San Diego Zoo Reviews

Spectacular place to visit and one of the best zoos in the world.

It's the world famous San Diego Zoo for a reason. You need to get here people!

So fun and informative. Love my season pass. I would bring picnic lunch, snacks and water. A little pricey. The animals are displayed well and are very active first thing in the morning.

This is an all day adventure. The zoo has been updated. Very interesting. It also accommodate s those with disabilities very nicely. So much too see. Worth the entrance fee

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Park was clean and easy to navigate. Amazing time, definitely recommend

Love love love... first time and i honestly can see myself going maybe once or twice a year now... most definitely wear comfortable shoes

Awesome place clean bunch of different animals good food selections next to Balboa Park and downtown San Diego Old Town everything within walking distance

Great animal exhibits, outside food allowed, and free parking. Can't ask for much more!

This place is enormous! Went with an animal-loving kiddo who enjoyed all the exhibits. Seems like the space could be better used to provide larger enclosures for the animals, less shops and restaurants for people. Crazy expensive and too big to see in one day.

Great place. It shows that they take great care to stimulate the animals in they inclosures.

One of top zoos in the world, all you need to know Be prepared for tremendous amount of endurance and time if you attempt to do the entire site in a day. It's much bigger than you think. Not so secret weapon is the Skyfari tram which connects Front St entrance/exit with Northern Frontier. You'll thank me later!

I put four stars because I was trying to get to live cam and I could not find it on google

Awsome love the animals... Theirs llamas too...and tigers and i love elephants....

Lots to see and do at the San Diego Zoo!

This was my second visit to the zoo and I still wasn t able to see everything! (though I am a bit slower now with kids). The diversity of plants and animals is amazing to see and this zoo always takes my breath away. I really commend the focus on endangered wildlife and what we can all do to help, our tour guide, the signage and even the recycled waste bins help raise awareness!

Advice:

- get there early to see the daily macaw release and avoid long lines
- Speaking of lines, the longest waits are for the tour bus, skyride and panda exhibit (the last two have areas of no shade so be sun prepared!)
- There are multiple washrooms but some are limited to only one toilet (tough for taking young kids that cannot go on their own yet)
- Bring your own food to save money
- If you like a shorter wait and more shade, choose the bottom level of the tour bus
- Remember that what you spend at the zoo is helping in the fight for wildlife conservation, so don t feel too bad about cost
- Kid s Zoo is under construction (the plans look amazing though!)
- If you time them right, the skyride and kangaroo buses can help you avoid too much walking and allow you rest while still on the move

Somewhere along the way I replaced my kid with a baboon.

Like how they set up the zoo. For safety. As their lots of one way trails. Also hand sanitizer through out. Also signs of high touch areas. Also security is out making sure mask are worn and worn properly

It's a great lace for family... All precautions are taken to protect families and wildlife... Safe distancing

The animals are so lively and interactive. Lots of walking because it is very big. I loved it but my kids wined a bit about that.

San Diego zoo is the best place in SoCal to enjoy a beautiful day with friends and family. Something for everyone. Don't miss it.

Such an amazing zoo. Definitely dedicate an entire day to visit! We didn't get to see everything and were there for 6hrs. Staff was super nice and helped frequently with directions.

Just phenomenal. I felt like a kid again. The zoo is expansive and beautiful. A vast array of plants are incorporated into every possible place and truly immerses you. The animals all appear to be very healthy and the enclosures are clean. This zoo is also a critical conservationist organization, saving species from the brink of extinction.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to visit, don't be.

Beautiful park. We arrived a little after opening and immediately caught a ride on the Skyfari. It gives you a decent survey of the entire park as well as the surrounding area. We walked around for a while and then we took one of the free bus tours. It's a good way to rest and see a lot of the park.
The clincher for me was that you can bring your own food and drink inside as long as you don't bring any glass containers. There's plenty more to see and we'll be back again.

We had a great time at the San Diego Zoo! We spent 5 and a half hours roaming around the zoo, checking out all the animals! The animals have really nice enclosures and the keepers lay out enrichment items before they let the animals in the enclosures. We saw a momma leopard and her 2 cubs in a very large area that even had a bridge above the walkway so that they had even more room on the other side. They were so cute and playful! The penguins have a large pool area they can swim and play in! We also saw a momma giraffe with her young son! There are 2 bus systems inside the zoo, one is a guided tour, which takes you around the perimeter while a guide tells you about the animals. Our guide was great! Not only was he chock full of info, he had a great personality and we enjoyed hearing him. There is also the Kangaroo bus, which is a hop on/hop off bus you can use to move quickly from one side of the zoo to the other. There were so many beautiful animals to see. It was a great experience!

