San Diego Zoo Reviews

Best zoo you will ever see, love the bus ride, amazing variety of animals, friendly place, must see it s a life time experience

Zoo was great, plan a full day to visit. There are tons of exhibits to check out. The polar bears and the pandas are a must. I would recommend the valet service, it made parking quick and easy, and the valet guys were really on top of it. The zoo had a ton of knowledgable staff at the exhibits that made the experience even better. Great for children and adults, we really enjoyed the experience.

Another check on my bucket list! Great Zoo, super nice staff and the animals are wild ;)

I love this zoo they have a lot of animals and you but the yearly membership they give the extras like rides around the zoo and you visit the safari as well without paying for it,i think if you have kids i would recommend you buy the membership you get so much out of it.they also give you discounts on food and anything you buy if have the membership.

Went by myself with open half-day of business trip. Awesome. The diversity in plant species and strict attention to landscapping is more impressive than the animals imo.

Yes the panda was amazing. But this place offers so much for you and your family. Get a souvenir cup it comes with free refills all day and it s a great take home. They have so much from penguins that live with leopard sharks to a cheetah that lives with a dog yes a dog in the cage.

I love being with my first grade class but I think I'm getting too old for this. I can't keep up with them. Thank goodness I had another parent with me today and I could sit while they looked at the reptiles.

Great zoo, good collection of rare animals and conservation efforts. Parking was plentiful and easy to find, but the entry stiles we're really crowded. It's a small-ish zoo, as a result it gets crowded pretty quickly. Very interesting collection of rare animals including giant pandas and bonobos. Really enjoyed our visit, but the hilly terrain and small-ish size meant getting around was slow. Plan on a full day to visit if you like zoos.

Now I know why it is the best zoo in the world!
Well organized. Excellent transportation network inside it. V knowledgeable and friendly staff. U step in it and immediatly feel in a jungle. Expensive. But,worth every dollar

The zoo is always a fun time especially if you have a year pass. Parking is free and plentiful but be prepared to walk if there isn't any open spots by the front gate. Take advantage of the tram and kangaroo bus especially with kids. Pack a lunch as well and eat at any rest spots for a relaxing break.

Wonderful baby animals right now, 2 juvenal giraffes as well as cheetahs. All the guests at the park that I saw were very respectful as far as wearing masks.

Bring your walking shoes. You will be as fit as a fiddle after spending the day here.

Amazing zoo i could have easily spent the 2 days walking around

Great view of so many animals! So many great things to see, eat and do at the zoo. All the animals are well cared for and there are many shows and performances to enjoy!

Interesting educational experience for the whole family.

Amazing environments for the babies (animals) and we saw such HAPPY creatures. It was extensive and the signs were funny and educational. Also side note- the Saber Tooth Fries were so good! Definitely a 2 person snack.

Very large. So many things to see. The bus tours are very informational. A lot of the workers can speak more than one language.

I have heard so much about this zoo I was expecting it to be amazing. It was not. It was a great zoo but nothing special. I think I was expecting to much. It is definitely worth checking out but the Milwaukee zoo in Wisconsin is a much better zoo. The Panda bears were really cool.

Absolute best zoo we have ever visited. All the Animals were Happy.

This is the world famous San Diego Zoo. And it s earned it s legendary status for a reason! It is quite possibly the most amazing zoo i have ever been to. If you are a lover of animals, you will no doubt have a life changing visit time and time again. Every time you go, you will see something new and/or different as many of their animals are active at different parts of the day. But that just guarantees it never gets old!
There s friendly staff, plenty of space to explore, tons of dining options, clean bathrooms... the list of reasons to go is endless!

The bus tour was the best part & allowed us to see the most animals. We were really disappointed as we kept hearing how great this zoo is. Tons of walking with animals here & there. The Pandas have gone back to China (may 2019) so they're not even there.

Garbage food and very expensive, I'd Suggest bring your own food or step out to a restaurant in the nearby area

It was hot but very fun.. lot of people. Since it was right before school started.. kids had fun! There is beer for the parents... But the margarita was sold out since everyone was getting one.. Social distancing was practiced and everyone had masks on

Went on a Tuesday to try to avoid the weekend crowds and throughly enjoyed it. Grandkids had a blast seeing the animals. Panda exhibit was closed but the hippos more than made up for it.
Alot of walking if you don't do the bus.

San Diego Zoo is doing a fantastic job saving animals and plants !!! A must see

Worth the price. The grounds are amazing it s basically a botanic garden with a zoo!

Unbelievable zoo! Took six kiddos and we LOVED it! Nearly all the animals were up close and mobile. Will not disappoint.

I love this place so much they have a lot of activities and a lot of animals. And also a lot of restaurants.

Awesome. Beautiful animals. Bit hi priced. Show up early and on a cool day. Definitely a great workout of walking. One of the best things to do in Ca. Bring a camera to get some cool pics. Fantastic big cats.

A fun time! They have done a lot of renovations since the last time I visited. Had a good showing of animals also! Most of them were out and my son loved it. Recommend bringing a stroller...

This zoo is massive! This is a full 8 hour day (longer I imagine if you have kids) to actually see everything and spend time at the exhibits. The panda exhibit especially has a wait. The zoo is clean, easy to navigate, there are volunteers at most big exhibits if not a keeper to answer questions, lots of facts around the park, and their food and drinks aren't terribly overpriced. And parents, beer and cocktails are available (and you don't have to remain in one area to drink it, they will give you plastic cups so you can keep moving).

I was happy to see Panda again and the hippo was impressive.

First, I was impressed that there is no charge for parking. The zoo is beautiful and very clean. I thought the pandas were here until December, but was disappointed to find out they had already been sent to China. A lot of animals were asleep making it difficult to get that perfect photo. Overall we had a nice time and the experience was worth the $50 ticket price. Be prepared for a lot of walking which is to be expected.

Great place to have a nice time and walk around educating yourself wonderful staff

Great place for kids. Get here early to avoid the crowds and the heat.

A must see when visiting San Diego. It makes the Bronx Zoo in NY look like a petting zoo. All the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. Skip the bus tour as you don't see much anyway. We didn't realize that as of April 2019, the giant pandas went back to China so it was a bit disappointing.

It was amazing!!!!!! I never been in a zoo but the time spent inside the San Diego zoo was very beautiful with my family! We saw a lot of animals that we haven't even seen in books! My son is too young right now and I promised to him we will be back when he is older!!!

We had an exclusive VIP tour with Becca today...the depth and breadth of her knowledge of rhe animals and exhibits was amazing...She was enthusiastic and excited about sharing which enhanced our experience. The private visits with Zoo "ambassadors" was fun and informative. A must do if you can afford it at all.

Amazing zoo!! So many different animals, and boy oh boy, if you like leopards, they got em in spades. The skyfari is a fun little way to get a sense of how huge the zoo is too.

Amazing zoo. Definitely plan your route before arriving and make use of the busses to get around the park if you can. If you see a short line at the pergola, jump on it fast, don't let your compatriots convince you to wait until later... the line WILL be longer later...

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO NOT LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE!!! Mind blowing

Was able to go in right away, maps were easy to follow. Kid friendly, handicap access and friendly. Found good parking too. Not over-crowded. Only drawback is high food prices, but that is expected.

Such an amazing experience. Get there early, there's plenty to do all day.

This zoo is awesome! It has so many animals and the botanical gardens are absolutely beautiful! I have been to quite a few zoos and this one is by far the best one I have ever been to! They even had pandas when I went there. Getting there can be tricky but it is completely worth it. It is quite pricey but I think it is worth it becuase of all the animals. The place is huge and there is a lot to do. I will definitely be going back!

I highly recommend.

Got to love SD zoo. We have been several times. Great for all ages. Make sure you take the kangaroo bus to get from place to place if you can't do all the walking. The tour bus is fun if you need a break but also not much is really seen on the bus, mainly just a drive around the park on the back side.

This zoo exceeds all expectations. It's enormous, gorgeous (check out all the plant life!), diverse (pandas!), very accommodating (bus tours, bus transportation around the park, and even the aerial tram to get from one side of the park to the other). The exhibits have multiple viewing areas so the animals are almost always in perfect view.

We arrived right before the park opened and stayed the entire day, and I feel like we just barely saw everything -- this place is HUGE! Make use of the map and plan your routes. There were also lots of baby animals when we came which was amazing. We saw baby gorillas and orangutans harassing their parents, two little baby leopards that were so cute, and more. Even with a couple areas/exhibits under construction, the park felt immense and full of great exhibits. The prices may seem high for tickets, food, etc, but when you see the quality of park that you're supporting the prices seem more than reasonable.

