San Diego Zoo Reviews

The name says it all. But be prepared to do some walking. It really is a 'day' trip, but well worth it.

Came here on Christmas Day 2018 and couldn't ask for a better time to go.

Although it was lightly raining throughout the day, I didn't mind. Most of the animals were out and even though it was pretty packed, the park gives plenty of viewing angles and space to be able to see every animal you want with just a bit of patience.

The park itself is very big, with an assortment of cool looking areas. From escalators to waterfalls, to big animal pits to smaller ones, to many different shops, restaurants and beautiful sites, this is definitely a special place to visit. I'd say a good 5 or 6 six hours is what you'll need to cover everything, maybe less on a less packed day, if there is one.

And OMG, they have a mountain lion! Yes!

Look how close I got to those lions, they were a mere three feet from me! Crazy!

Highly recommended and well worth the drive to see this place(From San Jose).

Next time I'll be sure to check out the Safari portion.

Thanks San Diego Zoo!

Unique experience. Sad they dont have the giant pandas anymore.

The zoo is amazing! There are SO MANY animals and the staff is so friendly! There is something for everyone here!

Lot many varieties of animals, birds, reptiles, snakes and aquatic park. Many attractions are included in park. Sky-tram and bus tours are highlight of the park. Lot of food courts and children play areas. Lost forest is the best place in zoo...

Great experience. Spent 3 hours here, got through s lot but 5 hours plus is needed. No complaints. Steller way to spend a day !!!!!

Was great time saw many animals and all looked in good condition, clean and organized place

Love this place a must visit when your in San Diego

I love everything about the zoo. Definitely worth the membership.

The animals are cute and most of them were active

I had not been to the zoo in a long time and it sure has changed for the better. It was always terrific and now it's even more terrific. It is so beautiful it's like being in another city or maybe another country.

Disappointed, there were no signs upon entering the zoo and, that all panda bears were no longer at zoo. Further, there was no sign that the bird aviaries were closed, as a preventative measure for the birds. Evidently humans carry a flu virus that birds are suspectible.
Yes there are other exhibits available but it's disappointing especially because you are not able to make a decision on whether or not to visit the zoo.
Very disappointed!!!!

One of the best zoos in the world. It will take a full day or multiple visits to try to see everything you want to see. Parking is free. Annual pass is well worth it if you plan to go more than a couple of times within a year (or even in a week!). Food and drink isn't great and it is expensive although there are a lot of options. Worth taking your own food and drink. The bus tours are a good way to cover a lot of ground and get your bearings.

Beautiful day at the zoo. We had an opportunity to see everything we wanted.

OMG! The best zoo I've ever been to. There was so much to see and most of the animals actually we're visible. Ride the double decker bus or the gondola lift, both are good ways to get around without walking. But get there early, because my mom and I spent about seven hours at the zoo and saw only 80% of it. Worth going to while in San Diego.

Great place to learn and the volunteers are very friendly.

Pretty good and lots of animals to see...been there 2 times and both were good....food is about a 5 out of 10 ..be ready to walk ...alot

One of our top places to visit in San Diego. This is a must see place! The zoo is awesome for visitors of any age!

It's know as one of the best zoos I'm the world, and it earns that recognition. If you are local, get the annual pass... incredibly good deal, and worth visiting throughout the year.

I LOVE all the animals. I wish the pandas were more out in the open. Great park. Very clean.

This place is just fantastic. It's a world famous zoo for a reason.

I think one of the best things to do is to start off taking the aerial tram. It gives you a great overlook of the entire zoo, and an idea of which animals might be most active at that time to go prioritize what you visit. It has a great view of the gorillas!

The Kangaroo Bus is a hop on, hop off bus with four stops. This is great if you have children or someone who can't or won't walk much. It goes pretty much around the perimeter of the zoo. It also goes through some really popular areas with some children-geared shows and through some lesser traveled areas.

Food is not too overpriced, expect about $15/person for a meal. They do allow you to bring in personal food and drink items (no coolers or glass). I recommend that. They also have a few water bottle refill stations.

