San Diego Zoo Reviews

I always love coming to the SD Zoo. The prices are very high though. We paid around $140 for three of us and my 3 year old wasn't very impressed. There's a lot of walking which is to be expected. I do like that you never seem to have to look far for a restroom which is great when you have kids. The food was ok. We ate at Sabertooth Grill. They got our order wrong which resulted in having to spend an extra $4 on fries. The sky tram was amazing. Views are beautiful. The guided bus tour was a welcome rest for our feet. Make sure to sit on the right side of the bus because all the animals are on that side. If you sit on the left you can barely see anything. Overall it was a good trip but not sure I'll be back soon unless my kids really get into animals.

A great place to learn more about the animals in other places as well as the now extinct animals that lived in California. We spent 4 hours there and need to go back to see a large amount of exhibits that we weren't able to see the first time.

Very lovely day u can spent thier alone or with ur kids

That is a fantastic Zoo. And it's big. We had like 4 hours and were able to see about 1/3 of it or so. The basic fee includes also the sky ride and 2 bus tours, one of which is lime a hop on hop off.

If anybody doesn't give this place five stars, they simply have a bad attitude! Get your walking shoes on and be prepared to see some amazing creatures. Nothing about it is inexpensive, which is to be expected. I'm sure the cost of running the place is right around exorbitant. Get on the balloon ride. $15 for a ten minute, but breathtaking, experience!

Best zoo I've ever visited. We spent eight hours on Christmas wandering, reading & learning about trees, plants, and animals from all over the world.

Visited in August 2018. The first time I saw this zoo in 2016, I had decided to bring kiddos here and finally did it in 2018. This truly is an amazing, beautiful and massive zoo. One of the best aviaries, definitely follow the map, because it will become confusing in between aviaries, primates and cats. Def do the chairlift. It s enclosed and gives a great view of SanDeigo. This will be one of my favorite zoos ever.

Honestly, did not live up to expectations. High price tickets,uphill everywhere, poor organizational layout...Animals were great, of course, but typical of any zoo. Truly, I can t emphasize enough how many times you have to double back through the same area you just walked thru to get to another area, and then you got to double back again to get to another area...and on & on.

One of the best zoo I have been too. Beautiful landscape, structure. Lots of food options and super friendly staff

Amazing experience. Great for kids. I don t know many zoos that own pandas. Many animas. I mean HUNDREDS! Make sure to bing water though. Always use the maps they hand out. Was disappointed that some animals were hiding and we did not see them, such as the aye- aye. Wear good tennis shoes. Had a blast. MUST SEE BABY HIPPO!

Nice place to go visit with the family. Lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes and plan on spending most of the day there. Loved the elephants the most. If you want to take a quick break and sit down, take in one of the "4D movies".

Love the San Diego Zoo! Getting the pass is well worth the cost, includes entry to the zoo and safari park.

Good price for a fun day. Staff was very nice, I was happy to see how often they sanitized the tables and rails.

The Zoo was really crowded on the day I went, which was when it was raining, but it is a very good place to bring your kids.

I love the zoo. My family loves the zoo. In these times of Covid-19 they are managing crowd size well. They also screen prior to entering. All of the concessions have outdoor seating so there is no impact on enjoying a beer or any other snack they offer.

Awesome place. Lots of animals with good viewing areas. There are a lot of attractions for children but the terrain is very hilly.

Food options vary around the park.

Everything was good but there's a lot of clothes visits will come back in the fall

Go see the Galapagos turtles. I met a volunteer named Gary, and he made my day

This zoo is one of the biggest that I ve been to and it took me all day to experience it. It was worth it, prices for food can get a little expensive but it s alright. Great diversity of animals, as well as plants. Do expect to spend all day here though.

Amazing zoo. Make sure you have the entire day to spend here as you will still not get through everything.

This is an amazing zoo! It is so large and there are things for everyone to do and see. You could easily spend multiple days here exploring all it has to offer.

Best zoo I ve ever been to. The animals were out and lively. Great time!

We love this zoo! Each time we come, it's a great experience! Haven't been here in 5 years, but this time was great, too, because there's so much new exhibits!

One of the best zoo's in the country. In the last ten years has changed and rebuilt itself to better show off the animals and to give them a better exhibit to live in. They are and have gotten rid of the cage type exhibits for the animals to more animal friendly environments for the animals on display creating a more natural habitat for them. When you visit both parts of the zoo and the animal safari park it is a truely a great experience. The zoo is built into the hills of southern Cal the best way to see it is to walk down the hills and use the trams to ride back up or the sky cars to go from the front end of the zoo to the back side or vice a versa. The safari park is so large and built on hills so bring good shoes and if you can take it in two days to cover the whole park and to see all that there is to see and the diversity of animals and the habitats they have for them. I went in 1972 soon after they first opened the park and the changes are like two different parks.

The best zoo ever. We are members so we go as often as we can. We ride the skyfari over to the other side and walk back or take the tour bus. It's always a great time!

