San Diego Zoo Safari Park

This is a review specifically for the Ultimate Safari VIP tour. I was kind of apprehensive about the price, it’s expensive, but it was a “donation” so I took the plunge. I’ll just skip to the verdict and say… it’s WORTH it! Every penny. There’s no other experience in the country that can match anything there. If you love animals (I do), there is literally no better place or tour than this. I told them which experiences and places I wanted to tour, and they customized everything. I got to see my favorite animals *close* up, and with very few people around. I saw behind the scenes, offices, medical facilities, restricted areas near the public, the “Asian” enclosure area inaccessible to the public, and a very private lunch in a beautiful area. They are very open and generous with their facilities, they grant very in-depth access to areas all over the park. Lori was my tour guide and she was awesome! She was so knowledgeable and friendly and made sure I had the best time possible. She stayed with me for the full 7 hours. I could rant on forever about it, but I’ll just sum it up by saying this was literally the best money I’ve ever spent. And if you love animals, and especially if you’re familiar with the park and its history, it’s an absolute no-brainer, take the tour and enjoy! It’s kind of early to judge right now, but I truly believe this tour changed my whole perspective on the park, and I’ve been going for decades.

My wife and 2 young boys had a very fun and happy experience when it came to seeing all the amazing animals in the different habitats. We were able capture some great photos. The park staff were all so kind and knowledgeable of the animals. They made me leave feeling like an expert. We even got annual passes because we had such a great time and we look forward to our next visit and being able to take extra time to learn so much more. Tip: You're allowed to bring your own food and snacks. There's a lot of walking involved and so snacks made all the difference. It helped that we could put that saved money towards souvenirs for the boys. Oh, download the app when youre there.

We spent a full day at the San Diego Safari Park, which sits roughly 30 miles outside the city, and it was a memorable trip. Parking costs $20 and tickets are $76, so it’s definitely an investment, but the park is spacious, scenic, and very well run. I loved observing the lion, tiger, and massive Burmese python, all of which were closely monitored in thoughtfully designed habitats. The safari ride itself was peaceful and showcased non-harmful animals like giraffes, deer, and antelopes roaming freely. While beautiful, it left me wishing they also offered a safari experience featuring larger predators like lions or tigers. Compared to the San Diego Zoo, which has a wider variety and a significantly larger number of animals, the Safari Park feels more spread out but offers something the zoo doesn’t: the chance to get very close to select animals. The kangaroo walk-through and the free-flying bird interaction areas were truly unforgettable—easily the highlight of the visit and unlike anything at the main zoo. Overall, it’s a wonderful experience for animal lovers. With an expanded safari lineup, it could easily be one of the best wildlife experiences in California.

We visited on a weekday and it was super quiet!! We loved the zoo it was super accessible (relative with newborn baby) which was great! Amazing for families and kids. We loved how large the zoo was with spacious areas for animals to roam!! With a wide array of habitats theres plenty to see. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the savanna and it was great delicious food and good views. Zoo staff and volunteers were really friendly and knowledgeable helping us make the most of our trip!! We had a great day out and would recommend visiting!

The park is always wonderful. Right now they have a Christmas theme going on after dark that makes things really magical. We did a lot of walking. The Africa tram is awesome. Our guide was a paleontologist and an archeologist, so that made our tour super informative and interesting. The line was long to get in, but went pretty quickly. I'd say we enjoyed all the exhibits and areas of the park. I think the food and bev could use a lot of improvement. You go to these places expecting to pay a lot, but you want a decent selection, service and quality. We ordered pretzels. Thr associate didn't tell is they didn't have mustard until after the pretzels were delivered. Who can eat a pretzel without mustard? Just stuff like that. With a little thought and organization, they could up their food game substantially, which would increase revenue to help support all of their amazing animals.