We got to chat with some handlers caring for a red hog that was feeling under the weather and watch some other handlers replace elephant feed. It's always nice to see how people care for the animals.

All the exhibits were wonderful, but I especially enjoyed the polar bears as they were especially active.

The animals weren't even in the cages I wasn't able to see 50 percent of the animals

One of the best zoo in the world. Up close and personal with the animals. Well designed n well kept.

Tigers and Lions and Bears! Get outside and spend the day with some amazing animals

Ummm... its the world Famous San Diego Zoo! Thousands of species of plants and hundreds of species of animals or reptiles!

We had a great time! Excellent exhibits, very well maintained and easily navigated. Animals were very active and staff were friendly and informative. Loved it!

The landscaping was Really Well Done. I loved the aerial tram and the tour bus. We had lunch in the full service waterfall restaurant. Very Good!

A good advice is to take the bus tour at the beginning of your day and the tramp can take you from the polar bears area to the front of the zoo entrance. Good trip, zoo is clean, great restaurants. You can bring your own snacks.

Went to the zoo with work groups and had a good time. The zoo has a trolly as well as busses that help you navigate the zoo and see more in your time. There is alot of animals in the zoo but not very large viewing areas for most of the animals. They can be hard to find and see for alot of them if it isn't their more active part of the day. Felt like it was hyped up little bit more that it should have been but overall a nice zoo.

This zoo is incredible! Awesome educational place to bring the family!

This zoo is definitely one the best I've been to. Plenty of exhibits and place is very well kept. I would recommend getting and annual passes you're a local.

My family and I went to San Diego for our spring break. This was one of the many stops while we were there. The animals were cool and mostly visible. My favorite animal is a panda and the panda was just sitting in the middle of the enclosure. My sister likes koalas so seeing all of those koalas in the trees was cool for her. The zoo workers are nice and helpful. There is an air trolley that goes from one end of the park to the other. I rode that a lot. We brought a lunch and some water because we were staying for awhile. As you can see, there is nothing boring about this zoo. It really is the best zoo in the world

It's one of the best zoos in the country but you will be walking up hills really really big pills so come ready to walk up big really big hills. All the exhibits are awesome and all worth it. Just be ready for the really really big hills.

Everyone fantastic and helpful..we are members and will be again

Nice sized zoo. Lots to see. Only complaint is the food and drink prices are outrageous. Just stick to water and you'll be fine. Double Decker bus gives a nice overview of the Zoo. Lots of walking but not bad. Takes a few trips to see everything. Their operating hours are limited. Standing in line and taking the bus took about one to two hours already. Better deal to buy the membership. Keepers membership if you want to visit the Safari Park too. Otherwise the next level down will do. No parking fees at the Zoo. Only parking fees are at the Safari Park.

One of the best Zoo s you can visit. So much to see.

To really see the animals will take some grit. Be there early or stay late when it s not too hot. During the midday would be a great time to refuel and catch some shows, the Bus Tour or even the sky bridge.

It's world famous for a lot of reasons. All the beautiful animals great weather. Fun fun fun

Going 2 the San Diego Zoo at night was a wonderful experience, no crowded at all, very relaxing, u can see most of the animals habitats without running into people, staff is very courteous and at the very closing time u r able 2 see an animated parade performed by the Zoo staff, it was great!!

Amazing! Animals, plants, a delightful hike, lovely views... Better than VR!

Amazing. The amount of animals and greenery inside makes it a great experience!

This the best zoo i have ever seen after Singapore zoo:) The only negative thing is I could not to see Giant Pandas because they sent them to China for a shirt period of time. Price is 52$ for person. That includes bus and cable car tour.

Normally we love it, however someone stole our stroller today from a stroller parking area. Went to the lost and found to report it. Turns out they don't even have cameras in that area. They have them everywhere else! Not happy.

I enjoyed my day at the zoo. Most of the animals seemed to be in good sized enclosures and have plenty of enrichment to their lives. A few areas seemed dated and smaller than expected. Still an amazing place in the centre of San Diego.

Get a membership, you can go to both the zoo and the Safari park!

