San Diego Zoo Reviews

Excellent zoo.
So many different animals and plants in their best natural way to present.
Also very impressed their active participation of animal protection and reproduction program.

The animals are happy to have their visitors back after quarantine. Social distancing in place. Same great place.

People on exhibit? I think we should have more of them

It's rare to find such a highly recommended place that exceeds expectations, but the San Diego Zoo definitely does. The Zoo provides safe and humane areas for the animals and contributes substantially to research and development to help protect and preserve animals in the wild.

If you're visiting, it's well worth the visit, but it's a lot to try to see it all. I like to pick a few things to do and avoid trying to do it all in a short time. Pick a few animals or areas, check them out in detail, and don't feel the pressure to see and do everything. The Sky Tram is a great way to save some walking and get a good view of the Zoo and the city around.

Food options are better than you might expect and there are some good spots spread throughout. Beer options are pretty good, and have fun animal themed names. Prices aren't cheap, but they aren't sports stadium expensive either.

This is a good zoo. It can be a little complicated to walk around and hit everything but it is do able. My first time I completely missed the Komodo dragons and Galapagos tortoises. I was happy to find them. I wish the plaques were a little more informative and I wish some of the volunteers were a little more knowledgeable but they are volunteers so I shouldn t complain. The food at the park is good especially the Mexican stand through the front and too the left. If any service members are reading this and don t know you get in for free

Really nice place. Unfortunately it was hot so most of the animals were either hiding away or not very interesting

A key part of your visit to San Diego. Some of the most interesting animals in the world. Parking availability is great. Staff is super friendly. Be sure to bring your good walking shoes. A few hills so you'll get a nice little workout for the day. There will be some lines to see a few exhibits like the Pandas but this is one of the most popular friends in the world. Enjoy.

Very nice. A lot of Africans animals. I think some of them needs more space, like the lion that lives in a very tiny one.

My favorite zoo!! All money goes towards helping the animals
And they have koalas!

So much to see. As the biggest zoo in North America it does not dissapoint.

We enjoyed the zoo. The majority of the exhibits are really nice. They are doing some work within the zoo so that affected some of the exhibits and walk ways. Difficult to get around for those with limited mobility.

This zoo is gigantic. They have exhibits on many types of big cat and monkey. If you are willing to stop and watch, the monkies are fascinating. But with so many types of animal to see, it's easy to feel as though you need to move along to see everything.

The only reason I give 4 stars rather than 5 is because of the price. I went in October when kids get in free, but it was still quite pricy.

Awesome experience can't wait till they finish Africa rocks I'll be back

This zoo is huge and filled with so many animals. Next time, I ll get a tour bus.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the World's finest. Animals are humanly treated, have large habitats that mimic where the come from, are well cared for and serve a greater purpose by enlightening the people who visit of the dangers they face in the wild.
Today was not the greatest viewing day for us but we will return.

Yes, we highly recommend visiting.

I'm 18 years old. The zoo is very nice, but it may be fun only for younger people. I come from the tropic so most of the animals we have them there. The tickets are very expensive and the bus tours inside also. Recommended for families with young kids.Cool animals.

WOW! I love the San Diego Zoo! The animals have so much room and as natural to their habitat as possible. The fact that they save animals from areas of being endangered just makes me love them more.

We loved our visit here. We missed the Panda but we saw almost everything in a single day. Polar Bear is Awesome. I would recommend exploring the Zoo in at least 2 days.

Great place for a family day out. Recommend doing a Bus tour as you enter, then you know which parts to focus on. Second buy a refill popcorn bucket. There are loads of animals and they all seemed fairly happy. We were lucky as the qwala and the bird nearby were singing in rhythm. Polar bear was happily eating away his snack standing. There are always restrooms and snack counters nearby. Loved the skyfari... Very well managed by the staff as well since they work really hard to keep the pace going. Kudos. Escalator free amp was also a fun thing for the kids... Definitely recommend it instead of the elevators.
Checkout the panda from top of the bridge as the panda attraction time is a long wait.

