San Diego Zoo Safari Park

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

San Diego Zoo Safari Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
About
Home to more than 3,600 animals representing over 300 species, San Diego Zoo Safari Park lets you to get up close and personal with animals from around the world. Hop on the safari tram, observe animals in their natural habitats and get insights to the conservation work in the park. You can also experience nature uniquely through the zip line adventure or board a tethered hot air balloon which soars over the park. Buy your discounted one-day pass in advance or get a multi-day pass that includes entry to their sister park, the San Diego Zoo. – Tripadvisor
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from
$76.00
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience San Diego Zoo Safari Park and nearby attractions

See what travelers are saying

  • Marie Jeanette M
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Good Day At The Park!
    The day was so nice and clear and clean after the stormy weather! The animals were active and present. It was nice to have volunteers this time to interact with when questions present themselves! Lots of construction this time but I guess you can’t beat free month for Seniors!!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 13, 2024
  • DJL67
    Petoskey, Michigan23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Zoo
    Spent 6hrs of up down and around with grands and son. Should have gotten year passes for the kids. Amazing care of the animals and many many varieties including the majors Rhinoceros Lions Giraffes etc. Big open spaces. Will definitely go back.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 16, 2024
  • ashley w
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience for families & kids!
    The park was very clean. All the staff members were friendly, high energy, & helpful. The animals were great. I did feel like the animal homes could have been expanded more & the 2pm show was great, I wish they would have shown some larger animals like monkeys or lions.. And we paid for the safari tour. That was really fun & nice. I loved the giraffes. I do think it was very expensive like over $400 foot a family of 4 in addition to the ticket price was just a lot.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 18, 2024
  • Reina P
    7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun day!
    We went the day after a rain storm, so the weather was mild and it was overcast. The park wasn’t busy and the animals were very active. Just about every animal was up and moving rather than napping. You need two days at this park to go at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery and have the luxury to watch the animals. The app was okay, the directions and planning feature were nice but for the life of me finding scheduled feedings or talks was impossible in the app. There were lots of volunteers and employees around so we could ask questions or just listen to them talk about the animals.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 22, 2024
  • Tony K
    Moreno Valley, California947 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very nice place to take the family to see all kinds of animals
    We actually got in free with their “ month of 65 and older” special. It’s a very nice park/grounds etc. Definitely lots to see and most of the park is like a jungle which was cool looking ! Lots of walking no doubt.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 22, 2024
  • Dan M
    Irvine, California1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great day at the park
    As my wife and were walking through the park, I suggested how wonderful it feels that we get to share this moment with the people that love caring for the Animals here. To me it's clear they are taken care of very well and seemed very content. The park is very clean and well kept. All teammates we came in contact with seemed pleased to be here. It was my wife's BD also and she must have gotten happy greeting from 20 or more park members. Didn't hurt she was wearing the button given when we entered the park. We eat at the Watering Hole (reservations a must). For us, it was one of the most wonderful eating experiences, mainly due to the view. Menu is tight, but food was plenty as we shared Nachos and Chicken Sandwhich. They threw in the dessert as a BD gift. If possible I suggest purchasing one of the Safari adventures. Tickets are available near Tram pick up on the lower side of the park. Overall, it was a great day.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 24, 2024
  • Michelle P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous & so Memorable
    Absolutely fabulous! Loved the park! Highly recommend the Wildlife Safari & Behind the Scenes Safari! We learned so much and we took great pictures of the animals! Everyone was very knowledgeable and nice! Don’t hesitate to visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 26, 2024
  • Melissa C
    San Diego, California76 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A very special place
    We went on a day during February which was free for us seniors. We did pay $20 for parking which was a surprise. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time. The place is beautiful and a pure pleasure to walk through. We got great exercise with all the walking and saw so many beautiful animals looking like they were living their best life. The African Plains area was full of rhinos, giraffes and all kinds of gnus and antelopes. I’ve never seen such a large group of rhinos before. They were lying on a hill and casually regarding us. I was pretty sure that it was we who were on display for them, and not the other way round. Everyone was so kind. There were lots of guides about to answer questions or tell you which way to the lions. They were very much on top of things, and whenever we were paused, wondering which way to go, there was someone right there offering their help. All in all a really terrific place. I highly recommend it.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 28, 2024
  • Lisa P
    Woodstock, Georgia52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great outdoor fun!
    Loved it! Perfect place to get your steps in and enjoy animals in a beautiful setting. The employees are excellent at directing your path, very friendly and informative. We loved the tram ride. Our driver gave a great talk as we were shown the rhino, zebras, giraffe and more. There is a ballon ride that looked like fun, but we didn’t do. There is food and shops.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 4, 2024
  • Shelly
    5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun with rhinos
    Andy was a stellar tour guide! The park is beautiful but the signage and map are very difficult to follow. Docents and staff were very kind but even their spoken directions did not keep us from getting repeatedly lost.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 9, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,873 reviews
Excellent
3,390
Very good
960
Average
321
Poor
120
Terrible
82

