San Diego Zoo: Top Deals & To Do’s

Zoo’s don’t always top my to-do list, but the San Diego Zoo is one of my faves and has something for everyone from innocent tot to jaded octogenarian. Fun for families? Sure. But you don’t need a kid to party with the zoo animals in San Diego. If you’re thinking of going, here are my top tips for planning your trip, plus skip down for my roundup of best San Diego Zoo discounts & freebies currently available.

For starters, you really need to take advantage of the tour bus and/or the Skyfari Gondola lift for a birds-eye view of the place. The San Diego Zoo is huge, taking up 100 acres of prime real estate and featuring more than 4,000 awesome animals. And you know what they say: Location, Location, Location. The San Diego Zoo is based in beautiful Balboa Park, and not far from downtown San Diego and the Gaslamp Quarter. You could spend days just walking around and seeing the sights.

As far a zoos go, the San Diego Zoo does a better job than most taking care of the animals — and animal rights are a common concern here on the left coast. The  Zoo aims for humane surroundings, with habitats that mimic those in nature, surrounded by moats rather than fencing and cages, wherever possible. The San Diego Zoo also provides large free-flight aviaries.

6 Savvy Tips for your San Diego Zoo Trip

The park is too big to visit in one day, so you’ll want to prioritize. If you’ve been there before, you already know your top stops. Here are mine:

1. Start with a Ticket Deal: Before you go, get your tickets online and save. Skip down for a list of 10 San Diego Zoo discounts.
2. Take the Zoo Tour: Start your day with a 35-minute bus tour to get the lay of the land, and consider the Skyfari Gondola lift. Taking a tour of the grounds lets you plan what exhibits and animals you want to visit most, and on the tour you’ll get a quick glimpse of everything else.
3. Peek at the Pandas: How could you not? All the zoo animals have their merits. But the San Diego Zoo is one of only four places in the US where you can see Giant Pandas, which are on the endangered species list. See the pandas early in the day to avoid long lines.
4. Stroll the Gardens: Who knew? The Zoo’s botanical garden is really impressive, with a special orchid garden you won’t want to miss, and collections of bamboo, coral tree, cycad, ficus, and palm. The San Diego Zoo is known for rescuing rare and endangered plants, and takes price in offering tours and special botanical events Check the schedule here.
5. Get Hands On at the Petting Paddock: Packing kids? Head for the popular Petting Paddock where they can touch the sheep and goats, watch animal babies get cuddled and bottle-fed by zoo workers, watch wombats and spy little spider monkeys.
6. Dine and Drink: Fine dining and a full bar at the zoo? Why yes. Albert’s, in the Tree House complex in Lost Forest, next to Gorilla Tropics, is open for lunch and summer dinners overlooking a private waterfall. One of the top “Places to dine amid outdoor beauty,” according to USA Today. Cheers.

San Diego Zoo — 3 for Free

1. Kids Free in October — Each year, from October 1–31, children ages 3–11 get in free to the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and many other San Diego attractions when accompanied by an adult. Note: Not all services within the park are free on the free day (bus tour, etc. are extra).
2. Military Free — A free one-day pass to the San Diego Zoo is available to active US military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and members of the Reserve components (Ready Reserve, National Guard, and Reservists in training); and also cadets of service academies and the US Merchant Marine Academy. Just show your ID at the gate. (Contact your MWR office for possible discounts for military families or retired military.)
3. Free Parking — Parking to the San Diego Zoo is always free.</li>

10 San Diego Zoo Discounts

The San Diego Zoo is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, which means more savings.

When you pre-purchase your tickets online, you can save and also bypass the front gate. How savvy is that! San Diego Zoo offers are among the most popular deals on our Savvy San Diego pages. You have a few ways to save everyday from various sources (directly from the zoo and also from ticket companies the zoo works with to provide discounts). A few combo pass discounts are also available and are a great choice for people visiting the area on vacation. If one of these deals sells out, try another.

