San Diego Zoo Reviews

This zoo is amazing. Lots to see and do. The animal exhibits are very well kept and it s a great experience for all age groups. Definitely a must if you ever visit San Diego. Love the sky cab

Been coming here for 35 years now... it only gets better as time goes on! Now we bring our children here! Excellent education for everyone!

I enjoyed visiting this zoo with my family. First of all the entrance was magnificent. The check in went really well with no wait time. We received great advice from the entrance staff to start our journey with the bus tour. The entire admission for our family was shy of $200.00 and was well worth every penny. The parking lot structure was huge and equip with handicap parking. There is a convenient drop off arch by the entrance to the zoo for cabs, limos and vehicles for hire. For me, I was able the see all the animals that was on my to do list even though I don't remember all their names. I saw the giraffe, zebras, lions, cheetahs, bears. Amazingly so was a polar bear, wow. Different species of apes and birds . My children were fascinated with the different species of birds . We had a stroller so it was very convenient for others who needed ramp access so without a doubt, that won't be a problem. It's surprisingly cooler at the zoo averaging temperates in the 80s compared to other areas of Cali. Bring some snacks and plenty of fluids. Be there early, we stayed for 5 hours and only covered a fraction of the facility.

Great for families. Always a good time seeing the beautiful and majestic animals at the park! Consider a 2 day pass as it makes seeing the immense park more digestible.

It is a amazing Zoo! I'm just putting 4 stars because I don't like the big cats area, it is too little for than, they need more space. But the rest is amazing

Great place to visit. Best Zoo in the USA located in America s finest city, Great Shows,Food,Beer,Gift shops and very friendly staff. A must see

My family had so much fun here but I really wish they would lower the prices on food. My gosh..to feed a family of 6 put me out 200. Just for food!

I was devastated that that they tore down my favorite restaurant in the zoo. They had decent chicken tenders and delicious funnel cake. And now it s gone.

On the bright side, I saw a big-cat mlep.

Beautiful zoo with lot s of animals from all over the world.
Especially loved the panda, polar bear and penguins.

I watch it from Wisconsin with Jack Hanna when he goes there everybody told me I'd have a whole day of enter me and my wife are to it within about two-and-a-half 3 hours we thought Ashley Brookfield Zoo much better

Wonderful zoo! Landscaping and cleanliness was emaculate. So many wonderful animals!

They charged my active duty military son full price. He didn't see it til later. CHECK YOUR BILL!

Got to see the new baby giraffe and a little peek at one of the departing panda bears. It was a great day!

Awesome Zoo. Highest cable ride over the Park I've seen. Many animals and fairly clean overall. See it if you go to the city.

This zoo is absolutely amazing. Huge and very great to walk through, but there are many options if you hope to reduce walking. There are bus tours and a skytram, which takes you from one end to the other, and is such a pleasant experience! The exhibits are easy to get to and even easier to admire. Highly recommend!!!

Longtime zoo annual passholders. All the amazing things you hear about the zoo are all true, plus it's in Balboa Park. If it's your first time going to the zoo, wear good shoes, comfortable clothing, and plan for 6 to 8 hours minimum to see (most) everything.

Before I start, I'll disclose that I have a slight mobility issue. This zoo is HUGE. I was expecting to walk a lot, but in some areas there's so much walking in between exhibits, and the hills are incredibly steep. I was literally too exhausted to continue after seeing only half the zoo. That being said, if you are able to split it between 2 days, that would be ideal. Especially if you have children with you.

I deducted a star because of the outrageous prices to get in.

This zoo is huge, but the bus and the gondola ride help a lot, especially with little kids and their easily exhausted feet. Most of the animals were viewable and some were even active.

It was great since the first time I had ever been to the zoo I lived in San Diego for so long and never went to the zoo the tram ride was awesome had a wonderful time with my family and friends so a lot of interesting creatures took some really great pictures and learn so much about the animals so sorry that I moved away from San Diego and only got to go there that one time that is truly a place that you can go to time and time again and never Tire of it because you always see something different each time you go

My first visit to this zoo was when I was 12. 25 years later made it back just in time to see the pandas before they left. This zoo is still as amazing as I remember. We paid extra for the Look inside tour. Expensive but worth it. Had a great guide and was able to go places the public could not. Got a lot of good info from that.

It's the best zoo ever. Absolutely take the bus ride and the Skyride.