I have never been to San Diego Zoo before until my beautiful wife took me 12 years ago. I was was impressed by the bird Aviary and the fact that you could walk by and see hundreds of different types of birds in a semi natural habitat. At the time these were the last days they had the pandas from China we got to see the baby panda and the mother or the father even though it was a long wait it was worth the time. I was impressed by how clean the zoo was itself and the Animals habitats were very spacious and clean as well. My two little girls at the time we're so excited to see the birds the pandas,elephants the hippos and many other creatures that were there. I think their favorite thing where the churros more so than the animals. I probably spent about $100 worth on just churros alone. The gift shop was fully stocked of all types of Trinkets and doodads that you could ever want,my kids got cups and shirts and hats my wife got a panda wind chime and I got a refrigerator magnet. I would highly recommend taking your family to see the animals here and definitely try the churros. This is a must visit with the family Zoo.

I take my 2 girls all the time!!! We all love this place and feel very fortunate that we can call it our "go-to" spot

Beautiful trails & plants, in addition to such a large variety of animals.

Great up close experience with all walks of life from around the world. Portion of the proceeds go to helping endangered and at risk species.

This is possibly the best zoo out there. Take advantage of the bus tour and the skyway. Great exhibit sections and lots to see but steep hills and walking to be had.

TIL they have about 3.5k animals in exhibits, and are a not-for-profit org. Really cool.

Wonderful Flora, fauna, fowl and fish in recreated habitats.

Eclectic mix of animals, and a well designed complex that allows you to effectively see everything you want to without backtracking.

Easily one of the best experiences for your family. I hate the thought of animals in captivity but San Diego Zoo pioneered the natural enclosure. Each enclosure is well thought out and uses subtle tricks to make the guest and animal feel like there is more space than what you see. Even with a plethora of self absorbed, uneducated litter bugs running around, the walk ways are clean and open. Great job, San Diego Zoo!

We always have so much fun here but this time was first time with the baby!~
It was surprisingly not bad! The worst part is just being exhausted for all the walking but we always had the option of the kangaroo stops; buses that take you from one stop to another and you can hop one and off. The bus tour was amazing! Our driver Doug was funny and the animals were really out and about in the morning, we got to catch the koalas feeding so they were active and just before the lion's feeding so they were fairly active.
Such a great place to support.

Great zoo. They have trolleys and buses to take you around their 10 acre zoo. Try to get early or late because the animals are active early morning or in the evenings.

Best Zoo definitely in United States. The highlight of Zoo are mainly

1. Skyfari - first thing to do as people have to wait for it.
2. Giant Panda and Red Panda - Do it early as it gets crowded
3. Giraffe in urban jungle - 5 giraffe and a baby giraffe.
4. African rocks - relatively new but very impressive

Most of the other animals are very similar to what you typically see in any other Zoo.

Safari Park is also a must do which is 50 miles north of this Zoo. Buying 2 visit pass is a better option

It's a zoo, who doesn't love a zoo? The best part is the drink stands are evenly spaced. You can buy a margarita at the beginning and Everytime it's empty you'll find yourself in front of another drink stand. If you like getting tipsy and looking at zebras this is the place for you.

Great zoo, will definitely go again. Military service members receive free admission.

This one is very huuuugggeee zoo I ever seen
If you go here first time you must take bus tour first
Staff is excellent and professional give you all info you need

Best zoo, great people employed there. There's a nice San Diego zoo app also for both apple and android. Great food and drink inside. Superb housing facilities for the animals and nicely done and arranged. Clean and safe. Definate go do if you are from San Diego or visiting here. Equally nice is the San Diego wild animal park, 30 or so miles north. Another great spot to go and take the kids.

As always, a great place to enjoy and hang out with the family.

San Diego Zoo is always a blast. I definitely recommend taking the bus around the park when you first arrive. It lets you see a huge portion of the park with ease.

Awesome time here. Hills aren't too bad. Easy to navigate and see all the animals. Always someone around to help if you need any information.

Love this zoo. So much to see. Take the day to explore all of beauty that they provide. They continue to improve their animal environments and supports education. When you're tired of walking take a tram or use the ariel ride to go across the park. Stay for the small parade at the end of the day.