So much fun for day trips or night trips during the summer! Annual passes are worth it.

this is a great zoo lots of stuff to see. you kind of feel bad for a few animals caged up smaller areas than you would hope for. Hopefully they get some exercise elsewhere. We did enjoy seeing everything and had a great time at the zoo from what I recall the prices weren't all that bad

Great experience for kids and adults and locals and tourists. Great food, friendly employees and great volunteer guides. During the summer, there are lots of fun entertainers - from trampoline to acrobats to traveling 'animals' and an evening parade.

Haven't been to the SD Zoo in over 5 years. There have been so many beautiful upgrades in that short amount of time. Even though it was a busy holiday season, the crowds were not overwhelming... Good flow.

Go during the day. If you go at night you can see some pretty lights but you'll miss out on almost all the animals. If you want to see the pandas be prepared to wait in line. All in all its worth it. We got the 3 in 1 pass for sea world, and both zoos. If you haven't been try the bus tour.

I hadnt been here for 2-3 years. They have remodeled so much. I really enjoyed walking around. There are so many animals and plants to see. You can get lost (not literally) in all the trails. Right now they have the nighttime zoo which was really nice because the weather is much cooler and they do a cute parade at the end of the night.

Really disappointing. Barely saw animals. The zoo stays open after the night has fallen but you cannot see anything, no enlightment, etc. Only commercial stuff stays open.
Considered the price, I expected much more, if I compare for instance to Beauval in France, which is even less than half the price... more than 230$ for four, my advice would be to think twice.

Maps need some work, otherwise we had a great day. Prices were reasonable

I loved not only looking at all the animal exhibits but was completely giddy over all the plants and foliage. Bring your own water bottle and the concession stands will graciously refill your bottles. My fav exhibits were all the exotic cats, meerkats, and water-life.

It is awesome!!! We spend 5 hours there and saw every single one of the animal there. My favorite of course is Ms.Panda and her son. And Mrs.Hippo and cute "little" baby hippo.

Amazing zoo! I love it there and wish I could spend more time!

This is a world class zoo! Has so many different types of animals. You should come here to see species you ve never seen before. Plus there s the crow favorites like the Giant Panda and Giraffe. Had a great day. Plenty of options for food. The kangaroo hop on hop off shuttle is nice. The park is very large so be prepared for walking!

Of course the animals were fantastic! It was great to see the pandas!
Staff was EXTREMELY helpful and friendly.

Maybe it was just us but we had a LOT of difficulty navigating around that place. Yes, there are signs everywhere but for some reason, we found it really difficult to figure our the map and the signs posted int he park. I recommend that you take the bus tour around the park when you first get there. It takes about 40 minutes and you can see most areas of the zoo to get a better idea about where to go and how to get there.

The zoo is huge so you will be doing some serious walking. There are inclines and stairs and lots of area to cover so if that's a problem for you or anyone in your party, you probably should have a plan B. Another thing to keep in mind... when you're visiting different areas of the zoo, the temperatures may be drastically different. It was about 75 degrees when we were there... but in some areas of the zoo it was VERY hot and humid. I would dress for warmer temps next time and bring a light sweater/sweatshirt if necessary.

The prices were reasonable and over-all we had a great experience there.

This zoo is incredible. Besides it's world-wide impact on wildlife and the environment, the zoo itself is great! The staff, the exhibits, the grounds.... Everything is just top notch!

Awesome experience! We rode the bus around the park & did the skyride for an eagle eye view . Zoo is laid out really well & everyone was so friendly! My son , a Marine, got free admission ! Any place that values the military will always get my business!

Please don t waste your money or your time! It is one of the worst zoos we have gone too. Hardly any animals, children s zoo is closed and the food really sucks. A waste of driving 2 hours each way.

Great place to talk the family. Fun to walk the area or take one of the bus tours. Lots to see and do there.

Incredible in every way possible! So many things to see and do. A true children's paradise. We will be back.

