pandas sleeping. The tour bus ride was informative. Saw more from the bus than by walking.

We are members and can visit for a couple of hours at a time and do something different every time. We spent a lot of time with the reptiles and bugs this time. And we experienced 2 animal ambassador events. The food, while pricey, better than most theme parks (looking at you Disney and your hockey puck burgers)

I've been taking my baby girl to the zoo while on maternity leave and the volunteers and employees in the red shirts are always so friendly and knowledgeable about the park and animals. I always have a good time and I am looking forward to bringing my toddler for a full family day.

I have an annual membership and enjoy going after work. When the zoo its open late, I can make the most of it and stay for 2 or 3 hours

SanDiego zoo is incredible! It far exceeded our ecxpectations. The zoo was well maintained and the animals were very well cared for. There was so much to see and do. If visiting the area it is a must see!

What a great experience! Would definitely go back again and spend more time . You definitely need a few breaks along the way as the zoo is massive .

After 40 years plus years of saying I wanted to go to this zoo I finally accomplished, even if for just a half day after a conference. Fabulous, bus ride thru zoo and tram ride and lots of walking. Great exhibits to see animals

We had a great first time zoo visit. Arrived right before opening and headed towards pandas at 9am. Got to high bridge and asked a volunteer about the pandas opening time (we missed the sign). We were 1.5 hrs too early! She gave us great advice to head towards elephant odyssey area (see whole area) & then stay on loop and next to explore entire Africa Rocks area & then follow loop down to Asian passage area. We were in the line to see the pandas at 1015a (opening at 1030). Note on high bridge (thanks to another volunteer) we could look down into panda area & see 1 panda sleeping. Had nice sit down lunch (outside by waterfall) soup & garlic cheese breads. Delicious.

Olivia, our tour guide, was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and sweet. The gardens were beautiful and animals were very well taken are of. I would highly recommend the zoo for anyone of any age!

This place is so delightful! Sparks joy and wander with the kiddos and is a great educational experience. Plus their attention to detail with the lights is inspiring.

Good trip since it was early hour for members. Got to see a lot of animals feeding. Started to get busy by 10;00 but I enjoyed myself.

The time today was great like always. We renewed our passes after letting them lapse for a few years. I was disappointed that there are no free passes to give to family and friends to get them interested in buying zoo passes. Also, the prices have increased, which makes it harder for some seniors to be able to afford the zoo passes.

Had a bast with some great people! Amazing animals and exhibits, and so much to see! Perfect weather and super friendly staff! Hope to come back next year!!! 😃

San Diego Zoo remains a place that is an enjoyable experience. Always well maintained, managed and staffed. We have season passes and come monthly. Love to see the animals. Inspiring.

Jingle Bells was good. I love the lights at night. It did feel a bit underwhelming, though. It didn’t feel as big as past years. I also feel there should be special pricing for guests who only want to come see the lights at night.

It seemed that some people did not realize that the Scripps Aviary was the stroller friendly route. I saw somebody take the stairs instead while carrying the stroller down. Im not sure if a sign is posted. But, anyways, I loved the guides there. They are always a lot of help with directions. Also, we absolutely love the Scripps Aviary and the other Aviaries in Africa Rocks. Theyre super beautiful and the kids love them too.

Great staff and plenty of Restrooms! Staff was very friendly to me and my son during our visit on the 28th of December 2025.

All staff were friendly & helpful. The facilities were clean and there was so many beautiful, well maintained exhibits. Having the sky ride and tour bus included in the general admission makes the price an excellent value.

As a New Zealander who has visited Australia Zoo, Singapore Zoo, Wellington and Auckland Zoos, San Diego Zoo is extremely overrated.

It may be a lot larger with more animals but there is such a thing as having a zoo that is too big. It’s too much to see in one day and if you’ve visited those other zoos I mention you really are not going to see much you haven’t seen before, and in general you’ll have seen them in much nicer enclosures. Many of the enclosures were too small, with dated cages and depressed looking animals.

Luckily we took a packed lunch as the zoo was absolutely heaving with massive queues for food and a 40 minute wait to go on the gondola.

There were endless buses going past with loud commentary’s and the whole thing was pretty much a nope from us.

Perhaps at one time this was the best in the world but Australia Zoo, Wellington and Auckland Zoos are streets ahead of this. (I haven’t been to Singapore Zoo for 25 years so can’t comment).

I expected so much more. Where were the modern open enclosures with moats? Just cage after cage or depressing concrete pits.

Flamingoes were great though.

I have been a member for many years and I still marvel at how each visit offers something new to see or learn about. It truly is the finest zoo

Wonderful experience at the zoo! The San Diego zoo has a variety of animals housed in environments that stimulate their curiosity. The volunteers are so helpful. Wear walking shoes because this place is BIG! When resting your tired feet, there are places to stop and enjoy. Seeing pandas was a big plus

We had a great time at the Zoo. We came for the HaGloween event and watched a couple shows. It did not disappoint. Great for the whole family. We really enjoyed the Mariachi concert.

I love that I enjoyed it so much. I went with my two granddaughters and my brother we have so much fun and hopefully we'll be back soon. We got the year pass. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Amazing halgloween shows, my kids loved them, the performers at the spooky revue and the spider web are great, caught the attention of young kids at all times.
Dusty keys and boo crew were pretty fun and leaving the dj for the last part of our day was the best way to close it.

The park was beautifully maintained and well organized. The layout was very easy to maneuver around. We had an amazing time

Enjoyed the tour bus and walking around tour beautiful park like setting. Very interesting trees and vegetation added to the animals and their habitat. Somewhat challenging deciding the path to take but it was an adventure worth exploring.

Greate time with my family, clean restrooms, intallations and operations, my kids spend nice time in playgraund area also, and show at night.

It’s really great to Visit the San Diego Zoo. Amazing experience. Very knowledgeable ans helpful staff to guide you every where to have the best experience.

Wonderful day not too hot. Animals were out. And the food is always good. Staff is helpful. Just a wonderful place to go and see beautiful animals and exquisite plants

Best zoo experience. You can tell San Diego Zoo has put thought in to every animal, plant and experience. I was worried about not doing research beforehand and heard the zoo it's too big to navigate, but the bus tour and advice from the staff helped make it all work. Also, 100% recommended using the app. It helped navigate the park and events during the day very easily. Best park app I've used so far.

We had a fanatic time! The volunteers and keepers were especially helpful! They were very knowledgeable and great at answering questions!

It's big zoo and we weren't able to get to everything, unfortunately. Especially since some of our members were older. Some extra benches or ADA would have helped. We did also have a hard time finding water bottle refilling stations. The mesh on the exhibits also made it harder to take good not-professional photos, but we do understand the need to keep animals and guests separated.

But overall we plan on coming back some time and with our "lessons learned" (i.e. bigger zoo than expected, directions, bigger waterbottles, planning for additional days) we are going to again have a fantastic time!

Thank you for such a wonderful experience!

Zoo staff were kind and extremely helpful. The Zoo app is WONDERFUL - especially the interactive map with directions. I can't wait to come back!

All of the volunteers were helpful and knowledgeable. The zoo was clean. The animals had large enclosures. I was able to see a gorilla and an orangutan up close!

What a beautiful zoo!! So lush and green and the animals that we saw, I am still in awe!! There was something for everyone for my family to see. We loved the zoo!!

The zoo is always a wonderful experience and it is especially wonderful at the holidays. The kids enjoyed visiting with Santa. A family tradition

The zoo was very good with a wide variety of animals and well-maintained exhibits. We really enjoyed exploring the different sections. However, the animal shows could be improved — they can be made more engaging and interactive for visitors. Overall, it’s a great place to visit, but enhancing the shows would make the experience even better.

Great place and everyone is very helpful. Clean bathrooms and the animal exhibits was perfect. Would highly recommend going

Very well maintained and beautiful habitat for all animals. Loved the experience. The guided bus tour and sky trail were amazing too.

It was a perfect day at the zoo!! The animals were lively. We started with the tram and had the best tour guide!! Her name was Grabi!! She loved the plants which we love too!! The gorillas were the highlight of my trip!! They were playful and bit ornery!

We have a season pass and can’t believe we haven’t been here as much as we should have!

Had a great day with the family. We came from Salt Lake City, Utah to see the Fossa. My grandson was excited. We also enjoyed the sky ride. Well kept grounds and friendly staff.

Genuinely so fun and educational. Had an amazing time. The animals were so fascinating and they were just out and about chilling.

Loved it. Our family of 6 was entertained the entire day and still had so many things we wished we could do. We loved the Skyfari and seeing the zoo through the tour bus to introduce us for the day.

