Should I go to the zoo or the Safari Park in San Diego?

The San Diego Zoo has animals from all over the world, including Australia, Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, and more. Whereas the Safari Park focuses on animals from mostly arid environments, like the African and Asian Savannas. Visitors can easily spend a full day seeing all the animals at each park.



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The San Diego Zoo is the Safari Park's sister park to the southwest in San Diego. Distance between the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is 35 miles. Please allow 45 minutes to 1 hour travel time.

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Although one can easily enjoy a full day or more at both parks, to visitors with limited time we recommend a minimum of three to four hours to see some of the Zoo and a minimum of four to six hours to experience a portion of the Safari Park.

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One of the best activities to do — regardless of whether you're flying solo, as a couple, or on a family outing — is taking a day to explore the vast San Diego Zoo. In fact, this is one of the most popular attractions in all of Southern California, right up there with Disneyland, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios!

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The winter months make great times to visit the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. We love the comfortable temperatures and smaller crowds. December through March also marks the official whale-watching season.

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It depends on how much you want to see. If you must see everything, plan on all day (6-7 hours). If you center on covering maybe 65%, you can probably do it in 5 hours. If you are hot on certain attractions, maybe only 3 hours.

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Arrive early. You'll avoid the larger afternoon crowds, plus the animals tend to be most active in the cool morning hours. If possible, plan an overnight camp out at the Safari Park called a Roar and Snore for a totally unique experience.

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It survives in a few small, isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. Yet at the Safari Park, we have had over 100 births so far in our large African Plains habitat! You can admire our giraffes from the African Plains' Kijamii Overlook, from the Africa Tram, or from a Wildlife Safari, Cart Safari, or Ultimate Safari.

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Activities
  • Conservation Carousel. Our colorful Conservation Carousel features 60 ride elements to choose from, many depicting rare and endangered wildlife. ...
  • Africa Tram. ...
  • Balloon Safari. ...
  • JOURNEY INTO THE WILD. ...
  • Petting Kraal. ...
  • Play Areas. ...
  • Explore Elephants.


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YES. Start saving now because a luxury African safari is WORTH IT. We spent about $7500 including flights, hotels on either side of our trip in Johannesburg, safari lodge, and transfers from the airport.

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The generally accepted definition of a safari park is a drive-through park. Wild Animal Park or San Diego's version of a Safari Park does not provide that option, however, so the name change makes the zoo unique in an odd sort of way.

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We recommend planning at least 3 days for San Diego. This will allow you to explore the city center, visit one or two theme parks, and potentially also catch a glimpse of the beautiful coastal areas nearby. However, if you have more time, you can easily fill 5-7 days in San Diego and you'll find plenty to do.

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The Africa Tram is an exciting expedition, with safari tour vehicles and our diverse wildlife creating a relaxing adventure. The ride path takes you around some of the savanna habitats, giving you a chance to connect with wildlife on a closer level. Approximately 25 minutes.

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This is probably the best zoo that we have ever visited. Included with the zoo admission is a narrated bus tour that takes you all over the zoo. We were lucky as a lot of the animals were active during our bus tour. We took Uber from downtown and the zoo has a convenient drop-off location.

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The San Diego Zoo has a lot of walking and hills. Be prepared for climbing or plan to use some of the park transportation options.

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1-Day Pass Any Day tickets valid any day within one year from date of purchase. Cannot be exchanged for Value Days ticket. No reservation required.

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