Always a blast to go to. We have a membership and have used it well! We have done the bus tour, used the Kangaroo buses, and the Skyfari tram! There's so many spots around to stop and eat or for my 2 year old plenty of places to play! Very stroller friendly, but wouldn't recommend a wagon, as there are lots of hills!

Check out the T-rex exhibition really crazy how they can recreate dinosaurs. Lol jk. In all seriousness very cool museum. Very large you will see and walk a lot! The exhibits we re quite impressive in detail and environment. Worth visiting.

Beautiful weather makes it hospitable for all animals.

This is the greatest zoo and botanical garden around. There is a huge variety of animals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects and plants from around the world.The animal enclosures are spacious and well landscaped. Everything is kept clean. Water displays are filled with water specially treated onsite. There are food and beverage venues scattered around the zoo, so you are never far from a snack, a meal, or a refill of your reusable beverage container. Guests are allowed to bring in food as well. And all to work toward ending extinction of species.

Wonderful
Animales bit more nature!

A great experience, and it supports the research and protection of animals worldwide. I'm definitely coming back!

Hands down the best zoo in the world. Spread out over a vast area. They have almost all kinds of animals from all around the world. You have to spend the whole day there and take plenty of sunscreen. Also make sure to stay hydrated as the temperatures in summer months can hit 100

Very nice! Great shopping not too out of line all goes to the animals. Wonderful exhibits and shows!

Absolutely wonderful experience. Went early in the day and saw most of the animals out and moving. The zoo keepers were friendly and informative. Had a wonderful time.

This zoo is spectacular - and quite massive. If you start with a bus ride around the park, you should be able to get to all of the exhibits you may ever have need of going to.

Make sure to purchase your tickets through a discount provider, such as Groupon - you could make the experience a two day event by heading over to the safari the next day!

Huge zoo. Comfortable shoes are a must! Recommend starting with the bus tour for a general lay-out of the zoo. Tour also provides information about the great work the zoo is doing with conservation worldwide.

Beautiful place with family and friends. Good place for kids to learn.

I would suggest only over weekend days with kids.

Very clean and well maintain park.

I got the deal from Groupon with Ebates discount. I paid total $ 220 and 20% ebates discount.

Had an amazing time. It's big and the nicest zoo we've visited. So busy, we couldn't get to everything we wanted to but worth it!!!

This place has always been awesome!! And gets better every time I visit. Well worth it. The San Diego Zoo does such great work, workd wide.

Those was a very interesting and comprehensive zoo. I particularly liked the guided bus tour that was included with the day pass. The docents that I spoke with at the Gelada monkey and African penguin exhibits were also very informative.

Some species ser me to have fer space. It would be good that make that clear for the visitors. To understand bettet the real caring of animals

Amazing! I went here with my bio class and I absolutely loved the experience! Will visit again.

I love the zoo!! Friendly staff and always a good time.

So larger but amazing. Great buses services to see all the park. Amazing guides and so many people to help guide you where to go and how to get back to exit. Love love love

This zoo is probably one if the best zoo's I've ever been to. The food is really tasty. Alot of walking room so it's not a tight squeeze, you can walk around with beer and enjoy all the animals. This zoo keeps the animals happy and makes them feel at home from wherever the came from. Recommended going 100% Plan to spend about 6 hours there

SO MUCH FUN!! I really enjoyed my visit It is a LOT of walking so be prepared! You are allowed to bring food and drinks in so that was nice but we still ended up getting food (which is ridiculously expensive by the way and like $13 just for some chicken strips... so I recommend bringing your own food and drinks) They have a 4D showing of particular movies as well but I don't reccomend paying the extra money for it. Seeing the animals was super fun though and I loved getting to run around with my family and take silly pictures with the animal statues! :) AND PARKING IS FREE!

For the 2nd best Zoo in the World in San Diego it felt like the best to me. Wonderful experience and be prepared there are so many acres of land in that zoo. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. Sun hits really hard on a hot day

Took a year off to do a membership at Sea World. Good to be back at the zoo. Did the wild animal park last week. Very educational for children and fun to get outside.