Stunning Zoo! An absolute treat while on our visit from New Zealand! Hoping to come back again before we head off home at the end of January! My son loved getting to see the Komodo Dragon!!!

This was a amazing experience to go see all the zoo had to offer! It was good weather, the staff was amazing, and the animals where active!!! I would recommend to any animal lover. 10/10 experience.

This was the best zoo I have ever been to. We traveled for over 12 hours to come and it was worth it! The zoo was clean and had plenty of shade. The food options were good but my mother in-law is gluten free and there were not a lot of options for her. We were able to see almost every animal. We loved that each enclosure had multiple viewing spots. We were easily able to get help when needed and the employees were so friendly! We can't wait to visit again. My suggestion for the app would be to use the printed map as the map in the app and be able to mark off where you have already been in the zoo on the app.

Great experience but expensive
Not many animals out to view
Great walking experience though for exercises
Would love to go with all my family but very pricy

Took my wife and grandson on a later afternoon walk thru the San Diego Zoo. Amazing and was able to see the lions growl before the sunset. The animals were more active as we were able to the the mountain lions roaming in their pen. Was just a beautiful late afternoon experience.

So many cool animals, in a beautiful botanical setting. The staff really care about making this place special, and it shows! From the volunteers to the people who work with the animals, we were impressed by how much everyone was involved not only in the day to day, but the behind the scenes conservation efforts of this zoo. We especially love the Polar Bear plunge, and the amount of space the animals had like the elephants, baboons, orangutans, and leopards. Such a great day!

Megan in the Membership Booth was extremely helpful. We have an autistic teen who was becoming increasingly overwhelmed and had decided to head home when we came across Megan in the booth. Megan carefully and calmly explained the Kulture City program which not only calmed our teen in the moment but Also helped them to feel like they’ll be calmer on their return trips and even excited to come back!
Megan Made our visit So Much better and deserves A Ton of praise for being such an amazing ambassador!!!

The zoo was amazing, tons of animals out to see. All the staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful. The early morning Panda walk was great got to see the female being active, can't wait to return.

It was our family’s first-ever zoo experience, and we had an absolute blast! I asked my husband to take us to the San Diego Zoo for my birthday so our toddler could see and experience all the amazing animals—and honestly, I enjoyed it just as much as he did! We got there around 2 PM, and those four hours flew by so fast. Definitely planning to come back next time for a longer adventure! ☺️

A little expensive but they have a zoo to feed. Enjoyed it. Tired and happy. Lots of awesome and good looking animals. I would recommend this for people of all ages.

A very special zoo, with beautiful animals, very well cared for, in the middle of a nice setting, with varied vegetation from various countries, easy to walk, sensational.

My husband and I have been to a number of zoos, and while we were excited to bring our kids (4 yo and 15 mo) to the San Diego zoo we wanted to keep our expectations in check. We are from MN, and the weather was absolutely perfect ( first week in December, high 60s and sunny). The entire experience far exceeded our unchecked expectations. The volunteer zoo staff were so helpful, engaged, and knowledgeable. Particularly, the best advice we got was from a volunteer member who gave us the perfect plan for hitting the entire back part of the zoo without having to double back or push the double stroller up all the hills- it was better planning than anything we came up with or found online. We ended up seeing almost all the animal exhibits over about 3 hours (kids mostly wanted to stay in the stroller which did allow us to move faster). We stayed for 7 hours, which was far longer than we thought we’d stay, but low crowds, no wait time or lines, and so much to see/experience.
The zoo was immaculate- very clean, great signage, an amazing app with live location mapping/directions to every exhibit. The exhibits are well thought out with habitats and enrichment activities that don’t leave you with the slightly sad flavor of some other zoos and seeing animals in captivity. The conservation work and wildlife care here is truly admirable. The spineless exhibit and basecamp was so engaging for the kids- I was impressed how much my 4 yo, who is much more inclined toward larger fur covered animals and usually shuns insects, really enjoyed herself in that exhibit. 100% would do it all again. We didn’t even make it to the safari park, but look forward to a return trip when the kiddos are a touch older.

A lot of lights were out on the trails throughout tiger and Gorilla exhibits.....................................

The San Diego zoo was an exceptional way to spend the afternoon while visiting family. The whole experience was a smooth event, parking, walk to exhibits and the tour bus. Highly recommend the SD Zoo.

Excellent zoo! Wonderful staff, especially the volunteer workers. We encountered at least two volunteers who were so kind, friendly and helpful. The zoo app is also a wonderful tool. I highly suggest people use it. The sky tram is another great experience at the zoo. We elected to visit the zoo from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so almost the whole day. They open at 9:00 a.m., but we arrived early to take pictures outside and see the opening presentation show. The food there was also great! We ate at Front Street Sweet Shack and we enjoyed our food. Overall, it was a fantastic day!

We had a fantastic time! The weather was amazing and the animals were beautiful. We got to see every animal we set out to see, except the polar bears. But that was ok. We saw the rest of our favorites. What a great day!

So well designed there’s a surprise around every corner. So well designed there’s a surprise around every corner. So well designed there’s a surprise around every corner.

Excellent customer service from the staff. Well maintained zoo and the restrooms are clean. Be ready for a long walk and hike.

We had a wonderful time. Went for my toddler's 4th birthday and he loved it. Due to the Halloween event we were able to see everything since they didn't close till 9pm. It was a fun experience. We will be coming back soon.

Excellent experience for the whole family. Staff were friendly and helpful. Admission fee is reasonable. The App is super useful for navigating the park.

Everything was amazing, the kids were happy as a hippo al day long. The food was good and the stores had a lot of options. I went with my 7 year old and 9 year old.

I’ve always wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo since I was a child. Went at 35 years old and was absolutely amazed! Spent 5.5 hours all over the zoo and it was just incredible seeing all the animals. Arrive early because it’s a huge zoo but absolutely worth it!

The zoo is my happy place. I've yet to see a sloth but I'll keep coming 😁. Just thankful that its here and I can come as often as I need to have a piece of mind. My membership was a wedding gift from my Wife- best gift ever!!

It was a wonderful experience and it made us feel good to know that everything we purchased in the park goes to wildlife conservation.

The bus tour made all the difference, awesome start to the day. Top tier zoo and huge!! Clean and well taken care of. Suggestion to the app under “Plan” - auto alphabetize the animals you picked, or be able to search the animals. We clicked a lot so sometimes had a hard time finding the ones we were looking for.

We had such a great time at the San Diego Zoo! We did the giraffe feeding at 11:30am and had a fabulous time doing that! A total highlight!

It's a modern, well kept zoo. Feels very calm and tranquil for the animals. The guides and staff are extremely pationate and enthusiastic, friendly and helpful. Our teenage kids were engaged and enthralled all day long until closing time.

Easy walking visite and Animals are get best take care. Very clean and nice organization, gift shops and restaurants are nice, a lot of options

Fantastic, beautiful zoo with an incredible range of animals. Friendly helpful staff. I recommend it to anyone in the US or international

Memorable experience with stunning wildlife and scenery. Fee is little high but seems worth it. You can spend all day or at least 3-4 hours. Some spots are crowded like Gorilla and Panda areas. Staff is friendly and helpful. Best for memorable day in San Diego solo, couple or family!

Located in a beautiful park with gorgeous views, the San Diego Zoo was the highlight of my trip. Such an amazing park with so many animals to observe, and each enclosure was so fantastic in design and functionality. The in-app map feature didn't have the best GPS capability, but the park was not difficult to navigate without it. We had an incredible experience.

Need more direction signs. Bring back the kangaroo hopper. Us senior citizens would appreciate it. Perfect day, Sunday morning was the time to go.

Impressed with how the zoo has grown in the years since I lived in San Diego and went often. The area specific foliage is lush & provided cool shade. Enjoyed the bus tour that helped us decide exhibits we wanted to see closer. The Koalas are always my favorite and the Pandas, new to me, were delightful.

Every time I go either on or near Christmas. It has become a tradition with my partner, Noelle. I am taken to a magical place where animals and plants invite you in to get a glimpse into their lives. I truly love and enjoy the Zoo.

San Diego Zoo is its own world. It’s breathtaking around every corner. The habitats are beautiful and so well taken care of, along with the animals.

An unforgettable experience, very clean place, very attentive, recommended for all the family to go for a walk have fun with the family, nice place

Love the animals, staff, and how clean the zoo always is. Always fun taking family and friends to visit both parks. Love the membership and glad it helps for good cause.

