July 11, 2023

The San Diego Zoo is very well known to be one of the top zoos in the world, let alone the USA. This is a massive complex, and it’s really difficult to see everything they have to offer in just one day. Luckily, my family has been living in San Diego for a while, are members of the zoo, and I’ve been able to visit on a whole bunch of occasions. Here are my tips for you!

Rope Drop

Rope dropping is a term that has come to be associated with theme parks – specifically Walt Disney World. It means that you get to the park before it opens, and wait at the ropes that close the park off until the opening moment. When the park opens, the rope actually “drops” and the crowds can move through the park freely. I’ve started to use the phrase when it comes to getting to any attraction, museum, etc. before opening time. This is essential at so many attractions these days to beat the crowds.

You really should consider rope dropping the San Diego Zoo for several reasons. First, you can park REALLY close to the entrance. The parking lots here are massive, and the last thing you want to do after spending a day walking miles around the zoo is walking another half mile to your car. Second, you can get some really good photos at the entrance without too many people, like the one at the top of this article.

Last, and definitely not least, the San Diego Zoo has a very special opening. They bring a large enclosure out before the crowd and lift it about 25 feet in the air. There is a LOT of squawking coming from this box! The park is officially open when they open the enclosure, and about 10 gorgeous, multi-colored macaws fly out across the front of the park! It’s a really stunning spectacle that you don’t want to miss!

The Tour Bus

I highly recommend hopping on the free tour bus right away, which is located right across from the opening of the park. It takes about a half hour or so to drive around the park, and they point out all sorts of highlights. Some of the animals will be hidden, but we actually saw koalas MOVING on this bus tour, so they are able to point out some cool things. It will also help orient you around the park, and help you pick out things that you will want to come back to later.

Choose Your Own Adventure

It’s going to be really important for you to prioritize what animals you want to see at the park. I would suggest that each person in your group picks their top thing to see and you prioritize those things and then if there is time later, you can hit up some other areas of the park. This time around, I really wanted to check out the Africa Rocks section, as it was new since the last time we were there. Clara was really interested in the reptile house. Some other major highlights for me are the gorilla enclosure, the monkey trails, and the elephants are super impressive as well.

Food

There are over 20 places to choose from to eat around the Zoo. If you want a really nice, full-service meal, I would really recommend Albert’s. It’s in a great, shady location, and the food and service are good. Most of the food at the Zoo is very good, and you can’t go wrong with one of the quicker places either. There are plenty of tables and space everywhere, but I would recommend eating early to avoid crowds. If you do rope drop the park, you’ll probably be hungry early anyway, so you’ll be ready to eat once the lunch places open. Alternatively, you are allowed to bring in your own food into the park. They won’t let you bring coolers or large picnic set-ups, but if you can fit your own food into a backpack, then you can do that too. This is definitely something to consider if you’re on a budget – since tickets are $76 for adults and $66 for children ages 3-11. We only spent half a day here this time, so we didn’t get any food or photos, but here is a hungry lizard!

Additional Tips

Wear sneakers. Seriously, you will be walking a TON in this park. There are cool gondolas stretching across the park, which I recommend you check out, as well as other busses that ride around the park in a hop-on-hop-off sort of fashion, but really you’ll end up walking a lot.

If you’re here in the summer, it doesn’t matter that San Diego weather is perfect and 72 degrees all the time. The sun here is blazing and it is HOT in the zoo. Wear light, breathable clothing. Dry-wicking pants and tops are the best.

Check out their website for any special events and happenings, and for special experiences. There are private tours, VIP experiences, and experiences where you can get closer to the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world. If you’re traveling to San Diego, this is definitely a marquee attraction that you don’t want to miss.