The zoo was nice, clean and fun. My wife loved the koalas. The bus tour was great and the staff was very courteous and friendly.

In all honesty I gave it a 4 because of the whole covid situation. In general you can save yourself some time by b purchasing your ticket from the kiosk instead of waiting in the long line. Next the staff are super helpful and interactive. Get a map for starters. If you want to see the polar bears I suggest you take the sky train up and then walk down. Over our experience here was very enjoying the animals are beautiful we had an amazing time. I recommend it to anyone who's curious about it. Check it out the kids will love it.

Hardly no animals were out the Lions were sleeping no girriafs it was ok

Alright. The same as any other zoo. Nice habitats, but the line for Pandas stood in the same spot for 15 minutes, then went on my way. Be cool to see but the Polar Bears are fun as well. Not worth the price of admission. Off my bucket list although should ve never been on there.

This is a very large zoo, many different species of animals to look at, some are more shy than others, be prepared to walk a lot if you want to see all this zoo has to offer

We were really lucky to visit the zoo on a cloudy day. Try to start with the bus tour so you can walk after and see all the animals closer. Also don t forget to pass by nestle store to get some cookies, they are fabulously delicious. I wish if I know where they sell them other that inside the park.

Always fun , animals were very active.probly cause everybody was Christmas shopping :)

Great setup for social distancing & masks required. Did get a little crowded in certain areas around 2pm

This is a wonderful place to visit. The panda exhibit is a favorite. There is lots to see and do. Great place for kids. Don't miss it if you are in the area. We were tourists, just passing thru, very glad we took the time to spend a day here !

This zoo is the example of how all zoo's should be like. Guarantee great time!

It was fun. If you go fast, just maybe you could make it all the way through in the full 9 hours that they're open... But I doubt it would be as fun compared to taking your time and enjoying each habitats. Could tell they are well funded, the animals are well fed and habitats very well maintained. One fun plus my wife and I enjoyed was the volunteers. They are so friendly and full of information about the animals. Also a great time to go right now, lots of new additions. They seem to be handling well the current Covid-19 situation we're all facing as well, social distancing, plenty of sanitizer available and requiring masks.

I'm thankful to have visited the San Diego Zoo, with students I work with. It been years since I been. That is magical and breathe taking , I love mother nature and animals. The staff take such GOOD Care of the animals and zoo it self!!! The staff where friendly, they also had staff at some points in zoo in case you had questions or get lost! I really enjoyed the trim ride and the tour bus guide. The animals looked happy and had some freedom to choice to come out or not. Seen my favorite animal" the loin". Enjoy!!!!

Such a bucket list place to visit! Expensive but worth the trip! We loved seeing the koalas! Missed the panda bears though.

What is not to love about this place. The new Africa Rocks is worth exploring. Summer closing hours and exciting shows make even better.

Very clean and plenty of room for the animals. Best zoo I've ever visited.

Great experience. Lots of shaded benches to stop and rest. Easy transportation and map navigation. A great time with kids. I highly recommend the bus tour and skyfari.

They don't call it the world famous San Diego zoo for nothing. I would bring your own food and drink. It is kinda pricey inside. Also on hotr days you wanna stay hydrated.

We had so much fun! Just two adults! We spent all day.

It was a perfect day! The weather was great. It was a Tuesday, so there were no crowds. The animals were happy and picturesque!

Had a great time, but was very disappointed when we went to the panda area just to find out there are no pandas

Family friendly place. We were able to bring our own food in and drinks. There are some limitations for people with strollers, however, they have stroller parking areas. If you are taking a stroller, I suggest you take a good backpack where you can keep your most important belongings on you all the time in case you have to leave your stroller somewhere. They also rent strollers for $14 a day appropriate for toddlers. Also suggest you go online and look at the frequently asked questions for a list of items you can and can't bring in.

This is the best zoo I've ever been to. It is huge and the animals are well taken care of. There is plenty to see and lots of places to explore. You can easily spend an entire day here.

Zoo is very good, but also try to plan for safari, which is also a very big area separate from the zoo.

Great time at the Zoo with my girls. Easy to get in and start looking around. Lots of updated exhibits and plenty to keep all ages entertained.

Amazing! Lots of animals and not too crowded when we went. Tough to see it all in one day!

Very fun, very beautiful.. Definitely recommend taking your time and taking in all the sights. I only had a day there and cant wait to go back.

Bought Zoo passes almost a year ago and has been one of the best purchases I ve made. I go about twice a month and can t get enough. Seems like there s something new every time I go, it is a very cool place to explore and definitely can t all be seen in one trip

The San Diego Zoo is truly the greatest Zoo in the U.S.

No view is obstructed from viewing these magnificent animals up close.

The wild cat area is one of my favorites. The Jaguar, Panther and other wild cats are right there, so close sometimes it's a little scary. You get a really great feel for how large and magnificent these creatures are.
The elephant exhibit is really cool too! I'd recommend catching one of the up-close opportunities where the trainers clean the elephant's feet and talk about them. You can ask questions too!
Take the Skyfari too! What a picturesque view of not only the Zoo but all of Balboa Park and downtown San Diego!