Better signage to get faster to animals that visitors choose to go first, add more language schedules on the bus tour, put signs on animals instead of screens (example the reptile area) that in several species do not work those screens

Great experience thank you, kids loved it. Some great captures and don’t miss the overhead tram for the beautiful views. However the polar bear was a miss.

It was the perfect weather for the perfect day! We were able to see so many animals because of the cooler weather. Highly recommend!

Amazing experience from beginning to end! Absolutely world-class exhibits. The kids’ area (we have 4 kids under 7) is fantastic. It feels like every square foot of the park was meticulously designed and cared for. The variety of experiences is incredible; from calming, mind-cleansing aviaries with the sounds of streams and fountains, to the exciting Skyfari aerial tram with panoramic views of Balboa Park, the San Diego city skyline, and exotic wildlife along the way, there’s something for everyone. The staff are all extremely knowledgeable and friendly. And that's just scratching the surface. The San Diego Zoo is a must-visit attraction ❤️

Love the ambiance and it wasn’t as crowded as I thought it was going to be. My toddler and I had a blast and will be returning soon!

Had a great day. Got 2 different times to see the pandas using the QR code. 1st time they were sleeping and didn't see much but the 2nd time the panda was eating and we got great pictures! Highly recommend.

The zoo was beautiful and we saw a lot of great animals and exhibits. There were quite a few animals off exhibit and some unlabeled exhibits so I wasn’t too sure what I was looking for. I would also make the signage for bathrooms more obvious. There are great signs pointing to the general direction of a bathroom but once you get close, some are tucked away and can be hard to find. Overall, still a really great experience but those are things that could be improved on. I know some of the animals being off exhibit was due to the zoo making improvements, but some info on the ones that were there would have been cool. It was a great day.

We had been to the Omaha Zoo twice, and we were all in agreement that Omaha is just the better zoo. No lines, better indoor experiences, etc. We didn't get to see the pandas as the lines were just way too long. If I had done more research, I would have tried to get to the zoo before opening to get in line at the pandas right away. The Skyfari was fun! We did wait in a long line for the buses at the start of the day. I wish we'd saved that for the end of the day (no lines) or skipped it altogether. I don't think it really added much to our trip. Overall, we had fun, but it was very busy and crowded!

The San Diego Zoo is amazing and we had a great time! It was clean & the staff were very friendly! We are from out of state and it wasn't planned, but I'm so glad we went! We had the best time ever! ❤️

Go early! To beat the lines and crowd. It gets pretty busy! I’m would start with the pandas. I didn’t know there was a line for it, but it goes fast. Just be aware that seeing animals is not guaranteed. The weather was gorgeous! Wear sunscreen and or bring a hat if it’s sunny. I stayed at the zoo for a few hours but you can spend the whole day there! Ride the sky tram! It’s really fun and you get to see a good view of the zoo and beyond. I booked my ticket online. Sometimes you can get discounts…just check online or with your hotel!

The zoo was amazing as usual. However, I continue to be disappointed with the maintenance of the reptile exhibit. Many of the enclosures are empty and many others have no label though there is an animal in the tank. It was frustrating for my son to not be able to learn about the animal in the tank.

Wonderful as always. Very busy during this season, but manageable. Well maintained and very festive with the lights. If you’re OK with crowds, it’s a good time to visit. There’s no other zoo like the San Diego Zoo.

We love the San Diego zoo. So much to see and the animals have great habitats . We love the zoo so much we buy memberships even though we live in Florida. The staff and volunteers are very informative about each animal.

We had so much fun! My son has been dreaming of seeing a real panda and you didn’t disappoint. She was very active and so cute!

Everything was perfect. From the early morning with the pandas to the gorillas. We enjoyed the bus ride and the sky ride. It was a fun day

Had an amazing experience at the zoo with my family. There is a lot of walking do don't forget your kids' stroller. We were excited to see the panda but there was a long line and the panda was hiding behind a rock. I recommend doing other things and saving the panda for the end. It's better to go earlier to beat the crowds. It does take up the whole day.

This was my fourth or fifth time at the zoo in the 3 years I’ve lived in California. Anytime that my family goes on vacation a museum and a zoo are always on the list. We just love animals. When my family visited from out of state, they absolutely loved it even if we didn’t have the best view of all of the animals the experience is what is most important. We all were able to see our favorite animals (or enjoy the animals we did see if we don’t have a favorite). Thank you San Diego Zoo for giving them a positive experience to brag about when they go home, and from me for believing this is one of the best zoos in the United States.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visits to the zoo. We purchased the membership for seniors and we're able to visit several times while visiting from Ohio with family.
Our grandson loved the gondola ride and the water park.

Really great day inside the park! Traffic into the parking lot was awful though, it took about 45 min to drive less than a mile in and there was no staff directing cars where to find parking. Everything was super:)

Amazing day and enjoyed our tour with LJ - she was very knowledgeable and showed her passion to learn. She made the tour even better!

Had a great time. Most all the animals were up and about. Enjoyed the churro ice cream. Weather was perfect and so was our visit!

My wife and I hadn’t been to the SD Zoo in over a decade. We waited too long. An incredible experience. We had the best day! A must for anyone visiting the city.

The zoo is super cute, I was helped by a volunteer, Paul, to plan my visit and it was the best advice. When I entered I separated my turn to see the pandas and with that I started with the koalas, the giraffes, the pandas and I went in the recommended order. I couldn't see the reptiles and I couldn't get on the cable car either but it was a great day.
I hope to return.

We had a great time i cam from sacramento for my birthday and so glad i did i have been to meny zoos and this was the best yet!!! So clean the enclosures where so nice i give it 5 stars!!!

Great visit! Loved the exhibits, especially the new “base camp” exhibits. The food prices are too expensive though! $15 milkshakes??

Perfect day at the zoo with my family.
Lovely San Diego weather, the incredible landscaping and all the amazing animals! Such a soothing vibe.

First time back after 30 years. Met Sally at the front. She was so kind and patient. She helped me download the app, a few features, explained the activities scheduled and recommended starting on the tour bus. My son heard her and was so excited.

First time to the San Diego zoo after recommendations from friends for years. Well worth the visit. Beautiful zoo! Can’t wait to come back and see all the creatures we missed.

Do the bus ride first. Its included with admission and covers alot of ground so you dont have to walk to all the exhibits. You can take food in too . Awesome zoo I know why it's world famous. Highly recommend. May need more than 1 day to see all.

We loved our visit. Started out with the bus tour to get a feel for the layout. Guide was excellent (sad that I don’t recall his name). All staff was friendly & helpful.

We then walked all over to see all the exhibits and also took the tram.

We’ll be back next time we’re in town.

We did the Inside Look Deluxe - Crazy about Cats with Jaime. It was an amazing experience. We got to see cats up close with a lot of information about them. The educational exposure to the caracal was fantastic. We learned a lot about a cat with which we were not that familiar.

The DJ didn’t play “La cumbia de Frankenstein” we went in the Halgloween “
No entendió la vibra
But everything was fun would like can be more interactive or immersive that would be awesome

I’ve been to many zoos in my life — around seven, including those in London and Paris — and I have to say, reviewers are right: the San Diego Zoo truly has something special. It’s home to many rare and endangered animals, and visiting on a quiet day was an amazing experience.
That said, I did notice a few things that made me a bit sad. One of the two gorillas we saw, the non dominant one, seemed to have a skin issue with blood on her right arm and was looking for lettuce to soothe it. The anteaters looked somewhat restless, perhaps trying to find a way out — something I’d never seen before, as they’re usually calm animals. The tiger and jaguar were pacing near their gates, appearing hungry or seeking attention through roar. Maybe providing them with more enrichment, like fresh meat or live prey simulations, would help.
Finally, one of the sleeping polar bears seemed uneasy, moving her head repeatedly and breathing rapidly — understandable given that this isn’t her natural habitat. On the other hand, Pandas are wonderful to see, but I do think they’re are a bit oversold compared to the zoo’s many other rare and fascinating animals. Mentioning that they are diplomatic gift could also remind how wildlife conservation often intertwines with international cooperation.
Overall, it’s an incredible zoo that deserves its reputation, but I hope some of the animals can receive a bit more stimulation and comfort in their environments with science prioritized over entertainment.

I Loved the Frozen Magaritas...
The were so vible it was awesome to be able to see almost all of them. Plus we took the tour and that was soooooo worth it...