1. Any Day Tickets — Includes admission, unlimited use of the Guided Bus tour, Kangaroo Express Bus, Skyfari Aerial tram, all shows and exhibits. These are print-and-go tickets from our travel partner aRes. No coupon code needed. For comparison, you should know a $2 fee will be added at checkout. Options from this savvy source include:

• 1- and 2-Day Passes {$8 Off/adult; $6 off/child}
• Backstage Pass, be a VIP for the day {details}

2. Coupon Code {10% Off} — Use code SDZO5 at checkout via savvy partner Trusted Tours. Their price is already discounted, plus the coupon code gets you the extra $1 off. No fees will be added.

3. San Diego Zoo Admission + Transport from Orange County {details} — If you’re staying at an Anaheim or Buena Park hotel, check this one out. You’ll be picked up from your hotel in the morning for a drive south to the Zoo for a full day of fun at your own pace.

4. Go San Diego Discount Pass — Frankly, most of us don’t want to visit 50 attractions in one visit. But this new updated Go San Diego Pass is way better than it used to be and easier to use, too. You can select as few as two activities and still save around 20%. You’ll save more like 55% if you choose more. You have a month from first activation to use it, and you can show it on your smart phone or download a voucher.

5. San Diego Zoo 3-for-1 Pass {Save $30} — This 3 parks for the price of 1 pass is a good pass if you want to see San Diego Zoo and also Safari Park, and SeaWorld with unlimited entry for a week.

6. Senior Discount — Seniors age 65 and older can get a 10% discount off the 1-Day Pass at the gate (but compare prices with deal sources 1 and 2).

7. AAA Member Discount — AAA members who show their valid membership cards at ticket windows for a 10% off One-Day Pass valid for up to 6 people. (Not available online, and can’t be combined with other deals.)

8. Travel Industry Deals — Airline- and cruise line-eligible employees presenting a company-picture identification badge or CLIA card and one accompanying guest will receive a 10% discount off the 1-Day Pass at the Zoo and Safari Park ticket windows. Tavel agents, wholesalers, and tour operators presenting a valid IATA or IATAN card with picture ID receive a 10% discount off the 1-Day Pass at the Zoo and the Safari Park ticket windows. One accompanying guest will also receive the 10% discount.

9. Military Discount — While active military get in free with ID at the gate (see above under “San Diego Zoo Free”), military families and retirees may qualify for a discount. For this you’ll need to contact your military MWR ticket office for that.

10. Group Discount — Grab 14 friends and you can get a 10% discount off the 1-Day Passes.

Know Before You Go

• Address: San Diego Zoo, 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 (just north of downtown San Diego) — zoo.sandiegozoo.org.
• Hours: Open 365 days a year, but hours vary by season, so check their calendar before you go.
• Best Time to Go: The zoo is open all year and the weather is always great. Holidays can get crowded, though. For families, the best time of year to save money is in October, when kids get in free (but go early to beat the crowds.)
• Parking: General parking at the Zoo is free, with long spaces are available for RV/buses.
• Public Transportation: Rapid 215 and Route 7 stop at the Zoo and are an easy connection in downtown from Amtrak and COASTER trains at the Santa Fe Depot, downtown hotels, the Cruise Ship Terminal, Blue, Orange, and Green Line Trolleys and other MTS bus routes.
• Zoo Map: You can download and print out a pdf map of the zoo to take with  you.
• Strollers / Wheelchairs: The zoo has a limited number of strollers, motorized wheelchairs available for rent.
• First Aid: The zoo has a First Aid office  next to the Reptile house.  and a Lost and Found station, ATMs,
• Best Infant Nursing Area: You’l find a couple of options at the First Aid center, including a privacy curtain, a microwave for warming up baby’s meal, and benches in somewhat private areas outside.
• Lockers: For a nickel you can rent a locker at the Discovery Outpost across from Poppy’s Patio.
• Hotels: Staying over? Find vacation deals that include a convenient downtown San Diego hotel stay plus San Diego Zoo tickets, with a “best price guarantee” via aRes, a savvy partner site.