San Diego Zoo Reviews

My bit of heaven on earth. Like playing with friends in a Garden of Eden!

I was able to walk the entire park in 3.5 hours, then I took a zoo bus around which took about 30 mins. I definitely recommend coming here. It was such a great experience, wear your best shoes because there s a lot of walking, if you don t want to walk too much there a kangaroo bus which can pick you up and drop you off to areas.

The zoo is really a world class one. It has a relatively large place for the animals. Staffs the are friendly. You can easily spend an entire day there.

Such a fun experience for anyone! Beautiful animals, wonderful sights, and really cute gift shops. if you are coming to visit San Diego and have never been here before, I really recommended the zoo. They have a really cool Sky tram, that gives you at the Overlook of the whole zoo, and sometimes they have a night do, where they will do fireworks and a big show overall, a great experience and definitely want to go back. It is one of my favorite things to do during the summer because even though it is hot, there are a lot of shaded areas

Have a membership we love this place. Just took my granddaughter and her husband there. They've made so many upgrades I hardly recognize the place it's just so beautiful the little habitats they have the animals in are so natural.

One of the best places to visit if someone wants to spend quality time with family over the weekend . Took the guided bus tour first to get an idea of the spots to visit and then covered the entire route by walk. The route could be slightly confusing at times. Took the skyfari west (spot/landmark 18) to come back (to spot/landmark 1) to exit the zoo.

I've been going to the zoo since i was 3 and i still love going into my 20's. Its always beautiful and they are always improving. I love it here. Great memories.

Very big and lots to see here, wear comfy shoes and get the map to find your way around the place, go on the 4D ride, it cools you off on a hot day plus it's very fun to ride, also go on the hop on hop off bus and the full guided bus tour, you'll learn new things about the animals and hear a few jokes from the guide, there are 2 different types of buses, make sure your ticket includes the 4D ride and the guided bus tour, also you can ride the skytram to see the view of the zoo from the top. Just check which type of ticket suits you.

Very well laid out. Great bus tour and good views of the animals.

Very relaxing. Great place to take your family and kids.

Best zoo in the world! Facilities are always clean and the park is huge. It is difficult to see everything in one day and be warned that the hills can become extremely steep to walk up... so wear your most comfortable shoes! The koala exhibit is my personal favorite as it is the only koala colony located outside of Australia.

My daughter and I had a great time. The weather was perfect and the crowds were minimal. The staff was courteous and kind.

Suggest getting one of the tours! Great way to get up close with all of the animals.

Very nice although weather was warm! I wish I had rented a covered golf cart! I will know next time. In any case, I was able to get my steps in and my legs ached for 2 days!

Extremely satisfied with all of what I experienced at SD Zoo

Best zoo to see many animals you wouldn't find anywhere. Best place to take kids. Kids will really love this zoo. There's also sky safari which will give you a bird's eye view. Be prepared to walk . There's also bus tour but it's better to walk and see the places . Take the bus tour first and then go for a walk. Worth spending time .

Had a very nice time. Spent the day visiting the animals. Clean and food was reasonable. Atmosphere was perfect for the setting.

World's best zoo. Lucky to have it in our own home town.

Amazing place people were great such a clean Place beautiful loved it I highly recommend it it's a must-see place

This is a world famous zoo. My boyfriend wasn't expecting that. It's huge! The shuttle can get you from places to places. I didn't really watch any of the shows. I enjoyed walking through the Elephant Odyssey. The panda was cute! The aerial tram provided a great view of the zoo.

My favorite is the polar bears and hippos. Great place to take the kids and perfect for memorable dates.

Love is in the air. The Lemurs 'King Julian' and Crimson are at it again. The babies should be arriving soon.

Beautiful place, so many amazing things to see. Loved every minute of it!!

Spent six hours walking almost non stop and still didn't see everything. It's great.

I love the flowers, plants and trees at this zoo as much as I love the animals! They do such a great job taking care of them. It is like a visit to a giant Botanical Garden. And, it is so fun to watch Hummingbirds dart around from flower to flower.