Wow. Just wow. Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo is absolutely magical, with stunning light displays that transform the zoo into a glowing wonderland—and each year it truly gets better and better. Dr. Zoolittle’s show was hilarious and a highlight of the night. Seeing the baby giraffes and watching the koalas happily munch on eucalyptus made the experience even more special. It’s always a joy to learn more about the amazing animals on our earth—an unforgettable and beautiful evening. ✨🦒🐨

The San Diego Zoo exceeding our expectations in every way. The enclosures for the animals are very well thought out ensuring the animals have back of house places to go if they want "off" time and aren't stuck on display all day. The enclosures are large and have lots of enrichment available.
The flora and fauna surrounding the pathways is amazing. It's nice and shady throughout the entire park.
The only issue we had was navigating the map. It shows pathways that.you aren't actually allowed to go on as they are four the tour bus only. It was confusing.

Amazing experience with the kids, we had a lovely time , variety of food , drink options, we loved every thing about it , strollers friendly

The San Diego Zoo is a treasure! My son, wife, and I enjoyed the experience and will definitely be back to see the safari park. Prices were reasonable for food and admission, and the tour bus guy from Minnesota was superb!

It was very nice, very clean, great and many animals, but not all of them were seen that was the only bad thing but well my son, loved it

Amazing experience , above all expectations. The vibes felt so good at being there, every step while breathing was like therapy, it felt so good to “get lost” in there. 100/100

We’ve experienced the night time zoo before, but the holiday lights and festivities were UNMATCHED and the kids had a wonderful time!

I had a great experience with my husband and two small children. There are so many animals and there's always something to see and do. The park is well kept and the restrooms are amazingly clean all day. We went on a weekday and there was a decent amount of people there but it certainly wasn't crowded. There are a lot of shaded places to sit and relax. My toddler LOVED the splash pad at the Basecamp! Bring an extra set of clothes for the kiddos. I wish we went there first because my kids were pretty antsy when we arrived. The prices of food and snacks is astronomical so do yourself a favor and bring your own lunch and reusable water bottle. I think what could make this park better is two things: One, there was no water fountain in the Basecamp section, so my husband had to walk from the splash pad all the way past the flamingos to get water. Second, if the map could show the different elevation levels because there is a ton of walking and it's that much more tiring when you walk HILLS. This zoo is not one flat surface. There's hills and bridges to get to different areas of the zoo and people are exhausted when climbing steep hills so it would be nice to know which areas have a special incline to plan accordingly.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to the Zoo. Riding the bus to start, followed by the aerial tram and then starting a trek around the park made us feel like we saw it all!

It was amazing there are so many animals and it is a massive zoo with a variety of animals. My younger cousins were thrilled and running high on energy all day seeing the different animals, I suggest you go soon.

I really appreciate the links to the ancestry of modern animals as well as the descendants of ancient ones.Hearing about connections between unlikely animals was fascinating.Learning about preservation efforts and how the zoo is a nonprofit and connected to those, along with practical ideas.As to how one might participate in small ways.

Was a cloudy day, so the animals weren’t as active. Such a great place to walk. Being a member lets us stop by for short visits (or long) whenever we can.

Bus tour was amazing. I couldn’t meet Panda because of long waiting line. But I met many kinds of other animals. My kid said it was best day for her.

This is probably one of the most beautiful well maintained properties I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I told my family I felt like we paid to visit a botanical garden and the animals were just a spectacular bonus!

The entire experience was amazing, team members are very welcoming and helpful. We got to see most of the animals so that’s a win!

From the tour bus, to the sky tram, to the animals this zoo has it all. Definitely put it on your to do list, you won’t be disappointed!
Plus don’t forget the giant pandas (get your free timed admission to Panda Ridge so you don’t have to wait in line).

Clean. The bus trip was the best. We started off with it and it gave us a good idea of where everything is. The workers and volunteers were friendly. The animals has activities to so. And hearing the animals is magical.

Going on a somewhat rainy day, the bust tour was amazing. The animals were very active too. The San Diego Zoo is an amazing place to go if you are in the San Diego area. 10/10 Recommend to others!

We had a great experience. The park is beautiful and the animals seem very happy and comfortable. The admission price was fair. We stayed the whole day and we were able to see most of the park, but its the off season so their wasnt any lines or crowds. There were volunteers that were informative and helpful. Prices have really sky rocketed to the extreme especially for drinks amd food so beware and plan ahead.

Absolutely wonderful! Its a complete zoological experience with the added pleasure of a botanical garden. My second visit and can’t wait for the next one.

We had a great time. We especially enjoyed the VIP Inside Look tour we booked. Getting up close to the animals and getting to speak with the keepers about what they do and get so much information about the beautiful creatures they care for.

We had such a lovely morning at the San Diego Zoo.
The weather was perfect, the animals were active, and everything felt so peaceful and well organized.
It was a wonderful experience, full of smiles and special moments.
Truly a beautiful way to start the day!

Great expierence, awesome ecosystems the pandas was a great show. Also very good distribiution of the park wih good information around it

Despite the morning rain, we had a wonderful experience with the early panda tour. Very knowledgeable guide and access without the crowds to get great pictures of the pandas. Enjoyed the rest of our day learning about the plants and animals, and the important work the zoo does to care and protect these species.

The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are truly magnificent. I am a lifelong socal resident and remember them being amazing as a kid, but my husband bought me a pass for my birthday and I returned for the first time this week as an adult with my 11 month old baby. I appreciate it even more now.

I’m in awe being up close to the animals, all the foliage is fascinating, the employees and volunteers seem to love their jobs and have a true passion for conservation… I could go on. I walked endlessly for two days and there were still parts I probably missed. Can’t wait to go back.

For those who only have a day to visit— download the app and map out your route so you can hit all the exhibits you want to see. Check out Reddit for recommendations and ask the employees for their tips too! They can give you tips on what times certain animals are more active, and may have intel on any new babies that have recently been born.

Even though the overall size of the San Diego Zoo is the same as other zoos I have visited, the amount of walking is far more extensive (due to more pathways/trails and some steep hills). The variety of animals is immense. The staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable. My only critique is that a fair number of the enclosures are far smaller than would be expected for certain animals.

We loved it! It's a beautiful place! It is a wonderful experience to be so close to the animals!
Our favorite activity was feeding the giraffes.

Love that there are a lot of trees and plants to keep you cool. The kids play area with the water was a hit with my 7 & 5 year olds. They were pretty excited about the bug and reptile exhibit. I do wish there was self ordering options at the Busy Bee Cafe as ordering was chaotic and you had to repeat your order at two different stations. Seems like that would speed up service. The food was delicious though. Pre-ordering tickets for the Pandas was a smart move, they told us about it at the front gate. All in all the entire family had a good time. I also wish they had interactive animal info on the app. Like click on the exhibit and get more info on the exhibit and the animals & plants inside.

The San Diego Zoo, as always, did not disappoint! From Giant Panda’s to the rare and endangered Fossa, the Zoo is a refuge and advocate for the conservation of so many species! The volunteer staff is top notch as well, answering questions and providing directions and suggestions with smiles and a caring attitude. Had a great day, and will be back soon!

We had a wonderful time at the San Diego Zoo. We loved it so much we went back a second time during our stay in town. The animals seem very well cared for by a super thoughtful and friendly staff. I can't wait to come back again!

I always enjoy the zoo! Holiday shows were enjoyable and we loved the lights! Only complaint is upkeep or lack thereof the bathrooms, otherwise spotless everywhere else!

Thanksgiving at the zoo, it was busy but manageable. Dinner at Albert's Treehouse was nice. Everyone working was happy and friendly.

It was amazing loved evey bit the bus so informative so clean a must if in sandiego!
Get the honey bun and sit on the upper deck right hand side of bus

Absolutely, our first time taking our baby to the zoo and he loved every bit of it! It was very well laid out and the lost forest was an excellent place for him to take his stroller nap as we walked along. Overall, a great trip

This was our families first visit, it was amazing. We spent the full day exploring, eating snacks, learning about different animals and plants. It would be great if they put in a water bottle refill next to the water fountains.

We arrived in the afternoon and kicked things off with the bus tour, which was absolutely fantastic! Huge shout-out to our driver, Ethan, whose passion and insight made the ride unforgettable. You could tell he genuinely loves sharing his knowledge and positive energy, and it set the perfect tone for the day.
Afterward, we explored nearly every exhibit, and to our delight, the animals were all active and easy to see. That’s not always the case, so it felt extra special to catch so many of them moving around and showing off their personalities.
This visit was especially meaningful because we were celebrating our daughters’ 1st and 3rd birthdays, both their very first trip to the zoo. Watching their faces light up as they discovered the animals was truly priceless.
Overall, it was an experience we’ll treasure forever. Thank you, San Diego Zoo, for everything you do to create such magical moments for families like ours! 🐾💚

Beautiful! Halloween Glow was a nice touch at night! Lots of animals to see, advise to go well before closing as the animals start to get put up in their enclosure for sleep at night!