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

bous
54 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
It was quite the experience. Definitely something you'll need to prepare for physically; lots and lots of walking. Definitely not as much to see as the San Diego zoo, you'll need to dedicate a good 20 minutes of walking to get from one animal to the other.

Bus ride and the hot air balloon ride is a definite highlight of the trip. A big downside is the prices; it was about 6 dollars for a small bottle of water. Other than that, a decently fun expreience, but with the amount of walking done, it seemed like I was only looking at the animals for around 30% of the visit there.
Written June 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Courtney P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
We visit San Diego zoo often, but have never gone to the Safari Park. This was our first time and can assure it will not be our last. We took the time to do the wildlife Safari and it did not disappoint! Kelly was our tour guide and if you have the chance to go, be sure to ask for her. As a mother of an autistic child, going to theme parks, zoos, large crowded places can be very overwhelming. She not only gave an incredible and informative tour, but was kind and attentive to each and every person while also paying special attention to my son and his needs. She picked him up, let him hold an animal on the tour, joked, and made our experience 100 times better than what it would’ve been without her.
The park itself is huge and definitely recommend renting a stroller if you don’t bring one with you. There’s quite a bit to see, but it’s very spread out. We would go to an enclosure, see the animals and then my son would snack and cruise in the stroller as we made our way to the next animals. We arrived at 10am and we spent 5 hours in the park including the 1 hour Wildlife Safari. Bring plenty of snacks, your own food and water. They do have plenty of water fountains throughout the park to refill if needed.
Written January 21, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LP
San Diego, CA2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
One of my favorite places to visit in San Diego. My favorite activity is the Africa tram. It tends to get busy after 11 am so I suggest you put this itinerary at the top of your list. My favorite exhibit is the tiger exhibition. It’s so nice to see the tigers up close through the glass window, plus it feels the most refreshing area in the park on a hot summer day thanks to the shaded walkway.

The safari park requires a lot of walking, and it’s quite a distance to get to the African tram or the hot air balloon, so bring comfortable shoes. The food isn’t the best, so we snack and eat elsewhere when we visit. Also, if you purchase a cup or popcorn bucket from the San Diego Zoo or Safari park, you’re able to refill it for a small fee rather than paying full price every time.

All in all, if I were to choose which animal park I enjoy the most, I’d have to say the San Diego zoo, because there are more animals to see. There’s also shows for kids throughout the day, that we normally don’t see at the safari park. Nonetheless, it’s a neat experience and I recommend you visit if you’re in San Diego.
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pioneer31333610127
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
The free 40-minute safari area tour featuring giraffes and hippos from afar is enjoyable; inside there is a further possibility of a tour by van which, however, costs a lot and unfortunately there are works in progress and areas which are not accessible on foot.
It is unforgivable that the photos still show rare animals that have been transferred like the Panda.
The area is very vast, be prepared to walk but it is definitely well maintained, with a great variety of flora, it is better to download the map on your mobile phone because it is not clear from the map how to move and you walk and walk.
The combined entrance to the two zoos (S. Diego Zoo + Safari Park) is not cheap at all. (we spent 120 dollars each) and you also pay extra for parking... The "special encounter" experiences with animals, if done, have prohibitive costs, and we were told they are suspended due to Covid.
Google
Written October 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SeniorTravelerOC
Irvine, CA259 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
This Safari Park is overpriced for what you get, plus $20 for parking and expensive for food. Our visit was very disappointing. The only attraction worthwhile is the 25 minute Africa Tram which circles the open area where you can see some animals, mostly distant and not very exciting. The rest of the park consists of animals in enclosures, same as if you go to the zoo. We saw a lot of birds, ducks, and various small animals, but no elephants, lions, or large animals. It seems they are not out or hiding where visitors cannot see them. They had maps and signs in the park but it was very confusing knowing which way to go. Everyone seemed to be looking at their map or asking one of the workers for directions. There were no shows. We spent 4 hours here which was more than enough. If you want to get closer to the animals, you need to pay a lot extra for a safari tour. Overall, very disappointing for the price paid.
Written August 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