What a great zoo and experience. The zoo is laid out very well and walking paths are beautiful. The zoo map became a little confusing but there are coordinator help you along. A very nice day trip.

Huge park. Need 2 days to see all. Recommend the double decker bus tour. Lots and lots of walking and hills. The aviary was pretty cool too. Got really close to a couple of birds. Free parking!

Took the Discovery cart tour first thing. Filled in with walking and kangaroo bus. Absolutely beautiful and interesting. Shout out to Becca, best tour guide very knowledgeable and friendly

Immaculate grounds and landscaping. Wonderful views of the animals in a gorgeous setting. Animals are well taken care of.

What a GREAT day. The staff and volunteers are so friendly and helpful. Especially the newly renovated areas are wounderfull.
Remember to take the bus trip, very informative and it may be a good way to start (don't tell anybody, but the right side of the bus is the best).
The aerial tramp way is a must, what a view (the pictures are from the aerial tramp).
Finally the most important- the animals. Lots of them and it takes much more than one day to see them all.

Love this place. Got a membership and regularly go here with my kids. It's a great nature walk, with plenty to see. It has free parking. With the membership you are able to go to the safari park as well and receive free parking there as well. This year however, the price has significantly increased increased, you may want to consider if a membership is right for you.

Also this is a very large park, you may consider bringing very comfortable shoes and dont over pack. Their food there is also reasonably priced.

Some of the exhibits did not have the animals it said it would have. A few exhibits were open but yet empty, Lil one was disappointed. Other than that, it was great

I love walking around Balboa Park! Perfect place for walking/jogging/running, as well as all the amazing museum!

Wow, just wow. Having been to a few other zoos and leaving feeling sorry for how sad the animals seemed, this place was a great change. Amazing, well designed exhibits, pretty great amenities, and friendly staff no matter where they were- taking food orders or explaining baboon ecology, just so good.
You can enjoy it in a single day, but be prepared for a lot of walking, and a lot of snacks and water- don't rush, take everything in.
we got there at opening and there was a nice little welcome ceremony, and we didnt leave until almost 4pm. Would go again today if I could.
if you live in san diego, why dont you have an annual pass?! Nice benches in the aviaries to hang out with birds.

Excellent Social Distancing standards in place with good staff support to remind people to keep their masks on; however, they are reminded sompeople can handle it for the good of others. A macho syndromes-I'm invincible!!! Diffidently like the early morning environment.

Such a fun place! So many new attractions and exhibits
Always learning new things

Awesome atmosphere and friendly! Lots to do and see!

I love the zoo!! My parents give me a zoo pass every year for Christmas and it is so great. The place can definitely get really crowded, but honestly the zoo is massive and it won t feel that big. I have been so many times and still see so many new things each time I go! I love taking my students there every year as well. I love this zoo!

Ranked as a top global zoo for good reason. The San Diego Zoo is expansive and has all the cutest animals with unique spaces and paths. You'd need two days to fully cover the space.

Pandas are everyone's favorite and rightfully so. The line will take about 20-30 minutes but well worth it. Food prices are fairly pricey and have countless stalls across the terrain. The views of the city are great, the bus tours are a great fast way to see the area, and lots of options for routes.

Tons of activities to do, but none that we did. Feed the giraffes, hangout with some caretakers and learn about their animals, or simply enjoy the animals from the path.

Young children may get fussy with all the lines and long walks, but they sure enjoy it anyway! Have a blast and enjoy the preservation of so many species.

Great place to take kids. We have been many times and every time is a lot of fun. They've made updates in recent years and well worth it.

Such a fun & educational place, so much green spaces to sit.

The experience was fun but everything is expensive for example real life size lion stuffed animal for $800 ridiculous

San Diego Zoo is one of the largest Zoo's in the world , not to mention the panda's .The zoo has a marvelous panda exhibit ,which the pandas are on lease from the Japan. Between the beautiful Balboa park and the connected San Diego Zoo there are more plants and animals than anywhere in the World.You don't want to miss this experience,truly one of its kind.

Loved the zoo and the exhibits.the set up was very close to their natural needs but still you get a feeling they are enclosed. I recommend to visit in the morning as there is high chance to see the animals. For the bus the upper or lower deck doesn't matter, I recommend not to waste time waiting for it, just take a seat where ever you can. Must see are polar bears and Pandas

Best place to go on a family trip...The weather in San Diego is the best in the world. Staff is very friendly and knowledgable of the park. Can't wait to go back.