It was amazing! The staff was very helpful and gave great info about the animals! There was a hilarious part where one o the orangutans was pressing his face up against the glass when the zookeeper left and started rolling around! Overall an amazing experience.

We had a wonderful time at the San Diego Zoo today! We live here in San Diego, are both members — and we need to visit more often! Amazing, educational, and you really get up close and personal with the animals.

Everything about the zoo is top notch but I went for the early hours Sunday and I want to particularly commend the volunteers at each attraction. They are always so knowledgeable and friendly that I learn something new each time I go.

Great visit but patiently waiting for the Owens Aviary to re-open. Would like to see some information about the status of this historic part of the zoo.

Stunning landscaping, complex habitats, and a range of animals make the San Diego zoo a repeat destination for my family

Young man working in the Kettle Corn stand was particularly helpful in explaining the benefits of our bucket and drink cup purchases. We went during the week to avoid excessive numbers of small children, but unfortunately there were many field trips there during our visit. Not the zoo's fault, just unfortunate when that was the basis of the plan. We enjoy being annual members of the zoo very much. We will be back.

Good visit with knowledgeable volunteers. A nice variety of animals. Love that the air team and bus tour were included with the ticket.

We wwnt there with family and my 3 month old, we saw so many animals and birds, all the staff was too much friendly nd responsive.
They answered our all silly queries nd gave us wuth happy smile.

Panda was the best.
Will definitely go again to see remaining trails.

The whole zoo was beautiful, it was like being in a jungle. I loved the reptiles and every plant. The only downside is that there wasn't enough time to explore the entire area. The teriyaki at Hua Mei Café was delicious.The environmental enrichment and environmental education they teach is on another level. The last time I visited I was 8 years old; now I'm 29 and an environmental activist. I hope to return.

Beautiful zoo. A lot of amazing animals. Clean park and clean enclosures for the animals. Plenty of restrooms and vendors with lots of yummy treats.

Amazing time. All of the animals were incredibly active. Great way to spend the entire day. Favorite place in San Diego.

It was nice. There were lots of people, and they gave us a map to follow. There was also a free bus tour. The people who worked there were very nice, so I had a good time.

It is a very large zoo and has tons of animals. Very awesome place and would definitely like to return again. Really enjoyed getting to ride over top of the zoo also. Would probably try one of the tours next time just to try to see more in one day

Excellent place, thank You to have Big and clean spaces for the animals. All park is clean and the employees very kind, congrats

It was actually raining when we first arrived and had rained hard all morning. We signed on for the élite tour and 7 of us were treated to the most wonderful tour. We traveled in a golf cart and were treated to many behind-the-scene areas. Once the rain stopped the animals became unusually active and gave us quite a show. The San Diego Zoo is an amazing place to visit and the work they do is so important to our world. This is as a bucket list item for me and I highly recommend it to you.

Our 2nd visit to the zoo - we ran out of time when we visited 2 years ago. The organisation is amazing and of course the animals so cool - but what we’ve taken away is the importance of the work that goes on here behind the scenes. The care, research and online dating to sustain the vulnerable species is amazing! If only we could replicate this for the human species! Thank you to all your staff, volunteers and supporters - a wonderful place to visit!

Holiday lights were even better than expected; some of the nocturnal animals were up and abou; I rode on the miniature railroad for the first time in decades

Jorge on the Spanish tour was amazing, he explained everything to us clearly and he was very kind.
We met the baby giraffe 🦒

Always wonderful at the zoo! It's beautifully maintained. Animals are well cared for and the plant life is also stunning to see. It's a wonderful experience 100%

Panda morning walking tour was incredible! Our whole day was amazing, but that was the best part. Olivia was an amazing guide.

Fun times with the littles, we appreciated that the app has a navigation function since I haven't been here in so many years. We saw a good amount of animals and we'll be back!

Great day at the zoo!! Love the large elephant enclosure!! Hopefully soon the Jaguar will get a bigger enclosure too. He was pacing anxiously for a very Long time.

The bus safari tour was an excellent way to start our visit to this amazing zoo. The driver/tour guide was excellent and informative and seemed to genuinely love the zoo. After that, around every corner there were amazing and surprising things to discover. The animals seemed active, content, and happy. Better than any zoo or theme park, no more than that, better than any other entertainment experience we have ever seen or heard of. The park is covered in amazing plant life too. Hummingbirds were all over the place exploring the abundance of flowering plant life. The flowers on the banana trees were partially cool. We went on a Wednesday and it was busy but crowds were never a problem. Well worth the price. We have paid more for much less experience at other San Diego area theme parks and venues. Worth the hype, totally.

It was a great day for our school.
Just wish de coffe was a little stronger 😊
Our childreen was so exited whit all the animals we can saw.

I am a member. Was able to take my mom. I was worried about her walking too much.
We were helped by a volunteer to get an ADA bus to take us to the far side by the pandas. So thankful for that. My only complaint is the glass between us and the pandas are so reflective that we can’t get a good picture without the crowd showing up in the picture.
We first took the bus around to see the whole zoo. Loved that.
Of course, love the mission, vision and value of the organization.
Every worker or volunteer we interacted with were so helpful and friendly.
Came at a time where many of the usually sleeping animals were out and about.

We loved the zoo! The grounds and the staff were amazing! The animals were taken care of and so active most of the day! Nice trip!

The zoo was such a fun experience. So many animals to see and so much ground to cover. The bus ride around the zoo was awesome and I got to see so many animals from the right side of the bus. The workers were so knowledgeable about all the animals and welcomed questions.

Very was so nice this was my first time in San Diego zoo I am so happy because i love the animals and this was a very good experience.

Such an impressive zoo. The animals were mostly in view and most of the habitats looked ample. Lots of shade and gorgeous grounds.

We had the best day at the zoo for my husband and I's twentieth anniversary! We love visiting this zoo when we're in town. We haven't been since the pandas came back and they did not disappoint. I love Halloween time at the zoo as well, so much fun!

The best zoo and we saw the pandas! We had a wonderful time and you would have to be there since opening to see it all! Definitely must go!

Amazing experience. We arrived around 10:30am and didn't have enough time to see everything! It's that huge. We are from Indiana and the San Diego Zoo completely dwarfs the Indianapolis Zoo. We had some good food, drinks, shopped around at multiple gift shops, and finished our day with frozen chocolate bananas. We will be back every single time we visit San Diego.

It's always enjoyable to visit the zoo. Plenty of animals to see and watching the staff feed some of them was very entertaining and interesting.

I guess we expected more. Animals were not very close for viewing except for a few. Bus tour at entrance was nice. SOOO much walking (10k steps) and just didn’t see much. Not impressed and a beer was $20, seriously!? Cincinnati Zoo was way better in our opinion.

We visited with 200+ other zoo volunteers as part of our conference. We appreciated that San Diego volunteers were available all over the zoo to help us. So glad we got to see the pandas. They were worth the wait.

Very nice experience. Zoo did eberything to make our visit comfortable. Must visit and highly recommend. Wide variety of animals and zoo took great care of them.

This is one of the largest zoos in the world and has the main zoo as well as a safari park. There are lots of drink stands and bathrooms, and several food options. Some of the zoo isn't accessible by ECV (including the tiger area) which was a major disappointment.

Amazing! I was here for a national Zoo Docent Conference, and everyone was so wonderful! Seeing the Pandas was an emotional, once in a lifetime experience. I’m from the Midwest and am already planning my next trip!

Spent a lot of time in kids Base camp it's concerning to me that there's no lighting in the kids play areas at all. You have multiple night events and there's no lighting in any of them it's hard to track your kids.

It always gets a little crazy in October when I come to the zoo about twice a week. today was perfect nice and cool for the most part. All the animals were active. It definitely wasn’t as crowded being that there was free admission for children this month. Staff was all friendly and smiles as usual. We got there about 10:30 AM in the morning and left at five.

It was a great morning at the San Diego Zoo! We enjoyed seeing the Pandas, Polar Bear, Lions, Tigers, Elephants, Giraffes and so much more. They were all out and active enjoying feeding time!

The different exhibits were amazing, especially the panda and several of the bears. What left me cold were (1) the layout of the park is very confusing. We weren’t the only people struggling to figure out how to get around. A numbering system in some of the park helps, but it’s only in SOME of the park. (2) There is absolutely no healthy snack option anywhere. No fruit, nothing that isn’t a chip, salty popcorn or fried dough. And (3), the facilities all need some refresh or updating. Again, the exhibits themselves were amazing. The park surrounding them didn’t live up to the hype.