termie_g
Burbank, CA105 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
I know this will sound terrible, but the SD Zoo Safari Park is a waste of money. We've been to the main zoo and thought it was great, but the novelty of seeing animals roaming around (or more often laying around), just isn't worth the extra cost and hassle of getting around this huge facility. The entry price is about the same as the main zoo, but you feel compelled to pay as much or more than the entry price for the guided tours, which honestly are not that good. The free Africa tram is nearly as good, and the only catch is you have to walk about a mile to get to it. The most disappointing part was that the guides weren't very well trained at all. My wife and I went on different guided tours with completely different "themes", but were told the exact same stories by the guides, who seemed to just be sharing rehearsed lines. They definitely did not know all that much about the animals. At the end of the day, we were all tired, hot (because this is basically in the desert, not coastal San Diego), cranky, not particularly well informed, and had spent a ton of money on tours and food. Skip it.
Written July 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Max H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
We LOVE the San Diego Safari Park and have been Premium members for a while. It's a great way to spend the day, or even just half a day. You can get your steps in, play Pokemon Go, and appreciate the animals. Compared to other entertainment with passes/memberships the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park are about the only thing left where it'll totally pay for itself in only a few visits. 100% worth it for us since we live in the IE and might only use our passes a few times a year. We enjoy every single visit! We did early entry today and it was great, did the whole lower half of the park and were done by noon, and we'll probably be back next week for the other half! It's a great experience, a great value, and you get to help conservation efforts.
Written January 16, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carolyn O
23 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
It was very quiet- mid week in January. I recommend starting with the Africa tram. The animals were pretty active first thing in the morning.

The kangaroo walk was the definite highlight of our visit. It was difficult to appreciate the platypus as the enclosure must be kept very dark.

After a day at the main zoo it felt like a little too much walking per animal viewing and the kids tired quickly. We visited as part of our go city pass, but everyone preferred the regular zoo and I’m not sure it’s worth the visit if you have a short trip planned in San Diego.
Written January 13, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ottermom
Sioux Falls, SD109 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
We came here specifically to see the platypus. Luckily the male was still awake, since they are nocturnal. We thought about doing a safari tour, but decided to visit the SD zoo the next day instead for our $$$.

They do not announce or have any signs up showing when they might be bringing out animals to do talks on them. We tried asking when they might be & were told you just have to be there.

There are volunteers everywhere to help you find certain paths, animals, etc. All the staff/volunteers were very friendly. We happened upon a training/health check session for the red river hogs that was very fun to watch. We did skip the big Africa train tour since we had done it before. Our real purpose was to see the platypus. The show Journey into the Wild is fun. It is a bird show & also talks about the Wildlife Alliance. It is only 1x a day, so make sure to find out the time.

Heads up there is a $20 parking charge if you are not a zoo member.
Written June 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ginny P
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Went today, Monday, Aug 26 with family, 8 adults, 4 children, 3 under age 3 and one 6 year old. The kids loved it and Monday is a perfect day as the park is not crowded. Got to the park at 9:10am so parking was not an issue and animals were all out and about. There were lots of volunteers all around the park that were very very helpful. The only complaint I have, which I am sure is common, is that it cost us over $500 to visit the park. Luckily for us, kids under 3 are free. We are visiting California so no local discount. We debated on going to the Safari park or the SD zoo (not both due to the price) and decided, due to the kid ages, the park would be better. I think we made the right choice.
Written August 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 4,680
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

San Diego Zoo Safari Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

All Escondido HotelsEscondido Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Escondido
All things to do in EscondidoZoos & Aquariums in Escondido
Day Trips in EscondidoTheater & Concerts in Escondido
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars