San Diego Zoo

A very distinguished, large zoo that is well known in the United States and world. And this zoo is VERY large and contains a large variety of species. However, I actually found the habitats to be quite small for the individual animals or groups of animals and believe the space available actually limits the expansion of these habitats. The zoo, 30 years ago, was “drop your socks” the best zoo I had ever seen. But the zoo has become dated and in many cases the animals are in areas that are only slightly better than cages. A group of seven giraffes were in a relatively tiny enclosure. The one zebra and burro were in a ridiculously small area. The one rhino hardly had any area in which to roam! Now with that said, the cat areas (Jaguar, snow leopards) were nicely displayed with walk ways and huge hanging haunches of goats for the cats to eat when not being watched by the crowds. Many other zoos have moved to newer ways of housing animals to include allowing far larger areas for animals to roam with more realistic environments or features that the animal would experience in their natural habitats ie large watering holes for rhinos, sculpted hills for animals to climb, and the inclusion of multiple animals in the same enclosure as they would be found in the wild (rhinos with elephants with giraffes in the same enclosure). Unfortunately the San Diego Zoo reminded me of a first or second generation facility that was only slightly better than when animals were placed in very small cages. In many cases there was only a single animal or maybe at most a pair representing the species which was disappointing.

Highlights: the koala area which housed 20 koalas in separate areas, the cat enclosures, the baboon area.
Disappointments: the rhino area (one single animal in a small enclosure), the elephants (2?) and their holding cages, the giraffe area, the single zebra, the penguin area.

I found it interesting that many guests were walking around with open containers of wine or beer! We did eat at Alberts which was in a great location. Of course the food was expensive since we were eating within the Zoo but the service was horrible. A small pizza was $18, a burger $20, one of the fancier entrees will run you $30+. We waited over an hour for our food and we didn’t order anything complicated.

If wanting to experience the next generation of zoo, I would recommend the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska which I recently visited as it has vast habitats representing regions in which multiple animals are located that would be found together in the wild.

I have been to a lot of zoos (Omaha, Cincinnati, St. Louis), and this zoo fell short for me based on how much it had been hyped up by everyone else. First off, it is VERY expensive. You will be paying $100+ for 2 people (compared to St. Louis, which is FREE), and I thought that was ridiculous. Once you’re in, it’s fun enough - definitely a lot to see - but it’s almost too much to see. The maps and signage are not very clear throughout, and it’s easy to get lost in this zoo. Because you spend so much money to get in, we felt like we HAD to stay all day to get our money’s worth. You’ll enjoy it just fine, but I don’t think what you get is worth the price.

Happy that the zoo remained open for our trip to San Diego this summer (in the midst of maintained closures due to COVID) as we had a wonderful day there. It is a little pricey for entry, but they have so many different kinds of animals it is well worth it. The park is very clean and the maps/signs are clear to help you find your way. We went on a Sunday expecting it to be crowded, but found that earlier in the day may have been better as we didn't run into too many other people. We bought the zoo guide with our tickets and were instructed to pick it up with our voucher at any gift shop, but finally after asking 2 different gift shops, we were told we had to wait until the "Exit" gift shop, which somewhat defeated the purpose as we were hoping to have it with us through the whole park. No one seemed to be able to know how to use the voucher, so we did end up waiting a while for a manager to come out and help us. With that being said, they were friendly and apologetic about the wait time. Highly recommend visiting the zoo if you can!

This is probably the best zoo that we have ever visited. Included with the zoo admission is a narrated bus tour that takes you all over the zoo. We were lucky as a lot of the animals were active during our bus tour. We took Uber from downtown and the zoo has a convenient drop-off location. The zoo is very hilly so be prepared if you are walking. If you are going to only visit one zoo in your life, the San Diego Zoo should be at the top of your list.

We were on a winter vacation and this was a must see. The zoo is amazing! Great animal exhibits with friendly and knowledgeable staff,. I recommend taking the guided bus tour when you get there which covers 70% of the zoo. Then you can walk back to area you want to see again. It’s a bit pricey but worth the experience.

This is my first visit back to the zoo in about 30 years. Unfortunately we had only two hours to spend here. I could have taken several days. We were guests of an annual pass holder who had visitor passes so the short visit was "free". We started our adventure by taking the bus around the park to give us an overview. The driver was very good about pointing animals out that we would have missed and mentioned things we should come back to. Following the bus, we might have seen 25 percent of the zoo in our limited time. Plan a full day if you have the time. This is a national treasure that shouldn't be missed. The one problem we had was finding our way to the exit. The signage isn't the best. However, being lost let us see more.

We had a friend recommend this and showed up without checking the price. For 2 people for ONE day, it was $116, not including food, beverages and gifts.

Pros: There were a variety of animals and the habitats were very nice. Most people wore their masks the entire time. Albert’s restaurant was actually very delicious and all 8 of us had food that we enjoyed and great service. There's currently a baby hippo!

Cons: Price. It was outrageous at $58/person. There are a lot of VERY steep hills. Someone will accessibility issues should read their info closely. One of the main reasons we went was for the giant pandas, which were are all gone! It was a serious bummer for our group!

If you're going to go, plan a big budget. You'll want to eat lunch and stay for many hours to get your money's worth!

If there for the first time, take the Bus Tour to get oriented. It skirts the outer perimeter and the driver provides a lot of information on the zoo which helps plan the rest of your visit. Thank goodness for the many guides/assistants around the park who offered to help with directions as it was easy to become disoriented with all the twists, turns, and elevation changes on the many paths that can be taken after taking the Bus Tour.
I suggest bring your own beverage to keep hydrated as they charge an excessive price for soda, beer, and even water. We split a wrap for lunch and downed it with our own water. There are several eateries throughout the zoo so going hungry will not be a problem.

First let me say the the volunteers are great and very helpful. When we first entered the park we did not know what we wanted to do first. A volunteer saw us and suggested taking the 35 minute bus tour around the zoo and or do the hop on hop off around the zoo. We did the 35 minute bus tour and then walked the park afterwards. My advice is to get there early. Especially if you love the big cats as I do. The zoo is roughly 3.2 miles from the hotels in the Gas Lamp district so the round trip with Uber was way less expensive than renting a car.

The San Diego Zoo is the Best Zoo in the world. It is located in the rolling hills and valleys of San Diego's Balboa Park. It's big. Really big. San Diego residents digest it in parts. It you plan on seeing it all, wear comfortable shoes and take time to sit down with some of your favorite animals (for me that's the great apes and the polar bears) and catch your breath.
I recommend taking in the exhibits closest to the entrance of the zoo and then take the sky ride to the far side, then work your way back. As an alternative you may want to take the bus tour and then go back to the areas that interest you the most.
My "not to be missed" animals are the apes, the polar bears, the koala bears and the reptiles (I know they're not everyone's cup of tea).