San Diego Zoo Reviews

It was a nice zoo, but I expected so much more because of all the hype about it. My home town zoo is just as nice and a third of the cost. Will have to try the safari next time and see if that is what all the hype is about.

Amazing exhibits, cool animals, clean zoo, great staff, fun shows, neat rides (skyfari, bus tour, 4D movies), but overall expensive. Especially drinks, an Icee is $8 which is wierd because a margarita was priced at $7.29. Also, keep your More

This zoo exceeded my expectations which were already high due to the hype. Being from New York, The Bronx Zoo has been my gold-standard for zoos but The San Diego Zoo is far superior. From the free parking to the friendly staff and eclectic array of animals, this is a must-visit for anyone in the area. You also get so close to the animals at most attractions that you can get some wonderful photos, even of all you bring is your phone.

A beautiful park Would be worth the admission even without the animals.

The San Diego zoo was great a few sights were under construction was the only reason for 4 stars

The only thing that I would say is to prepare for walking. This is a big zoo and a lot of different levels. Best Zoo ever.

Beautiful zoo, we go every year when we visit San Diego

I went there alone but still it wasn't boring! Must visit. I got to see many animals which I haven't seen before, Giraffe, Hippopotamus (swimming under water!!!!), Zebra .. damn animals <3
Try tofu bowl at the Asian place inside the Zoo.

Wonderful experience here. Amazing variety of animals and the animals are not cramped into small environments. Plan on taking an entire day if you want to see everything. Lots of walking and some steep hills and staircases. But, there are plenty of benches to take a break.

We love the San Diego Zoo. It is the only place we ever go on vacation to because we like it so much. The San Diego Zoo is a lot of fun. We love to see all of the animals they have there and making wonderful memories.

San Diego zoo is a must to go place. I regret that I missed the visit on my first trip to the city. Huge place, so many tricks to go around this huge place: skyfky or the buses. The only thing I disagree with previous review, is that one Full day is enough to cover everything. Panda spot is a bit tricky, yet, we didn t miss it

Best zoo I've ever been too. Can get very close to the animals and they have very large exhibits. A wide array of animals as well. And Albert's has some of the best brunch around. Brunch, endless mimosas, outside next to a waterfall? Can't beat it.

Amazing zoo! So much to see. Would go back every day if I could.

Super fun! My 12 year old daughter and I spend a day here the first week in March, not too crowded, great weather, we had a fabulous time.

Shuttle around - free with day pass.

Shady strolls here and there.

A hat is recommended.

Love it here! The animals are beautiful! The parks is kept very clean!

Amazing zoo. Lot activities inside specially during holidays. Great for families. Highly recommended.

Lives up to its reputation. One of the best zoos I have ever been too. Currently it is baby season there are no more panda and the place is super hilly but all in all a great place to spend a Saturday

A San Diego must see! Animals that I've never seen at other big city zoo's. Pandas, baboons, black panther, and the amount of space and number of animals is just amazing. Take the sky tram first and get to the uphill side of the park so most of your walking will be back downhill. Plan your route, and you can experience the entire zoo in 8 hours if you want to get the most out of it.. (you'll finish faster if you're not pushing a stroller)

I always go for the gorillas. It was disappointing for that. I did like the tram that took you around. Very expensive!! We have gone to the Columbus Zoo and it was so much less to pay to get in, refillable drinks, to eat etc. I understand it's Calif but damn. Not all the animals were there.

I mean what can you say about the best zoo in the United States. They have everything and anything. The food is expensive just like anywhere else but there's a lot of fun things to do. I just let my son run around. Strongly suggest the season pass if you live close by

The San Diego Zoo has created a great atmosphere. There are so many things to enjoy.i It's educational and healthy. Learn about different animals or simply enjoy the scenery. It's a relaxing environment.

The world famous San Diego zoo is an amazing place. We have been attending this zoo for years. They always have something new and exciting to see. The staff and volunteers are phenomenal. The best time to enjoy the animals is summer mornings, nighttime zoo, and of course Christmas!!

Best zoo in the world. I highly recommend utilizing the San Diego Zoo app which is free at the app store. It has a great interactive map where it will show you the way to whichever exhibit you want to get to.

A wonderful place for people of all ages to learn about wildlife.

We are zoo members. We go to the zoo monthly. This is the world's best zoo. They continuously modify the enclosures to make life better for the animals in their care. Best time to go is during the summer for Summer nights. They have musicians and a Hulu hoop contest. The nocturnal animals are up and moving. In December the have Jungle Bells at night.

Beautiful zoo! Lots of animals. Very clean! Our family of 5 had an awesome experience! Well worth the money.

Enjoyed seeing our granddaughter love seeing the animals

Great experience. Diverse exhibits and a very walkable layout. Staff were friendly and there were many interesting options to explore.

Amazing to see animals. I recommend the bus tour. You learn so many interesting facts about the animals and see how those who work truly care about them. The tour guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. Try to sit on the right side of the bus for the best up close views.

