Great zoo! Thorntree Terrace’s fish and chips had me swinging off the trees! (Aka bomb.com). The worker Diego at the kalahari cupboard prepped our sundae perfectly with a smile on his face. He was as kind as a koala. James picked us up at the drop off so we didn’t have to walk all the way back. Kind and knowledgeable man, just as an elephant. We’re going bananas to go again. See you next time!

We went to see the new cloned horse and were able to get a glimpse because of some helpful advice by a volunteer named Bob by the elephant viewing area. The volunteer at clima point let us use her binoculars to get a look. Also we got lucky and saw the cheetah run! Great day

We went on a Tuesday in mid Sept. it was not very crowded. We took the cart Safaris and we’re very happy with both. We had the same guide for both the Asian and African cart Safari ride. Her name was Denise and she was so accommodating and knowledgeable. Both safaris cover a similar area but Denise made sure we had a different experience with each Safari. We got close up views of the rhinos, giraffes and other animals in the large area of the park where many species roam together. The cart safaris are comfortable and you get a more personalized experience than the free African tram. If you plan to walk to see all the animals it is a lot of walking and some fairly steep terrain at times. We are older so the cart safaris were great for us.

We had a great day at San Diego zoo safari park. On arrival we were quite surprised that we had to pay $20 to park on some gravel, when we had already paid about $400 before even arriving! We found all the volunteers so friendly, approachable and helpful with any questions that we had and they were all so enthusiastic. We have to give a special mention to Lynette, she was just so lovely. Seeing the only platypus outside of Australia was a very unique and cool experience. We managed to walk round and see the whole park in about 3 hours before stopping for lunch, but I will say that it was very quiet on the day we visited which I’m sure made a difference. We stopped for lunch and ate in the Oasis Deli as it is the only air conditioned eatery in the park! We were served by Gayle and she was incredibly friendly and helpful. The sandwiches we had tasted delicious. After lunch we had the wildlife deluxe safari tour booked. Doug was our driver and Rebecca was our tour guide and they made a great team. We learnt so much and I felt we stayed so engaged during the whole tour as Rebecca just made it really fun and gave us so many interesting facts. It was such an amazing experience seeing all the animals up close and personal. I do feel that the ticket prices are very expensive, charging $70 each just for entrance into the park (which you have to pay on top of the safari tour price) feels a bit like daylight robbery! But we do feel we got a once in a lifetime kind of experience and you can tell how much resources, time and care goes into the upkeep of the park and caring for the animals. One tip I would give is to try and arrive as early as you can, we didn’t really think when we decided to arrive at midday as most of the animals were not visible initially due to the heat. We were told that they mostly come out in the mornings which we hadn’t considered before our visit.

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.

The San Diego Safari Park and San Diego Zoo are two jewels in our county! If you go to the Safari Park, plan to spend time watching gorillas play, tigers lolling about, and listening to lions roar! Bring your camera - there are lots of photo ops! Just be aware that it gets really warm in the summer!

As a member of the zoo we pop over as much as we can sometimes for a few hours sometimes all day. Every trip is fun! It’s good exercise to walk around and fun to see the animals and get a treat from the ice cream stand. The animals are always in different states of alertness so it’s fun to see them on any given day.

What an amazing place! We had been told that the safari is better than the zoo so decided to visit it. We were so impressed! They have so many animals that we were able to see. You can even do a walk through where the kangaroos are. Included in the admission is the African tram where you see many animals out in wide open spaces. One of my favorites were the giraffes. The landscaping is amazing! All the volunteers were so friendly and knowledgable. We spent 5 hours there and enjoyed every minute.

The San Diego Safari Zoo offers a captivating wildlife experience, blending conservation and education seamlessly. With vast, naturalistic habitats, it provides a home to a diverse array of species. The knowledgeable staff enhances the visit, sharing insightful information about the animals. From thrilling safari tours to interactive exhibits, every aspect is thoughtfully designed, making it a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts of all ages!

Beautiful park but the swarms of wasps around most trash cans, picnic tables and eateries was a real problem. They need to set up wasp traps or visitors may get stung. My wife is allergic to wasp stings so we had to be extra careful.