THE 10 CLOSEST Hotels to San Diego Zoo

We’ve been to zoos in many parts of Asia with our children and our kids love most zoos. However, many zoos in Asia aren’t particularly noted for their delicate care of the wildlife. My wife was also wondering why a zoo was so expensive. I told her it was expensive because the proceeds go to the care of the animals’ welfare. When we walked in, our kids started to run around in excitement because of how large the zoo is and my wife was speechless. I had been here before, but it’s always being upgraded and investments keep rolling in. It is an amazing place for kids and adults and everyone can appreciate the beauty of the place and see the dedication the San Diego Zoo has to its animal population.

This is a great zoo! There's something for everyone. You can easily spend all day walking through the exhibits. The one gripe I have is that I wish the park was laid out better - with the walkways and signage it's easy to walk in circles and not know your way out of an area. Make sure you reserve tickets in advance to see the panda bears (you can't walk up to that exhibit). I also wish it weren't so expensive.

This great zoo is located near downtown San Diego in Balboa Park. The 100-acre zoo contains many rare and endangered animals that you can view in their natural habitats. This is one of the largest zoos in America, and you can see just about every animal that exist, including some I had never even heard about. I would suggest taking the Guided Bus Tour upon your arrival to acquaint yourself with the various areas where you would like to spend more time. The tour bus, which winds through about three quarters of the zoo, has a guide who will help you learn more details about the animals. You can also take a ride on the Skyfari gondola lift, which will carry you from one side of the park to the other while you get to see the park from above. There are also some special tours and educational experiences you can book that will make your visit even more interesting. Wear good walking shoes and expect some steep inclines and a lot of foot traffic. There is enough to see that it will take the whole day, but at least plan to spend half a day to get the full experience. (PaM)

I had not been to the Zoo in years, growing up in SD it was a staple along with annual membership. We came for those adorable Pandas and they did not disappoint! Our visit was first thing in the AM on an off season weekday and that was a win as the park was not crowded at all. We were not only able to hang with the Pandas without feeling rushed but had no trouble seeing any of the other animals who were out and having lovely morning. I ended up buying an annual membership, as it was a smidge cheaper with the free pass that comes with it for me and the Hubs. I love supporting this world class zoo!

It was worth every penny. They have massive collection. Especially birds! But I felt it is well laid out zoo overall with many ways to watch the same animals. The zoo has a water park near the exit so prepare a kid’s swimsuit or another pair of clothes as well as a towel. Also, they bring out animals to watch closely, at 1 pm and 2 pm. There is also the skyline. You can take the small foldable stroller like a yoyo with you. It is only one way at a time and there is a decent line to get on. So if you think you will get on, just take the stroller with you. I didn’t know there was a water park and my daughter wanted to go in so bad. And my husband had to go back up through the skyline to get the stroller over back to me which was a hassle.

We did the VIP Elite Encounter tour. It was a 3.5 hour golf cart tour with Laura as our guide. She was so upbeat and informative!! We had a wonderful time. The opportunity to go behind the scenes was amazing. We leaned so much and felt very ‘VIP’. The bus tour was a nice way to see the zoo. It gave you a good overview of the zoo and we saw a lot of animals. Sergio was a really fun bus driver. He gave a lot of good information and shared his story about how he got started loving animals and working at the zoo. It was very sweet. This is a must see place if you are coming to San Diego.

We just experienced a spectacular day at the zoo by doing the VIP tour! Yes, it’s expensive but worth every penny. There were 8 of us(2 kids- 3 and 6). The seemless moving around the park by golf cart is wondeful. Each stop was a behind the scene experience with a zoo keeper that specialized in that animal. We enter exhibits before they opened. Saw all the animals in private viewing locations away from the hoards. We watched feedings and also got to feed animals. We back door rode the tram(no lines) and had a wonderful sit down lunch. I could go on and on. Please don’t hesitate to book it if you are able. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommend!!

This was my second visit to the zoo, the first in 2007 when my two kids were younger. Still one of the best zoos I have ever visited. Although the park is quite hilly the enclosures are more natural than other zoos. The pandas were visiting from China and are always funny and fascinating.

If you think it will be crowded, yes. Yes, it will be. This Zoo is world famous for a reason. Very cool animals and plants left and right. Try planning ahead to see which animals you want to see to avoid going through heavily trafficked areas, and avoid inclines and stairs when you don’t need climb to see them. Save your energy, this Zoo can wear out anyone

This zoo is amazing. Not only do they have wonderful exhibits but the surroundings and plantings are beautiful. There is something for everyone here. We spent the entire day here but if doing it again we would get a two day pass as we were not able to see everything. We would break it down into halves maybe and be able to see everything. The pandas had returned but the exhibit wasn't open yet so I am glad we saw them in DC last October. Do not miss this if in the area.