Definitely can spend an entire day here, I actually recommend it to get your money's worth. Some exhibits were under construction, feel like the ticket price should be adjusted accordingly. However, that was my only complaint. The buses were right on schedule, and lines for the Skyfari aerial tram were not long (rode twice). Overall favorite zoo experience!

Best zoo in the world! So many great enclosures. Very pricey though at around $60 for an adult

The new section...African Rocks is amazing. The gorillas and baboons are in incredible natural like enclosures that allow a next to view through glass...and the aviary is hudge. Dont miss the penguins ...watch them swim all together and various enclosures have alligators and crocks...plan for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours! Each enclosure has multiple viewing points...and the plantings make it an arboretum too.

Everything is so nicely done. Paths r clear, cages don't smell, people r all over the place to offer assistance. Also go on the like idk what to call it but its a cart thing that u go in that takes u over the zoo and that's a must do. Everything looks so beautiful from up there

I had the greatest time at this zoo. First time ever visiting. Everyone that worked there was professional and nice. I went on the perfect time because all the animals were out playing

So much fun. It's designed so that it doesn't feel crowded even when there's a lot of people

Love the setup of this zoo. It's beautiful and spaced out well.

Outstanding zoo, easily one of the best in the country. Healthy animals, dedicated and caring volunteers. Conservation focused staff makes for a truly memorable experience in the largest zoo I have ever personally visited. Well worth the visit.

Really big. However just another zoo in my opinion. Nice exhibits but nothing to ooo and ahh over. Food way over priced and not very good.

One of the best zoos I've ever been to. Lots of value. Added it on to our SoCal CityPass. Worth every penny. So much to see, do, experience, and be apart of. Wear comfortable walking shoes. You will walk for hours if you try to do this on one day like w did. You get a guided bus tour and skyfari rides. Lots of places to get food and restrooms are placed everywhere. It is still under construction so there will be even more content in the future, but what it has now is tiring and fun. Most animals will be easily visible and there are great volunteers and guides everywhere.

Amazing zoo. Loved the pandas here. This zoo has wonderful bus,train and sky rides.zoo has all the amenities and kid friendly too

This is LARGE and beautiful zoo. Due to its size it can sometimes be difficult to navigate around, but it is always worth the trip. We are on our 9th visit and there are still things we're discovering that are new to us.

Incredibly well set up- paths, layout, food stalls, drinks etc. Very pleasant to walk around
Animal viewing pretty good.
But overall experience wonderful

The place smelled like a ZOO! Animals EVERYWHERE! I had fun!

Went to night zoo. Not crowded and the animals very active.

Such a fun place to spend the day and learn too! We have been here many times over the years. It is well maintained and the animal enclosures and animal seem well cared for. Interactive experience is available (for a price of course) and staff is very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

Nice place for kids and enjoy the variety of plant's. I wish the bus ,I believe it is yellow would stop close to the entrance or exit. It is still a long walk from stop #1. When everyone is tired and you are deep in the park, it would be nice to grab s bus to the exit.

Its called the best zoo in the country for a reason, and it does not dissapoint!! A little advice, if you plan to walk the whole zoo make sure to wear good walking shoes; its a trek!

San Diego Zoo is one of the Best Zoo in California. We get to see all kinds of animals and kids would just love this place.

The Skyline Ride and the bus tour both are very good, however Bus ride is totally worth it. Guide will try to explain entire zoo and also about animals. We also her kangaroo bus which stops at most of the points near to the animals.

There are ample amount of foods courts, water dispensers, kids stores, photography, restrooms and the best part is they have lockers for a minimum cost of $8 - small size, $10 large size and $12 Jumbo size you can choose as per your need and it s per day limited lockers where you can secure your belongings and enjoy your day at the zoo.

You also see so many stores in the zoo who see lots of toys, however they are bit expensive. One more thing is bottled Water in the zoo are most expensive almost $4 each and it s a small bottle of water I guess it s 300ml or 400ml. But you always have a choice of tap water.

Lines at Panda are too long and it might take upto 45 min, so if you want to see Panda finish that first then go to rest

Very large parking lot, so parking is never a problem which is totally free. They also take Valet parking for $20.

Quite simply the best zoo I have ever been to in my life. Home to an enormous collection of animals, most of which are housed in naturalistic habitats. One day is really not enough to see it all. The price of admission is high, but totally worth it.