Fantastic zoo as everyone else says. Easy to get from place to place with the buses and tram. Plenty of shaded places if visiting in the summer.

I'm from SACRAMENTO.... First time being in San Diego! This was a great start to my trip!!!

Noted as one of the best Zoo's in the world-if not thee best. The amount of foliage throughout the zoo makes you feel like you are truly in another habitat. The zoo covers all areas of the globe and offers an educational outlook while making you feel like you're on an adventure. Zoo is open until 9pm until September too!

Always a fun time. A great way to spend the day outdoors and be physically active. The food can be pricey. You are able to bring food and drinks into the park. If you have kids and live here in San Diego, it's worth buying the membership and having access to both parks.

This is an amazing place to hangout with the family but you hvae to be there from the Early morning because there is plenty to do and see so do not miss these things out , it is an unbelievable zoo, there are more species than i could have seen and imagined in my life.

This zoo is top notch. I brought our little family down for the weekend and we had a blast! We are members at the Los Angeles Zoo but this zoo is much larger and has many animals that the LA zoo does not have. It's quite pricey but is totally worth it for the animals you'll see. It's also very well layed out and easy to get everywhere.

Great zoo! Very unique setting in the mountains / hills. Pricy to get in, but parking is free, and the prices once in the park are not outrageous. We made it around the whole park once in a day.

Nighttime zoo is always fun! Fewer crowds than doing the day. Enjoyable performances!

Great view of animals and a great variety of animals. The map and paths are a little confusing.

We have visited this zoo a couple of times when we have visited the states and it has always been a great day out!

Known as the best zoo in the world. What else is there to say? Beautiful area, lots of animals in display. Some of the trails are really cool and fresh, especially during summer time. Highly recommended if you're in the LA/San Diego area.

The zoo was really good. Loved everything I saw.. theres only one minor flaw with this zoo... there are no owls.. I wanted to see an owl... it's a wild life park, and they have everything else except an owl... only real reason why they are getting 4 stars outta 5.. cause of no owls... other than that.. the zoo is a good place, clean, it's a non-smoking park.. but you can totally get some brews there

Quite tiring but ei it was fun!

Otis the hippo is my favorite and there are also plenty of awesome and cute animals to meet and plenty of cool activities to do.

This is one of the must places to visit when in San Diego.

I have been coming to the San Diego zoo since I was a small boy. It has always and continues to be one of the greatest places of joy for me. The animals are well taken care of and the exhibits are always great. Today marks the first day I've taken my son now to the zoo. A tradition I hope continues for a long time.

So special it is almost impossible to describe. The grounds are as much an arboretum as a wildlife conservation park. But young parents, please if your child is under five, wait. They do not know what it is and do not have ability to form a memory of a one time experience. So many screaming infants and toddlers and people struggling with strollers. Just wait a few years to take kiddos.

It's more expensive than our zoo back home but it is bigger and they have packages where you get to hang out with the animals. Restaurants everywhere with a fair variety of food but they were sold out of soft pretzels and hot dogs. Employees were nice and helpful. The insect exhibit could be bigger but what they have was pretty neat. The view at sunset on the bridge was amazing! We all had fun, it was worth the price.

The most incredible zoo in the United States. The animals are so well taken care of and the habitats are breathtaking. You can tell the staff live their jobs and the animals.

Having a wonderful day at the San Diego Zoo. Lots to see. The Kangaroo bus hopper is a must with your ticket. Your feet will thank you.

My favorite place in the world. Never a bad day here. The volunteers are always plesant and beyond helpful and to watch kids run around and enjoy learning about the animals and our earth is a joy.

Otherworldly. All other zoos are mere country road sideshows by comparison.

If you are visiting the San Diego area, you should really make time to visit the zoo. It is definitely one of the better zoos in the United States. It took the better part of the day to get through the entire zoo but it is worth it!!

The best zoo I have ever experienced. I've been to other towns, but nothing comes close to the SD zoo!

Absolutely love my time here! I met with wonderful Bria at the ticketing booth. She was so friendly, cheerful and helpful! Absolutely a delight to meet at the start of the day. It makes me feel wonderful to see all the koala are so healthy. All the animal who were born in captivity are very happy with their environment. It good to know all the money goes to helping the animal who most needed. They have an amazing collection. Some of their animals, people search their whole life to see. Took the twilight tour, worth every penny. I saw an aye-aye with my own eyes and we get to stay until dark. we were the last 3 visitors allowed to stay after 5pm. San Diego Zoo is a must visit for San Diego.