After the disappointment of Safari, too expensive for what they offer I must say that the zoo is really nice and well done at an affordable cost 75 dollars each, really a place to see if you have time in San Diego habitats reproduced very well especially where the famous panda lives not to be missed if you have children

As a volunteer, sometimes I have to direct guests with strollers to different areas. Might be good to have directional choice of route with steps and route without steps.

We enjoyed our visit. We stayed about 5 hours . There was a lot to see . The hippos were my favorite . The weather was beautiful .

Bus tour guide was fantastic, really knowledgeable and had great energy. Great view of the animals and while it was a short trip due to time constraints it was a great way to see the highlights of the zoo in a short time.

Good lights. Good trampoline show . Food could be less expensive. Animals were good. Songs were good. Drinks could be less expensive

Incredibly busy day at the zoo but visitors seemed patient and zoo employees kind. The girl at coffee hut was all alone and handled the crazy busy day with grace.

Don't despair there is plenty of time to know everything, the most popular is the panda and we visited almost the funereal as there was a lot of row

The giraffe feeding was very fun! All animals were somewhat active and the food at Sabertooth was good. Even in colder weather, the zoo is a blast.

Staff refused to give me a fountain drink because i didnt buy the souvenir cup that same day.
I went to an other concession stand and had no problem getting our drink.

I love how beautiful the zoo is. It's very clean and for the most part the employees are polite. The animals seem to be well taken care of and are so beautiful.

We enjoyed our first visit to the San Diego Zoo. We were greeted by two helpful volunteers who took our photo under the impressive lion statue. These statues were seen all over the zoo alongside the beautiful foliage. Each habitat was appropriate and we were treated to some very active Lions.
I think we were most impressed with the sheer # of volunteers, their love for the zoo and the obvious training they received. Their knowledge made the zoo a place to learn not only how to get around, but all about the animals their names and their habits.

Great day at the zoo. Saw a whole bunch of different animals. Weekdays in October are the best. Not too crowded. Weather was excellent. Staff and volunteers were very helpful. Be ready for some walking! Lol

Beautiful Grounds, Peaceful Atmosphere, Awesome Animals. A lovely experience through and through - The annual pass gets a 👍🏽

Great costumer service.

All the personnel is super helpful and knowledgeable about the animals and the zoo overall. Thank you for being part of Free October for the kiddos

My husband and I had a fantastic interaction with Matthew at Sydney's Grill. He said he's been working at the zoo for 28 years. He was personable and fun to chat with. He's an asset to the zoo. We look forward to seeing him during our next visit.

We loved every moment at the San Diego Zoo! The koalas and the orangutans were a highlight for us! We spent about a half hour watching the orangutans.

Celebrated my 29th birthday here and the staff and guests were soo friendly and warm it’s a wonderful environment to explore and learn about. One Employee stood out in particular and that was DJ she’s an amazing artist who drew me and it came out amazing she’s located near the food court near the panda exhibit . She made my visit there even more memorable !!!

Lots of walking but so worth it so much knowledge, beautiful animal, a plants it’s an amazing experience! Admission fee might seem steep but for everything you get to see an experience it’s justified! I only stayed for the day so make sure you come early so you can manage to see as much as possible without rushing. Atmosphere is phenomenal, clean, and organized. Don’t get me wrong it’s busy! BUT everything is spaced out enough where it’s not overwhelming. Staff is great so helpful an abundant. Best for you to buy ticket before online so you can just go right in and skip any lines. I just a little confused at first about the panda enclosure but it’s not an extra ticket you have to buy you just have to wait in line cause they only let a few people in at a time. Keep that in mind hope it helps.

we purchased the VIP full day pass. my wife and I loved it. what a great way to visit the zoo and learn up close and personal about the habitats and preservation efforts. in addition having handlers and keepers on hand to answer additional questions. Megan was our tour guide and she was absolutely phenomenal. loved every minute of our experience and we shall return!

We were greeted by the friendly staff at the entrance. My niece and I enjoyed seeing all the animals, they were very active on this day. The weather was perfect and the zoo is kept cleaned.

Great zoo. So well layed out, the availability of the volunteers, and their support and tips made for an excellent trip that captured so many

Good condition of the zoo but structured as a maze, need improvement on the way they put directions. Few exhibits were close and did not put the sign outside but rather inside where the exhibit is, why would they want the visitor go in and see an empty spot? Had high hopes on panda but unfortunately one was under the weather and another was sleeping but the zoo still let the visitor form the 20min long queue just so they can take pictures and ask you to pay for them if you want it, and advertise it as a 15minute experience but instead a 2 minute walk, they could have just closed the exhibit for couple of hours and let them take rest! As the afternoon falls animals do get tired and start hiding or sleeping so going early is better.
Would always prefer the San Diego Zoo Safari over the Zoo from this visit.

Best zoo ever! Their mission is amazing 😻!! The bus tour is a great idea to begin the visit!! Check out the giraffe 🦒 section and get in line sooner for the pandas 🐼

Always an amazing experience! Never disappoint. Keep up the good work! We will be back for more fun in the near future. We love all of the October events.

I loved getting to see the animals up close and how staff and volunteers were an armslength away any time I had a question or looked lost.

Very therapeutic I love watching the animals and after my bus tour decided to visit the monkey trail was very enjoyable.

It was pure magic! Lots to see in a beautiful environment. We spent the entire day there and would be glad to come back for more.

We did not get to see many of the animals and were disappointed. I know you cannot guarantee the animals but we had walked alot in hopes to see at least 1 animal but to no avail.., I think we saw 10% of the animals on exhibit. We watched secrets of the zoo and did not get the same impression.
We enjoyed the bus tour but again hardly any animals were visible or even out. We also enjoyed the skyfari. The food was good.

I came to avoid the afternoon traffic on the 5 fwy. Coming on a weekday was SO MUCH MORE PLEASANT! The staff in general seemed to be more friendly than our last weekend visit and ever so welcoming. The weather was cooler so even the experience with the animals seemed more lively!

My favourite day of my holiday is always a visit to the zoo. Every time I come it feels like I find something new to do and if I can't find something the friendly staff are always on hand to help . You can always find some good food to get you through the day. You need to leave a full day to see as much as possible and even then you struggle to see it all. The cost of admission is actually in my opinion very reasonable and if u order on line u can also get it a little cheaper however as all money goes back into the zoo it's more than worth it. If there is a miner negative from this visit and my last one 3 year ago the kangaroo buses are no more they were so handy more for the help they give my feet at the end of the day getting around .
A massive thank you for what the staff do day in day out to bring us this experience.

We had an amazing time with our toddler during the Halloween celebration at the zoo. We danced, watched pumpkin story, saw the spider show, learnt about tortoises and moved the giant ball of water with pumpkin display on it. Totally worth it.

This was amazing! There were a bunch of animals there, and lots of fun things to do! The price was $152 for one adult and one kid. We also got more stuff. We were there for around 4 hours and never got bored. It was pretty busy but the wrists only took 3-10 minutes. The staff were super kind and knew how to do their jobs really well. Best place for once in a life time experiences. We fed giraffes!

As always, SD Zoo never disappoints. My family thoroughly enjoy the zoo and all the activities it offers. We especially enjoy the gorilla 🦍 and orangutan 🦧 exhibits.

My cousin surprised me and said her and her new husband were coming in to Southern California and we're planning on hitting San Diego for sure. Not only did they get SeaWorld passes but they wanted to go to the zoo as well. I have been thinking about getting a membership and I'm so delighted that I did it was perfect for their visit and I'm glad I am now a card-caring member of the San Diego Zoo!! It feels good to do a tiny part to help. All day long walking around being an actual member now I felt compelled to think about every little thing that happens at the zoo. And every little job. And every special person that it takes keep these animals safe and healthy. I even found myself picking up trash - I actually took the tour through the zoo and the gentleman was talking about the condors and how Wildlife eat trash thinking it's food and how it can harm and even kill them. It struck a nerve because I live at the beach and we're always taught about leave no trace and how harmful our trash among other things can harm the sea life. So it bothered me that I saw popcorn and bits of trash around the park. I could not help myself haha I was picking it up as I was walking it wasn't a lot that's for sure - the place is immaculate. It had just dropped probably from kids it didn't look intentional. My point is, getting a membership changed my experience! We had so much fun today I haven't seen her in a long time and had never met him so it was absolutely perfect to witness the animals doing what they do best which is be magnificent, amazing, funny, and absolutely beautiful. I am beyond grateful to be able to have such a beautiful place to learn about animals and to see them in all their majesty. I've only been one time shamefully but I am honored to now be a member! I will certainly be coming back with frequency!

Amazing experience with so many things to do, we didn’t even come close to seeing everything. Also, there’s plenty of places to eat so we didn’t have to worry about that either. Can’t wait to come back!

This trip was my favorite! I loved the giant lion statue at the front and the real lion kept on roaring lol, I saw this bird in one of the aviaries and I drew a picture of him ^_^ that bird and I are besties. My brother dragged me into the reptile place and I LOVED IT. I saw a hole ton of cute snakes that would probably bite my face off but look so huggable! This trip is genuinely the best!!!!! :3

My experience at the San Diego Zoo was phenomenal. I got to see many of the animals. I wish they had more though. A lot of walking as well which wasn’t great. It was my sixteenth birthday! I was happy with how many of the workers said happy birthday I was very very happy!

The zoo was an amazing experience! We walked the entire thing to skip lines. The hippo exhibit and hummingbird exhibit were awesome. .

Great day, Great zoo. It is disappointing that there are some things you want to see where they make you do a picture. We went early were able to see a lot of animal activity

Get there right when the gate opens to avoid lines and you get to see a cool date drop ceremony they do every day. If you are going on the free Safari bus sit on the right side since most of the animals are on that side.

Always an amazing experience. So clean and the staff are friendly. The animals are always active and it is a new experience every time. This particular time I saw the tiger 10ft away roaring and a chimpanzee playing with kids through the glass.

Enjoyed our visit. Somewhat challenging on navigating through the park. Guides were very helpful. Disappointed that we didn’t see Rhinos and view of Panda was limited. Also hummingbird exhibit was nothing like the experience we had during our last visit which was over 20 years ago which was in August.

It was the perfect birthday gift for my husband, he was so happy it totally worked out! We live near the San Diego Zoo, so now he can walk in the entire year!

I took my 4 year old and 2 year old to the San Diego zoo, and we all had a wonderful time. It was my first time going as well. For the value day price, we were able to do so much with everything that was included on the tickets, all the while going in the month of October where the kids are free. We went on Halloween, and I was expecting it to be congested with people, but that never happened. There was so much space for my littles to run around safely, and for us to actually be able to see the animals in their enclosures. Something for the little toddlers to stand on to see the enclosures a little better would be a plus too; I just got a full body work out yesterday with carrying them, and pushing up our packed stroller up that hill were we got to see the bears 😮‍💨. I did stop and have my kids their face painted, and Grace was so helpful and patient. My daughter was absolutely thrilled with her face paint, as well as my wiggle worm son which Grace had no problem getting him to sit down. As a mom, that was the most magical part of our trip. I enjoyed that we had the entire day to observe the park, from 9 to 9. We covered so much from the sky tram, to the glowing acrobats, koala/lion mascot, enclosures, and the giraffe feeding. Staff were friendly and welcoming, offering directions and information. A large variety of animals were present, including big cats, giraffes, and many birds. The park was pretty well kept, and enclosures were pretty well maintained. I really enjoyed the educational placards around to educate us about the animals in the enclosure, and it was very easy to understand. Definitely going to be coming back, the entire experience/day was a great one filled with core memories and pure bliss from the entire party of 3.

Very nice family trip to the zoo, excellent people working there, I congratulate you all!! We are members and will be coming soon again!

We got to the park when it opened, got to see the parents released and started our day with the double bus tour! Shea was fun and made our ride memorable!!!
The whole day was fun, lots to do and see! We will be back soon!

We did the VIP tour and had Sydney. She was amazing. Fun, well educated, made our entire day. She’s a gem. We all really enjoyed our time with her as a guide.

Visiting the San Diego zoo is always a wonderful experience. The zoo is so large it never feels too crowded. The animals have nice habitats where they can exhibit natural behaviors. We love visiting.

Took my parents to see the zoo. While we were worried about their mobility, we did not have to worry about a thing. Everyone everywhere was very accommodating and helpful. Maggie offered us a ride to the front and was amazing explaining the animals we saw along the way!

Everything was great, all the volunteers were awesome. Haven’t been to the zoo in over 20 years and my wife and I came to celebrate our anniversary. We were there about 6 hours. Also, I gotta give a shoutout to Jared and Lizette at Jungle Java. They know how to make a perfect breve latte.

Our visit started with the Panda exhibit with private tours the tour guide was so nice and informative. The Pandas were so cute sleeping.
Skyfari was amazing.

Good place to visit if you have interest in knowing about animals or you have a toddler :). Staff was very friendly so 5 star for that. At some distance the staff members were also there to help you out with the route for the points you want to cover. Zoo is very well maintained.

Locals. Walked right in 10-1:30 the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Helpful & friendly staff, festive decorations, saw the pandas, a brand new baby giraffe, and the spot where Denny the gorilla broke his glass enclosure (exciting!). Lovely time.

The zoo is amazing! There is everything for everyone! The only detail was that many of the animals were asleep, in their cuvettes, or kept because they were being fed. But Denny the outgoing gorilla gave us a great show while eating his lettuce! The grizzly bear decided to leave his den and get into his pond with his partner, the rhino played with his tire and then used it as a pillow for his nap. Fortunately it doesn’t cost to book a now to go in to see the panda, because it was more than asleep, the same the red panda and all the koalas, the bears almost all asleep! In conclusion....go to the zoo, it is not necessary at this time to arrive so early, if there are many people but you can travel and see everything without problem. If you love animals don't miss it, don't be told, go see it.

Arrived after 1;30 and left around 5. Amazing customer service and helpful people every where you go, were will be back for sure.

We went during the Jungle Bells Christmas event on Dec 30th. It was super crowded with the wait for the bus tour at 3 pm being about 45 minutes. The skyfari had very long lines the whole day so we skipped it. We got there 2 hours before sunset. The kids (7 and 9) loved the toy hop and juggling shows, which were fantastic! But we definitely couldn't see many animals after sunset. The interactive lights and symphony were cool for the kids, though. We had to park in the distant lot and take a shuttle, which wasn't too bad, but I wish they had opened the main parking lot to a trickle of cars since there were clearly people leaving.

I found the app hard to use. Specifically, it was not as detailed as the PDF map and there was no "North up" option so you could spin the map and get confused about the direction. And I could never figure out how to get to the big bridge. Tip: similar to most app maps, if you have battery saver on, your location is very inaccurate, but that's easy to fix.

Tickets were pretty expensive but I feel good knowing they are going to help with animal conservation.

It's a nice zoo for kids who like zoos and I would probably like it more if it wasn't so crowded, but that speaks to its popularity and attractions... And they did do their best to make it fun throughout the day.

Easy parking. Plenty of space even when it's crowded. The kids LOVE the splash pads, so bring swimsuits or a change of clothes. There are huge walk-in dryers too. I love that there's plenty of shade throughout the zoo, and it's easy for strollers to navigate the whole park.

We wanted to visit the zoo while in San Diego for the Thanksgiving holiday week. The weather was perfect and our experience was stellar. We learned so much about the animals as well as all of the important conservation work done by the zoo / affiliates. Thank you for all that you do to help wildlife and ecosystems all over the world!

This is the fist time I have visited in about 15 years. My parents used to bring my gaggle of siblings and myself here frequently (the year pass is a great deal, especially with military discount). It has changed a lot since we moved away in 2007, but only for the better, I think.
Highlights this time included the lush foliage and getting to see both tigers awake and active! It was a real treat.

LJ's knowledge was great. The rest of the staff interactions were wonderful. In the the tail of a wonderful rainstorm promted many of the exhibits to be surprisingly active. Missed the Rhino Masa, but Denny the gorilla, Amahle the hippopotamus and the very vocal lions were a absolute treat. Xin Bao was the best first Panda to see. Thank you Megan, Dallas and Chad as well. Thank you San Diego Zoo.

Huge variety of animals packed efficiently, short walks, spacious viewing, clean, clear info, great restroom distribution.

It was a wonderful experience. Would love to bring my family back again. My husband brought us for my son early birthday.

Had a fantastic day at the San Diego Zoo. Far exceeded my expectations. The animals were simply spectacular. The zoo was so clean and well maintained. The staff was so friendly and informative.
Would highly recommend this experience to anyone. Can’t wait to return!

The Zoo itself is fantastic. We spent the whole day and saw the majority of the animals we wanted to. I like the option to do the plant tours, although we didn't on this visit. I wish the app was better though. Mainly, I'd like to be able to pick out my favorite animals and have it help me plan the shortest route.

The zoo is great. Just be prepared to walk alot. Its huge, all the animals are well cared and the pandas 🐼 are amazing. You must visit this zoo once in your life

One of the best Zoos in the USA! Bring your $$$$ it’s expensive but worth very penny. Pandas, koalas, snakes, toucan, hummingbirds we our favorite exhibits! Wonderful memories.
Because the kids were free- we purchased a senior annual pass which allowed for a free adult guest. Tickets ended up being about $50 per person and kids were free in Oct.
food and drink are EXPENSIVE but very good actually some of the best food we ate all week.

We are visiting Sam Diego as a couple for the first time (anniversary trip). Everyone told us the zoo is a must. That is an understatement. It was such a great experience. Lots of walking but the included bus tour is a beautiful touch.

Wow! I am amazed with the San Diego Zoo. The habitats the animals live in are fantastic. The tram and bus tours are amazng additions. Thank you.

I love it specially the pandas so easy to find everything and very kind staff. The food was amazing very clean food and i loved the gift shops jejej definitely will come again

Very few animals, there are no giraffes, the animals look in poor condition, very sad, a huge line to see the pandas of no one put order, I expected a better zoo.

We stayed 6 hours. The park was not overly crowded and the he weather was nice and cool. All staff went out of there way to offer information or help.
All around a wonderful day!

We absolutely love the San Diego zoo, and because we live nearby, we visit frequently.
However, the app is not easy to navigate, and takes a ridiculously long amount of time to find what we are looking for. I wish they would redesign it, and simplify, similar the Sea World app, which is easy and quick, not frustrating.

had a wonderful visit at the zoo as always , staff is always very informative and friendly , I love taking my family here because it is a educational and beautiful visit for all ages

Loved it. Looking forward to electric tour busses. Better conservation and environmental protection message. Otherwise, great

I was truly surprised at how busy the zoo was. We really enjoyed our commune with nature and the animals. The San Diego Zoo really has the secret sauce! I didn't enjoy the hordes of people and lack of general direction. While there were signs and maps galore I still got lost and couldn't always find my way - which was fine because there were PLENTY of animals to see. I had my elderly mother with me, we rented a ev scooter (mistake) and my son. The staff were TERRIFIC! So helpful and genuine. All in all it was a good trip, I would come back.

I enjoyed it very much! I wish I had more time to fully explore all of the exhibits at different times. I was there early when it opened until mid afternoon and would have liked to see more until closing time.

Very clean everything very well we had a lot of fun, very attentive the zoo employees. Excellent family walk, we came to celebrate a birthday.....

We loved it!! Great job taking such amazing care of the animals!! Everyone was so friendly and nice it was so amazing seeing how big the enclosures were and how much every staff member cared about the wellbeing and care of the animals. 20/10 experience and we will be back!

What a great and caring place for our animal friends. Adding to our experience were the many helpful staff and friends of the zoo. Well done to everyone involved.

We were in the area for a girls’ weekend away and spent one of our days at the wonderful San Diego Zoo. Favorite part was interacting with the zoo volunteer at the orangutan exhibit, a kind, older woman who was very knowledgeable about the history and personality of each animal. We enjoyed the gondola as well as the bus tour. The grounds were beautifully kept… although a bit confusing navigating the paths with the online map.

My husband goes to the zoo to see the animals, and I go to see the landscapes! The trees and plants are well tended and lush and abundant. Well done!

We had a great time at the Zoo. We are members and the staff and volunteers are amazing. The animals are treated very well too.

The San Diego Zoo is a great place to see animals and have fun with the family and it is a great way to spend the day with family

Well thought out zoo. The variety of animals to see is mind blowing. Wear supportive shoes. Recommend take the bus first for overview. We liked lower deck as more at eye level to the animals. Top deck is more popular. The Skyfari was great; a peaceful few minutes away from the constant noise of the zoo. Sensory bags containing headphones and fidgets were available. Very thoughtful. I’d go again. Cannot cover in a day so consider a two day ticket if time/finances permit. also the app is amazing!

Very unforgettable experience. I really appreciate the conservation efforts by the Zoo and will encourage everyone to make a visit.

Great experience especially the mini water playground for the children ! Highly advise to make a jungle gym for them thatll be sick

My mom and I drove into San Diego just to come to the zoo before we flew back to Seattle! She used to bring me there when I was little ans it was a joy to return. It's very different but in great ways! I look forward to my next visit.

We love the San Diego Zoo. We visit every time we can. There's always something new or something we haven't seen. We always have half a zoo to go. The only thing we struggle with is meals, because they close early and we never get to eat.

Amazing zoo. Really too much to see and do in one day. Lots of great walking paths. Fun splash zone for young kids. They have a freaking giant panda. Day pass is expensive but the annual pass is pretty affordable.

Great experience and feeling being myself and friendly ed animals.

The zoo comes up with great food options and feeling great

I love visiting this zoo. The volunteers are very knowledgeable and so helpful. Even though it poured a few times today, I don't think I have ever had such a great visit. The animals were very active. Just wished they had shuttles going, but there was never a wait for the elevator.

Wonderful but worried for the pacing tiger...bored!. Needs larger space? Perhaps rotate to safari park?...........................................................................

San Diego Safari Zoo is always a great time. I enjoyed seeing all the animals we arrived at a great time 1 hour after opening, I recommend that time slot its not so busy and you get to experience almost all the animals come out the only one we did not get to enjoy were the elephants we did find out that it was relocated to another part of the park.

The zoo is amazing. we entered at around 9 AM. We were there for the whole day and yet we couldnt cover all the animals - so many to see - huge campus to cover. So many wonderful animals to see. And it includes the garden lights and the Skyfari tram ride as well. A day well spent. we enjoyed it as a family.

would be a reason to go back and forth to San Diego, without hesitation.
It’s not just a zoo, it’s much more than that for the animals, they preserve, breed and reproduce them and if the environment is safe, they return them to their natural habitat.
Immense, to walk hours and hours, in different schedules as each animal has different ways and schedules of life (when the bears sleep, the monkeys are hyperactive)
Exceptional, I thought it was worth it and more.
It has parking, you can buy the entrance on the website (saves time), the cost is the same.
Everyone is welcome, whether you can walk or not, everyone has access to the tours.
You can fill the water bottle, there are drinking troughs, shade spaces, seats.
My eyes are simple tourists, far from being animal experts, but before my eyes the animals were flawless (from a simple frog to a hippo!)
Don't miss the orangutans along with the bonuses!!

Tip aside: don't look the chuck in the eye

I was so excited to take my daughter and my 3 grandchildren. We had an amazing time together we went on the tram got to see the whole park through the skyline oh my goodness the one of the best places was the butterflies and insects we spent lots of time there. I don’t remember the name of our tram driver but I do remember she was Italian she was so smart and shared so much insight about the animals, I truly enjoyed her tour. I will definitely be back soon to take my other 2 grandchildren. Thank you for doing a kids get in free month it was great to be able to take them.

This is definitely worth a visit and lives up to its reputation. The zoo is ginormous so the walk can be strenuous since some areas have steep inclines. The habitats built for the animals make viewing the animals easier and enjoyable. There are lots of docents eagerly explaining the animals’ history and behaviors at most exhibits. We did take the bus around the park first and it gave us a feel of what we wanted to see. At the end we took the sky tram back to the front of the park. Parking was free but I heard they will start charging in 2026.

Enjoyed the time on property. Bo was my bus tour guide and I enjoyed the information he shared. Could be a good guest for the pod to talk about the California Condor!

Great Zoo, nice layout. Very pleasant staff. Stayed from open till 430. Fee was good, the ecv was a god send. Will visit again if in the area.

The zoo is fantastic! Got to see a lot of the animals.
Your App is not that great. Your maps and directions have a lot to be desired. Please do better.

Always incredible, as much for me as for my family. Came at 9am and seemingly hit every Africa rocks exhibit right as the animals were out and eating: giraffes, rhinos, baboons, lemurs, birds, even the FOSSA were running around and I’ve only ever seen them once before in my life. And even without the animals the landscaping and plants would have been a worthwhile standalone experience, so it was really a special treat.

And on top of a great venture in and out, the kids meals was a huge hit with my picky 2yo - he scarfed the tenders and fries and applesauce and milk and crackers like it was his first meal in days.

World-class zoo with amazing activities, great layout, great environmental and animal rights stewardship, all the animals seemed active and happy. There was plenty of private space in the exhibits, and generally lots of space for the animals to roam. Yet, we still managed to see nearly 90% of the animals on our visit.