5 STARS for KID FRIENDLY!
The entire Zoo is stroller friendly. The kid's meals are a great value and offer not only a cute little souvenir cup (with lid), but a re-usable little lunch bag too! The Children's Zoo section is packed with hands-on petting zoo, a playground and all things are at kid eye-level.

The gift shops, plethora of animals, exhibits, up-close interaction opportunities and vast knowledge of all the staff on-site makes the Zoo one of my favorite places in San Diego!

Unfortunately some of the animals were sleeping because it was super hot but it was still fun.

I have been going here since I was a small child. The park just keeps getting better and better. The plant life is as exotic as the well cared for animals. Please be sure to take the time to look at everything! And I mean Everything! Everywhere you look is something worthy.

Probably the best zoo, my only complaint would be that it was a bit hard to navigate. We definitely kept getting turned around, even with a map. It's also built on a hill, so there was a lot of up and down, which could be hard for those with mobility challenges.

Great day at the zoo, animals out and active. Very clean, everyone distancing.

My wife and I bought the Go San Diego Card while we were down in San Diego for a couple days and spent half a day at the Zoo. Absolutely loved it. Everything about the Zoo is great. If you have the time, you absolutely should spend some time here. My Wife and I were able to ride the tour bus and walk the entire Zoo in about 3 hours, but were moving pretty good. If you're slower movers it might take awhile longer. The only recommendation I would make to make your experience a little better is to look at a map beforehand and plot out your course before you arrive so you know which animals and routes to prioritize. Also, a recommendation to the park: you should include a recommended route to see all the animals on your map, that would be incredible helpful.

We came from Arizona to check out the San Diego zoo very nice so much to see I would plan on doing a lot of walking. They also have buses that drive around.

Really great zoo. A ton of animals. The kids zoo is really cool. Be prepared for a lot of walking and hills. The hills with a stroller are a little rough but its worth it.

What can you say about this zoo that hasn't already been said? It's a magical zoo that makes you feel like you have been transported somewhere else. Clean, reasonably priced, friendly staff, diverse selection of exhibits... I love this place.

Awesome zoo. Could have spent a whole day there if time allowed. There is something there for everyone. Many animals you wouldn't see anywhere else like the Ocapi and the Sifaka. They do a great job educating the kids too and also love how they try to make it as comfortable as possible for the animals in captivity.

I've had a membership for the past 2 years and have been dozens of times. It is a beautiful place with amazing animals, plants, trees and flowers. One of my favorite places to go in San Diego!

I liked this one even better than the safari. So many animals!

Love the SD zoo, good food lots of good well maintained exhibits, friendly staff and knowledge volunteers! It can get hot and lots of walking.

COVID update... 3 question screen before entering to purchase tickets, face covering required throughout the park. Lots of hand washin/antibacterial stations throughout. One way trails and lines, the park is open and large enough to maintain a safe distance.

Amazing zoo, exhibits are kept up and very large for every animal. Food is great and staff/ volunteers is awesome and helpful

Way better than the wild animal park!!... Free parking

The San Diego Zoo is very fun to go to! (If you're in California or very close to San Diego) I 100% recomend this place!

Is it me or are there a lot of different kinds of monkeys in this place? I feel like this zoo is 75 percent monkeys.

A fun and relaxing environment to walk and see amazing animals.

Incredible zoo, we are members long time time and still love going as much as makes sense. They have good procedures in place for COVID and if go later in the day, much less crowded with kids and strollers, etc. The plant life is as cool as the animals too.

Great
But always sad to see animals in cage

Lots of animals. Very relaxing. Great tourist attraction. Very educational and perfect for family outings

Wonderful spot. The zoo is great and lives up to the reputation.

It's just a great place. Today we road the tour bus and walked afterwards. It was a beautiful day.

Hands down the best zoo in the world. It really is globally-recognized and a global leader in helping preserve animals and plants across the planet. A must see for anyone living or visiting San Diego. Also: FREE parking!

Amazing zoo that s definitely worth the visit. The tickets are a little expensive but there s so much to see and do that I think it s totally worth it. The animals have a lot of space but the cages are installed in a way that you can easily spot them and everything is very well taken care of. The park is very big and it s on hilly terrain so you have to figure out how to get around and what you want to see ahead of time because it s easy to get lost in certain spots. There s an aerial tram that takes you to one side to the end of the park and then you can walk back down the various paths. There are also buses that take you around and that provide tours of the zoo. Oh and they have adult frozen drinks that are amazing!

We went on a rainy day and there was practically no one there, which was awesome. However, a lot of booths were closed as well as one of the areas, can't remember which. Only stayed for 2 hours but still had a wonderful time.

Amazing place, good infrastructure, lots of activities.

an excellent experience to go with family enough exercise to walk and enjoy the sight of animals