Can't recommend this place enough!

Even with covid the zoo was one of the best parts of our vacation to san diego

Very cute animals, but sadly the pandas left before we came

Best zoo i
N the world, and it lives up to the hype

Absolutely amazing! It's definitely a full day trip, but it's so worth it!

If you want your kid to be amused by animals, this is the place in Dan Diego! You can soon see that you became a child. To take your kid around and give him or her a glimpse of wild animals is simply superb. You will need more than a day to explore this place fully and enjoy it.

Beautiful zoo!
Doug, the bus driver was excellent with some hilarious corny jokes.
The enclosures where the animals had been moved were a bit disappointing because it meant some areas were a bit sparse. Also we got lost a couple of times and staff were really helpful but I would have liked clearer signposting.

Beautiful zoo with a LOT of different, and rare, animals. The zoo looks really nice and is very clean. They got some really beautiful exhibits where the animals have lots of space. But there are also exhibits that are small for the specie of animals it contains. Also some social animals that use to life in groups are kept alone, without explain why.

This is one of the best collections of animals in the world. It also has many different plant species. Bring your walking shoes!

The world famous San Diego Zoo! Great place to spend a family day. Took our daughter here for the first time today. She was real intrigued by the orangutans! The tour ride was great as well. We plan on buying the annual pass as well to just keep coming back!

This zoo is excellent. The open top bus trip round the zoo is a must do to get your bearings. There is so much to see. Animal enclosures were clean and generously sized. Staff were keen to assist. Food and drinks choices were good too. Definitely worth a visit.

The best zoo in world! The staffs are incredible, in some places they talk about the curiositys and comportment about animals you are seeing

Excellent place to visit with children. Great transportation around the zoo. Tasty food throughout. Very unique zoo experience.

Truly world class. We learned a lot during our visit. Animals looked comfortable and well taken care of. It meant a lot to learn that the zoo has a main mission to stop species' extinction for endangered species.

We missed the morning presentations but made it to the 1 pm show which was unique and informative.

Hua mei cafe by the panda exhibit was perfect choice for our group of 9 as it offers edible Chinese food along with some Western choices too. So it could please the whole fam.

Don't miss going to the Petting Paddock area within Children's zoo where kids can pet goats and occasionally, sheep (closes exactly 5.30 pm half an hour earlier than zoo's summer closure at 6 pm).

First time in 12 years I've been there, it is great, great remodel

Everyone needs to go and support the cause. This Zoo is the best ever!! Its nestled in next to the world famous museums and of coarse San Diego beaches. This place can get hot so be prepared to bring some waters and light clothes for the family. The staff is amazing and if you dont have the app I suggest you getting that installed prior to going to the park. Get to know the layout before you go, because it can be a hike if you happen to pass an exhibit. Get out there and have a good time. Make sure to visit the elephants, and the Monkeys super funny little guys.

They say you need to go to the zoo, and you NEED to go to the zoo. The good: Location is fantastic. Right in the middle of the city, right in the middle of the fantastic Balboa Park. The great: Selection of animals lives up to expectations, and while we were there we got to watch the Panda feeding, the Polar Bear feeding and the Giraffe feeding. Not a bad day. The bad: Not uncommon, but the food selection and value is pretty terrible. It s not hard to pay $20 a person for a disappointing lunch.

If you only have 1 day here, I highly recommend one of the small group tours! Well worth every penny!

The zoo is also an arboretum with thousands of varieties of trees and plants. Animal exhibits are integrated easily into this environment, giving the impression of a (long) walk through a forest. Large aviaries allow visitors to walk in and mingle with the birds directly. Friendly and helpful staff, good food available. A terrific experience. Staff theatrical performance at closing was uplifting and engaging. Five stars plus.

Amazing place, you don t need to be an animal lover to be here, many activities for different ages .
Must see : Polar Bears & The Pandas.
Gondola commute gives a very good Ariel view of the Zoo & reduces your half walk back .

The San Diego zoo is the best! So this is the only zoo that only is so big. Others are small. But the San Diego zoo animals and snacks plus food to eat for lunch!