Awesome place for family and friends. I got the year membership so I go there once a month. It's a great place to spend time with Nate and learn more about the zoo.

Amazing Zoo - highly recommended if you are in the area. The only disappointment was the Giant Panda's had gone on vacation to China.

Hands down one of the best things in San Diego. We go once a week and are always seeing new things. Zoo nights are awesome.

Such a wonderful place that does amazing things for animals and their organizations that keep endangered species safe and producing

Great experience. So many exhibits and things to see. I would personally recommend doing a two day tour here to get the full experience. The only downside is the prices are pretty ludicrous. Eat before you come or eat later. The double decker bus tour is pretty cool and so is the sky ride. Definitely recommend those. There plenty of food and rest stop along the tour as well. They do offer some motorized transportation for those that need assistance. The parking lot is huge, so you'll always be able to find a spot.

Prices - 1
Everything else - 5

Such an amazing zoo! Parking is free which was nice. Was so surprised at the amount of shaded areas walking through the park. Wouldnt be afraid to go in the middle of summer. So many good food options from light snacks to full meals. If you are in San Diego you should make time to go.

I have been there before but this time many of the exhibits were empty. There was a 1 hour wait to see 1 panda that is about it. Second time I have been there to see a rhino and no rhino there. Not even close to the best zoo in the world anymore. Went to my dad's house in ND and spent 1/10 the price for admission and saw more animals including Rhinos. For the privledge of the $70 admission price expect 15 miles of walking and crowds to see maybe 1 thing you haven't before. Once the pandas are gone there is no longer any point to going there.

So me and my family legitimately spent all day here, because I'm in love with animals (especially elephants!) And this place is FULL of them. I suggest going early or late to witness all the animals moving about, because most of them sleep during the day. The aerial sky tram is also a huge bonus that not a lot of zoos offer, and the guided bus tour is a great way to learn about the animals while checking out what's new at the zoo! Our tour guide Ashley was very knowledgeable about what's new and upcoming at the zoo. June is also a great time to visit because it's baby season! Many animals are mating and therefore there are lots of new members at the zoo! Parking is FREE at the zoo which is a huge bonus. At first I felt iffy about the price of tickets, but remembering that the San Diego zoo is a non profit organization and all of our proceeds go towards helping these animals out of extinction really made me feel much better about spending and the prices of everything (still cheaper than Disneyland!). The only downside is the long line for the Pandas (we skipped the lines because we wanted to see everything else first) but the zoo is definitely somewhere I would go again! If I lived in San Diego I wouldn't think twice about getting an annual pass! I had the best time here, thanks San Diego Zoo!

Definitely the best Zoo I ve ever been to. The animals seemed genuinely happy here. Don t miss out on the shows- definitely catch the show on trampoline wall near the koalas. If you re there until close the parade is amazing too. Bring any food or drink you want into the park. There is plenty to purchase inside but it s expensive.

The best zoo I have ever been to! The enclosures were so nice for the animals, the bus ride is a good way to kick it off. Definitely recommend visiting this zoo and the safari Park if you're in San Diego

Wonder place to visit while in San Diego! We enjoyed it on a cool Spring day and all the animals were out and about. Park was very clean, every employee was friendly and helpful. We will be back again.

Wonderful place to see and learn about animals. We spent 7 hours there and still didn't see everything!! It's a must see when visiting San Diego.

Everything was great! The polar bears were semi active which was nice to see. Got to see lots of different animals but since it was midday a lot of them were not active

Definitely the best zoo I've been too. This place is huge, and the variety of animals is very impressive. For the most part, the way the animals are organized makes sense. Plenty of stores offering refreshments all around, so lines are short and you have something to snack on when you need. Staff is friendly and informed. Park is clean and all the buildings and cages are well maintained. Animals seem to be treated as well as possible for a zoo. Can't go wrong here, definitely get an annual pass if you live in San Diego.

Great Zoo. Fun for all ages. Will be taking my children here again.

I learned a lot about the zoo on the bus tour and was very impressed with all they are doing to help the animals. Huge zoo and for once, worth the admission cost.

Clean, nicely set up, and all the animals I saw looked healthy. As with any zoo more space for the animals would be nice.

Very nice zoo with a lot of nice animals! The animals also seemed happy and had a lot of space!

San Diego zoo is a well planned spacious place where the animals look very healthy. Weather around Christmas time is just perfect to walk around this really green place. The zoo is very big so if you are going with kids you need to plan your time well. The hop-in hop-off bus inside the zoo was very convenient. Very neatly maintained place however parking is a bit expensive. kids really enjoy the fake animal statues kept at various spots for pictures. The gondola ride was awesome. There were a variety of animals and birds along with amphibians and reptiles.

Great time. Saw animals I hadn't seen before. Long lines move efficiently which I appreciate. Lots of areas to stop and enjoy.

Wonderful place to visit, so many animals. My favorite place is the Scripps aviary!