The zoo is awesome. It's like a brewery with wild animals!

Really great place to spend the day with family, friends and get to know the animals. Great staff, really nice and friendly.

An awesome zoo. Definitely a must visit when in San Diego! Very well laid out and easy to get around.

Great place but they closed to early in mid June.
I also advise not bringing children under 10 here . they will be bored.
Also to dam many hills

Expensive and Amazing. The new areas are awesome and it is nice that they have cut back on the add ons for the bus and the gondola.

Very nice zoo with lots of options for the entire family. There are plenty of sights to see and ways to see them. They have buses going around the entire park and plenty of different areas with shows containing the animals. They also have some first hand feeding experiences and plenty of the exhibits let you get right up close to the animals. (Still safe of course)

The zoo is also kept pretty clean and staff are pretty very helpful.

The best place to visit. I am so respectful of all that the San Diego Zoo does for animal conservation. Just a great zoo. The employees are all very polite and are willing to assist.

You best come ready to walk! The free bus tour around the zoo is the best way to start, you'll familiarize yourself with the layout as well as see some awesome animals. You can then spend an entire day walking around seeing everything, but I wouldn't recommend skipping anything. There are often zoo staff at exhibits that can tell you about the animals, which is a nice touch.

One of the best zoo's I've visited. Got to see a few new animals that I've never seen before especially the secretary bird and a toucan

A top tier zoo, I've been to quite a few over the world, and this one will blow you away....and blow your wallet open, very pricey if you are paying for multiple people. Bright side for military it's free! If not prepare to shell over 100$ for 2 people. There is so much to see though, so head early...if you're like me prepare to get lost in the zoo.

The stand out feature of this zoo for me was the Mediterranean climate and coresponding landscaping. Having previously visited several prominent Zoos across North America the animal enclosures were lacklustre, missing natural vegetation or outstanding unique features comparatively. Information via signage is underused and the theme of conservation is underemployed. Poor quality food choices are abundant, health and environment conscious individuals should bring their own. The overall experience is still thoroughly enjoyable and was a full day outside well spent.

Nice place for one day visit. Very helpful and kind staff.

Great spot to spend the day. Lots of rare plants and animals

Pretty large zoo, lots to do here but it's definitely not for you if you have issues walking. But they have a bus that goes by most of the areas so you won't miss out on too much.

When in Rome.....So I went to the zoo after my 90 minute deep tissue massage. How was it? Let just say it's world class for a reason. The place is clean, safe for the kids. Easy to get around and the weather is spectacular. People here come to you if they think you have a question, look lost or just want to help you get the most out of the zoo. And they know the answers. Taking care of the little thing can make all the differance in your stay. I had a great time

Beautiful park landscaping with natural habitat for animals. Very clean. Not only typical eating venues but also a very upscale restaurant (Albert's)
Free parking and valet parking too. Several souvenir shops at exit so you don't have to carry items all day.

Love love loved it! First time here! Amazing! Beautiful! Buy tickets on Groupon! Totally worth the extra perks! Non profit organization! Animal conservation programs!! Totally worth every penny. Great for kids! You can bring your own food and drinks so pack a picnic and enjoy!

Literally the best zoo in the world. The food is reasonability priced and the animals are outstanding.

The San Diego Zoo is a world class zoo. I had planned for a four hour visit but this proved to be insufficient. The park is large and if you are planning to make thw animal talks and take meals, the visit time would be even longer. The pandas have now been returned, so strike that off the roster of animals. The bus and cable car rides are a nice way to get off your feet and rest. Love the fact that parking is free but do note where your car is parked. Things look different in the day vs the night. Entry fee is expensive but worth it.

Wear your good walking shoes, sunscreen and stamina. This zoo is huge. Up and down hills. They have scooters to rent for people who cant make the trek. There are also bus tours. Plenty of dining options and lots of animals. You can ride the tram and watch the shows. We have a season pass and often pack a lunch and use it as a lovely urban hike. Great for all ages. You wont be disappointed.