Beautiful Zoo!! So many animals. We had a great day.

The park was great and everyone was very friendly. We started with the tour bus, which is 30-45 minutes and well worth it. We spent 7 hours at the zoo and could have stayed a little longer. Take your time and take lots of pictures.

Who doesn't love the Zoo? And a Zoo that offers our military men and women free entry with a discount for your family. Absolutely loved how well maintained and we'll kept the animals are. Helpful staff at every turn. Free map too. Lots of walking but not necessarily if you take the tour bus through that stops at all the animals. If in the area definitely take a day and enjoy the wonder of nature.

It was cool the day we visited, but we loved seeing so many animals. The Polar bears and elephants were the highlights for me. The sky tram gives a good overview of the park.

I hadn't visited the zoo in a while, so I had not seen the new Africa Rocks exhibit. There were so many amazing new animals to see. And the enclosures were so expansive that the animals had lots of space to roam.

San Diego zoo was Amazing because the animals have so much space in the cages. Sad to know Panda are no longer here.

After coming to this Zoo I no longer see the point in going to LA Zoo. At the San Diego Zoo you will definitely see all the animals and will never leave disappointed. Customer Service was the best- always willing to help guide you around.

What a great day. Wear shoes that are good for walking, you will be walking a lot. If you take or buy a reusable water bottle you can get it refilled with ice and water all day. The animals all looked very well taken care of. The enclosures allowed you to see the animals very well while still giving them lot of room. I only wished we had more time to spend there that day.

Well, its a huge zoo with amazing animals and a lot of attractions like the skyfari. What I as visitor liked a lot is that you can buy a bottle of water and they refill it for free. What you definately shouldnt miss is the painting artists between the entrance and the exit. They do an amazing work with their funny paintings and you get a lot for only $30 ... We enjoyed our visit!

I love the zoo. I actually had my wedding reception here. I love the work they are doing with adding new attractions and such. Also, the work that they do with the animals to protect, conserve and even bring back from the brink of extinction is awesome.

Amazing as advertised! Nice layout and the animals all seemed happy and well maintained.

Awesome sights, information on animals easily found , exhibit s were clean and animals appear well taken care of

Great place to visit and spend the day. First off the place is extremely clean and well kept. Most of the staff is friendly and seem to love what they do, which is great. The animals are pretty active for the most part which shows they like their homes. The 4-D theaters are very entertaining for old as well as the kiddos and are a must for they are very refreshing and cool you off from the heat. Taking advantage of the kangaroo bus to get around the park is a must. Those hills are no joke especially when you have baggage with you.

Oh, a little advise, no matter what you do, riding on the top level of the tour bus is a big no no. As fun and cool as it might seem, the sun will burn you to the point that you lose focus of what's going on and 2 minutes into the tour you want out. Every person ended the tour regretting riding on the top.

Overall it is a must visit place. Well worth the time and money

The San Diego Zoo- a Saturday.
We arrived to a very busy Balboa Park. The Zoo's parking lot was busy, but, still plenty of parking. On weekends, be prepared to walk a distance. Even on the street. Which is fine.
If you're a local, buy a pass. Visit as often as you can.
If you haven't been to the zoo in awhile, it has changed and it is fabulous! All of the new areas, the bridge, the desert type trail, all of it. Fantastic.
The only area that needs revamping is the Children's Zoo. It's still great, but, I know it's on the plans to be redone.
The staff is nice, helpful. There are a lot of volunteers all over the park, to help you with directions or information.
Outside, on weekends, you can ride the carousel and/or train. It's a walk over to Balboa Park where you can explore.
You can eat at the zoo or Balboa Park.
For now, all parking is free.

I appreciate how informative-at-a-glance the signs are for people. The park is diverse and the restaurants are pretty good. Although the park did seem a bit empty animal-wise on a lot of areas, and the thought of having to pay 4 and a half dollars for an ice cream cone shoots a dagger through my heart. Even with that though, I enjoyed my time and the sights there.

Love this zoo. The enclosures are well designed. The landscaping is beautiful and well maintained. The new Africa Rocks exhibit is spectacular.

The human experience was great. The animals are very visible and it's an easy walk with plenty of signs to guide you. Many cages seem too small for the animals they have - especially the cheetah. We spent all day there and most of the animals were active and it was a fun day.