This zoo is amazing
You can spend all day here! The atmosphere is amazing and there are so many animals to see. They usually put on some type of shows and the keepers are always out speaking about the animals. It is a must to go to if visiting San Diego

Second time at the San Diego Zoo. I recommend taking the guided bus tour first, then walking around to see things more up close or animals not seen on the tour. Also suggest the Ski Fari. You need at least 5 hours to make it around.

Almost always a great time!! 2-3 hours work perfectly.

Great day.! Mask make it kinda hard.. but no complaints.. great San Diego weather.

This zoo has a really great reputation and good reason for it. It cost about $100 for two for a day pass, but the experience was well worth it! We spent about 3 hours roaming around and watching animals and still only made it around half of the zoo! Definitely bring good walking shoes (or take a bus tour!)

The zoo has taken a lot of time to make the visitors feel immersed in the habitats and get as close as possible to the animals. Definitely a great trip all around!

Clean, pleasant and full of exhibits for all ages. Came on a Monday and enjoyed the day with no lines and active, friendly staff.

An awesome experience, great staff and an amazing mission of conservation!

Really love going here. They do a great job of caring for the animals. Clean and relaxing to walk through. Plenty of information to read at each stop. Well worth the price..

Animals are unpredictable so you may or may not get to see a lot of them. Food is horrible and everything we ordered was cold, did not even come out warm. We had hamburgers and chicken fingers. Churros were good.

Have had yearly passes for the last 4 years, about 17/month for two. Come here about once a week, sometimes in the summer it's gets really crowded. Nice to come here on a weekday when school is in session, very little people, animals seem to be out more/less harassed.

Fortunate enough to have seen the Giant Pandas 3 weeks before they departed back to their motherland.. Bai Yun and her 6 year old cub Xiao Liwu.. So thankful I got to see them. :)

Excellent but way over priced compared to zoos in St Louis and New Orleans. Just not that much better.

amazing, the animals ,the attraction a nice experience to do with the family

I love it here, it's so much fun and a membership is definitely worth it if you're local!!

As a grown up, it sure feels different then when I was a kid. I can't give it to low of stars because the kids had fun, but boy is the food and drinks super expensive!

Am I the only one who feels many of the enclosures are to small? I remember having gone to the Toronto zoo years past and the enclosures being much larger. I appreciate the need to educate the public and have them care about animals in order to effect positive change. But it still feels as if some of the animals are being served in ways which cause them a lot of stress. The zoo itself is beautiful and well kept, and the activities and attractions are plentiful. The cost is high, but merited..

Visited the zoo this past July 2019: Amazing place for the kids and family.

There is so much to do and see! You could easily spend 2 days here enjoying everything.

Worth every penny. We got lucky to be able to come during the weekday, it was less crowded and we got to take our time to explore the zoo. Definitely doing it again.

The king if all zoos. I hate to say it but it puts my beloved LA Zoo to shame. Is pretty big so bring your walking shoes or take the kangaroo shuttle to get around.

Great place to take the family. Cant really complain about anything except it seems too small. There's plenty to see, do and eat. And learn!

Great experience, free parking, but no good food at the territory.

Well... not greatest Zoo in the world, but quite good:) I personally like Singaporean Zoo more. Quite expensive (54$), but it worth it.

Primiere quality zoo (with ticket price to match. Exhibits all top notch, with too many to see in a day. Can be crowded.

Unbelievable landscaping that's as awesome as the animals what a great way to spend the day

It's the world famous San Diego zoo! They have a bit of everything for everyone.

A bit crowded inside but I can definitely see why. Every animal I could possibly imagine was there, laid out in a nicely designed environment.

Great zoo! Bring comfortable shoes because there's a lot of walking! And, some of it is uphill depending on where you are in the zoo. Lots of food options to try for everyone and lots of sweet treats too. Best place to eat is Saber Tooth Grill over by the elephant Odyssey. Try the kangaroo bus to get around the zoo, or the skyfari which is included with admission. There's a great little area where you can breastfeed or get a bottle warmed if you need it, but it is only located in one area of the zoo. But, there aren't any signs that say no breastfeeding so you can do that at the park. If you don't know where to go ask one of the red shirt volunteers, they're great help and have great tid bits to share. Strollers are easy to have around because the walkways are spacious, we've taken a double bob stroller and had no problem. You will have to leave it behind and do a round trip on the skyfari though since it won't fit in the tram. Friendly staff, clean bathrooms, clean eating areas.