It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was also immensely over-priced. I think I'm spoiled coming from St. Louis, which has a top 5 zoo that is free to the public. The enclosures were generously sized and well maintained, but the zoo felt really spread out with lots of bamboo and birds between you and the next interesting animal you wanted to see. You should go one time, but that is probably enough.

The weather was great and everyone had a lot of fun. This is a big zoo and there is alot of ground to cover. Love the hopper bus so you can get off and on at designated stops. The tram is also a quick ride across the park.

The San Diego Zoo is easily one of the best zoos in the country - and their deep commitment to animal welfare is very apparent the moment you step foot in the park.

As expected, food, beverages and souvenirs are very pricey. You are allowed to bring your own food, however - they have picnic tables outside the zoo for people to enjoy. If you're a local, I highly recommend getting annual passes. It's the cheaper option if you plan on attending regularly.

One thing to note - there is A LOT of uphill walking at the zoo. Take your time, and plan your visit before you go. You are unlikely to see the entire zoo in one trip - it's that vast. However, it's one of the best attractions in San Diego and well worth a trip!

Great fun for the whole family! From using the lift across the park if seeing the cute pandas on loan from China! It's a blast for the entire crew that is equally informative

Good place to visit & good stuff to do with family & kids but needs better parking & needs better lighting in the parking lot

On Saturday, October 27th me and my friends went with their family to the zoo for Halloween event that they were holding. It was very fun since we saw many fun places and events. First we went to the bubble party, then we did this trick or treat event were there was a cupcake walk and one of my friends on second place so she got a cupcake. We also went to this thing called a reptile house where we saw many unique reptiles including a rattlesnake and an Indian cobra.
We also saw many people who worked in the zoo dressed up in really cool and bright colored costumes. We also entered a hula hoop contest but my friend nor I won it. It was nice though since we got to dance inside our hoops.

The Zoo was Amazing! The bus ride however.... is trash. I couldn't hear anything because of the squealing brakes. On top of that, my daughter (3 year old) was waived in at the gate to the Zoo. When I got to the bus ride, the lady gave me the 3rd degree because "she shouldn't have" and proceeded to ask me "who let her in?" I don't know! I didn't take names at the entrance. But aside from the rude employee (coincidentally named "Karen"), the brakes on that bus pierced the eardrums to my soul. My daughter had her fingers in her ears the whole time... much like half the bus.

Pro tip: Sit on the right side (as seated) or there is nothing to see.

We bought a membership to walk for our health. We learn so much from the volunteers posted at exhibits too.

What can be said about this zoo that hasn't already been said?? It is such an incredible experience!! Expect a full day of walking up and down hills and stairs. I got almost 20,000 steps in!

The new Africa Rocks exhibit is SO nicely done and beautiful! It is so visually stunning and fun to walk around. Every exhibit is fun to walk to and see. We particularly liked the hippo exhibit and the reptile house! The only exhibit that was a little underwhelming was the elephants because they weren't really out and the ones that were out were in a pen that was hard to see.

Overall it was a great day!!!

One of the best zoos in the nation. Take the bus tour first to familiarize yourself with park. You can and will get lost. Afterwards just go on an adventure. We tried using the map to go to specific exhibits but ended up going with the flow. Saw a baby hippo and mom sleeping underwater. Also two tortoises fighting over watermelon rinds. A real treat. Located right next to balboa Park. Snake picture was taken in the reptile house, where it would be easy to spend over an hour.

Excellent zoo with a large variety of animals and places to eat. The tickets are pretty expensive so make sure you can spend the whole day and get your money's worth.

Only the most famous zoo in the U.S.A. if not the world. A good place to see and learn from the zookeepers about the different animals. You can ride the skyfari for a bird's eye view of the park. By the way the parking is always free.

A great zoo that is actively working to save endangered animals.

Lots of walking involved so plan accordingly. The bus tours are easier but you don't get to explore. The habitats look amazing and the plaques give interesting information. Kid friendly and elder friendly. Benches are plentiful, as well as restrooms. Get here early if you want to explore everything, since it closes at 5.

Easily the best zoo I've ever been to. I'm sure it's also a lot better without coronavirus.

Best place ,nicely organized so many volunteer ,very clean .

I was excited to go to the San Diego Zoo and the experience did not let me down. The displays are incredible and the variety of plants and animals is impressive. Just going through my photos recently and remembering what a great time we had.