Best zoo ever! Everyone is very kind & super helpful! Animals are very well taken care of & are loved.

World famous for a reason! This zoo is worth admission just for the lush vegetation and impeccable landscape (ok maybe not, it's pretty expensive these days). There is so much to see and do that it feels like one day isn't long enough to see it all. There zoo is built on a hill however, so bring comfortable shoes and prepare for a workout. If local, the annual passes are a great deal so that you don't get overwhelmed trying to do everything in one day.

My daughter and I recently visited the zoo, and it was a lot of fun. With purchase of a one day ticket, you get to ride a tram that takes you all around the zoo, then there are trams that you can take that make four stops so you can walk and see a few areas then getting a tram to take you to other areas. It sure saves you from having to walk way too far. You also can take the sky ride which goes all the way across the zoo. A great place to spend the day

Spend thri day enjoying the animals, updated exhibits provide a more natural environment to see the animals at play.

Wonderful place to visit with kids lots of rides even buses. Lots of places to see. You can hop in and hop out the kangaroo bus. We love it

Definitely don't attempt to tackle the entire zoo in one day. There are so many exhibits to look through. A fantastic place to bring kids young and old alike!

The San Diego zoo was fun. Due to Corona we had to wear masks which made the experience hot and a bit uncomfortable, however we made the most of it and walked the whole park. Some activities and exhibits were closed and maybe missed out on some stuff but honestly after 5 hours of walking, our feet were sore and we were ready to go. It was hot and some of the animals were staying out of the sun and therefore we could t see them. I don t blame them as I did my best to find shade along the way too. I can t say it s the best zoo I ve been too, but it s still worth a stop.

By far the best zoo to visit ever. A big variety of animals, a ton of information on these beautiful animals, they also donate a lot of their profits to help save wildlife in other countries. A perfect place for families and even Elders because there is tons of Transportation available within the park

We had a good time until we came to the leopard enclosure where the poor lonely yellow lab companion was. He looked so sad, mistreated and unloved that I almost cried. Please get that poor puppy a nice, kind, loving home. This really upset my entire family!

Simply put, the best zoo I've ever seen. It is amazing! I'm looking forward to the next time I go and I'll have a better idea of what to expect. Definitely bring good walking shoes because this place is massive.

Ok, so we didnt go into the zoo but my phone battery was very close to dying and we needed a charge but I didnt have my cord. A gate agent to me to their office where the let me borrow a cord and sit in their office for about half an hour to charge. The staff offered me a magazine while I waited. That is customer service with a capital C.

It's the f-ing San Diego zoo. It's the most famous zoo in the world (maybe Beijing?). Why are you looking at reviews?? Go to the zoo.

This place is huge. The tour buses are great. The top seating has no cover so it can get hot during the summer. The "kangaroo buses" are very helpful so you don't have to walk the entire park. Note: They are called kangaroo buses not because they take you to see the kangaroos, but because you can hop on and hop off at 4 different spots in the park. My biggest issue is the direction signs. I had both the paper map and the mobile app and I still got lost trying to find my way around. Parking is free which is also a big plus. Overall the kids love it here and the place is too big to see it all in one day.

The best zoo in the United States.I absolutely love this zoo.So many animals to see.Awesome place to bring the family.

There's a reason why this is a world famous zoo! It's massive and full of wonderful animals and information. Don't get sticker shock at $60/ticket, it's worth it. The ticket includes the park, sky tram, and bus tours. Plenty to do and see and various information sessions around the park. I got the pleasure to see some happy and active tigers, polar bears, a family of baboons, and a baby giraffe to name a few. Seriously, a baby giraffe! The zoo no longer has the giant pandas as their contract ended with China. You'll need to go to Atlanta to see giant pandas. San Diego however, has a red panda which is super cute!

Be prepared to walk A TON, but totally worth it. Parking is free which is also a huge bonus.