San Diego Zoo and Safari Trip!

[tom1998]

Hello!

I'm visiting San Diego next month and have planned for 2 days at the zoo and one day at the safari park. Just wondering if anyone has any up-to-date advice for a first time visitor trying to see everything?

From your recommended route around the parks, to aviaries to spend that extra bit of time in, add-ons that are worth spending extra on and species not often kept in zoos - any and all advice will be much appreciated!

I've scrolled through past threads and will continue to do so for the next few weeks so sorry if this is a bit repetitive for some - SDZ and SP are the main reasons for my trip over from the UK so I'm just really looking to make the most of it!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Zarcos]

I live here and went to both a couple years ago. Both have special experience tours that start at $92, backstage private tour stuff at the zoo and the safari park has a "wildlife safari" where they drive you around to get a closer look at the animals. Ive always wanted to do the safari but its out of my price range unfortunately. At the zoo you can buy pellets to feed the giraffes, the petting zoo often has baby animals in separated enclosures that let you get pretty close. My favorite enclosures were are the walkthroughs, the zoo has tons of aviaries some make great shortcuts around the park and they're a great place too cool down, most, if not all of them, have places to sit down inside. The safari park has a walkthrough lemur exhibit (it was closed during covid but it should be open now) and another with kangaroos and wallabies. Oh also in the australia area of the safari park they have the only platypus on display outside of australia. Its so damn cute, also way smaller and more active than I expected.

You wont see everything so make sure you prioritize your favorites.

https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/special-experiences

Plan Your Visit

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Hello!

I'm visiting San Diego next month and have planned for 2 days at the zoo and one day at the safari park. Just wondering if anyone has any up-to-date advice for a first time visitor trying to see everything?

From your recommended route around the parks, to aviaries to spend that extra bit of time in, add-ons that are worth spending extra on and species not often kept in zoos - any and all advice will be much appreciated!

I've scrolled through past threads and will continue to do so for the next few weeks so sorry if this is a bit repetitive for some - SDZ and SP are the main reasons for my trip over from the UK so I'm just really looking to make the most of it!

Thanks in advance!

2 days at the zoo is a good idea because that is what I chose to do when I visited in 2021, because I couldn't see every part of the zoo in one day, despite staying ten hours, so I went back the next day and finished off the last three areas (and went back to see the Nile Hippos again). For the Safari Park, one day should be enough to see everything on the walking trails as it took me just seven hours to do everything except for the Asian Savanna, as there was no public access to it at the time.

 

[Zarcos]

2 days at the zoo is a good idea because that is what I chose to do when I visited in 2021, because I couldn't see every part of the zoo in one day, despite staying ten hours, so I went back the next day and finished off the last three areas (and went back to see the Nile Hippos again). For the Safari Park, one day should be enough to see everything on the walking trails as it took me just seven hours to do everything except for the Asian Savanna, as there was no public access to it at the time.

Lol yeah I love the Safari Park but there isnt as much to see as the main zoo and its all so spread out since it was originally a breeding facility for African Savannah animals way back before they became more conservation focused. For this reason its also located in the San Pasqual valley because the climate is more similar to the Serengeti than the cooler more coastal climate of Balboa Park... the safari park can gets really hot during the summer. Its nice now though, probably the best time of year to go, just might be crowded