The grounds and the exhibits are such a treat. Everyone gets lost, so just enjoy the views and animals around you. And then come back for more. But there are also super friendly, helpful volunteers everywhere. The zoo staff is great too.

We got lucky enough to see one Koala awake! Enjoy.

Amazing zoo wish we could interact physically with animals but overall very good zoo very funny tourist it deserves more than five stars

Love the San Diego zoo! Great breeding programs and educated keepers are kind to everyone including the disabled. Some of the big cats are in shamefully small enclosures but as the zoo expandes I hope they give them bigger spaces as they have with other animals :)

I like the St. Louis Zoo better. St. Louis is free. Balboa Park was interesting.

We are zoo people. Everywhere we go we hit the zoo. The San Diego zoo was a bucket list item. When we were there they were doing renovations that limited about a fifth of the park. And the layout for what you do see is crazy you can't see it all without backtracking.

San Diego Zoo ! Wow what a day, we were here on a Monday and spent about 6 hours at the zoo.. we shot to see all of the animals && we did it. The bears and giraffes were most of our favorite attractions. The zoo is clean && there are a lot of staff members through out the park that are very helpful. Ample amount of bathrooms throughout the park & all were very well kept. Many food/ drink stands as well.. the churros & soft pretzels were delicious. There are also soft drinks and alcoholic beverages at many of the stands as well. The gift stores are also located near each large attraction/ area. I picked up a few things for my nephew & there are also adult products too. Awesome experience & great day, we were a group of 10 adults and truly enjoyed our time !! Definitely check it out if you re in the area.

I love bringing the kids here, there are so many exhibits and a very well kept park. My son is in love with the Ape's exhibit (he watched planet of the apes a couple of times). For anyone visiting, this is definitely a must see when in san diego. Always a fun weekend trip with the kids

Huge selection of animals to see, a good amount of inconsiderate people walking around but that's no knock to the zoo, this zoo has a lot to offer and is huge.

This is one of, if the THE best zoos in the U.S. I have been to several zoos and none come close to this one. There are a ton of different animals here and the exhibits are well organized. They offer several restaurants, carts and snack places with a variety of options and even 99 cent refills on drinks. If you want to bring in your own food, that's an option too. The service is great although some of the folks working in the food places didn't seem happy to be there. But, they were not rude or inconsiderate or anything like that.

I've taken my family to this zoo several times and I'm guessing today was one of the busiest days of the year. The park is so expansive and varied that we got to the front of each exhibit without a problem. The place draws a good crowd of families so everyone is understanding of kids needing to get up front to see.

Get there near opening time and you will find parking in the public parking lot. Get there a few hours after it opens and you might be hunting for a spot. Parking spots are tight, so drive a small car if you have that option. We found a new door ding when we finished the day. Parking is the biggest negative of this zoo, but that is offset by the price for parking,,,free. Which is unheard of at a tourist destination.

All in all, this is a great place to visit, whether you have kids or not.

I have been going to the San Diego Zoo since 1979 and if never fails to impress. This is one of the most amazing zoos in the world. The exhibits are all built with outstanding attention to detail. There is a large collection of animals that span the globe and give visitors an unmatched experience. If you only have a single day then take the double decker bus tour of the zoo first. It will provide you with a good feel for the entire park. If you have multiple days take your time to visit each of the unique sections a learn about the animals and their habits, many of which need our help to protect.

The zoo is one of the best we ve ever visited. You feel like you are on a safari, rather than in a zoo. Vast landscape and great views.

Definitely love the fact that parking is FREE! I bought passes for the Zoo and Safari park for my kids and I to enjoy family moments hopefully filled with educational moments. Saving that $15 on parking makes the Zoo a much better choice for amusement.

Another great experience at the San Diego zoo. We arrived at 0900 and got great parking very near the entrance. We had an easy time getting around with our stroller to see all the animals we wanted to check out. The price of everything is high but we took good advantage of the souvenir soda cup with the free refills. The bucket of popcorn is refillable for 1.99 street the initial purchase. The sofa refill is good only on the day of purchase but the popcorn container refill is good forever. There is a fair selection of things to eat but it is expensive.

We had high expectations going into our visit and the zoo did not disappoint. There are so many cool animals to see and activities for kids to do. The crowds were not terrible and service was good anytime we purchased something. We will definitely be back.

The Zoo is the biggest in the World. We arrived and our first stop was to take the bus tour. And that was the best choice . The tour guide moderator was very detailed.

At some point, i felt i lost my way. Lol. You know what, thats the fun aspect.

There is a Clearly marked signs and maps for directions within the SD.

Great experience.

Very nice and clean place to go see a variety of animals. Lots of shades. The park provides water fountains great for refilling your water bottles, if you don't like spend 2.00 for water. Overall all a must if you're in San Diego.

One of my favorite places on Earth. So many animals with so much information on each of them. I highly recommend the bus tour.

Went with a Group to celebrate one of our friends Birthday we had a Great time.. Love this place.. you will surly learn alot...

It's been years since I've been to the zoo. My how the place has changed. You can see all the $$$ that has gone onto it. The viewing area for the public have gotten smaller & more confined. When you entered the zoo before all you could see were the flamingoes in all their glory- it's smaller now. I miss the peacocks greeting you. I remember standing back to view the apes because if you stood in front you would get hit by their poop. Nice place to get a workout. I drew the line however, at paying $3.49 for a bottle of water. Bring your own goodies.

Six out of five stars! Get there early and take the bus tour right away. Just a full immersion experience.

Hands down the best zoo I've ever been too. Take the tour bus first and then make a plan for what you'd like to see. Pack lunch in a cooler if you're on a budget. You can't bring it in but there is a picnic area outside of the park. Lots of hills so wear comfy shoes and go early when the animals are more active. It can get pretty busy in the summer time so I suggest early spring. Their sustainability and conservation efforts are extremely admirable!

Lovely place and fun for the the whole family but when it s too hot and humid in San Diego, all the animals in the zoo don t show.

I love San Diego Zoo!! Especially, all their conservation efforts for endangered and threatened species.

Fun zoo. It is huge! You can get super close to the animals and there is so much to see. The sky tram is free with your entry ticket and fun to ride. We spent 5-6 hours there and only saw about half the animals.

Amazing zoo, animals are obviously treated well and the weather is a plus. They are so lenient with memberships and prices are great for dual memberships !

ALWAYS crowded. The exhibits are nice, however it's hard to enjoy them when there's five people breathing down your neck at any given time.

Great zoo. Very spread out so expect to walk a lot!

Very big, good parking, the animals seemed healthy. Had a great time

This place is so massive that it's hard to see it all in one day, so plan to come early if you're going to try. The landscaping is so beautiful that it's like stepping into another land. Gorgeous flowers everywhere. Animal enclosures are spacious and clean, restrooms were clean, and the gift shop prices were slightly better than Disney. We're definitely going on the safari on a return trip.

The zoo is even bigger than I remembered from my first trip over a decade ago. Plan on LOTS of walking - which is totally worth it because there are so many animals here that you can't see at most other zoos. The food and souvenir prices were surprisingly reasonable compared to other entertainment parks we've visited. We'll definitely be back someday!

We found Albert s restaurant hidden next to a wonderful waterfall. We have been coming here for 25 years and never knew it was here!
Menu is small but moderately priced and tasty.

The chairlift over the zoo was spectacular, a birdseye view as it were.

Excellent place to visit; difficult to navigate for first time visitors. I would have liked two days to see everything!

Would have given 5 stars but the "rocks Box! Shack had some mess up that made me wait in line for a half hour, but I was only the third person in line! Had to shut everything down to get change 1's. Then when it came to my turn shut everything down to get 5's! Are you kidding me?? Half hour for the third person in line is crazy. The line backed up to like 20 people after that .please address the Rocks Box!

Amazing zoo! Tons of animals to see! The zoo is very clean and organized. If you plan on coming here it's a full day event, so plan accordingly. I love coming to the San Diego Zoo it's one of my go-to places in San Diego!