Long wait to get in for screening. Waited in line 45 minutes just to enter.

Great experience, the staff are great and very friendly.

It is a well maintained zoo.

if you are doing a one time only visit like me, recomend one full day. Prepare a good walk if you can, as tour buses are not that good for a relaxed viewing.

We spend from 9 AM to 3 PM here. We walked almost all the trails, lunch pizza at Treetops is good.

flow to follow

Outback
Urban Jungle
Asian Passage
African Rocks thru
Elephant odessey
Northern Frontier
Panda trek
Bayshore bridge [lunch at tree tops]
Eagle trail
Hippo trail
Tiger trail
Avairy
Monkey trail or Treetops way to store and exit

Several aviaries are there with benches, recomend waiting for a few mins for the birds to come closer, they are mostly hidden.

Go early and finish of panda tour first as it temds to queue up quite a lot.

Amazing when you go with someone that appreciate the zoo.

Best zoo I've ever been to. Even on a busy day it didn't feel to crowded. The bus tour was fun but you can't see many of the animals. That's my only complaint. Everything was top notch, so many different varieties of animals, the staff were super helpful, and the food at the restaurants was great.

Lives up to its reputation. Incredible experience.

Clean! Well run! They're truly not gouging you for the food when you consider the quality and portions.
Always improving the settings and animal habitats.

We spent an entire day here. We did the tram tour and the bus tour. There are so many animals to see and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to this zoo.

I ve been to the Bronx zoo and the Philadelphia zoo but the San Diego zoo blows both of them out of water. The walking paths go thru the habitats and you really feel immersed in them. Place is huge too and there s so many great views. The bus tour and hop on and off bus is a great plus and you really get to see a lot more of the zoo without having to walk a marathon.

Easy parking, even on a Saturday. Long lines to get food. Zoo is lovely with a good amount of shade. Lots of hills, maybe challenging for some.

Very nice experience they have really improved the zoo making the animal enclosures more roomy and more activities for the animals

Love coming here everyone in awhile. Always something to do, and never bored. I'll admit the food and drinks are over the top, but they let you bring snacks or lunches. Great for photography and views on Skyfari. Animals are cute and friendly. Recommended for all kids and family.

Amazing place. One of the best zoos we have visited so far. Very well maintained. It's a must place to visit of you are visiting San Diego.

This zoo is bananas. Take the sky ride. Also take the bus. Went with two small babes. Every worker we encountered had a pleasant and helpful attitude. Aviaries are amazing. It s all amazing. Love the focus on conservation and every interaction with staff made you feel like you were contributing to conservation with just your ticket.

Love the chill environment here, My husband and I bought keepers club passes for the year totally worth it, we live about 2 hours away it gets us out of our city and San Diego weather's always nice!

Awesome zoo, was not expecting it to be as big as it was lol. Bring walking shoes and a small backpack style cooler because anytging bigger will be hard to put on the tram or busses. Overall the zoo is extremely clean and even though there was alot of people there it didn't feel crowded. The animals are active and appear to be well taken care of.

Enforced social distancing, everyone wears a mask, all park employees were informative and friendly.

Lots of different species to see.. very nice place... Just don't go looking for the polar bear, it's depressing I don't think that animal should be there

I know this will shock alot of people. We came from KC to see the world's top rated zoo. My wife myself and my teenage daughter all expected more. It's very tropical and the bus tour is great. Saw everything in 2 1/2 hours. I've been to the Omaha Zoo a few times. Its a totally awesome zoo. I would be all day describing all the cool things to see. San Diego is awesome so go see this beautiful place. The Zoo is nice just a little over rated.

Amazing zoo with an impressive diversity of animal life.

About to complete my 1st year as an annual member. and let me tell you my daughter has learned so much from so many different animals and she's had so much fun. Here are some of our pictures. In the process we've added a new member to our family and we can't wait to watch a little one in her older sister create memories at the San Diego zoo we will be definitely renewing our year passes. Thank You San Diego Zoo for giving us such great memories and more to come oh yes and that new lion statue is really something to Roar about

Ive purchased my 4th year pass here, San D. Zoo is the best, never get tired of seeing Animals insects , so much to see here.