San Diego zoo has a lot of great animals and exhibits. There mission to ward off the extinction of wild life is a noble one. However, the habitats are extremely small. I may be spoiled because I grew up in North Carolina with the Asheboro Zoo which doesn't have the same variety of animals but where the habitats are expansive. I was impressed with the variety of species but disappointed in the habitats.

So thrilled that the Zoo is still open. The staff and procedures were 1st rate, the visitors were all screened and masked. Easy to find space distancing during the visit. A wonderful open air experience. Some food/drink and shopping is available, all with most careful monitoring of health safety protocols.

Educating and interactive zoo with an amazing layout. Be prepared for lots of walking though.

A lot to see here, a lot of walking so be prepared. The kids and I love this zoo.

This is by far my favorite zoo. So much to see. Beautiful grounds. Love the animals. Great friendly knowledgeable staff! Will definitely come back.

The San Diego Zoo is such a delight to visit. It is clean and the cages aren't crowded. All of the employees are very nice as well. Our trip here was every we had hoped for. Thank you.

Early in the morning is good time. Gondola ride , bus tour, kangaroo bus tour all included on ticket which is a big plus. Parking is free unlike sea world and safari zoo where we paid 25$ and 15$ for parking.
Highly recommended. Will come again.

I really enjoy the zoo, but all the Bears were hibernating or gone, and several of the other animals were unavailable. Also if the cafes aren't making any money, they shut them down for the day. It makes sense, but it also makes it difficult to get food and drinks. I would definitely come back, but maybe it's best to come back in a warmer season.

Great place to visit and learn, love the fact that a portion of every sale goes to preserving the wildlife outside the zoo.

I had a lot of fun at this place it had a lot of animals, you cant do the hole zoo in less than 3 hours and great food choices I love the fact that all of the animals are treated with lots of care and space. I have one complaint and that is the lion does not have that much space and I think they should expand. But had an amazing time, the best in my opinion is the safari 10 out of 10 would go again.

It's nice but is so large that it's overwhelming, definitely not cheap if you plan on spending a short time.

This place is world renowned for a good reason. It is one of the best zoos in the nation, located in a great city park. There are hills in the park, which provides a change of scenery as you walk from exhibit to exhibit. This is a nice feature of this zoo, but it can be tiring with little ones. Especially with strollers. Try to plan your "route of attack" by utilizing the moving sidewalks to your advantage.

Great exhibits, but they let too many people into the zoo on a regular basis. It is always crowded. The fancy restaurant inside is overpriced (we have eaten there twice). The last time we went was during Jungle Bells and it was alright. Great array of animal species though!!

Well organized and easy to find the animals you'd like to see with the available maps. The zoo associates do a great job of educating conservation.

Once the crowd thins out, there are many shows and musicians that take the stages.

My wife and I decided to take our daughter who is almost two for a fun day we wound up getting the year pass which turned out to be a pretty good deal if you're disabled you get to bring an attendant for free Everytime you go if you have the pass. The only downside for me was with me and my wheelchair there are a lot of hills

Always a blast... never crowded on a Tuesday either!

Great place to spend the day. Easy to get lost. Lots of animals to see. Some really great exhibits. Good restaurants and clean bathrooms.

Very nice zoo..we took the bus ride and enjoyed a lot. The guide was very sweet.

Good place to take a walk and get away and go on new adventures.

Very organized, clean, with wide variety of animals

Best zoo I have been to, great exhibits and animals well taken care of

We were on our honeymoon. It was my beautiful bride's first visit to the San Diego Zoo, and they ruined her for all other zoo's. Super clean and all the animals are well taken care of, which is clearly visible. Had an awesome time.

This is simply the best zoo I've been to anywhere in the world. Wonderful enclosures, excellent staff, and healthy animals are a testament to the excellent management and standards at this zoo. San Diego should be proud to host this institution.

Lots of animals. A little bit expensive but essentially the size of a theme park and educational. I wish the regular ticket included the 4d theater.

This a great zoo. It will take a whole day to see. Parking is free.

What can one say about this Zoo? Wonderful, fantastic, landscape is beautiful! That's what I would say

For zoological information, great animals, facts and education this is IT! The place to be.

It's of the land mark to San Diego city d very popular and famous place It is preferable to visit all age peoples I like this place very much d enjoy with my wife and family g with my g children's

Amazing zoo. Make sure you have all day to enjoy it fully. Make sure to take the skyfari for great views from above

The SD ZOO is the best. It's a walk in the park with animals, Flowers, Shrubs. Sad about the Pandas leaving. Great to have one last visit.

Beautiful Animals!
Skyfari was AMAZING! Being able to look down and see the zoo in the middle of a beautiful city!

Large zoo. Lots of walking but they also have a double decker bus tour that's included in ticket price. The tour takes you around the main part but still worth it to walk after as you don't see all the animals. Volunteers are helpful and full of information.

What an amazing experience! The zoo was laid out very well with something great to see everywhere you turn.