My zoo membership was the first thing I bought when I moved to SD 6 years ago, and I have kept it ever since! It is obvious how much they truly care for these animals and conservation! Plus, they have beer!

The San Diego zoo is great. The animal variety is really good, and the location inside Balboa Park means it's surrounded by lots of other good places to spend time and visit.

Made the 3 hour drive to the San Diego Zoo and it was well worth it. Friendly, helpful staff everywhere you go. It's an incredible accomplishment to hire that many people that truly care about what they do. Facilities were sparkling, probably only saw one random napkin that a child dropped. Animals were fantastic, with private and public tour guides everywhere to drop tidbits of information on the specific animal in the display, as well as facts of the species as a whole. 10/10, would recommend, will be back.

Huge zoo. Expect to get your steps in. Dress comfortably, stay hydrated and cool.

Definitely enjoyed having less people during covid but at the cost of the tour buses, skyfari and shows being off during covid. Still well staffed and accomodating zoo experience.

This zoo offers a space for families where kids can run free.

We checked out the new Africa Rocks exhibit and it looks beautiful. You can tell a lot of work went into it. It was fun seeing the penguins there. They have summer hours at the moment, so park is open later and they added a little parade near the end of the day. It features actors dressed as animals and they interact with the kids. The food at Albert's was great. We had the jambalaya (spicy and delicious), the steak (cooked exactly as ordered), and the Bolognese. (Personally, I found the pasta a little light on the sauce, so if you enjoy sauce you should ask for more.)

Great place for kids. Pity the pandas are no longer here though.

It s a great Zoo but there were a lot of animals not present like the polar bear, the panda and the comodo lizard all of which were on the top of my list. And still do you have to pay the whole entrance fee. It s like going for diner for the chef s specialty and get a simple sandwich.

Great variety of animals, one of the top zoo's in the world. A bit gutted the pandas weren't there though. Overall amazing place to visit while in San Diego.

This place is HUGE!!! So AWESOME! You have to take a full day to see it and even then, you don't see it all!

The best zoo. It is expensive but take the whole day and enjoy it all. Lots of places to rest and relax which is absolutely necessary because this place is hugr.

Beautiful habitats and happy looking animals. The plants, bird aviaries and grounds were just amazing! Plus a sweet lil' brass band was an added bonus as we walked through the park.

Great for the whole family great place to spend the day

We had a great time there with our yougest daughter and grandson!!! He was very exclted to see the animals!!

Totally love the panda here, big zoo and worth a full day. It s gets dark early in winter.

Amazing zoo. So many animals to see. A few things were closed down for construction but they had listed those ahead of time. Great for the little ones. There are scattered playgrounds to stop at and play.

While here, you are transformed to what feels like a rainforest. There are trails through scenic gardens and woods that are filled with exotic plants.
The panda exhibit had a line but it went way faster than it seemed. The pandas are the best. Worth the wait. The setup of the zoo itself and the wildlife exhibits is one of the best. The animals appear as close to being free as they can be in captivity.

Best zoo ever. Always a good time. I love this zoo and the people running it. Nice job.

Brought the kiddos here while on vacation. Coming from New York they'd been to the Bronx zoo as well and Central Park. They were absolutely blown away by the San Diego Zoo and all it had to offer. So much so that they haven't stopped talking about it since!!

Well done to staff, management and of course the animals just a wonderful experience for everyone. Thank you

The Zoo is so nice loved it, the animals are beautiful and have so many different kinds highly recommended. Be prepared to walk alot. Also has bus rides around the park

Amazing place where they've done a remarkable job with preservation, education, and conservation of animals

Best zoo in the US!! We re from Texas so it wasn t hot.

Beautiful and peaceful! The animals were quite active. Perfect weather and perfect 4th of July! They are well prepared to handle the Covid-19 situation.

Beautifully set up for the animals. The enclosures are perfect, but as far as a zoo, not at all human friendly and the only exhibit people go to see is a minimum 3 hr wait. Parking is an absolute joke, and the admission fee is outrageous, and no wear near enough seating for the food areas. Won't be returning.